A real, working board is the clearest sign that an organization is a genuine charity rather than one person’s project. Every application asks for three officers: a Chair, a Secretary and a Treasurer.
On the 501(c)(3) application, each of the three gives their own phone number, an individual email address (not a shared inbox) and a working LinkedIn profile link. We contact them to verify the application, and their phone numbers and emails stay private. The Vice Chair and Member-at-Large seats are optional.
What the IRS expects
The IRS does not set a single magic number, but a 501(c)(3) is expected to be governed by a board that exercises real oversight. In practice that means at least three directors, a majority of whom are not related by blood, marriage or business. A board made up of one family, or one person wearing every hat, undermines the independence tax-exempt status assumes.
What donors and partners look for
Donors, grantmakers and platforms like Candid look at your board to judge credibility. Named leaders with real professional profiles show that the organization answers to more than its founder. That is why we ask for a LinkedIn profile for each officer: it lets a stranger confirm that real, identifiable people stand behind the mission.
Officer LinkedIn profiles
The profile doesn’t need much public information. A name and the officer’s role at your organization is plenty. But it must exist, and the link must open for someone who isn’t logged in as that person. Creating a profile is free.
- The officer opens their own LinkedIn profile.
- They copy the address from the browser bar. It looks like
linkedin.com/in/their-name. - You test it: paste it into a private or incognito browser window and check it opens their profile.
New to LinkedIn? Follow Set up LinkedIn (you + your charity Page) (opens in a new tab).
Leaders shown on your website
FFC websites show your Chair, Secretary and Treasurer by name and role, so donors can see who leads the charity. The application asks for their names exactly as they should appear, and a consent tickbox. We cannot accept an application unless all three agree to appear, so ask them before you apply. Other leaders can be listed too, only with their agreement. Phone numbers and email addresses are never shown on your site.
Common pitfalls
- Single-person boards. One person as Chair, Secretary and Treasurer is not a board. Recruit at least two more unrelated people before applying.
- All-family boards. A board where everyone is related raises conflict-of-interest concerns. Aim for an unrelated majority.
- Boards that never meet. Hold at least an annual meeting and keep minutes; recording decisions is the Secretary’s job. No paper trail looks like no governance.
- Profiles that don’t open. A private, deleted or mistyped LinkedIn link is the most common reason we have to send an application back.
Don’t have three people yet?
That’s common and fixable, but all three officers are required, so recruit them before you apply. Start with people who genuinely believe in the mission: a former colleague, a community leader, a professional whose work touches your cause. You are asking for a few hours a year of real oversight, not a full-time job.
Template: a basic board agreement
Some boards ask each new officer to sign a short agreement like this one:
I, [Name], agree to serve as [Role] of [Organization]. I will act in the organization’s best interest, avoid conflicts of interest, attend at least the annual board meeting, review the organization’s finances, and help ensure it operates lawfully and in furtherance of its charitable mission. I understand this is a voluntary, uncompensated governance role.