It is Board transition time. I recently ran into a friend who was celebrating rolling off a nonprofit board. That also means there is a new member coming onto that board.
We generally accept board seats because we want to give back to our community. You are identified (and recruited) to join the board because you have business expertise they want. We accept the role because we have expertise that will enable a nonprofit to operate better. And, board seats require our financial support. So, we do not (and should not) accept the board responsibility lightly.
What is your role as a board member? It should be to provide guidance to the mission of the organization. The executive director reports to the board. Therefore, you become his/her ‘supervisor’. It requires us to make personal donations. It also requires us to ensure the organization has a solid strategic plan. Most importantly, it requires us to ensure that the nonprofit has the resources to accomplish its plan. All of these responsibilities are covered clearly by the Independent Sector, a national nonprofit dedicated to effectiveness of nonprofits throughout the U.S. in an article called “The Principles for Good Governance and Ethical Practice” that can be found at www.independentsector.org.
So how do we fail our nonprofits? Often, we do not exercise our authority in an effort to get along with other board members. We do not ask critical questions when we see something that does not seem right. Many members simply ‘go along’. In other words, we do not provide the same oversight that we do at our own company. Because nonprofits are there to provide a public service, we are not as critical as we should be of the organization’s effectiveness. Good enough, all too often, is just that. Good enough.
A while back, I served on a board that had to terminate its CEO. After the termination, I spoke privately with every board member. Seventeen people told me that they thought that the CEO was leading the organization in the wrong direction. Each person said that they thought that everyone else was okay with his direction. Imagine, seventeen people disagreed with the direction. Not one agreed. Yet the Board was not discussing this.
One of the key failures was the organization’s ability to generate sponsorships and revenues to meet the cause’s longer-term needs. We had collectively failed to monitor the adherence of the staff to the nonprofit’s strategic plan.
A positive example is the Civic Center Coalition in Glens Falls. The board came in to save the public use of a key facility for the community. They undertook a strategic plan process that outlines a three-year plan to make the Center a better place. Equally important they focused on making sure that the facility has a long-term plan for economic vitality. If you have been to an event there recently, you know that they are succeeding!
If you are joining – or are already on a board, there are some things you can do to live up to your obligation. Ensure there is a strategic plan. Make sure the team is adhering to the plan. Review the executive director’s performance and offer help and feedback to keep the team on track. One of the things we advocate is that the final agenda item always be an ‘executive session’. That is a time that the board meets with NO paid staff members in attendance. Including the CEO. Maybe there will be nothing to discuss. But, that has never been true on a board I have served on.
Try it and you will see the difference in the effectiveness of the nonprofit you are giving your time and energy to. It’s what you do in your business, right?