Your board plays a critical role in overseeing your organization's mission, finances and strategic direction. So it's equally critical that these board members are supportive of the changes in tools and practices necessary to help your organization stay relevant and viable in today's rapidly changing world. For the March 2014 Nonprofit Insights webinar hosted by VolunteerMatch focused on how to cultivate, engage and retain great board members that are "future-friendly." Jenifer Holland, Director of Consulting at BoardSource, shared best practices and strategies for finding and engaging the best board members for your organization. We were also joined by Shayla Price, Executive Director for the National Search Dog Alliance, who shared her first-hand experience working with boards from the nonprofit side, as well as serving as a board member herself. Wondering how to build a board that will support your organization as it moves forward into the future? This webinar will provide ideas and strategies so you'll never need to "fight" your board for change again.

1. Building a Future-Friendly
Nonprofit Board
#vmlearn
March 19, 2014

2. Meet Our Speakers
2
#vmlearn
Jenifer Holland
Director of Consulting
BoardSource
@jlgagerholland
@BoardSource
BoardSource.org
Shayla Price
Executive Director
National Search Dog Alliance
@shaylaprice
n-sda.org
ShaylaPrice.com

3. 3
Building a Future-Friendly
Nonprofit Board
Jenifer Holland, Director of Consulting
© 2014. Not to be reproduced or distributed without express permission from BoardSource.
#vmlearn

4. 4
About BoardSource
• Advances the public good by building exceptional
nonprofit boards and inspiring board service
• Supports and promotes excellence in nonprofit
board service
• Is the premier source of cutting-edge thinking and
resources related to boards
• Engages and develops the next generation of board
leaders
© 2013 BoardSource
#vmlearn

5. 5
Before
– Identify board
needs
– Cultivate & Recruit
On Board
– Orient
– Involve & Educate
Over Time
– Evaluate, Rotate &
Celebrate!
Identify
Cultivate
Recruit
Orient
Involve
Educate
Evaluate
Rotate
Celebrate!
Context:The Board Building
Cycle
#vmlearn

6. 6
“Identify” Step: Whose Job is It?
Nominating Committee
• Short-term
• Narrow focus
– Elections
– Officers
• Self-contained
Governance Committee
• Ongoing
• Holistic focus
– Composition
– Policies and
Practices
• Involves others
Sample committees that have responsibility for identifying board candidates
#vmlearn

7. 7
Nominating
Committee
Governance
Committee
Nominating
• Short-term
• Narrow focus
– Elections
– Officers
• Self-contained
Governance
• Ongoing
• Holistic focus
– Composition
– Practices
• Involves
others
Evolution of Board-Related Committees
Board
Development
Committee
Board
Development
• Ongoing
• Broader focus
than
Nominating
#vmlearn

8. 8
Poll
Does your board have a:
• Nominating committee
• Governance committee
• Nominating and governance combined
• Other
• N/A or don’t know
#vmlearn

9. 9
IdentifyYour Board’s Needs
Think Strategically: What skills and talents does your
organization need to drive its mission forward and to
advance key strategies over the next 2, 5 and 10 years?
Identify Gaps: Which of those skills and talents are
currently represented on your board, and which ones are
missing?
Be Specific: How would you describe the skills, expertise,
and personal attributes of the “ideal candidate”?
#vmlearn

10. 10
Tool: Board Matrix
(exerpt)
1 2 3 4 5 6 A B C D E F
Areas of Expertise
Marketing
Program focus
Strategy
Technology
Financial
Fundraising
Investments
Legal
Fundraising Abilities
Personal financial giving
Access to corporate & philanthropic connections
Access to individuals with gift potential
Ability to support special events
Which Best Describes You:
Bridge builder
Leader/Strategist
Visionary
Worker bee
Current Members Prospective
Members

11. 11
What does your board need?
Good Board Members
Typically Possess
• An Ability to:
– listen, analyze, think clearly and creatively, work well
with individual people and groups
• A Willingness to:
– prepare for and attend board and committee
meetings, ask questions, take responsibility and
follow through on a given assignment, contribute
personal;
– financial resources in a generous way according to
circumstances, open doors in the community,
evaluate oneself; and
– develop certain skills if they don’t already have them
#vmlearn

12. 12
Step 1: IDENTIFY Board Needs
• Skills, knowledge, perspectives, and
connections, etc., needed to implement
strategic plan.
• Board needs assessment
– What expertise do you have?
– What is missing?
• Identify sources of board members with the
desired characteristics.
#vmlearn

13. 13
Step 2: CULTIVATE Potential Leaders
• Ask current board members and others to
suggest potential candidates with needed
characteristics.
• Find ways to connect with those candidates.
• Get them interested in your chapter, and keep
them informed of your programs.
#vmlearn

14. 14
Step 3: RECRUIT Prospects
• Describe why a prospective board member is
wanted and needed.
• Explain expectations and responsibilities of
board members, and don’t minimize
requirements.
• Invite questions, elicit their interest, and find
out of if they would be prepared to serve.
• Recruit a diverse board.
#vmlearn

15. 15
Step 7: EVALUATE Board
• Evaluate the board as a whole, as well as
individual board members.
• Examine how the board and chief executive
work as a team.
• Engage the board in assessing its own
performance.
• Identify ways in which to improve.
• Encourage individual self-assessment.

16. 16
• Identify gaps between expected and
actual performance
• Ensure that all board members have
a shared understanding of the
board’s roles and responsibilities
• Provide a context for discussing
opportunities to strengthen the
board
• Model accountability and enhance
credibility for the organization
among staff, volunteers, donors,
and other constituencies
Board Self-Assessment
© 2014 BoardSource
#vmlearn

17. 17
BSA data sets the stage for
board development plan
0 = Poor , 1 = Fair , 2 = OK, 3 = Good, 4 = Excellent
#vmlearn

18. 18
How are Assessment Results Used?
© 2014 BoardSource
DATA seldom leads to action if the numbers
aren’t explained
INFORMATION exchanged between you
and your BoardSource team gives data meaning
KNOWLEDGE is created when experience
and context is blended with information
WISDOM occurs when knowledge is applied
D= Data
E= Expertise
C= Coaching
K= Knowledge
#vmlearn

19. +
Cultivating Future-Friendly Boards
 Identifying Board Prospects
 Engaging Board Members
 Retaining Board Members
#vmlearn

20. +
Identifying Board Prospects
 Past Experiences
#vmlearn

21. +
Identifying Board Prospects
 Soft Skills
#vmlearn

22. +
Poll
#vmlearn
Do you ask board prospects
about industry trends in their
professions?

23. +
Identifying Board Prospects
 Knowledge of
Industry Trends
 Books, Blogs
 Connect the Dots
 Areas of Interest
#vmlearn

24. +
Identifying Board Prospects
 Individual Development Plan
 Goals
 Interconnection
 Time Investment
#vmlearn

25. +
Engaging Board Members

26. +
Engaging Board Members
 Brainstorming Prompts
 Wouldn’t it be great if…
 If I had total control, I…
 Because we have excess
resources, we can…
#vmlearn

27. +
Engaging Board Members
 Cheerleaders
 Guest Speakers
 Attendance
 Door Prizes
#vmlearn

28. +
Question
#vmlearn
How do you currently motivate
your board members?

29. +
Engaging Board Members
 Cross Sector Collaboration
#vmlearn

30. +
Engaging Board Members
 Personal Commitments
 I will accomplish X before
the next meeting.
 Visuals
 Reminders
#vmlearn

31. +
Retaining Board Members

32. +
Poll
How often do you ask for feedback
from your board members?
#vmlearn

33. +
Retaining Board Members
 Ask for Feedback
 SurveyMonkey
 Updates
 Improvements
#vmlearn

34. +
Retaining Board Members
 Create a Valued Culture
 Norms
 Acknowledgements
 Implementation of Ideas
#vmlearn

35. +
Retaining Board Members
 Support Members’ Goals
 Speaking Opportunities
 Workshops/Seminars
 Recommendations
#vmlearn

36. +
Retaining Board Members
 Show Appreciation
 Honor Their Service
 Highlight Achievements
 Say “Thank you”
#vmlearn

37. Questions?
37
#vmlearn
Jenifer Holland
Director of Consulting
BoardSource
@jlgagerholland
@BoardSource
BoardSource.org
Shayla Price
Executive Director
National Search Dog Alliance
@shaylaprice
n-sda.org
ShaylaPrice.com

38. Next Webinar:
How Nonprofit Data and
Volunteers Can Save the
World
http://learn.volunteermatch.org
#vmlearn
April 8, 2014