Being a board member of a nonprofit organization is a privilege with a tremendous amount of responsibility, obligation and opportunity. Board members are responsible for the oversight of the organization and ensuring it is honoring its mission. Board members have a fiduciary obligation under many state statutes to act with a Duty of Care, a Duty of Loyalty, and a Duty of Obedience. Board members have an opportunity to make an impact in their communities.
So what makes someone a “good” nonprofit board member? What is the secret sauce?
If you do these 5 things, you will become an effective respected board member.
1. Understand and honor the organization’s mission
Hopefully your willingness to serve on a nonprofit board is because you have a passion for its mission. This is what attracted you to serve in the first place. It is important that as you get involved as a board member you have a deep appreciation and understanding of the depth and breadth of the mission. Having this understanding will position you to provide the advice and oversight needed for the organization. More importantly, it will help you and fellow board members to avoid “mission creep” which is a big challenge for nonprofits.
Mission creep occurs because we have a heart for whomever our organization serves and we want to help as much as possible, and it happens when we do so beyond the scope of the organization’s mission. (Example: Your organization provides mentoring and college scholarships to high school students. And it is really effective. Then because one of the student’s parents becomes unemployed, the organization decides it should help by offering employment services. While certainly a noteworthy cause, this expansion of services is beyond the scope of the mission.)
2. Prepare for and contribute in board meetings
As a board member, in order to fulfill the Duties of Care, Loyalty and Obedience, effective board members prepare for, attend, and contribute at each meeting.
Prepare – read the prep material and speak with whom you need to in order to be ready to contribute at each meeting. Generally staff send out a packet of information prior to the Board meeting, and this packet should review information you need to know but will not be discussed, and the packet contains information you need to know in order to engage in a strategic discussion. Creating this packet takes quite a bit of time. If nothing else, read the packet prior to the meeting out of respect for those who put it together.
Attend – An effective board member is an engaged board member. An engaged board member is one who attends the board meetings….every meeting! There is nothing more frustrating to fellow board members and the CEO than a board member who does not attend 80%+ of the board meetings. (Candidly, if someone can not attend 80% of the board meetings, they ought to resign from the board.)
Contribute – The power of the nonprofit board is the input from multiple people in order to make a better strategic decision that the CEO and staff can execute upon. Each board member should ask questions and offer input into decisions. (Yes, even discussions about financials!)
3. Focus on Governance and Oversight
The board’s responsibility is governance and oversight. The CEO/ED and his/her team is responsible for operations. Effective board members understand and honor this delineation, and they avoid getting into operations.
Remember, the board hires the CEO to run the organization. While there are times the CEO/ED needs or wants input from the board members, operations is the CEO/EDs responsibility.
4. Support the CEO
Like the leader of any organization, being the CEO/ED of a nonprofit organization is challenging. An effective board member understands this. An effective board member publicly supports the CEO/ED and the organization and addresses any concerns directly with the CEO/ED and/or in board meetings.
5. Be a doer, donor and door opener
An effective board member plays each of these roles throughout his/her service on the board.
A doer is one who is active in meetings, attends the nonprofits events and lends his/her expertise to organizations issues (ex: an attorney who may review contracts on behalf of the organization).
A donor is one who makes a financial contribution to the organization in his/her name. EVERY board member ought to make a personal financial contribution to the organization.
A door opener is the board member who introduces his/her friends to the nonprofit organization to create awareness and/or to lead to a financial contribution.
As you just read, becoming an effective nonprofit board member is rather simple. Yes, it does take time, commitment and intentionality, but it really is easy.