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This Month's topic: Reorganizing Your Board of Directors
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| This
Month's Topic: Reorganizing Your Board of Directors |
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Sites of the Month
Each
month, this area provides with a number of my favorite and most helpful
sites regarding the topic of the month.
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Management Tip of the Month
Each issue, I start with a
discussion of my management perspective on the month's topic, and give
you a few hands-on ideas to consider.
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Recommended Publications
Here, I provide you with my
recommendations on the materials available that can help you
become more mission-capable in the area of Reorganizing Your Board of Directors.
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Technology
I provide you with some good
ideas for uses of tech to better your organization in the area of Reorganizing Your Board of Directors..
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Marketing Tip
So much to say, so little space to
say it.....
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Next Issue
In February, we'll turn to a key issue for your organization: New Communications Tools
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Past Issues:
You can see the topics of past Mission-Based
Management Newsletters, and then view those that are of
interest to you, by scrolling to the bottom of the newsletter, or by clicking here. |
Websites of the Month
Here are my recommendations for websites
of interest on this month's topic: Reorganizing Your Board of Directors.
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Management Tip of the Month
Reorganizing Your Board of Directors
All nonprofits must
have a board of directors. It's required, and it's good management.
Your board is designed to set policy, be an oversight body, serve
as a check and balance with the staff, to offer outside input and
objectivity, and to provide credibility in the community you serve. Pretty
much everyone would agree with that general job description, and while
there are many organizations and publications that offer a much more
detailed listing of board responsibilities, they pretty much all fit
into the general categories above.
So, why this topic about reorganization? Because to be able to continue
to do the things listed, boards today often need to go through a
"review and refresh" cycle to continue to be that excellent board that
the organization needs. Does reorganization mean a total re-vamping;
throwing out all the current members? Of course not. But some members
may well leave. Does it mean a complete overhaul of procedures, the
bylaws, and operating documents? No, but they should be reviewed to
make sure they still work in today's environment. Let's start by
looking at that environment and then suggest some things for you and
your organization to do. Here are some things to think about:
1. It's getting harder to recruit board members.
Many people are concerned about making the commitment to be a board
member, both from the perspective of time and of the fiduciary
responsibility. There was a time when it was not unusual for someone to
be on two or even three boards at once: that's waning. So, we have to
look at what's keeping people from making that commitment, and try to
improve our own board experience.
2. Our boards (at least in the US, Canada and the UK) are aging. The
average board member is a Boomer, or older than 48. One key challenge
for the next 5-10 years is to recruit (and retain) younger board
members.
3. There is a schism between what boards are supposed to do and what they often are doing. What should they be doing? Policy, oversight, check and balance. What are they doing? Far too often, just fund raising. This chases away the people who don't like to ask for money, many of whom are otherwise excellent board members. Note: I strongly agree that board members need to be involved in fund raising, but in many organizations that's their primary or even their only job. And that's not good.
So, what to do? Now is a great time to consider a board review
and reorganization within the context of your nonprofit's strategic
plan. Here are some areas to consider:
Board makeup and skillset.
Look carefully at your board skillset and the length of time each skill
will be on the board (assuming you have board terms). Then, cross
reference that to your strategic plan. What different skills do you
need? I'm sure you are working on your board diversity, but don't
forget age diversity as well. Finally, here are some skills you need on
your board that you may not have thought of:
- Generational representation
- Knowledge of Technology (not to fix your e-mail, but tech in a strategic sense)
- Understanding of Media (all the ways that we communicate)
Meeting times, frequency, length and location: Do
you always meet on the third Tuesday of the month from 7:00-9:00 PM?
Why? Because you always have? Not good enough. Talk to your board about
the frequency, length, time and location of your board (and committee
meetings) Make the meetings work for the most people. Even if you don't
change a thing, the fact that you ask will be very popular with your
board.
Re-think Officer duties:
Does your current officer array still make sense? Should you consider
splitting the PR roles of President and Vice President? Combining (or
splitting) the Treasurer and Secretary roles, adding a Vice Treasurer,
or re-arranging your Executive Committee? Think this through and
remember, if you change anything here, make the appropriate change in
your bylaws.
Committee structure and process:
Make sure your committees match the needs of the organization as seen
in your strategic plan. You may need a new committee to manage a new
property, or to ramp up your development activities. Also, make sure
your committees function (and have quorums) in the way that they
should. Don't repeat all of each committee meeting at the board
meeting. Finally, have each committee review their meeting time,
frequency, length and location, just like the board.
Leadership development:
If you are like most nonprofits you don't have an ongoing leadership
development program for your board including meeting management, a
regular review of board roles, and conflict of interest rules. Set one
up and review it annually.
If
you found this hint helpful, there are lots more management, marketing,
and technology ideas for you in the "Ideas" section at www.missionbased.com.
Check them out--they're free.
And, remember to take a look at the Mission-Based
Management Blog.
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Print Resources
My recommendations for texts and other
readings on Reorganizing Your Board of Directors:
The Best of Board Cafe: hands-On Solutions for Nonprofit Boards, by Jan Masaoka
Good Governance for Nonprofits, by Fred Laughlin
Nonprofit Stewardship, by Peter Brinckerhoff (there is an entire chapter on board and officer stewardship).
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Technology Tip
Reorganizing Your Board of Directors...and Technology
As you think through board reorganization,
you may well be adding new people to the board. They'll be checking you
out online first, so make sure that your board area on your website is
clear and helpful, and makes them want to be a part of your mission.
Once they come on the board, they should have access to a specific area of your website
reserved (by password) just for your board. Done right, this resource
will speed their orientation and allow all your board members to have
more information when they want it.
Finally, remember to be flexible in your use of email communications
and requiring that all your board materials go out electronically. Not
all board members have the resources to print out 30 or 40 pages of
board or committee materials before each meeting. Some do, and some
will, but remain flexible. As I say in the Marketing Tip below: ask.
If
you found this hint helpful, there are lots more management, marketing,
and technology ideas for you in the "Ideas" section at www.missionbased.com.
Check them out--they're free
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Training Schedule for Peter Brinckerhoff
Below you'll see the date, location, and
topics of public
training I'm
currently scheduled to do in the next few months. For more information
on a particular speaking engagement, get in touch with the contact
person listed in the right hand column, or email me.
For more information on my availability
throughout the next 12-18 months, available topics, sample agendas, and
fees go to www.missionbased.com/training.htm
Marketing Tip
Reorganizing Your Board of Directors and Marketing
Marketing
comes into play in two ways during board reorganization. First, as you
expand, contract, reconstitute, etc. remember a key part of marketing:
Asking. Ask your board members about the best time, length, location,
and frequency of their meetings, ask them about how they should receive
their board materials,
ask them about what they need in terms of leadership development. Ask, ask, and keep on asking.
Then, use the reorganization as a marketing
advantage, a way of getting the organization back into the public eye.
Put information out on any new board members to the press. Note the
reorganization in your newsletter and on your website. Send information
to regular donors, emphasizing the good stewardship aspects of what
you've done.
Finally, remember to put information about all
your board on your website. Your board provides credibility to your
community, but only if people can find out about your board members.
Here's a great example from the YMCA of Fort Wayne, IN. Notice that the work title of each board member is included and that you can click to find out more about most of them.
If you found this hint helpful, there are
lots more management, marketing, and technology ideas for you in the
"Ideas" section at www.missionbased.com.
Check them out--they're free.
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Future Topics for
The
Mission-Based Management Newsletter....
| February |
New Communications Tools |
| March |
Generation Change and Finance |
| April |
Greening
Your Nonprofit |
| May |
New Approaches to Social Entrepreneurship |
| June |
Leadership Development |
| Send me your topic suggestions at: peter@missionbased.com |
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You asked, so here they are:
Past Single-Topic Issues of the Mission-Based Management Newsletter...
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Copyright
2008, Corporate Alternatives, inc.
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