How to Effectively Cultivate Board Roles and Responsibilities

You just elected a handful of new board members. What’s next? Giving them a big white binder? Conducting an orientation?

That’s all fine and good, but do those things really help volunteers understand their roles and responsibilities as board members? Do these things really help them make an impact on the organization? When I was an executive director, I once attended a two-day training with my board chair. Even though he was right there with me for every moment of the training, he looked at me and said, “You’re going to let me know what you need me to do, right, Jen?”

I think many times we completely miss the boat with board members. We think a day-long training or a huge bin-der of resources will somehow transform these volunteers into people who understand what they need to be doing.

Unfortunately, that’s not the case. Board members need regular opportunities to act out their roles in a collaborative environment. They need to see and feel how it works, and we need to help them by providing the space and keeping the organization’s strategic goals front-and-center.

Start Small

This may sound easier said than done. But in reality, it doesn’t require a big budget or oodles of time. You can start today by making tweaks to your
current processes to empower your board. Start with the small things — like making sure onboarding binders and board meeting agendas are focused and strategic, not vague and overwhelming — and use these wins to support larger added efforts to work strategically and engage board members.

Before you know it, you’ll have a group of enthusiastic volunteers who are eager to share their expertise and good judgment with your mission. What could be better?

Board Development Tips

If you’re ready to get started, here are tips for creating fantastic board members:

Keep it simple (and focused). Don’t overwhelm your volunteers with information. Instead, think about what you really need them to do. How can you align action with strategic priorities? Think about the top three to five things board members can do to support your organization’s goals and then…

Talk about these strategic opportunities in your board meetings. What percent of your board meetings are forward-focused? Adjust your agenda to focus on the top three to five things board members can do to support strategic goals.

Remember, board members are volunteers and have busy lives. The relationship between board and staff should be a partnership, with staff supporting board members’ efforts to do strategic work. Equipping board members to feel confident in what you need them to do is imperative.

Understand that 100% of board members won’t do what you ask 100% of the time. Sometimes even
getting one-third or half is a good result. Don’t get too frustrated. Let some of your board “champions” set the example and talk about their good work in a board meeting. This can often foster peer leadership and will encourage more board members to get involved, particularly if the task is a bit of a culture shift — like doing more outreach, fundraising or thank-you calls.

Conduct an annual assessment of board meeting effectiveness. Further engage your board members and solicit valuable information by asking their opinion of board meeting effectiveness. Find out what they enjoy the most, like the least and recommend for improvement. You can conduct an online survey or just start a discussion at your next meeting. Then, incorporate some of the findings into your next meeting agenda.

Review the board member job description annually. As your nonprofit grows and changes, so do board member responsibilities. At the beginning or end of each fiscal year, make it a habit to review the board member job description and ensure it still represents what you need members focusing on for the next year.

Conduct a board self-assessment annually. Encourage board members to take a moment to assess how they are doing. Many board members are uncomfortable with this because they fear it will become a finger-pointing session, which isn’t the case at all. The idea is to build better systems of support to ensure board members are working in an environment that helps them make a difference. Ask questions like, “What would make this experience more enjoyable?” and “Did we accomplish all that we set out to do this year?” in order to discern individual and group needs.

Does your organization talk about board roles and responsibilities? Do you provide opportunities for members to contribute toward strategic goals?

If Not, What’s Stopping You?

You don’t need extra time and money, just a few changes to your current processes that more fully integrate your board members in ways that highlight their key strategic role.

Start now by taking the first small step. Use our tips to create a culture of openness, support and forward-thinking that will empower your board — and change the way you do business for the better.

Editor's Note: This article was originally published in the NonProfit PRO November/December 2019 print edition. You can read the full article here.