Develop and Maintain an Engaged Nonprofit Board of Directors Jennifer Flowers - Accredidation Guru, Inc. Do you want a board that is more engaged and active? Having a well-functioning, cohesive Board of Directors is crucial for supporting your organization's financial stability and the fulfillment of your mission. This course explores how to recruit, maintain and engage a governing body that promotes a solid, effective and successful nonprofit organization. Learning Objectives/Takeaways: • Gain a deeper understanding of Board management and leadership • Learn about Board roles and responsibilities • Be aware of how to recruit and engage an active and knowledgeable Board • Discuss key motivation techniques related to fiscal responsibility and fundraising

1. Develop and Maintain an
Engaged Nonprofit Board
of Directors
National Philanthropy Day – AFP Westchester
November 7, 2014

2. Agenda
• Review Board of Directors members’
responsibilities and legal obligations
• Traps to avoid
• Be aware of how to recruit and engage an
active and knowledgeable Board
• Discuss key motivation techniques related
to fiscal responsibility and fundraising
• Your responsibility
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3. Expectations
• Interactive discussion
• Share experiences
• “Vegas rules”
• Feel free to Tweet…
• @AccreditGuru
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4. Board Members’ 10 Basic
Responsibilities
1. Determine the organization’s mission
and purpose
2. Select the chief executive
3. Provide proper financial oversight
4. Ensure adequate resources
5. Ensure legal and ethical integrity and
maintain accountability
6. Ensure effective organizational planning
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5. Board Members’ 10 Basic
Responsibilities
7. Recruit and orient new Board members and
assess Board performance
8. Enhance the organization’s public standing
9. Determine, monitor and strengthen the
organization’s programs
10.Support the chief executive and assess
his/her performance
- BoardSource
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6. Board Members’ Legal
Obligations
• Duty of Care
• Using your best judgment
• Actively participating, paying attention
• Asking pertinent questions
• Duty of Loyalty
• Avoiding conflicts of interest
• Putting aside personal and professional interests
• Duty of Obedience
• Staying true to the organization’s mission
• Obeying the law, both public and organizational
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8. Traps to Avoid
Board’s failures:
• Weak recruitment, orientation, on-boarding of
new members
• Not having strong governance policies in place
• Not managing personal issues or special cases,
which can impact governance process
• Not knowing what is expected of them
• Not agreeing to what is expected of them
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9. Traps to Avoid
New Board member’s failures:
• Not embracing the nature of teamwork
• Lack of understanding of legal obligations
• Assuming fundraising is the responsibility
of more experienced members
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10. Starting off on the Right Foot
• Recruit strategically
• Orientation
• Term limits
• Bylaws
• Conduct Board assessments on a regular
basis
• Focus on Board culture
• Set expectations!
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11. Assessment
• Before recruiting new members
• Characteristics and professional
qualifications
• Create a Board profile
• What we have vs. what we need
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12. Recruitment
• Set expectations
• Prospect research and list
• Recruitment documents
• Board member outreach
• Not just the responsibility of the CEO
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13. Ongoing Recruitment
• Advisory committees
• Donors
• Volunteers
• Local nonprofit support organizations
• United Way, Nonprofit Westchester
• Online resources
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14. Selection
• Professional knowledge and willingness to
share
• Availability
• Influence
• Motivation
• Interpersonal skills
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15. Orientation
• Other Board members, Board culture and
governing rules
• Staff responsibilities and accomplishments
• Programs, sites and budget
• Major events & other fundraising activities
• Board Manual
• Other member as a mentor
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16. Opportunities for Growth
• Training
• Governance
• Agency programs
• Industry trends
• Financial report understanding
• Networking
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17. Function Strategically
• Maintain focus on the mission….always!
• Any gaps between what we claim we are and
what actual performances/actions demonstrate?
• Roadmap to the future…keep eye on the horizon
• Where should we rank at the top?
• Most important legacy of current Board in 5
years
• Lessons learned from other nonprofits? ( or )
• How act differently if a for-profit organization?
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18. Board’s Responsibility
• Identify potential donors
• Respond to requests from staff for help
soliciting support
• Set strong example by making personal gift
• Annual giving campaign
• Any special fundraising campaign
• Thanking donors
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19. Your Responsibility
• Provide timely orientation
• Ensure best meeting management
practices
• Handle difficult or rogue members
effectively
• Responds to questions and concerns
• Encourage feedback and open discussion
• Be an organization of which all can be
extremely proud
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20. Your Responsibility - Education
• Skills and expertise to support the
organization and staff
• Legal and ethical responsibilities
• Programs
• Mission fulfillment
• Fundraising
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22. Help Them…Help You!
• Most Board members don’t know how to
fundraise
• Most Board members are afraid to
fundraise
• Fundraising is about giving people a
change to partner with you; not about
“hitting people up for money”
• Get your Development Officer involved!
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23. Help Them…Help You!
• Explain why their giving is important
• Board members need to agree to
expectations
• Have one member ask others
• Try a deadline….with reminders
• Acknowledgement and thanks
• Show the outcome / positive impact of
their efforts and gifts
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24. Talking Points
• Personal advocate for the nonprofit
• Elevator speech
• Interesting stories
• Statistic (or two) regarding impact /
outcomes
• Not just a one time training, needs to be
reinforced
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25. Cohesiveness of Board
• Exceptional …GOAL!
• adds significant value, engaged, thinking
strategically, communicate well with each other
• Responsible
• quorum, follow the bylaws, some strategic
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conversations
• Functional
• manage to meet, but decisions not very effective
or focus on low priority items
• Dysfunctional
• dramatically disengaged or apathetic members or
intense conflict

26. An Engaged Board
• Volunteer Board = key to a nonprofit’s
success
• Best Board members tend to be busy and
used to rolling up their sleeves and getting
things done
• Access to information
• Gauge progress of efforts (update on goals)
• Variety of opportunities to get involved
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27. An Engaged Board
• Simply attending meetings ≠ engagement
• Tell them about challenges as well as
successes
• Conduct periodic surveys
• Create a Board of Director’s handbook
• Engage your Board in your organization's
activities
• Try a Board retreat
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28. Engaged with Fundraising
• Set expectations during recruitment phase
• Add to Board member job description
• Make sure they LOVE your organization
• Make sure they KNOW your organization
• Understand fiscal side of things
• Training re: the art of the “ask”
• Thank them and celebrate successes
• Board Chair active leadership
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29. Personal Contribution
• Policy to guide personal giving
• Make a meaningful or “stretch” amount
• Give/get approach
• Top 3
• Report Board giving rates with donors
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30. Benefits of Valuing Diversity
• A variety of skills, perspectives,
backgrounds, and resources
• Remain relevant, effective, and grounded
in the needs of the community
• Grantmakers are increasingly focused on
diversity
• Attract diverse donors
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31. Benefits of Valuing Diversity
• Enhance equality and fairness throughout
the organization and set a positive
example and tone for the organization
• Prevent the inherent near-sightedness and
“group think” that comes with
homogeneous Boards
• Diverse Boards can heighten a charity’s
credibility
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32. Age Diversity
• Board members often recruit members
from their own circles of influence
• Preference for a “C-Suite” or corporate
officer type profile on the Board
• Skepticism about the need to have
younger generations on Boards
• Uncertainty of where to find younger
Board members
• Concerns of isolation
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33. Discussion Questions
• How diverse are our revenue streams and are
they appropriate to our mission?
• What is our contingency plan if a major donor
or source of revenue no longer existed?
• What are the expectations for Board
members’ involvement in fundraising?
• Are Board members involved in identifying
and cultivating major donors and other
funders?
• Is a goal of 100% Board giving an appropriate
goal for our agency?
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34. Accountability and Measuring
Success
• Effectiveness in which the long-term
strategic plan is being met
• Fulfillment of the Board’s fiduciary
responsibilities & fundraising goals
• Functioning in strategic manner
• Maintain loyalty to the organization
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35. Keep in Mind….
• Provide training
• Seek feedback
• Relationships take time
• Maintain focus on the mission
• Engage your Board in your organization's
activities
• Volunteers
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36. Resources
• www.BoardNet.org
• www.VolunteeerMatch.org
• Accreditation Guru blog
• Taming the Troublesome Board Member
Katha Kissman (2006)
• The Board Chair Handbook
Mindy R. Wertheimer (2008)
• Navigating the Organizational Lifecycle
Paul M. Connolly (2006)
• Ten Basic Responsibilities of Nonprofit Boards
Richard T. Ingram (2009)
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37. Social Media Connections
“Like” us on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/AccreditationGuruInc
Follow on Twitter @AccreditGuru
Connect on LinkedIn Jennifer Flowers, MBA
Sign up for “Prepare for Greatness” blog
http://accreditationguru.wordpress.com/
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38. Thank you!!
Jennifer Flowers, President
www.AccreditationGuru.com
212.945.8504
Jennifer@AccreditationGuru.com
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