One common pain point I hear from women nonprofit Executive Directors has to do with their Boards. They feel their Board of Directors don’t produce, they fail to show up or provide limited support.
When I ask my coaching clients to describe their ideal work world, without fail they mention having a Board of Directors which are active, engaged ambassadors for their agency.
Getting your Board effectively engaged takes intentional strategic work and patience.
Lack of clarity of just what they should be doing and how governance and oversight translates into concrete action results in Boards delving too deeply into areas that are not really under their purview while not addressing issues which sit squarely in their court.
Today’s episode will focus on your nonprofit Board committees and things you can do as an ED to get those committees focused, with a clear workplan and accountable for delivering to your organization.
You can read the transcript at https://relishyourrole.com/11
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Let’s just admit that our Boards of Directors do not always live up to our expectations.
There are as many reasons for Board dysfunction as there are different boards but there are some common themes in the reasons why they often feel like just another work task with little to show for the effort.
Nonprofit Board Members Often Do Not Know Really Understand Their Role
A primary contributor to Board dysfunction is they often do not really understand what they are supposed to do.
Yes, they know they are supposed to help you raise money, but if they are more content experts and do not have access to capital, either personally or in their friend group, they do not know how to contribute.
Some think they should help you decide the programing of your agency and do not see another way to be involved.
A few may have a sense that they have a governance role and should be approving contracts and signing leases but may not have the expertise needed.
Your Nonprofit Board Needs Training
To get your Board to be effective ambassadors for your agency they need to be trained to understand their role and given concrete examples in the context of your agency.
I spoke in detail about the need for this type of training in my very first podcast episode and you can listen or read the transcript at https://relishyourrole.com/episode-1-communication-tips-to-get-your-boards-engagement/ .
A Board well trained in their role is a necessary foundational building block and it is your responsibility as an ED to make sure they receive training as well as refresher sessions on the attributes of high functioning Boards.
Strong Board Committee Structure Get the Work Done
But you also have a responsibility to help them develop a structure to get their Board work done. A proven structure is having focused Board committees.
Committees help develop specific expertise and increase the efficiency of full Board meeting as issues have already been vetted by a smaller informed group.
When things are working well, a committee will bring to the full Board a summary of the work they have done with recommendations, for Board action rather than rehashing an issue with a full group who may not be well versed in all the details.
Board committee groom leaders and allow for deeper relationships to grow between members. Committees give members a chance to gain expertise in a specific areas which increases their level of commitment to your agency.
High Performing Nonprofit Board Committees
So how to get your committees to be high performing?
4 Attributes of High Performing Nonprofit Board Committees
So how to get your committees to be high performing?
There are four basic elements
1. Curated committee membership
2. A strong committee chair
3. Clear committee goals
4. Opportunities to contribute
Spoiler alert, these elements should also be present in your full Board. But let’s break down each one.
1. Curated Nonprofit Committee Membership
As with your full Board, you want to have your committees peopled with a diversity of backgrounds, viewpoints and expertise. Whatever the focus of the committee is, there needs to members who have knowledge about that area or are interested in learning about it.
All too often Board members are placed on a committee because they ‘need people’. Asking members to serve on a committee should be made in consideration of their backgrounds, skills and interest.
It is also wise to look at the personalities on the committee. You do not want to have all the strong personalities in one committee. You want a balance of introverts and extraverts.
In curating the committee, make sure that there is at least one member who demonstrates their commitment to soliciting and including everyone’s opinions.
As the Executive Director you have to huddle with your Board chair and have honest conversations about committee membership.
Strong Committee Chair
A strong committee chair is not a bully or a blow hard.
A strong chair makes sure everyone understands the task before them, prepares clear agendas, keeps meetings on track, communicates often with their members, solicits everyone’s input and sets a tone of mutual accountability. They are skilled focused diplomats and competent pilots who make sure everyone knows their destination.
Clear Goals
This is perhaps the most important element.
Every committee should have clearly articulated annual goals: what they need to produce and when they need to produce it.
At the beginning of the year the committee should develop their work plan. This plan should identify the things they need to get done, when these things need to get done, steps to getting there and who needs to be involved.
Committees are effective when they are clear about their charge and take the time to discuss what they need to fulfill their responsibilities.
Opportunities to Contribute
All members of the committee need a tangible role to play. They should not just passively listen to staff or other members talk at them. The chair should make sure everyone has something specific to do and report back on that activity.
People feel connected when they can contribute.
Both the full Board and committees must build in ways that everyone around the table has something specific to do – it builds pride and commitment and cannot be overlooked.
You cannot be passive as the Executive Director. You are responsible for helping both your Board and committee chairs identify, nurture and make sure these four elements are present. It takes a lot of time, one on one conversations and problem solving to do so.
Next week we will delve further into the types of conversations you need to have with your chair(s) to foster active and engaged members.
You can do it and I am here to help.
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