You will want to know their specific expectations for you. You should also ask some managerial questions. You may still choose to serve, even if these answers are more negative than you like. However, you will have an idea of where work needs to be done. A business corporate board has a clear responsibility to maximize shareholder value.
Nonprofit organizations have no shareholders.
However they do have clients and donors that the board must serve. Traditional agency concerns may be less of an issue, since CPOs have few ways to personally benefit financially by focusing on one strategic goal or program at the expense of another. The CPO has better access to information than the board by virtue of working in the organization full-time. He or she serves as a gatekeeper and can control much of the information flow. The CPO may unduly influence board decisions if the board is not alert.