Some great ideas came out of the February 11, 1997 Executive Directors' Roundtable. Kate Busch, Resident Fund Counsel with Charles H. Bentz Associates, led a discussion on board involvement -- which areas of an organization fall within the realm of governance and which are management. Some ideas for keeping your board interested and involved in the big picture (like mission and policy):
* Get the board out to see your programs. In one case the board conducted community interviews for program evaluation, a job usually done by an independent consultant. Board members were amazed by the work their organization was doing and gained valuable insight into what was (and wasn't) working.
* Give the board all the information they need to make their decisions. Board packets mailed out at least two weeks before a meeting are a good start. As Ms. Busch noted, "board members are leaders in their fields and are used to doing things well." Help them do well for your organization. A written summary by the executive director of issues that have come up and what the staff has accomplished may help inform board members without inviting micro-management.
* Use your board members to expand your list of prospective board members. One executive director asked each board member to come up with a list of prominent people in their city. These people were called and asked, not to join the board (no pressure), but to recommend several people with specific expertise as potential board members. The nonprofit developed a pool of 50 potential board members and a more diverse group than anyone had anticipated.
* Develop and use a strategic plan. It not only helps the executive director set goals, a strategic plan protects the organization from the "great program idea" that is not part of your mission or budget.
* Use a consent agenda. If there are several routine items that need to be approved at a board meeting send a full description of the items ahead of time. Indicate that at the board meeting you will ask for one vote on all the items listed on the agenda. It will save time, prevent the meeting from getting bogged down, and open up your meeting for more pertinent discussions.
* Ensure that the board evaluates the performance of the executive director. The executive director and the board should set goals and the measures of success as concretely as possible (how many people did we serve, how many new programs launched). The board should evaluate the executive director's performance yearly.
* Ensure that the board evaluates its own performance. The executive director should be removed from judgments about the board's performance. This is a situation where the nominating committee may be most effective. At one organization committee members met with each board member each year. They asked essentially, "how's it going?" Was the board member enjoying the experience? Was s/he clear about the mission and goals of the organization? Was there more information s/he needed to receive? What was the board member looking for by being on the board? One board member noted that this approach made her want to do a better job without making her feel guilty.
* Re-invigorate absent board members. What worked for one nonprofit? Calling a board member who had stopped coming to meetings and saying, "you gave us great advice on (situation x). Now we need your help again." It's flattering to be asked for expertise instead of criticized for inattention.
Copyright 1998 Nonprofit Coordinating Committee of New York