IWF - Board-Building Workshops

The Incarnate Word Foundation

Incarnate Word Foundation Board-Building Workshops

Sessions Help Not-for-Profits Form "Dream Team"

Board members who can help an organization achieve its vision and mission are essential to its success. To help not-for-profits hone their skills in selecting directors, the Incarnate Word Foundation sponsored two free workshops in October.

Representatives of more than 20 agencies, churches, schools, and other not-for-profit organizations attended the meetings, which were led by Virginia Klein and Lyn Pickel of Entrepreneurial Leadership Development, St. Louis.

They explored many methods for increasing the effectiveness of an organization's board of directors, including the following.

Choosing Directors: Let Mission and Vision Be Your Guide

The mission statement defines why the organization exists and what makes it unique. The vision paints a picture of what the world will look like once the organization fulfills its mission. Every step the board takes must further the organization's mission and vision.

Using the vision and mission as a guide, organizations prioritize their goals and specify action steps to meet those goals. Based on these action steps, the organization can determine what skills and expertise board members should bring to the organization. For example, if one of an organization's action steps is to obtain a larger facility, board members with fundraising, construction, or real estate experience can be helpful.

Be sure all your board members can articulate your mission and vision.

View Your Organization as a Business

Board members are successful in their careers because they are focused, efficient, and accountable for their work. Following are some ways to keep them committed to your organization:

Avoid keeping ineffective structures just because of tradition.
Keep the board small enough to be efficient, but large enough to include diverse viewpoints.
Make lines of responsibility clear. Don't allow the board chairman to act as the organization's executive director. Funnel all board business through the executive director, who is responsible for implementing board policies.
Give directors a real voice in making decisions that determine the organization's future and in developing tools to measure its success.
Create an environment that encourages new ideas and is open to change.

Become an Expert Recruiter

In choosing directors, organizations must use the recruitment skills they employ when they hire employees. The selection process should include:

A job description specifying what responsibilities the organization wants the director to fulfill.
An interview before the person is invited to join the board.
A realistic picture of what the organization expects of its directors. Tell prospective members up front if they are expected to make a financial contribution, and give them an honest estimate of the time they will be expected to commit (e.g., board meetings, special events, committee meetings).

Keep Meetings Productive

Board members are volunteers, and they will be motivated to contribute if they find meetings interesting, believe they are accomplishing something, and feel they are appreciated. Several elements will help you create meetings that respect board members' needs and feelings:

Send them an agenda in advance.
Use meetings to accomplish work, not to give staff reports.
At each meeting, inform board members of new developments so they know what is happening in the organization.
Have the board make a decision at each meeting.
Allow time for casual conversation, which allows directors to get to know each other and encourages the sharing of ideas.
Be sure that all members speak at every meeting.
Start and end meetings on time.
Give each member an assignment at the end of every meeting.

Orient Your Board

New board members should receive an orientation to the organization. This should include thorough financial and staffing information; the organization's mission and vision statements, goals and strategic plans; and other essential information about the organization.