On a Nonprofit Board’s Governance Committee? 4 Actionable Strategies to Refresh Your Approach for Greater Success
A strong nonprofit board plays a vital role in the organization’s success.
Yet, this crucial leadership body is often not organized nor utilized to its fullest potential. There are times in a board’s lifecycle when renewal is warranted to meet the demands of the organization and its current mission. New perspectives, a broader set of experiences, and specific competencies can augment what exists today or step in as others step out.
Here are four ways for a board’s governance committee to renew its approach so the organization it serves can reap the benefit of having a strengthened team in place.
Affirm shared understanding
A healthy, functional board serves as a powerful partner to a nonprofit’s executive director or chief executive officer, when the board and leadership are mission-aligned. As a member of the governance committee, ask yourself if each board member could confidently state the organization’s top three objectives. Do you think they would all give the same answers — and would they be the right ones? (For that matter, can you?)
If you’re unsure, there is always a good reason to convene as a team around what the organization must achieve. The external landscape is always in flux; community beneficiaries may look different now than they did three years ago; shifts in donor interest and capacity can necessitate new major gift strategies.
Take time with fellow governance committee members, including the chief executive, to make sure each person understands the organizational mission and the top three elements required for success. In addition to developing important shared understanding, this also helps surface board members whose perspectives and energy may no longer align with the organization. This is a healthy exercise.
Take inventory
Sometimes nonprofits have boards with incredible longevity, with board members serving a decade or more, with no defined end date. Although institutional memory can be useful, there’s an opportunity cost associated with maintaining the status quo.
Take some time for this simple thought exercise:
Write down each board member’s skills, expertise, network and leadership attributes
Detail what the organization generally needs to achieve its top three strategic objectives
Then compare the two. Where do you see gaps? Opportunities? What experiences clearly add value?
What you see will guide your next steps as a responsible governance committee member.
Renew + replenish
Let’s say you complete your inventory and you are overweighted with the same type of person. They run in the same circles and therefore know the same donors. Perhaps you’re heavy with members who have similar expertise in financial oversight — but not enough leaders who are embedded in the communities of focus for the organization.
Think about board recruitment like refreshing an ecosystem. Bringing on a cluster or cohort of new members whose skills, strengths and attributes complement each other — and, crucially, align with the organization’s strategic objectives — can help shift the energy and direction of the board more quickly than introducing new leaders one at a time. You can also include a focus on bringing on individuals who have the experience required to lead the board, versus simply finding new board members. Don’t be afraid to vault them into leadership positions after a year or two; if they fill a particular gap for you, it’s an appropriate call.
Review board governance measures
Practically speaking, there should be mechanisms for board composition and length of service within your existing board governance. It may feel like a thorny topic to raise, but it doesn’t have to be. Clarity is important, and board members are typically savvy enough to recognize the advantages of a methodical approach. It benefits everyone to have:
Established term limits
Clearly outlined roles and responsibilities
A detailed understanding of committee work
Agreement on board culture, meeting norms, and standards of conduct
Procedures for offboarding a board member who is not fulfilling their obligations
A strong governance committee can set the agenda for a mature, engaged and energetic full board discussion on these crucial focus areas. Systematically working through these policies and procedures shows a commitment to organizational discipline. It also opens up new avenues for conversations, both in a group setting and in one-on-one meetings, about a board member’s view on their tenure, interest level in the org, and what they see for themselves.
Bringing benefits to you
When you take the opportunity to refresh and renew your board, and implement stronger board governance, your work as a governance committee becomes much easier. Take the time to be thoughtful and go back to the basics to evaluate, strategize and replenish both your board composition and how it functions.
You’ll be glad you did.