Inviting & Onboarding New Board Members

This is the fifth article in this six-part series outlining my nonprofit board development process.

  • Article 1 focused on clarifying what your organization needs from its board.
  • Article 2 explored setting expectations to guide and hold members accountable.
  • Article 3 talked about determining where a prospect is on the casual – connected – committed continuum, and where to find them. 
  • And in Article 4 we dug into recruiting, vetting, and tracking our board prospects. 

Now that you’ve identified and vetted your top prospects, it’s time to invite and onboard them. How you handle this step will make or break your relationship with each new board member.

 

Make It Official

Joining a board is a big deal! And it should be treated that way. The invitation should match the level of importance that this role warrants. That means that the process should be more than just asking – “So do you want to join?” A professional process helps signal that this isn’t just another volunteer role — it’s a governance commitment.

First and foremost, a formal recommendation needs to be made to the board. If the entire board has not had the opportunity to meet the candidate, then the recommendation should be accompanied by a bio and/or resume sent out in advance. 

If the board decides not to invite a prospect to join, follow up with a personal phone call. Whether the timing isn’t right or the fit isn’t ideal, communicate respectfully and reflect your organization’s brand in every interaction.

When the board does approve a prospect, an official invitation should be extended. Every board has their own style, but a personal phone call followed up by an email or written invitation is a standard minimum expectation. 

This is a good point to collect a headshot and request some personal information. Using an “All About Me” form of some sort (sample 1 & sample 2) to learn about the individual, their family, connections, interests, pets, favorite snacks, preferred ways to be recognized, and more is a great practice! Some agencies tie the “get-to-know-you” to their mission. For example, an organization dedicated to literacy may ask for the new board member’s favorite children’s book. 

Once you have collected information about your newest board member, you can make an engaging announcement. At the minimum you will want to officially announce the addition to your board. You may also want to make an agency-wide introduction, or even share with your community. Newsletters, press releases, marquees, posters in your facility, your website and social media are just some of the opportunities to get the word out about your newest board member. 

 

Welcome

Once you have officially invited them on, they have accepted, and you have introduced your new volunteer, you will want to make them feel genuinely welcomed and equipped to succeed.

At their first board meeting, dedicate a little extra time for introductions and relationship-building. Maybe include special treats or activities. For example, you may want to do a recap of the committee structure, key strategies, or significant board initiatives. Intentionally including a small group activity is a low-key way to connect new people with existing volunteers. 

A “board buddy” or mentor is another way to ensure that your new member feels welcome and connected. This can either be informal or a very structured program. For success it’s important to establish clear expectations and requirements. For example, one organization pairs each new member with a long-serving board member for their first six months. They sit together during meetings, meet for coffee once between meetings, and check in via text after each board packet is sent out.

The welcome will set the tone for the board culture and what your newbie can expect. Designing a highly engaging welcome sends a clear message: you’ve been invited to contribute and make an impact. Finally, ensuring that the initial meeting includes at least one high-level, generative discussion communicates the elevated focus of work that can be expected from the board. 

 

Orient & Educate

Board Orientation is the piece that most organizations first think of when they talk about on-boarding. It’s also something that many agencies struggle with. It can be difficult to know how much or how little to share, how best to deliver, who to present, the amount of time to dedicate, and more. Every organization has different needs, so there is no cookie cutter plan that works for everyone. 

As you start to develop your plan, consider what your new members need to know right away. What are the most important things they will need in order to be engaged and start contributing? Are there less urgent components that can be distributed in a binder or down the road as they get acclimated? 

WHAT TO INCLUDE

Ideally, on day one your new recruits have everything they need in order to be an effective governance volunteer. The reality is that there is so much to know and time is always limited. You don’t want them to feel like they are drinking from a firehose, but you also don’t want them to feel lost and like they can’t effectively contribute. It’s a balancing act. 

The first step in developing your Board Orientation is to determine WHAT information your board needs to know. Common content includes:

  • Agency history, mission, vision, values, etc.
  • Strengths and challenges facing the organization
  • Nonprofit board duties, roles, and responsibilities 
  • How to be a great board member
  • Key points from the ByLaws, and how to access them
  • Industry “big picture,” agency connection
  • Staff and board leadership introductions 
  • Agency structure, programs, services, impact, etc.

There may be additional content that makes sense for your unique organization or cause. Try to think of everything a board member could possibly want or need to know. Surveying veteran board members or engaging them in the curriculum development process is a great way to understand what they wish they had known when they started. 

HOW & WHEN TO DELIVER

After you have determined everything your new volunteer needs to know, you may realize that it’s going to be difficult to deliver all of this information quickly and effectively. You can compile everything into a board manual and ask them to review it — and a few might actually do that. 

Different learning styles should be considered. Not everyone learns well by reading. So a board manual, no matter how comprehensive, cannot be your only plan for orientation. Using a mix of delivery methods will lead to better content retention.

In addition to a comprehensive board manual, it’s recommended that you hold a live training to go over the key components. This is best delivered in-person, but if geography makes that challenging or even impossible, an online event will do just fine. 

Determine the most important things you need your governance volunteers to know right away. At a minimum, this will probably include your cause, mission, programs or services, board member duties + roles + responsibilities, and introductions to board members and key staff. There is likely other stuff that is unique to your organization and highly relevant. That is what you include in your orientation. 

It’s best to have as many different presenters share information as possible. This exposes the new member to the different players – board chair, vice-chair, executive directors, committee leaders, etc. It also gives several different perspectives and develops leadership skills in your board members. 

After you determine what content to include, you need to figure out the logistics. Ideally all of your board members will want to be involved in this event. It’s a great refresher for everyone and a wonderful welcome for your new people. The reality is that different boards have varying comfort levels for the amount of time and energy they are willing to commit to this event and even to the board. Some will be fine with a few hours in an evening or on a Saturday morning. Others will merely tolerate an extra hour before or after a board meeting. 

Similar to the rest of the onboarding process, you want to make this a special event. Regardless of the format, timing, and who all will attend, make sure that invitations go out well in advance, the schedule is clear, and incorporate a social or relationships building component. You’ll also want to include refreshments, professional materials, and nametags or name tents. 

AFTER ORIENTATION

Not everything can be crammed into the board orientation. So even after the orientation, there is going to be information you still want to deliver. As noted above, you can (and should) compile materials into a board binder or online system. A board binder is great for reference, but not the best tool for teaching.

Some other ideas for ongoing training include:

  • Regular emails with mini training messages
  • A drip campaign of videos or podcasts that deliver content
  • Incorporate education into the regular board meetings 
  • Use the mentor or board buddies to deliver information one-on-one
  • Assign each board member different topics to cover one-on-one with the new folks

 

Ongoing Support

Onboarding doesn’t end after the new member attends their first meeting or the orientation. To truly help a newbie feel comfortable, the focus on relationships, and support needs to continue. Some of the components already covered can help with this. The board buddy program, ongoing training plans, and using the All About Me information can help. 

It’s also a great practice to plan for regular check-ins, not only with new board members, but also with the existing ones. Touching base with each of them every 2 to 4 months is a good practice. It doesn’t have to be an hour long meeting or anything super involved. Just a phone call to answer questions, thank them for their contributions, and do a temperature check. It’s a simple gesture that will do a lot towards relationship building and helping board members feel valued. 

I’ve heard from several organizational leaders who are frustrated with bringing on new board members, only to have them leave after a couple of months. It’s understandable to be frustrated by that. You work hard to recruit, you pour energy into relationship building, and you think you’re set for a while. Then BAM! You have to start over. 

Rather than being frustrated, consider these two alternatives. First, if they flake out or quit or decide they cannot commit to the expectations, it’s best to learn this early in the process. That situation is far better than dealing with the annoyance of having a board member who is there in name only – not replying to emails, not coming to meetings, and not contributing in any meaningful way. 

The other thing to think about is whether this person was onboarded in a way that would make them want to stay. Before you write off a new board member who drops out, ask:

  • Were they professionally invited to join?
  • Were they formally introduced to the organization?
  • Were they made to feel welcome and valued?
  • Were they given the tools needed to understand their role?
  • Were they supported as they settle into their role? 

If not, what could be done to make sure the next new recruit will want to stay, engage, and help make the world a better place? 

 

Up Next

This is the second to last article in this series. In the final article, we’ll explore how to engage board members in ways that are personally meaningful to them and strategically beneficial to the organization — the true key to board retention.

Every nonprofit is different and has unique needs and challenges when it comes to onboarding governance volunteers. Email me at Kim@Athena-CoCo.com, or schedule a Discovery Call if you would like to discuss ways to advance your Board of Directors and the work of your agency.

Kim is a mom, lover of being active and the outdoors, and helper of nonprofit leaders.
kim@athena-coco.com 

Recruiting, Vetting, Tracking: Building A Board with Intention

Welcome to the fourth article in this six-part series outlining my nonprofit board development process.

  • Article 1 focused on clarifying what your organization needs from its board.
  • Article 2 explored setting expectations to guide and hold members accountable.
  • Article 3 talked about determining where a prospect is on the casual – connected – committed continuum, and where to find them. 

Now that you’re clear about your Ideal Board Profile, your expectations, and where to look for your hot, warm, and cool prospects, the next logical step is to figure out what to do with those individuals you’re interested in recruiting and vetting.

One Coffee Meeting Isn’t a Strategy

Let’s name it: many organizations rely on a single, informal strategy to recruit board members. Too often, that strategy is something like: “the Executive Director has coffee with someone and then invites them to join the board.”

And yes – coffee can absolutely be part of a successful cultivation plan. But it shouldn’t be the only strategy. A strong recruitment process is thoughtful, varied, and relationship-based. It offers multiple opportunities for prospects to engage with your mission, your team, and your work before any invitation to serve is extended.

Depending on your mission, you may have plenty of natural on-ramps for engagement – or you may need to get creative. Either way, this phase is about intentionally deepening relationships, gathering insights, and laying the groundwork for informed board invitations.

 

Deepening Relationships: From Casual to Committed

Let’s break down the process of moving prospects along the continuum from casual to connected, and then to committed. This article doesn’t focus on moving people from “clueless” to “casual” – that’s really a marketing conversation. Instead, we’ll start with prospects who already have some awareness that your organization exists.

From Casual to Connected

Casual prospects might be:

  • On your newsletter list
  • Friends, neighbors, or vendors
  • Occasional attendees at community events
  • Social media followers who occasionally comment or share

Your goal with casual prospects is not to make a hard sell for board service. It’s to educate, build trust, and invite light-touch participation that draws them deeper into your mission.

Some examples:

  • Invite newsletter subscribers to make a specific in-kind donation.
     Example: A domestic violence shelter might host a winter coat drive.
  • Host an event designed to share your work.
     Example: A historic preservation foundation could offer a public presentation about upcoming renovations.
  • Offer regular tours or informal gatherings.
     Example: An animal shelter might hold a weekly “Yappy Hour” where guests can play with animals and meet staff.

Here’s the key: These interactions aren’t passive experiences. Staff and board members should be intentional – trained to listen for interest, ask good questions, and take note of promising prospects who align with the board’s current needs.

And importantly, these experiences should not just deepen relationships with a staff person. They should connect the individual more meaningfully with the organization as a whole. The prospect should walk away with a sense of your organization’s culture, values, and impact – something bigger than one person or one conversation.

From Connected to Committed

Connected prospects have already taken a few steps toward engagement. They might:

  • Attend events or fundraisers
  • Donate regularly 
  • Volunteer in programs or for events
  • Follow your work with genuine interest

These individuals already care. Now your job is to nurture that care and explore their potential for greater involvement.

Here are some ideas:

  • Invite them to coffee or lunch with the Executive Director or a board member. Not to pitch them for the board, but to learn more about them and share more about your mission.
  • Ask for help with a meaningful but manageable task. People feel more committed when they can contribute their time and talents in a way that matters.
  • Offer a personalized tour or an insider experience. Seeing your work up-close builds deeper connection and often sparks curiosity.
  • Invite them to serve on a short-term committee or task force. Choose something that matches their skills or interests.

Each of these strategies serves two purposes:

  1. Deepen the relationship.
  2. Offer real insight into how the prospect shows up – how they think, work with others, communicate, and follow through. That information is invaluable for your vetting process.

And again, think beyond a single relationship. How can this person feel connected to the organization – not just the Executive Director or a charismatic board member? In healthy board cultures, people stay connected because they care about the mission, the impact, and the team.

 

Vetting: From Committed to Board Member

Once someone is clearly invested – talking about your mission in the community, showing up consistently, supporting in multiple ways – it’s time to seriously consider them for board service. But remember: not everyone who’s deeply committed should serve on your board!

After you’ve built a foundation of relationship and engagement, vetting ensures that your decision to invite someone onto the board is grounded in intention – not desperation.Vetting helps you evaluate whether a prospect is ready and right for board service at this time. It also gives your team a shared framework for making informed, unbiased decisions.

Here are five key areas to consider during vetting:

1. Alignment with the Mission

  • Do they care deeply about your cause?
  • Have they shown interest over time (not just in one conversation)?
  • Can they speak about your work in a way that’s passionate and informed?

In-Action Example: During a one-on-one conversation, ask them to describe why they’re interested in your organization. A strong candidate will talk about their personal connection to the mission or their passion for your impact – not just board service in general.

2. Ability to Meet Board Expectations

  • Have they reviewed your Board Expectations (from Article 2)?
  • Do they have the time, energy, and resources to contribute meaningfully?
  • Are they willing to engage in fundraising, governance, and strategic thinking?

In-Action Example: Send them your Board Expectations document ahead of time, then discuss it together. Ask how they’ve navigated similar responsibilities in the past. Listen for thoughtful questions, openness, and any signs of hesitation – especially around time, fundraising, or fiduciary duties.

3. Fit with Current Board Composition

  • What perspectives, skills, or lived experiences do they bring?
  • Do they help fill gaps identified in your Ideal Board Profile (Article 1)?
  • Will they complement your existing team dynamics?

In-Action Example: Discuss the culture of the board and the intentional ways it is being shaped. Ask about what they look for in a team culture and how they see themselves supporting the one that has been created. 

4. Leadership and Follow-Through

  • Have they demonstrated follow-through in prior engagement (e.g., showing up to events, completing volunteer tasks)?
  • Are they reliable, respectful, and collaborative?

In-Action Example: After a meeting, follow up with a small task or resource (e.g., “Would you mind sending a short bio I can share with the committee?” or “Let me know if you’d like to review our financials before we reconnect.”). Notice whether they follow through promptly, ask questions, or leave it hanging.

5. Red Flags or Cautions

  • Are they overly critical of the organization without offering solutions?
  • Do they dominate conversations or show signs of being difficult to collaborate with?
  • Are there signs they’re seeking board service for prestige, not service?

When you are in need of board members, it can be difficult to consider turning someone away who is interested in serving. It feels like looking a gift horse in the mouth. Yet there is little value in filling a board slot with someone who doesn’t meet your needs, is not willing to fulfill your expectations, or who disrupts the culture of your board. 

📝 Pro Tip: Consider creating a brief evaluation form or scorecard for your board development committee or leadership team to use consistently across all prospects. It doesn’t need to be rigid—but it should help ground your conversations in shared values and expectations. Here is a sample Board Prospect Vetting Worksheet to get you started. 

 

Tracking: From Chaos to Clarity

Without a system for tracking your board prospects, you’re just relying on memory and scattered notes. A good tracking system helps you:

  • Avoid losing track of promising prospects
  • Prevent duplicate or premature asks
  • Monitor engagement over time
  • See the bigger picture of your board pipeline

At minimum, your tracking system should include:

  • Name and contact info
  • Where they are on the continuum: Casual, Connected, or Committed
  • Engagement activities to date: Tours, events, volunteer tasks, conversations
  • Notes on interests and skills
  • Board readiness status: Not ready, Ready for cultivation, Ready for ask
  • Assigned point person: Who’s nurturing the relationship?

You can use something as simple as a shared Google Sheet (here’s a sample), or as robust as a CRM (customer relationship management) platform. The goal is to make the invisible visible – to keep your board-building work intentional and forward-moving. 

Whether you’re just getting started or looking to upgrade your system, here are a few free or low-cost platforms that can support your tracking efforts:

  • Google Sheets + Google Forms – this free and simple platform is a great place to start if you are moving from having no system at all to wanting to put some structure to your tracking. Great if you are already using Google products. 
  • Airtable – combines spreadsheet functionality with database power. Good for small teams who want flexibility without technical support. Free for teams up to 5 users. 
  • HubSpot CRM – you can create different pipelines for different engagement strategies, such as casual – connected – committed. You can also assign owners, track communications, and log tasks. It’s free and can include automations or integrations with email. 
  • Trello – I use this system for tracking projects and relationships. It’s easy to move people along to different stages and include notes. This is free for the basic product and works great for us visual folks! 
  • Bloomerang Lite – is free for small nonprofits. It offers donor and volunteer tracking with engagement history and segmentation. Great for those organizations that foresee growing into needing a full fundraising CRM in the near future.  

 

Bringing It All Together

When you combine relationship-building, vetting, and tracking, you create a thoughtful, mission-centered pipeline for board development. You stop relying on luck or last-minute recruiting and instead start building a board that is aligned, prepared, and positioned to lead your organization well.

In the fifth article in this series, we’ll explore Making the Ask & Onboarding. This will include how to formally invite someone to serve on your board and welcome them into your organization in a way that is clear, inspiring, and sets the tone for success.

Because once you’ve invested in cultivating, vetting, and tracking a prospect, the invitation should feel like the natural next step – not a leap.

 

Every nonprofit is different and has unique needs and challenges when it comes to finding governance volunteers. Email me at Kim@Athena-CoCo.com, or schedule a Discovery Call if you would like to discuss ways to advance your Board of Directors and the work of your agency.

Kim is a mom, lover of being active and the outdoors, and helper of nonprofit leaders.
kim@athena-coco.com

Where to Find Your Ideal Board Prospects

This is the third article in a six-part series outlining my nonprofit board development process.

  • Article 1 focused on clarifying what your organization needs from its board.

  • Article 2 explored setting expectations to guide and hold members accountable.

With those foundations in place, you’re now ready to start identifying the right people. This article will walk you through how to strategically find and connect with board prospects who align with your mission and needs.

As an agency, once you are clear about your Ideal Board Profile and your Board Expectations, you probably want to start putting these tools to good use. This article will help you figure out where to start looking for these folks and how to find the right board prospects for your organization. 

This is probably the biggest question I get around Board Development: “Where do I find good board members?” While there is no secret pool of great board prospects. There are, however, strategic ways to go about what I call “friend-raising.”

What is “friend-raising,” you ask? It’s thoughtfully connecting people to your organization and your mission, ie: creating “Friends” of your nonprofit. These Friends could be potential donors, participants, partners, volunteers, staff, and yes, future board members. It is thoughtful and intentional relationship-building, tracking, and connecting people to your cause. And that is the foundation of board recruiting. 

Before we jump into where to find your amazing new board members, I’d like to emphasize the fact that you are initially seeking board prospects, NOT board members. It’s important to start thinking about people as prospects, those who you are considering and vetting as potential board members.

Often we go into board recruiting thinking that anyone who shows interest in joining our board and has a pulse is welcomed in, without sufficient vetting. Trust me, I have made this mistake! Then I ended up with people who had their own agendas, were not a fit with the board, or who were not a good representative for the organization.

Additionally, sometimes the Friends we engage with have potential to be board members, but the timing might not be right. Or maybe they need to further develop their relationship with your agency. That doesn’t mean that it is not a valuable relationship to nurture. 

You have already done some great work towards qualifying your prospects by clarifying what you need and expect from your board members. Those tools are great to use as you are recruiting prospects (Friends). It weeds out the people who you don’t need or who are not willing to meet your expectations.

In this article we’re going to go through a three pronged approach to sourcing people who might be a good match for your board. The idea is to constantly have a focus on “friend-raising” so you always have potential board members to vet, engage, and maybe invite to serve on your board. 

 

Friend-Raising

Connecting people to your work, or “friend-raising” is a significant component of creating a healthy and impactful nonprofit organization. It’s about creating relationships with potential volunteers, partners, advocates, storytellers, connectors, clients, staff, and more! 

The cool thing about “friend-raising,” beyond just board recruiting, is that if someone doesn’t fit what you need on your board, they may be a good Friend of the organization in a different way. Maybe you bring them in as a program volunteer or a donor. Then down the road, the timing may be better for them to consider serving on your Board of Directors. 

“Friend-raising” is about creating Raving Fans, which is a concept from a book with that name by Ken Blanchard and Sheldon Bowles. While the book is really about customer service and marketing, it applies beautifully to nonprofit leadership. 

Creating “Raving Fans” (or Friends) involves categorizing all of the people in your service area into four different groups: confused/clueless, casual, connected, and committed.  

  • Confused/Clueless – Unaware or misinformed about your work

  • Casual – Knows a little about what you do

  • Connected – Appreciates and perhaps engages with your work

  • Committed – Actively supports, donates, volunteers, and advocates

Especially if you are just getting started, most people are probably going to fall into being CONFUSED or maybe completely CLUELESS about the work you do. Some of them may have a CASUAL awareness of your organization. Meaning they have heard of you and maybe know a little bit about what you do. Hopefully there are people in your service area who are CONNECTED to your agency. These people are familiar with your work, appreciate it, and possibly even engage with it. 

And then there are the lucky ones who are COMMITTED to the success of your agency,  your work, and your impact. They tell others about your amazing work. Maybe they are already donating or volunteering in a program or event capacity. And they are the ones who understand how vitally important your work is to the community. These folks are already Friends of your organization. And this is the goal – to get more and more people COMMITTED to your agency, your work, and your mission. 

The idea is that you want  work to move people from CONFUSED to CASUAL, CASUAL to CONNECTED, and CONNECTED to COMMITTED. As you think about yourself personally, you probably see yourself somewhere on this continuum. Hopefully CONNECTED or COMMITTED!

In addition to the book Raving Fans, I want to talk about how this can also be compared to Simon Sinek and his “Start with Why” theory. 

 

Start With WHY

If you are familiar with Simon Sinek and “Start with Why,” the concept of “friend-raising” is similar to his Golden Circles. In it he says that “people do not buy what you do, they buy why you do it.” 

The people who are your closest organizational Friends are probably ones who have successfully moved to the center of this circle. They do not just buy into the programs you deliver or the way that you impact your community. They are there because they believe in your vision for a better future. 

 

Board Activity

If you currently have an active board, this could be a great engagement activity to do with them. Have them either read the book Raving Fans (it’s a super fast read) or watch the Simon Sinek video. Then facilitate a conversation around questions like:

  • Who are our customers? Who are “Friends” of our organization? 
  • Who falls into the different categories for your organization
    • Who is clueless or confused about what you do?
    • Who has a casual relationship with your organization?
    • Who is connected to the work? 
    • Who is truly committed to your cause? 
  • What systems could be put in place to move people from one category to the next?
  • How is this information tracked? 

Doing this exercise can help you get an idea of what prospects you already have and where to start with your “friend-raising.”

You might also want to start to think about a system that you can use for tracking your “Friend prospects.” Article 4 in this series will dig deeper into tracking, but you can certainly start thinking about it now and putting your people into categories. 

 

Sourcing Prospects

Hopefully what we have talked about so far has helped you frame a mindset around finding prospective board members. They are prospects first, until you have decided that they are a great fit for your board. Keeping in mind that those Friends who are not a good fit for your board at this time, can bring great value to your organization in other ways.  

Nonprofit leaders often ask me to find good board members for them. Unfortunately, that’s not how it works. Not only do I NOT have an endless supply of people just waiting to be asked to serve on a board; if I recruit a prospect for you, their relationship will be with me, not with you or your organization. 

Rather, I work with organizations to help them determine the best sources where THEY can find prospective Friends for their organization. It’s similar to the idea of teaching a person to fish vs just giving them a fish.

Three Pronged Approach

I like to use a three pronged approach, which consists of:

  • Hot prospects = Low-hanging fruit
  • Warm prospects = Logical connections
  • Cold prospects = Shotgun approach

Depending on the organization, it usually makes sense to put some effort towards each of these approaches; rather than choosing just one strategy. As you implement these efforts, you may find that one or two work better for you than the others. If so, you will want to put more energy towards what is working.

Hot Prospects

Your “Hot Prospects,” or low-hanging fruit are already Friends of your organization, who know you/your work. They may be participants, members, involved with partner organizations, friends or colleagues, donors, vendors, etc. 

Identifying your Hot Prospects involves thinking about the people who are already your  Friends in a different light.

  • Is the program volunteer who helps in your food pantry someone who could provide governance leadership?
  • Does the guy who prints your intake forms have interest in getting more involved in his community?
  • That friend who always asks about your work – do they have potential to be a great board member?
  • Are there past participants who could make valuable contributions? 

This strategy of identifying board prospects involves taking everyone you can think of who has any relationship to your organization and listing them out. Then determine if they have a casual, connected, or committed relationship to your work. You may also want to code them based on what you believe their potential is for moving them towards becoming a committed organizational Friend. 

Warm Prospects

“Warm Prospects” are people who don’t know your work very well yet, but probably should. The idea with this strategy is to get in front of individuals or groups of people who could or should care about your work. 

  • They may be community leaders or elected officials who should know how your agency is benefiting the community.
  • Service clubs or breakfast clubs are often committed to strengthening the community and teaming up with agencies committed to doing the same thing. 
  • People who work for partner organizations or companies committed to community engagement could also fall into this category.

What are the companies, organizations, clubs, trade organizations, or other groups of people who could or should care about the work you are doing in your community? For example, if an agency teaches girls self-confidence through running, opportunities for storytelling could include running clubs or teams, women’s groups, retail stores that sell running shoes and apparel, and race event companies.

Those are all good opportunities because the people involved with these entities likely enjoy running and/or supporting youth development in girls. The businesses may also benefit from developing more passionate runners who could be future customers or team members. 

The first step with this strategy is to think creatively about those groups, clubs, businesses, teams, etc. that may attract the kind of people who would likely be passionate about your cause. Get in front of those groups! Tell your story. Then pay attention to who shows interest in what you have to say and add them to your “friend-raising” list. We delve more into recruiting in article four. 

This strategy may be very specific to your industry. If your work is in the medical field, you’ll likely look towards health related venues. Which could include events, conferences, professional organizations, and more. A brainstorming session with your current board on where these people could be found is a great exercise.

Cold Prospects

“Cold Prospects” often fall into the “clueless” category of Friends. They don’t know about you, or if they do know of you, they don’t really understand your work. The term “shotgun approach” refers to getting the word out indiscriminately; using breadth, spread, or quantity in lieu of accuracy. 

Depending on your cause and resources, this strategy can be a more difficult strategy. At the same time it can generate interest from people who are looking to get involved, but don’t know how or where to go.

A common way to capture these people through advertising. Some options include: newspaper, newsletters, social media, billboards, direct mailing, etc. These options can be expensive or require a lot of time commitment, making them inaccessible for many nonprofits. 

Still time consuming, but often less expensive options include putting fliers up at the library, coffee shops, grocery stores, etc. Having a presence at community events, festivals, farmers markets, and the like would also fall into the cold prospects category.

Posting on your social media sites or promoting through your eNewsletter is a tactic that can serve to bring awareness to your needs. Many of the people in those spaces may already have a casual or connected relationship with your agency, and intentional messaging could serve to draw them in and increase their engagement.

A slightly more targeted approach is to use online search connectors. These are systems specifically created to help connect people with causes. While I still consider these options to be a “shotgun approach,” I know of organizations that have found great volunteers through these strategies. 

As stated, reaching your clueless or confused prospects can consume a great deal of time and financial resources. In marketing they say that someone needs to see a message seven times before they will respond to it. At the same time, in addition to “friend-raising,” these tactics also help to educate people about your organization and the important work you are doing!

 

When planning your board recruitment strategies it’s a good idea to dedicate a portion of your time to each of these three prospect sources. But don’t feel like you have to do everything at once! Do a little trial and error with different options in those three categories. As you work on each, you will learn which ones work best for your organization. 

 

Final Thoughts

As you start thinking about “friend-raising,” rather than just board recruiting, you’re likely to discover many good Friends who can help advance your work in different ways. Building a strong board starts with building strong relationships. Focus on nurturing connections first — and your pool of qualified, committed board members will grow naturally from there.

When you are ready to begin identifying prospects and sources for prospects, this worksheet can help guide your conversations.

If you haven’t already, now is a good time for you to put your board needs and expectations to use by creating a description for the board position(s) that you have available. A position description can be used to post to online volunteer job boards, to create fliers to put up around your community, or to share with colleagues. 

This article has been about where to find the people who have “friendship-potential” with your organization. The next one will dig into how to deepen your connection with these prospects and vet them fit to your agency. 

 

Every nonprofit is different and has unique needs and challenges when it comes to finding governance volunteers. Email me at Kim@Athena-CoCo.com, or schedule a Discovery Call if you would like to discuss ways to advance your Board of Directors and the work of your agency.

Kim is a mom, lover of being active and the outdoors, and helper of nonprofit leaders.
kim@athena-coco.com 

Nonprofit Board Engagement: Strategies for Cultivating an Effective Board of Directors

Cultivating an engaged and effective Board of Directors is an ongoing challenge for nonprofit leaders. In my work with nonprofit organizations, helping to create a credible board is more than simply assembling individuals; it’s about finding the right fit for your organization. In this article, we’ll delve into fundamental strategies to enhance the board engagement and effectiveness in your organization.

Clarify Your Organizational Needs

Before recruiting board members, it’s crucial that you gain a deep understanding of your organization’s needs. Beyond a passion for the mission and a commitment of time, I encourage you to consider the following factors:

  • Time Allocation Preferences: Understand how your board volunteers prefer to allocate their time. Some may prefer hands-on involvement, while others may prefer strategic planning or fundraising.
  • Comfort with Uncertainty: Assess the comfort level of potential board members with uncertainty and ambiguity – navigating the nonprofit landscape often involves unpredictable challenges, as we well know. 
  • Relevant Experiences and Connections: Seek individuals with experiences and connections within the community that align with your organization’s mission and goals. Their networks can be invaluable for fundraising, partnerships, and outreach.
  • Specialized Skills: Identify individuals with specialized skills that complement your organization’s needs, such as financial expertise, legal knowledge, marketing acumen, or strategic planning experience.

Without a clear understanding of what your organization actually needs, your recruiting efforts may miss the mark, resulting in a board that lacks the diversity of skills and experiences necessary to govern your organization effectively.

Involve Volunteers in Your Planning

Quote: “Generative ideas emerge from joint thinking, from significant conversations, and from sustained, shared struggles to achieve new insights from partners in thought.” ― Vera John- Steiner

Engaging volunteers in strategic planning not only empowers them, but also fosters a deeper connection to your organization. Strategic planning is obviously beneficial and even smaller organizations can benefit from focused discussions about the future. 

Something to consider is the possibility of hosting a planning retreat early in a board member’s tenure with the aim of achieving the following outcomes:

  • Fostering Relationships: Facilitate interactions between your new and experienced volunteers, building a sense of camaraderie and teamwork.
  • Educating New Members: Use the retreat as an opportunity to educate new members about the organization’s mission, history, vision, values, acheivements, and strategic objectives.
  • Shaping Your Organizational Culture: Collaborative planning allows volunteers to contribute their ideas and perspectives, shaping your organizational culture and fostering a sense of ownership.

By involving volunteers in your planning process, they become personally invested in implementing strategies for your organization’s success – and that’s exactly what we want, right! 

Foster Mutual Growth

Effective board engagement is a two-way street. While your organization will benefit from dedicated volunteers, it’s essential to invest in their development and well-being. Consider implementing the following strategies to demonstrate your appreciation and support for their dedication and commitment: 

  • Comprehensive Orientation and Training: Provide thorough orientation sessions to familiarize new board members with your organization’s mission, structure, programs, and governance practices. Offer ongoing training opportunities to enhance their skills and knowledge.
  • Mentorship Programs: Pair new board members with seasoned veterans to provide guidance, support, and opportunities for professional growth.
  • Attendance at Industry Conferences: Facilitate attendance at relevant industry conferences, workshops, and seminars, where board members can learn best practices, network with peers, and gain fresh perspectives.
  • Recognition and Appreciation: Regularly acknowledge and celebrate volunteer contributions through various channels, such as newsletters, social media, awards ceremonies, and personal thank-you notes.

Quote: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world: indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” ― Margaret Mead

When organizations prioritize the growth and satisfaction of their board members, engagement naturally follows, leading to a more cohesive and effective governing body. Cultivating an engaged and effective Board of Directors requires intentional effort and investment. By clarifying organizational needs, involving volunteers in planning, and fostering mutual growth, nonprofits can build a strong foundation for governance excellence and mission success.

Of course, every nonprofit is different and has unique needs and challenges which is why I am here. Email me at Kim@Athena-CoCo.com, or schedule a Discovery Call if you would like to discuss ways to effectively engage your organization’s Board of Directors. 

Kim is a mom, lover of being active and the outdoors, and helper of nonprofit leaders.
kim@athena-coco.com

Check-in from Kim

About once a year I do a check-in with my contacts. I like to let folks know what I’m up to, and I love it when I get a response with an update on YOU! Would I prefer to sit down and have coffee with every single one of you? YES! Do I need that much caffeine in my system? No, no I do not.

It’s been just over a year since life’s circumstances led me to move back to Des Moines, Iowa from the Colorado Springs area. Overall, it’s been a great change for my family and me. I’ve been able to reconnect with my network, as well as family and friends. In 2023 I rode my bicycles more than the previous 5 years combined! My son is enjoying his senior year in high school, and my daughter is back in Colorado taking classes at CU Boulder. I so appreciate all of the support I received throughout my transition!

When I started my business I was doing consulting and coaching with just about anybody. Any of you who have a small business probably knows that doing anything often means doing nothing. As my journey continued, I narrowed my focus to nonprofits. Then getting even more specific, I now spend most of my time supporting nonprofit organizations with their volunteer governance boards, also known as their Board of Directors.

During my long career with the YMCA, I gained a LOT of knowledge and expertise in developing, leading, and empowering boards. What I didn’t realize at the time is that most nonprofit leaders do not receive any education on how a board should function, how to grow it, what to do with the volunteers once you have them, or what it means to have a healthy board. And those are the clients who I most love to help. A strong Board of Directors is vital to the long term sustainability and impact of an organization. Helping them get there is an honor!

Many people commit to new year’s resolutions this time of year (yes, I’m still considering this a new year, we’re only about 15% into 2024). In addition to trying to eat more green stuff and swear less, it’s also a great time to consider taking on a new role with a nonprofit Board of Directors. This kind of resolution is a win-win-win! You win by generating endorphins that come from doing good things for other people. The agency wins through gaining all your knowledge, passion, skills and expertise. And the community wins when you commit to making it a better place. If this is something that you are thinking about trying, check out my article on red flags to watch for, so that you can have the best experience possible.

If you are already serving on a board (thank you!), the new year is also a great time to take a good hard look at how it is functioning. Governance boards are often made up of business men and women. Sometimes we assume that since the people involved are all successful in their work life, they will be great in this role. Just like any other team or group – sports, staff, Girl Scouts – a board needs intentional thought put into getting, and staying healthy. To start a conversation about the health of your board, check out this article on conducting a board evaluation.

If you, or someone you know sits on a board that is not currently spending 80-90% of their time on governance work – I’d love to chat with the Chair/President or Executive Director. Governance work = visioning and planning, creating strategy, ensuring long-term sustainability, growing governance capacity, and partnering with the Executive Director in the leadership of the organization.

Below is a general list of the services that I provide to nonprofit agencies. One of the cool things about working with me is that I customize each contract package to meet the unique needs of the organization. Using listening and Motivational Interviewing skills I am able to create learning and growth experiences that advance the work of the organization.

Services:

  • Board evaluations
  • Executive Director and/or Chair/President coaching
  • Agency Consulting
  • Fractional support (part-time or temporary executive support)
  • Customized trainings
  • Strategic/Planning retreats

The nonprofit sector exists to make our world a better place. I love that I get to help these agencies get organized and build a healthy foundation. When you have your ducks in a row, saving the world is a lot more fun!

Respond to this email or schedule a Discovery Call if you would like to catch up, or discuss ways to improve the health of a Board of Directors you know and love.

Kim is a mom, lover of being active and the outdoors, and helper of nonprofit leaders.
kim@athena-coco.com 

Top 10 Reasons a Nonprofit Organization Does NOT Need a Board Consultant

With inspiration from the Late Show with David Letterman, this week’s article is all about the reasons why an organization might NOT need a Consultant to help with their Board of Directors. Counting backwards from 10, here we go:

The #10 reason a nonprofit would NOT need a Board Consultant:

All board and leadership staff have been trained on the philosophy behind nonprofits and their governance. Understanding the different roles of the agency leadership is key to being effective. Furthermore, it helps each volunteer and staff know and understands their role in leading the organization. 

The #9 reason a nonprofit would NOT need a Board Consultant:

The agency has established strategies and regularly monitors progress towards them. There are strategies tied specifically to the work of the volunteers in advancing the organization. 

The #8 reason a nonprofit would NOT need a Board Consultant:

One or more volunteers is actively paying attention to and driving the health and culture of the board. Not giving attention to the culture does not mean that one doesn’t exist. It simply means that it has evolved on its own. Without intentionality, a culture generally does not move in a positive direction. Additionally, this individual or group can establish systems to drive board accountability and productivity. 

The #7 reason a nonprofit would NOT need a Board Consultant:

Board meetings are super productive and well attended. Fifty percent of the meeting content is made up of generative discussions where all volunteers contribute. 

The #6 reason a nonprofit would NOT need a Board Consultant:

Governance volunteers understand and own their responsibility for the success of the organization. The board owns the success of the agency in the same way that the owner of a for-profit business owns its success. 

The #5 reason a nonprofit would NOT need a Board Consultant:

The board and staff leaders partner to drive the success of the agency. While, technically, the board supervises the Executive Director or CEO, the dynamics need to be more of a partnership. Neither governance nor operations can be effective without partnering with the other. 

The #4 reason a nonprofit would NOT need a Board Consultant:

Board members and staff can see the connection between the work they do and the mission impact they provide. Connecting the dots between tasks, projects, discussions, and programming with the mission and strategies of the organization motivates and maintains focus. 

The #3 reason a nonprofit would NOT need a Board Consultant:

Serving on the Board of Directors is a two-way street, where volunteers contribute, and also benefit. Any agency that just has their hand out looking for what their volunteers can give, will likely struggle to keep volunteers. Benefits to the board members include personal growth and development, networking, mentoring, recognition, and more. Sometimes they even get some really great agency swag!

The #2 reason a nonprofit would NOT need a Board Consultant:

The agency doesn’t really need to think about their future or impact. This may be the case if an agency has a crystal ball and can see the future. Or if they are really close to achieving the mission and vision of the organization and their work is almost complete. 

And, the #1 reason a nonprofit would NOT need a Board Consultant:

The organization already has more money, partners, supporters, volunteers and staff than they need. In this situation, an organization might not need a strong and healthy board to tell their story, raise money, forge relationships, and advance the cause. Good for them!

All of this being said, the clients that are doing a good job with their Board of Directors, and want to continue to get better, are some of my favorites. Every board has the potential to grow and improve. Making our world a better place is hard work. The better the health of a board is, the more equipped it will be to make a difference!

When we are working to grow and improve, an outside perspective can be beneficial. Email me at Kim@Athena-CoCo.com, or schedule a Discovery Call if you would like to discuss ways to advance your Board of Directors and the work of your agency.

Kim is a mom, lover of being active and the outdoors, and helper of nonprofit leaders.
kim@athena-coco.com

Red Flags to Watch For

When I write about nonprofit board governance I usually spend my time addressing current nonprofit leaders – either staff or volunteers. This article is for current leadership, and also for those who are thinking about joining the board of a nonprofit organization. 

I love connecting people to organizations that they care about. But serving on a board has to be about more than a passion for the cause. It’s a commitment that should be taken as seriously as a job. In order to make a good decision for yourself, you need to ask a lot of questions. What follows are questions and topics to dig into, so that you can make a great decision about how you donate your valuable time. 

When people get caught up in an organization that is a mess, they tend to become disenchanted with the whole nonprofit sector. And that’s just not fair. There are so many great agencies, working hard everyday, to make our communities and our world a better place. To make sure you don’t end up disillusioned by this sector, here are some red flags to look for when choosing where to serve:

  • “Nonprofit” is not the business plan
  • Agency lacks focus on the mission
  • People are undervalued
  • Fundraising comes first
  • Lack of board ownership
  • Organizations that don’t know who they are or what they need

Let’s dig into each of these issues and what to look for/ask about.

Nonprofit Business = Business

Despite the confusion caused by the title “nonprofit”, all nonprofit organizations are actual legit businesses. They have to make at least as much money as they spend each year. The term “nonprofit” is a tax designation from the IRS. It’s not a philosophy for how to run a business. 

In fact, many of these organizations generate a surplus. The difference comes in what they do with that money. A nonprofit organization is required to reinvest the surplus back into the organization. This could be in the form of equipment, supplies, salaries, training, facilities, investments, etc. With a for profit business, any surplus goes into someone’s pocket. 

Board members are responsible for the fiscal health of the organization. Before joining any board, ask a lot of questions about the agency’s finances. Even if their financial situation isn’t stellar, does the board have a plan to fix it? Is that the kind of problem-solving work you like to do? Avoid any board that has financial problems that they are refusing to address. 

Benefit the Community

Nonprofit organizations exist to make our world a better place. For profit organizations exist to make money for someone – the owner(s), shareholders, investors, etc. 

Governance volunteers are charged with making decisions that are in the best interest of the constituents served and the agency. This is why board members are volunteers. When money comes into the picture, there’s personal interest that may influence their decision making. Does the agency have a conflict of interest policy? 

Another thing to look for in this area includes ego driven leaders. Agencies with either staff or volunteer leaders who make themselves the center of the work can be extremely toxic. These leaders struggle to keep the focus on the cause. They make decisions based on how they will look/benefit, rather than what is best for the organization and its mission. 

Organization Values Its People

Reputable agencies believe in the importance of fair compensation for their employees. Just because someone works for a cause-driven business, it does not mean that they don’t need a livable wage. Caring about constituents at the expense of employees is a contradiction that should be examined. 

Young organizations sometimes hire or contract part-time staff to manage operations as they grow. This is fine, as long as they are not expecting full-time work on a part-time salary. Additionally, this should be a short-term solution, while the board figures out how to get to the level of staff leadership they need to be successful. 

Strategy Drives Fundraising

So far, I have never encountered a nonprofit that didn’t need money. It’s the nature of the game. Making our world a better place takes money. However, boards that focus on fundraising first are missing the point. Fundraising efforts need to be tied to strategies that have been developed to fulfill the mission. Without connecting those dots, it’s going to be extremely difficult to raise funds. 

Integrity

It is the job of the board to uphold the integrity of the organization. If something doesn’t seem right the board MUST speak up. By asking questions about accountability, generative discussions, and where the power of the organization lies, you’ll get a good idea about the board’s leadership. 

Red flags to listen for include any board that lets the staff totally run the show, unaddressed financial issues, lack of vision held by the board, and board meetings where the volunteers just come for a “sit & get”. 

Websites like Charity Navigator and GuideStar can help you with your research. These sites rate nonprofits based on their IRS compliance and verify good standing. They provide access to Form 990 data, giving you the ability to evaluate an agency’s financial health. These resources can help you decide if an organization is a good fit for you or not. 

Culture, Values, Structure, and Needs

Making a good decision about the kind of agency you want to volunteer with involves knowing yourself. What kind of culture do you want to be part of? What are your values and how do they align with those of the organization? Do you want to be part of building a young organization or will you be more comfortable with all the policies and procedures in place? Do the skills-based-needs of the agency align with your talents? 

Other things to consider include your tolerance for risk, what you want to get out of the experience, your time availability compared to the needs, and how you think you can make a difference. Just like every person is different, every organization is also different. Take the time to make sure you find one that aligns with your wants, needs, values and interests. 

None of this is meant to scare you away from governance work. It’s meant to give you the knowledge to ask good questions, get involved with reputable organizations, and have the impact that you want to have on your community! 

If you are on a board where you see some of these red flags, it doesn’t mean that you should quit and run away. However, you might want to start asking questions and using your influence to help move the agency in a positive direction. 

Every nonprofit is different and has unique needs and challenges. Email me at Kim@Athena-CoCo.com, or schedule a Discovery Call if you would like to discuss ways to advance your Board of Directors and the work of your agency. 

Kim is a mom, lover of being active and the outdoors, and helper of nonprofit leaders.
kim@athena-coco.com 

 

Think of your Board of Directors as an Adult Leadership Program

When I was an Executive Director with the YMCAs, I had Program Directors who ran our programs – things like day camp, youth sports, teen leaders, etc. Other organizations probably have similar roles, people who run programs, services, do case management, etc. A couple of months ago I shared an article on effective board meetings. In it, I talked about how I think of the Board of Directors as an Adult Leadership program that the Executive Director leads. 

Our youth programs would teach kids things like teamwork, sportsmanship, and how to develop healthy relationships. Similarly, our Board of Directors helps adults to develop their presentation and collaboration skills, it teaches them how to problem solve and advocate for things that are important to them, and it gives them a connection to their community that they might not otherwise have. 

When we think about our boards in that light, it shifts how we think about the structure, functions and activities of the board. It also helps us shift from a one-way street to a two-way street. If we just think about the board as being there to serve our organization, it’s a one-way street – what can the organization get out of these people? When we consider our work with the board as a two-way street we start to think about how the work engages and develops the members of the board. 

In planning a youth development program, the director needs to consider these components: 

  • Objectives and Purpose
  • Target Audience
  • Program Structure and Activities 
  • Curriculum and Content
  • Resources and Materials
  • Staff and Volunteers
  • Budget and Funding
  • Outreach and Recruitment
  • Evaluation and Assessment
  • Safety and Risk Management 

Let’s look at each and see how these planning components can apply to running an Adult Leadership program, AKA the Board of Directors. 

  • Objectives and Purpose

    • Clarify what you want the organization to get out of the program AND what you want the participants to come away with. Will they experience skills development, personal growth, community engagement, network building, leadership skills, personal fulfillment, etc? 

  • Target Audience

    • Who and what does your organization need in order to advance the work on the cause? Think about the skills, passion, connections, characteristics, and demographics of the people you want on your board. If the people on your board do not possess the qualities that you need, how can you help them to level-up?

  • Program Structure and Activities 

    • What are you going to have your board members do? It’s not enough to just have them come to board meetings for a sit & get. Incorporate opportunities for every board member to speak and contribute. Think about engagement opportunities outside of board meetings; such as committees, task forces, program observations, community outreach, public appearances, and more. Ideas for engaging your volunteers at a higher level:
      • Provide experiential learning to help grow their knowledge of the cause
      • Give them research projects or reading to do and report back to the larger group
      • Have them interview experts in your industry and share their learnings 
      • Give them the opportunity to conduct mission moment interviews and share the impact the organization is having
      • Delegate the facilitation of a discussion topics to someone other than the board chair
      • Additionally: opening thoughts, timekeepers, and committee reports are all roles that volunteers can step into 

  • Curriculum and Content

    • The content of board work should tie back to the mission and strategies of the organization. By including volunteers in strategic planning and tying those plans back to the month-to-month work of the board, you actively engage your board in advancing the mission. In addition, consider the opportunities you are including for your volunteers to grow. You might include:
      • Formal or informal training on things like: board governance, community initiatives, leadership skills, industry trends, etc. 
      • Board mentoring
      • Presentation opportunities
      • Networking 
      • Mission education and connection

  • Resources and Materials

    • This involves ensuring that your volunteers have the information available to do their job as a board member effectively. That can include an onboarding process, access to historical information, agendas and reading materials distributed in advance, and staff or volunteer support.

  • Staff and Volunteers

    • In order to ensure that the adult leadership program is effective, it requires staff or volunteer monitoring. Often the Executive Director is the leader who ensures that the program runs according to design. A Board Development committee or a Board Governance committee can (and should) help with planning, executing, and evaluating the work of the board. 

  • Budget and Funding

    • Just like with any other program, potential expenses need to be considered. Do you need to rent space for meetings, provide meals or snacks, purchase name tags or shirts, host socials, etc? Meals or other refreshments can serve as a great strategy for bringing people together and providing informal networking. 

  • Outreach and Recruitment

    • I hardly ever talk to a nonprofit leader that doesn’t ask me how they can find and recruit good board members. It’s important to acknowledge the fact that a professional and highly productive board can be one of your best attraction and retention tools. When people are excited about serving on your board and they believe their time is being used valuably, they will want to get others involved. And, the opposite is true. If meetings are unproductive and poorly organized, they can repel prospective board members.

  • Evaluation and Assessment

    • Again, this is often led by the Executive Director, and it is great to enlist the Board Development committee with this process. Good questions for the group to discuss include:
      • How effective was our last meeting?
      • Did we engage all members?
      • Are volunteers actively contributing?
      • What can we do to make the next one better? 
      • Are there any “off-line” conversations that need to happen? 
      • Are we meeting our objectives in regards to adult leadership development? 
      • Are we moving the needle on the work of the board towards our strategic objectives? 

  • Safety and Risk Management 

    • Serving on a board is usually a fairly low risk program in terms of physical safety. Unlike providing swimming or camping programming! To make sure that your volunteers are protected, all agencies should carry Directors & Officers (D&O) insurance. Additionally, ensuring that you create a culture where it is safe for people to step outside their comfort zone is key to helping them grow. No one grows when they do not feel safe. 

There’s no question that our best volunteers are the ones who give their time and energy to our organization out of a passion and desire to give back. And that is still super important. But if we are only thinking about what we can get out of our board members, rather than what we can give them, we are missing an opportunity to further develop the adult leaders we interact with and who care about making our world a better place. 

Every nonprofit is different and has unique needs and challenges. Email me at Kim@Athena-CoCo.com, or schedule a Discovery Call if you would like to discuss your organization’s Adult Leadership Program. 

Kim is a mom, lover of being active and the outdoors, and helper of nonprofit leaders.
kim@athena-coco.com 

 

Board Member Accountability

I’m continuing my little blog project comparing leading a Board of Directors with leading a staff team. I meet so many great nonprofit leaders, who excel at developing and leading their team of employees. Yet they struggle with supporting their board in an effective way. So far I have covered the topics of Creating a Board Culture and “Supervising” Your Board. 

For this article let’s dive into holding your board members accountable. Or more accurately, creating the structure so that your board members can hold one another accountable. 

Board Expectations

Having clear expectations is foundational to holding anyone accountable. When it comes to staff, you establish the expectations through job descriptions, employee handbooks, performance standards and annual goals. Clearly communicating these expectations to your staff team will help set them up for success. 

As I shared in the article on “Supervising” Your Board, and went into more detail in here; creating board expectations establishes the foundation of a structure and culture of accountability. Your board has ByLaws, these define how the board functions and what they are legally obligated to. They also have Duties and Responsibilities, which are the generally accepted nonprofit board standards. The board expectations are more specific to the needs of your unique organization. 

In a perfect situation, board expectations will be developed jointly by the volunteers and the staff. I generally recommend looking at what the agency needs from its governance volunteers in the areas of: 

      • Attendance/Service Commitment
      • Executive Director/Staff Support
      • Community Connections
      • Fiduciary Governance
      • Intellectual Contributions
      • Mission & Outcomes
      • Fundraising & Storytelling

Once you determine the expectations needed to advance the work of the agency, the whole board should have the opportunity to review, debate and finally – to approve them. This piece of the process is powerful as it gives everyone the opporutnity to contribute, and ultimately, to commit to what the agency needs from them. Expectations are different from ByLaws in that they are not legally binding (more on that later) and they are easy to update as the needs of the organization change. 

Once you have clearly established expectations, use them! These should be included in your board recruiting process and/or packet. Being crystal clear up front about what you need from your board members ensures that you don’t end up with volunteers who don’t understand the organization’s needs or what is expected of them. This may eliminate some very attractive prospective board members. However, it’s better to do this in the beginning than to travel down a long frustrating road of unclear expectations and an inability to drive the governance work of the organization. 

Board expectations can be turned into a report card. This is especially useful if your board is working to transition to more accountability and productivity. Tracking attendance, board hours, committee involvement, friend-raising activities, and more will give a quick snapshot of who on the board is meeting expectations, and who is missing the mark. Some boards will even include the report card in the board packet at every meeting, providing for peer accountability. 

Since board expectations are not ByLaws, it is not a set of legal requirements. That said, if someone is not fufilling one or more of the expectations, it doesn’t mean you HAVE to do anything about it. Rather, it can be used to drive discussions around each person’s involvement. If a volunteer is really great at storytelling, inviting new people into the organization, and representing the agency in the community, but they struggle to attend board meetings due to timing; it doesn’t mean they need to be booted off. Tracking and knowing this information allows for the ability to have conversations about specific behaviors. 

I have one last point on board expectations. The Board Governance or Board Development Committee is a great place for this work to land. That committee can create the expectations, process it through the board, and manage the accountability report card. By proactively tracking and reviewing board engagement, this group can quickly address any issues. It also provides a structure for an annual board evaluation. 

Annual Goals + Board Meetings

Creating board expectations is not the only tool for holding board members accountable. Boards that do annual planning or strategic planning will usually come away with action plans and goals. Putting the goals into a tracking document, with assigned accountabilities can be used to monitor progress. Include this document in your board meeting packet and on your agenda. Using the action plan tracking document in combination with regular board meetings is an effective way to monitor progress towards your goals and to hold people accountable. 

To Do List + Board Meetings 

One last process that can be used to create a culture of accountability on your board is a simple “to do” system. This is also executed through the board meeting structure. When a volunteer commits to something, it is added to the “next steps” portion of the meeting agenda. Those “to do” items are reviewed at the end of the meeting and then included on the next meeting’s agenda and the group checks-in on their progress. This does two things:

    1. It creates peer pressure for volunteers to follow-through on their commitments, and
    2. If there are challenges to completing the task, it gives the whole board the opportunity to help problem-solve on how to move forward. 

Holding board members accountable can be a tricky thing. Afterall, they are volunteers; what are you going to do, fire them? Assuming positive intent, most people join boards to help advance the cause and make the world a better place. When they do not perform well as a board member, it’s often because they didn’t understand what was expected of them, or they aren’t being held accountable. 

By leading your board to create a culture of accountability and structures to support that culture, the great thing is – they hold themselves accountable. Unless your organization is very new, the role of having the “accountability conversations” should fall with the volunteers. Sometimes the Board Governance Committee will address issues, and other times the Board Chair needs to step in and drive the conversation. The Execuitve Director should not be put in the difficult position of “discipining” their board members (AKA – their bosses). 

Developing a Board Governance Committee or creating Board Expectations are great strategies for getting the most out of your Board of Directors. If you would like to visit about how to build up your Board of Superheros, email me at Kim@Athena-CoCo.com, or schedule a Discovery Call today. Let’s connect!

Kim is a mom, lover of being active and the outdoors,
and helper of nonprofits and small businesses.
kim@athena-coco.com

Showing Your Volunteers Love

Over the last couple of weeks I’ve been dedicating my newsletter real estate to comparing the skills used in supervising staff with those used for leading a board. I believe there are a lot of similarities and things we can learn from staff leadership and apply to supporting your Board of Directors. To get up to speed and read the first two articles go here and here. 

Continuing in this vein, and acknowledging that it’s Valentine’s Day, I’d like to share some ideas for showing your volunteers how much you love them. Many companies and organizations focus a lot of energy on staff appreciation – which is great! Let’s look at some of those ideas and consider how we can apply them to our Governance Volunteers. 

Some of these ideas can be celebrated during the “month of love”, others you might want to put into an ongoing Appreciation Plan. Knowing that your Board members likely do not want you spending money on them, these ideas are all free or very low cost. A little bit of time and thoughtfulness goes a long way when it comes to showing appreciation. 

Recognition

There are many ways to recognize staff and volunteers. You get the biggest bang for your “buck” when the recognition is specific and genuine. Nothing beats telling someone directly, exactly what they did that is appreciated, and how it helps. 

In nonprofits we often acknowledge that our donors help us to serve our clients. And we are also pretty good about recognizing our staff and program volunteers for their direct service delivery. However, we seldom call out our governance volunteers for their impact on our cause. Consider recognizing the contributions of your board volunteers. This could be in the form of a social media post, bulletin board in your facility, a newsletter article, etc. 

Celebration

I think there’s this crazy idea out there that Boards of Directors are all business. Like they don’t want to celebrate the accomplishments of the organization. Take time out of board work to celebrate milestones, wins, and achievements. Don’t just pause and say “yay us”. Make it a big deal. Bring in balloons, noisemakers, and party favors. And most importantly, connect the dots between the work they do governing the agency, and the outcome you are celebrating. 

Food

I know for a fact that staff who work for nonprofits love food! People come together around food. It gives them something to connect around. If you do not regularly feed your board members at a meeting, consider adding this component once in a while, or on a regular basis. Depending on your timing, this will look different from board to board. Be sure to let everyone know if you are doing something out of the ordinary. If you are providing a meal, or even a dessert for an evening meeting, volunteers might want to plan ahead for that.

Sincere Thank You

Nothing beats a sincere thank you. This could be in the form of an email, written letter or a phone call. It’s tried and true, and it’s always appreciated. If you want to shake things up, consider doing a video message, or creating a JibJab type card to make your volunteers laugh. 

Shake Things Up 

Pick a month and shake things up for your regular board meeting. Maybe take it off site. Bring in a guest speaker. Spend extra time on team building. Switch up the order. 

Don’t do this every month, because then it’s not special. Think of things that will increase engagement, allow for your volunteers to grow personally or professionally, or provide opportunities for greater connections. If you’re thinking about trying something new with your regular meetings, this might be a good way to try it out. 

Social Opportunities 

Your volunteers likely serve your organization to help solve a critical social issue in your community. But there’s nothing that says they can’t build new relationships along the way. Bringing volunteers together to connect in a non-board setting can strengthen their ability to work together. 

People are busy and you’ll never get everyone together. That doesn’t mean that it’s not worth the effort to build deeper relationships with those who are able to make the time. 

Acknowledge Personal Accomplishments/Milestones

Just like your staff, board members have lives outside of your organization. They get married and promoted and have babies and climb mountains and retire. Creating a culture where these things are celebrated is a great way to deepen relationships and spread love. Loop back to the Recognition and Celebration bullets for thoughts on how to acknowledge these things. 

SWAG/Name Tags

Most volunteers do not want an organization spending money on them. So if you do want to give a physical token of your appreciation, it’s a good idea to give it a dual purpose. Give them a shirt to wear that creates awareness for your cause. Provide a name tag so they can be recognized as serving your organization. Acknowledge them in a way that deepens their connection, but also benefits the cause. 

Nominate them for Awards

This requires you to know your volunteers and your community pretty well. Are there folks who should be nominated for citizen of the year? 40 Under 40? For their philanthropic efforts? Or should their company know about the great work they do for your organization? If they own their own business, are there ways to help support their business in a “Best of” campaign? 

Be Silly

Again, serving on a board doesn’t always have to be all business. Adding in a little silliness or light-heartedness can make the difficult work of leading an organization more enjoyable. It also helps to bring out the personalities of your volunteers. 

Consider starting meetings with a kookie question for everyone to answer. When signing important documents, bring pens shaped like french fries. Use clips from movies to set the tone for a discussion. Think “You can’t handle the truth!” from A Few Good Men or “Show Me the Money” from Jerry Maguire. (The use of examples from two different Tom Cruise movies was completely unintentional.) 

While silliness can create a relationship-building culture, be sure to maintain a safe space. Playfulness shouldn’t shift into pranks or sarcasm. The goal is lighthearted fun that breaks down barriers. 

You may be loving these ideas, but the reality is that you don’t feel like you have the time, energy or creativity to pull any of this off. I bet there is someone in your organization who would love this project. Delegate to a staff or volunteer whose love language is Acts of Service. This would be right in their wheelhouse and will likely energize them. You could even have an Appreciation Committee made up of volunteers, staff, or both. Give them clear direction and parameters and set them off to spread love and joy! 

Anytime you want to visit about how to build up your Board of Superheros, email me at Kim@Athena-CoCo.com, or schedule a Discovery Call today. Let’s connect!

Kim Stewart

Kim is a mom, lover of being active and the outdoors,
and helper of nonprofits and small businesses.
kim@athena-coco.com