Bringing on a board liaison may be among the best personnel decisions your organization will ever make. It makes little difference if that person is compensated or volunteers her time. The ability to funnel ideas and process through one central point has saved many start-up nonprofits from an early demise. The liaison's immediate task is essentially clerical. She must obtain and update the contact information for the board and everyone involved in your group's operations. Much of the role will be to facilitate ongoing, open communication, so having all necessary contact information is important.

The liaison should also be involved in building the agenda for your monthly board meetings, which will require access to the operational documents and materials in process. Likewise, the board needs to become comfortable addressing operational inquiries to the liaison, as well as raising financial questions so they can be folded into any discussions that are to take place. When practical, the board liaison should attend meetings of the board's standing committees, not as a board member or staff member but rather as a liaison, working equally with all the groups that make up the organization.