# New-director cheat sheet (blank worksheet)

A one-page worksheet a new director fills in between the announcement and the first meeting: the organization, the board, the money, the people, and the open decisions.

**When to use:** In the weeks between a director's election or appointment and their first board meeting.

## The organization in five lines
- Mission / what the company does:
- Who it serves / customers:
- Stage and size (staff, revenue or budget):
- The one strategic bet that matters most this year:
- The biggest risk the board worries about:

## The board
- Number of seats, how many independent:
- Chair, committee chairs:
- Meeting cadence and next three dates:
- How the pack arrives and how far ahead:
- Your committee assignment (if any):

## The money
- Last year's result vs plan:
- Cash / runway or reserves:
- Debt, covenants, or major commitments:

## The people
- CEO / executive director, tenure:
- Leadership team names and roles:
- Who to call with a question between meetings:

## Open decisions and recent history
- Decisions pending at the next meeting:
- Three decisions from the last 12 months worth understanding:
- Anything the board revisits often:

## Your duties and policies
- Policies to acknowledge (conflicts, confidentiality, code of conduct):
- Conflicts you need to disclose now:
- D&O insurance and indemnification — who to ask:

## Questions to ask before the first meeting
1.
2.
3.

_Practice template, not legal advice. Your bylaws, policies, statutes, and counsel control._

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