IsĀ board of directors capitalized? The answer could be yes or no, depending on what you are addressing.
To answer this question, you must first ask yourself if you are addressing a specific board of directors or just a general one.
When referring to a specific board of directors, then “Board of Directors” should be capitalized, as you are describing a specific group of people with titles. However, if “board of directors” were to come before the organization, it would not be capitalized.Ā Furthermore, if you are not referencing a specific group at all, such as in the example “I have a meeting with the board of directors tomorrow,” then you would not capitalize it.
To illustrate the point, let’s take a look at some examples.
Examples
- The Harvard University Board of Directors will convene on Thursday.
- She is a long time memberĀ of the board of directors of the Harvard University Alumni Organization.
- I have to write an email to the board of directors.
- To the Board of Directors–it’s my pleasure to introduce myself.
The previous example shows how you would open an email to a specific board. A board of directors is generally highly esteemed, so when in doubt, don’t be afraid to capitalize.
Titles and Exceptions
When it comes to titles, you can rest easy knowing that these rules generally don’t apply. In a title, any word over four letters is capitalized, meaning that “board of directors” should be capitalized every time. Here are some additional examples:
- Board of Directors’ Year-End Report
- School District Five Board of Directors Annual Summary
- Board of Directors Meeting Minutes
Read more:
Conclusion
Back to the original question, is “board of directors” capitalized? You can answer this question as long as you know if you are addressing a specific entity or organization. If the words stand alone in your sentence, then it’s safe to say not to capitalize.
