Making the Most of Your Board Webinar Series, Session Two: Best Practices for Onboarding and Engaging Board Members
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The document outlines best practices for onboarding and engaging board members in nonprofit organizations, emphasizing the importance of personal contributions, partnership in leadership, and effective communication. Key engagement strategies include regular updates, transparent sharing of challenges, and fostering a collegial culture through social activities. The document also includes case studies illustrating successful board engagement and fundraising efforts.
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Making the Most of Your Board Webinar Series, Session Two: Best Practices for Onboarding and Engaging Board Members
- 1. March 18, 2015 Kelly Dunphy Vice President, Orr Associates, Inc. (OAI) Craig Shelley Senior Director, Orr Associates, Inc. (OAI) Making the Most of Your Board Session Two: Best Practices for Onboarding and Engaging Board Members
- 2. 1. Introductions 2. Recap of Session One 3. The Engaged Board 4. Steps to Engagement 5. Case Studies 6. Q&A 7. Wrap-Up/Preview Session Three Agenda 2 www.oai-usa.com #OAIBestBoards
- 3. Kelly Dunphy • Vice President, Fundraising and Development, OAI • 15 years of fundraising experience, 8 years with OAI • Client projects include: Outsourced development leadership Board development Development planning Capital campaigns Event fundraising Strategic planning • Serves as Chief Development Officer for Boys & Girls Harbor • Previously worked at Share Our Strength About Us 3 www.oai-usa.com #OAIBestBoards
- 4. Craig Shelley • Senior Director, OAI • 17 years of fundraising experience, 2 years with OAI • Client projects include: Embedded executive and fundraising leadership Board development Development planning Event fundraising • Serves as Executive Director for the New York/New Jersey Region of College Summit • Previously worked at the Boy Scouts of America About Us 4 www.oai-usa.com #OAIBestBoards
- 5. Recap of Session One
- 6. Develop a Committee Assess your Board Create Materials for Recruitment Mine New Board Members Formulate the Appropriate Strategies for Recruitment The Board Recruitment Process 6 www.oai-usa.com #OAIBestBoards
- 8. The Engaged Board • Board members are personally contributing to your organization with one of their three largest annual philanthropic gifts • Board members are partners in leading the organization. They lead board meetings, see financials regularly, and generally know where the organization is in meeting short and long term objectives • Board members can articulate the “elevator speech” version of your case for support • “Our” replaces “mine” – Our program, our organization, our donor!! 8 www.oai-usa.com #OAIBestBoards
- 10. Orientation Communicate Regularly and Hold them Accountable Hold Effective Board Meetings Work Them Involve Them in Fundraising Be Transparent Have Fun Steps to Engagement 10 www.oai-usa.com #OAIBestBoards
- 11. Have a meeting with the Committee Chair Assign to committees (if applicable) Review the Board Handbook Conduct a site visit (if not done during the cultivation phase) Hold orientation meetings with ED and Board Chair 1. Orientation 11 www.oai-usa.com #OAIBestBoards
- 12. 1. Orientation (cont’d) • Board Handbook: Org Information (history, program descriptions) Finances (budget and financial statements) Development Plan Org Chart Board and Staff Directories Job Description Bylaws Recent minutes 12 www.oai-usa.com #OAIBestBoards
- 13. • Guidelines: Encourage questions, opinions, and feedback Be honest and transparent Put to work quickly, but don’t overwhelm Engage multiple board members in the orientation process 1. Orientation (cont’d)
- 14. 14 2. Communicate Regularly and Hold Them Accountable Regular communication such as biweekly emails that share progress, good news, successes Phone calls from the ED Honest reporting on progress towards goals •Helps the board make course corrections when needed Recognize board members for their help and their successes 14 www.oai-usa.com #OAIBestBoards
- 15. • Foster a culture of accountability ED should have an annual meeting with each board member to review their service from the previous year and discuss plans for the next year Board should conduct an annual self-assessment 2. Communicate Regularly and Hold Them Accountable (cont’d) 15 www.oai-usa.com #OAIBestBoards
- 16. 2. Communicate Regularly and Hold Them Accountable (cont’d) Elements of Board Assessment 16 www.oai-usa.com #OAIBestBoards Mission/Vision Budget and Financial Controls Familiarity with Program Metrics Fundraising Strategic Planning CEO Performance Evaluation
- 17. • Structure meetings so members feel their time is well-spent: Substantive, focused agendas Discussion time, not just reporting “Mission moments” 3. Hold Effective Board Meetings 17 www.oai-usa.com #OAIBestBoards
- 18. 3. Hold Effective Board Meetings (cont’d) – Evolution of Board Meetings Listening • Board members listen to staff or scripted board members read reports • Little discussion, few questions • Nominal engagement Discussing • Board members participate in presenting and discussing information • A mix of staff and board members using some talking points lead the agenda • Some engagement Leading • Board members lead the agenda, can speak largely from knowledge with some reference to staff prepared reports • Information is discussed and decisions made by the board • High engagement 18 www.oai-usa.com #OAIBestBoards
- 19. • Yes, these are busy people, but if they don't see their roles as critical to your success, they will drift away to where they can have an impact • The best board members want to use their talents to make a difference • Communicate your goals and metrics for the year and how you need their help in achieving them 4. Work Them 19 www.oai-usa.com #OAIBestBoards
- 20. 5. Involve Them in Fundraising A board member’s philanthropic responsibility: 1. Give generously 2. Be an advocate 3. Participate in fundraising • Identify prospects • Cultivate / open doors • Solicitation • Stewardship 20 www.oai-usa.com #OAIBestBoards
- 21. • Like you would with a major donor, provide board members with regular updates on the impact of their giving and fundraising • More on this in Session Three (March 25, 2015) 5. Involve Them in Fundraising (cont’d) 21 www.oai-usa.com #OAIBestBoards
- 22. • It's important that board members hear the challenges as well as the great accomplishments • If board members only hear about the great things being done (i.e., only “the good”) then they may assume that their talents are not needed • Share “the bad” and “the ugly” as well 6. Be Transparent 22 www.oai-usa.com #OAIBestBoards
- 23. • Let board members know what issues and challenges you're working on. They may have experience in a particular area and can help—or know someone who's gone through the same issue and has some thoughts to help • Maintaining perspective—by sharing both sides of an issue— will help show board members that their talents are needed • And when they help solve an issue, make a big deal about how they helped—that will provide incentive (and examples) to fellow board members 6. Be Transparent (cont’d) 23 www.oai-usa.com #OAIBestBoards
- 24. • Remember to make time for social activities, too • Boards that gel and have a collegial culture are more effective • Provide opportunities to help board members get to know each other and find out about common interests and concerns outside of the organization • Remember that one of the benefits of board service is the networking 7. Have Fun! 24 www.oai-usa.com #OAIBestBoards
- 26. The Engaged Board • Board members are personally contributing to your organization with one of their three largest annual philanthropic gifts • Board members are partners in leading the organization. They lead board meetings, see financials regularly, and generally know where the organization is in meeting short and long term objectives • Board members can articulate the “elevator speech” version of your case for support • “Our” replaces “mine” – Our program, our organization, our donor!! 26 www.oai-usa.com #OAIBestBoards
- 27. Case Studies
- 28. The Anonymous Board • Case Study: NYC-based charity serving youth 75+ board members Decades long history of success followed by unexpected and significant financial challenges Limited personal giving by board who typically directed corporate gifts to the organization or gave under their philanthropic capacity How they made it work: • Asked board leaders for larger ($100,000+) annual gifts and then recognized and promoted those gifts in front of other board members. Rising tide rose all boats and the average board gift size grew in 2 years from $1,000 to $12,000 • Created an active Development Committee with key prominent leaders who held peers accountable • Banned staff from scripting their volunteer counterparts at meetings 28 www.oai-usa.com #OAIBestBoards
- 29. • Case Study: NYC affiliate of national education organization 5 board members. Been a board for 7 years; 3 of 5 board members including the chair have been there all 7 years Initial work funded by one large funder. While board was personally generous, they were not engaged in raising dollars Rare meetings, no committees, limited contact with Executive Director (4 Executive Directors in those 7 years) The “We want to help but no one asks” Board 29 www.oai-usa.com #OAIBestBoards
- 30. • Case Study: NYC affiliate of national education organization How they made it work: • Communication: • Initially weekly and then bi-weekly update emails. In 8-months, personal meetings for ED with each board member at least 3 times • Board Recruitment Campaign: • 3 new members in 8-months with a vibrant pipeline for additional members. Transitioned to a new chair • Regular (quarterly) meetings with accountability towards the “Listening- Discussing-Leading” model • Currently in the “Discussing” phase with “Leading” on the horizon • Established new member responsibilities agreed on by the members including a give and get policy • Held a friend raising event where each board member was expected to bring attendees The “We want to help but no one asks” Board 30 www.oai-usa.com #OAIBestBoards
- 31. Send additional questions to: Kelly Dunphy: [email protected] Craig Shelley: [email protected] Q&A