Does the board have to keep minutes of its meetings? The short answer is no.Nonprofit board members can legally get paid, but most should not be. Learn why you should NOT pay your board. A complete guide to how much nonprofit board members get paid. It is legal for nonprofit founders and officers to receive a salary for their work for the nonprofit. Let's talk about how much you can pay yourself. There are pros and cons to providing compensation to your nonprofit board of directors. We analyze both sides in detail to help you decide! Board members make money through cash and stock awards, which include retainers, meeting attendance fees, and extra retainers for executives.