What is an advisory committee? How do we organize one?

Summary:

An advisory board or committee can be a very useful asset to board and staff. There's a difference between a board of directors and an advisory board.

Michael Wyland of Sumption & Wyland wrote in nonprofit (see http://www.rain.org/mailman/listinfo/nonprofit) on April 13, 2004:
Typically, the Board of Directors is the governing board for the nonprofit,
responsible for hiring, firing, and evaluating the ED/CEO, identifying
vision, mission, and values, setting strategic direction, and monitoring
progress toward goal attainment in accordance with the strategic plan.

An advisory board is a committee or group without governing
responsibility. They support the nonprofit's activities by providing
information, resources, prestige (e.g., "letterhead" value), money, etc.,
to the nonprofit.

Ideally, there should be a bright-line distinction between the advisory
board and the governing board.

Sumption & Wyland :: http://www.sumptionandwyland.com

Free Management Library addresses guidelines about forming advisory committees.
See http://www.mapnp.org/library/boards/boards.htm#anchor75998