41+ Sample Board Resignation Letters

What Is a Board Resignation Letter?

“In fall 2014, the Stanford Graduate School of Business, in collaboration with BoardSource and GuideStar, surveyed 924 directors of nonprofit organizations about the composition, structure, and practices of their boards. Over a quarter (27 percent) of nonprofit directors do not believe that their fellow board members have a strong understanding of the mission and strategy of their organization. A third (32 percent) are not satisfied with the board’s ability to evaluate the performance of the organization.”

If you think that you are not performing well as a board member, then it will be best if you resign from your position and give other people who are more than willing to help the organization, the chance for the board post. Once you decide to quit due to the reason mentioned above or for any other reasons at all, there are several things that you have to keep in mind. One of these is to secure an official resignation letter, whether you will resign from your position as a board member or as a professional currently employed by a business, as this document can reflect your professionalism.

A board resignation letter is a formal document that is written by a board member to signify or announce his or her resignation. Board resignation letters are reviewed by the board of directors so they can be fully aware of the resignation that will take place. Just like a resignation letter going back to school or other types of resignation letters, a board resignation letter can be used by board members who would like to leave the organization immediately or those who still have the time to render remaining service for a particular period or duration of time. Keep on browsing through the discussion below so you can have more idea about the easy creation and effective usage of a board resignation letter.

Types of Board Resignation Letters

In comparison to a professional job resignation letter, your board resignation letter must also be specific, direct to the point, and informative. One of the first things that you have to do when making a board resignation letter is to know what kind or type of resignation letter it is that you need to develop. Doing this can enable you to set the right direction for the document’s development. Here are some types of board resignation letters that are used in different board resignation circumstances:

Volunteer board resignation letter: Even if you volunteered for the position of being a board member, it is still important for you to create a board resignation letter. Your voluntary exit must be well-documented so the organization can easily adjust with its operations even without your presence and involvement.Non-profit board resignation letter: As a board member of a non-profit organization, you have to make sure to write a resignation letter once you decide to resign from your post. Since non-profit organizations need to balance and prioritize their finances based on available sources and resources, it can be hard for them to look for individuals whom they can fully trust in a short-time period. Receiving your board resignation letter can enable other board members to look for potential candidates while you are rendering your remaining time of service to the organization.School board resignation letter: Most academic calendars made by institutions and organizations are usually packed with a lot of activities approved by the board. If you want to resign from being a school board member, you have to let other members of the board know about your decision the earliest time possible. Giving a school board resignation letter can give other board members the chance to identify certain adjustments that must be done especially when it comes to obligation designation within the entire academic year.Board of trustees’ resignation letter: The main role of the board of trustees is to make decisions on behalf of hospitals, charities, schools, and other non-profit organizations. Your resignation as a part of an organization’s board of trustees must be presented through a board of trustees’ resignation letter so the remaining members can identify the financial decisions and other organizational program-related concerns that they have to decide on with you during your remaining days of service rendering.Immediate board resignation letter: An immediate letter of resignation is created if a board member decides to resign from his or her post immediately. Short-notice board resignation letters need to provide the actual and effective date of the resignation so necessary processes aligned with the board resignation can be implemented even within a short time period.

Basic Elements of an Effective Board Resignation Letter

A comprehensive board resignation letter can provide different impacts when compared to the performance of a mediocre board resignation letter. It is important for you to have a complete discussion within your own board resignation letter so the organization can be well-informed about the subject matter. Do you want to know the items that are necessary to be included in a board resignation letter? The basic elements of an effective board resignation letter are as follows:

The layout and content presentation of the board letter of resignationThe specification of your proposed date of resignation as a board memberThe identification of your position or designationThe accuracy of all the details of the resignation letterThe reason/s why you are resigning from your board postThe appreciation message that you would like to relay to the business or organization

9 Steps for Creating a Formal Board Resignation Letter

It is actually easy to write a well-developed board resignation letter. All you need to do is to ensure that you are well-guided by an effective and efficient process for board resignation letter document development. Being able to focus on each of the steps for the creation of a board resignation letter can enable you to refine and polish all the information and details that you will put in the document. Listed below are the steps that you can take so you can create a formal board resignation letter on your own.

1Use a template just as how you use one for the development of standard resignation letters: Making a board resignation letter is no different when creating any other kinds of resignation letters. With this, you have to ensure that the template that you will use is aligned with the kind of board resignation announcement that you would like to realize.2Develop a header for the board resignation letter: Provide your basic personal and contact information which includes your name, the organization where you act as a board member, your address, your e-mail address, and your active phone number. If you want this portion to be as brief or as simple as possible, you can just opt to write your name and your address. 3Write the date when the letter has been written: The date when you gave your resignation letter serves as the formal start of your service rendered. To ensure that you have given the proper and necessary notice on a particular time period, it will be best if you will include the date when you made and submitted the letter. Doing this can also make the task of documenting your resignation easier. 4Create an inside address: This part of the board resignation letter document contains the details of your letter recipient. You can create a general one that is addressed to your organization, or you can also make it specific by providing the details of any representative of the organization whom you expect to receive your board resignation letter.5Have a formal salutation: Address the person who will receive the letter with formality. Using a salutation can make your board resignation letter become more business-appropriate while setting the right tone and mood for the letter document.6Write a detailed and compelling introduction: The first paragraph of your professional board resignation letter must include the statement of your resignation. Aside from this, include the effective date of your resignation, the identification of your board membership or designation, and the time period in which you are willing to render your remaining services for the organization.7Present the factor/s that resulted in your decision to resign: The next paragraph of your board resignation letter can include the reason/s for your resignation. You do not need to fully explain the items that constitute your decision. All you need to do is to give the organization an idea of why you need to leave your board post, especially if your resignation is immediate or comes with short notice.8Create a gracious conclusion: The last part of your board resignation letter may contain your message of appreciation. Show your gratitude to everything that the board has made you experience. You can also provide a statement that you are willing to help in the transition period.9Use a complimentary close and sign the document: If you have not provided your contact information in the header of the board resignation letter, you can include it under your name before you affix your signature at the bottom part of the letter.

Benefits of Developing a Professional Board Resignation Letter

If you plan to make a board resignation letter, you have to remember that the document must be respectful towards the organization and the people that are in it. It is important for you to be polite and gracious as the condition of your exit can heavily leave an impact aligned with who you are and how you will be remembered. If you can create a well-crafted board resignation letter, then you can get a lot of advantages out of it. Some of the benefits of developing a professional board resignation letter include the following:

A board resignation letter can help a company or a non-profit organization prepare as you decide to leave them for certain reasons.A a board resignation letter can enable you to formally, professionally, and gracefully exit the organization where you are currently acting as a board member.A a board resignation letter can enable you to showcase your respect to the company or organization as well as to the position given to you; which is a great way to retain a healthy relationship with the entities that you have worked with as a board member.A a board resignation letter can clarify all the information about your resignation, which can make it easier for you to undergo all the processes that are necessary to be implemented in relation to your decision to formally resign.

Do’s and Don’ts for Making an Outstanding Board Resignation Letter

It can be very overwhelming to write a board resignation letter, especially if you are still emotional with the decision that you have made and will soon formally finalize and realize. If you want to have an effective board resignation letter, you have to keep your emotions aside. It is important for the document to be formal and professional so you can veer away from stating rants, foul words, degrading statements, negative items, or any other information that can ruin your relationship with the organization that you will leave. We have a number of guidelines to share with regards to the proper development of a board resignation letter. A few reminders and tips for making an outstanding board resignation letter are listed below.

Do know the entity to whom the board resignation letter will be submitted so you can use proper language for the development of the specified document.Do use a well-formatted board resignation letter template so you can easily put all the elements of your letter of resignation together.Do review the content and format of the board resignation letter before submitting it so you can ensure that the document is complete, detailed, and error-free.Do give a message of appreciation for the opportunities that the company or non-profit organization has given you within your entire service rendered as a board member.Do remain formal when writing the board resignation letter and make sure that you will use a business letter format for the actual development of the specific resignation letter document.Do clarify all the details that you will put in the board resignation letter so the organization can understand the entirety of your message easily.Do not copy everything already available in a pre-formatted board resignation letter template as you need to make sure that your board resignation letter contains information that are aligned with the instances or circumstances of your own resignation.Do not develop poorly-thought-of board resignation letter content as this can reflect the quality standards, or the lack thereof, that you incorporate in the documents that you make.

Board Resignation Letters FAQs

Always be open to asking questions whenever you are immersed or involved in the processes of making a board resignation letter. Learning an additional thing or two about the subject matter by raising reasonable questions can be very beneficial on your part. Two of the frequently asked questions with regards board resignation letters are as follows:

What are the instances that result in the development of a board resignation letter?

With the 924 directors surveyed by Stanford Graduate School of Business, “most (80 percent) claim to formally evaluate the performance of the executive director. However, a significant number (39 percent) do not establish explicit performance targets against which his or her performance is measured.” (source: stanford) There are many reasons why board members decide to resign, which then leads to the creation of a board resignation letter to formally announce their decision. As specified in the statistics, there are board members who are not as involved in the organization and its mission. If a board member finds another activity or involvement that can get more of his or her interest, then it is most likely that he or she will let go of his board membership. Aside from this; the common instances that result in a board resignation and the development of a board resignation letter include health concerns, migration, internal disputes, and new ventures that are considered under a conflict of interest.

How can you measure the quality of the board resignation letter that you have created?

Aside from using a letter of resignation template, there are still a lot of ways on how you can ensure the quality of your board resignation letter. However, the question at hand is about how you can truly and objectively measure the quality of the specific document. If you want to know the potential effectiveness of your board resignation letter as well as the qualities that it has once you are done finalizing it, you have to create an unbiased quality metrics which contain standards where your board resignation letter’s overall quality can be compared and measured for evaluation.

If you cannot submit your board resignation letter personally, there is no problem as you can always make an email resignation letter. What is important is that you will give the notice that your organization needs so they can prepare for your resignation and all the other instances that will result from it. Are you now thinking of making your own board resignation letter? Make sure to check out the templates and samples of board resignation letters available in this post.