Each and every
day, Boards of Directors chart the path for nonprofit
organizations!
Are you prepared and informed enough to make those decisions?
Are the correct people serving on the board?
Are you making legal decisions for the organizations?
Why is Board Leadership and Development important to the success
of nonprofits?
Boards OWN the organization and are responsible for its well
being as provided in all by-laws approved by the United States
Treasury Department.
Boards are the driving force in the planning of the future for
nonprofits.
Boards are responsible for driving the Mission and Vision of the
organization.
Board members need to hold themselves accountable for their
performance.
Without a strong board of directors, the executive
director and staff are expected to not only have the vision for
what the organization can become, but also to do all
of the
work.
An effective board can provide a foundation for
the mission of the organization and a framework of expectations
that make it possible for the management, staff, and volunteers
to focus upon the day-to-day tasks of making that mission a
reality.
The bottom line: Without a strong board, nonprofit
organizations show limited success in meeting both client and
community need.
Steps to Board Building
Building an effective board is similar to
creating a winning sports team. Recruiting talented players that
fit the team and training them to play their best are key
ingredients.
Board members join an organization for a limited
amount of time and pledge their personal, professional, and
financial resources to advance the mission of the organization.
Some helpful questions for board member
“recruiters” to ask include:
• What gaps in expertise exist on the current board?
• Who is likely to be interested in the mission of
the organization?
• What does the position offer to the prospective
board member? Why join?
Even the best of teams experience challenges, so
providing a “playbook” of policies that build unity and
enthusiasm for the mission and define how conflict will be
resolved will go a long way toward making sure that the board
fulfills its purpose.
If you find that your organizations needs help in building the
board you need then you should consider contacting
Diversified
Nonprofit Services. They can offer your organization a
program tailored to your needs and help you focus on Board
Leadership & Development.
What Board Leadership & Development Services does DNS provides?
• DNS provides an assessment to the organization that will
measure the effectiveness of the board.
• DNS works with the organization to determine the current
make-up of a board, in addition to identifying the needs and
gaps on the board.
• DNS introduces the Eight Key Functions of board members and
develops strategies that will help board members become more
effective.
• DNS aids the organization in developing a comprehensive board
recruitment and retention strategy.
• DNS leads the organization in the development and
implementation of a board peer review and performance appraisal.
Below are just a few of the
websites online filled with information to help you have a
better board of directors!
We at NonProfitExpert would
like to thank all the
organizations listed below that contribute greatly to the
collective knowledge of how nonprofits should go about
developing their respective board of directors! We also have
additional information about boards at our category site link
titled: Board Guide
Board Cafe
An online newsletter with brief commentary, news and information
on nonprofit topics. Contains over 60 archived copies of the
newsletter.
Board Development
A Canadian nonprofit site with useful ideas that apply to all
boards. For example, it suggests that one of the basic
responsibilities of the board is to “ensure its own renewal and
development.”
BoardSource
Provides articles on many aspects of governance, such as forming
an audit committee and evaluating the performance of the chief
executive. There is also a Q&A section with practical advice for
enhancing day-today operations.
Free Management Library
Complete, highly integrated library for nonprofits and
for-profits created by Carter McNamara of Authenticity
Consulting. Covers over 75 topics of interest, including: crisis
management, business operations, sample job descriptions, and
conducting effective meetings.
The Community Development Network
A site of the Portland, OR Community Development Centers, with a
list of “Top 10” nonprofit management sites and a specific
section for board governance.
Volunteer
Today
A journal that provides the fundamentals of volunteer management
and increases awareness of the volunteer management profession.
To Recap:
·Strong nonprofit boards are essential to achieving
the mission of the organization.
·Recruiting board members who support the
organization and providing training to help facilitate board
work are critical elements of success.
·Many resources to guide board recruitment and
development are available online at the sites listed above and
at
www.nonprofitexpert.com
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