Build a Competent Board

Does your organization have a competent board?

One of BoardSource’s Ten Basic Responsibilities of Nonprofit Boards is to build a competent board.  So what does this mean?

First, the board needs to determine what constitutes a balanced board for your specific organization.  How big should the board be?  What skills and experiences are important for board members to have that will help your organization?  Do you need someone with legal knowledge?  Someone with financial knowledge?  Or maybe your organization provides programming in a specific industry where an industry expert would be beneficial.

Recruiting board members should be an ongoing process.  Even if all of your board seats are currently full, there should be a pipeline for future board members to take over when current board members’ terms expire.  Committee work is a good way to introduce potential board members to the organization and to determine if it’s a good fit for both the individual and the organization before making a commitment to board service.

When bringing on new board members, make sure responsibilities and expectations have been clearly communicated.  Also provide proper orientation to their new role before they attend their first meeting.  The time should be used to bring the individual up to date on current activities and board discussions.  The new board member should be prepared to attend their first meeting armed with knowledge and ready to participate in the discussion.

In order for your board to be competent, they need to be educated, both on the organization’s activities and on their role as board members.  Board education and training can be done at an annual retreat but also by taking a few minutes at each board meeting to address a different educational topic.

To determine if the board is fulfilling its duties and responsibilities, it should perform a self-assessment each year.  This evaluation should be done on an individual basis by each board member and as the board as a whole.  Have members actively participated in board meetings?  Have they supported the organization through a monetary contribution?  Have they advocated for the organization?  These are just a few questions to ask in evaluating the board’s duties for the year.

Remember, building a competent board is the board’s responsibility, not the Executive Director.

Contributed by: Carrie Minnich, MAcct, CPA | Partner | DWD CPAs & Advisors