A review of the literature on the functions and responsibilities of the board of trustees in nonprofit organizations shows the following as major areas of responsibility: (1) determinatlon of agency policy and assumption of the ongoing role of monitoring performance against established policies; (2) allocation of the organization's resources, including budget review and audit functions; (3) appointment and evaluation of an executive director; (4) public relations (broadly defined as fostering the wider public's acceptance of the organization's establlshed policies and includes the issue of maintenance of public confidence). Functions clted less frequently include the establishment and review of personnel policies, fund raising, recruitment of new board members, and consumer consultant participation. (An annotaded bibliography on the role and functions of the board of trustees constitutes the major portion of the document.) (KC)