Motivating Board Members and Volunteers
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Transcript Motivating Board Members and Volunteers
AFP Northwest Arkansas
Chapter Meeting
August 19, 2009
A Quick Survey
How many serve on a non-profit board?
1 year
3-5 years
5-10 years
15+ years
Survey
Were recruited well
Recruiter
Explained the mission
Outlined the responsibilities
Financial
Organizational Commitments
Were not recruited well
Recruiter
Assumed a lot
Used guilt
Survey
Prior to joining, did you know the executive
director and board chair?
Did you know whether you could work with them
and that your opinion mattered?
Does your idea about management fit with the
way the organization operates?
Survey
Do principal staff provide timely and effective
communication?
Is their follow-up timely and effective?
Do they “walk the talk” of the organizational
mission?
Advantage
Based on your own board experience, you are
uniquely positioned
To appropriately staff and service your non-
profit board
To evaluate, understand, and strengthen the
causes of successful boards
To evaluate, understand, and change the
causes of dysfunction
Purpose for today’s
discussion
Think and act BEYOND the board agenda or the
volunteer task…
What can you do – easily – to make the board or
committee as a whole, or even a few individuals
work better?
Mission = Motivation
If you aren’t passionate about the nonprofit’s
mission, the weight of your responsibilities
likely will outweigh the benefits.
Killick Datta, board member
Direct Relief International
Your board should…
Strive towards representation that reflects your
organization’s constituents
Be committed to the mission and dedicated to
the success of your organization
Actively develop an understanding of the
mission, ongoing activities, finances and
operating environment of the organization
Your board should…
Value diversity and understand the role of
participation and
inclusion
Demonstrate their personal stake in the
organization through volunteer time, financial
contributions and raising funds externally
So…
If this is what they should be doing,
how do you help assure
that they are motivated to do so?
Four Things
Lead by example
Communicate effectively
Assess individual involvement and satisfaction
Recognition
Lead by Example
EVERYTHING you do matters; sets the tone
Starting meetings on time
Sending agendas and materials out well in
advance
Being responsive in returning phone calls and emails
Routinely including and informing the board chair
Lead by Example
EVERYTHING you do matters; sets the tone…
Not using blame or guilt to motivate
Making sure all voices and opinions are heard
Avoiding the “rubber stamp” syndrome or
reputation
Hiring staff that reflects diversity and inclusion
Walking the talk of the mission
Remember…
Model the behavior
you want to
see and experience
in the board…
Communicate Effectively
Clarity
Any assignment or decision should be clearly
articulated and captured in writing so all
understand responsibilities and expectations
Consistency
On overload, human nature responds
positively to repetition and predictability
Evaluate the timing and look of all
communication
Communicate Effectively
Persistence
Easy to simply drop an idea or commitment if
there is “whining” from a few
Find ways to help the chair or committee
chairs communicate the value and keep
pressure on
Time
You have enough when it comes to
communicating with your board. Use it; make it
Assess Individual Involvement &
Satisfaction
Respect the board as individuals who bring a wealth
of experience and variety of skills to the table
Make sure roles and responsibilities are clearly
defined
Identify those few who are “fringe” players and invest
your time and concern to bring them closer; to engage
Recognition
Be public with your recognition and positioning of
board members.
Web
Program book
Recognition wall
The National Study of Nonprofit Governance Board
Practices in the Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector in
Canada
Conducted by Strategic Leverage Partners Inc. in
conjunction with the Centre for Voluntary Sector
Research and Development
May 2006
Fully Engaged Boards
Have policies that provide sufficient guidance to
the board, are reviewed on a more regular basis
and are publicly disclosed.
Are better able to read and understand financial
statements, are required to sit on at least one
committee and require less lead time to carry out
their responsibilities effectively.
Spend more time on board education and
development, and the person responsible for
briefing the board is effective.
Fully Engaged Boards
Conduct formal board evaluations and evaluate
their CEOs based on preset criteria.
Have formal risk management and crisis
management policies and have assigned risk
management and crisis management
responsibilities to a specific individual or group.
Have a strategic vision for the organization and
have translated their strategic goals into
measurable objectives and benchmarks for the
board to monitor.
Fully Engaged Boards
Set annual objectives for the board, and the
board or its committees follow a well-delineated
work plan that outlines how the board will
achieve its goals. The work plan becomes the
board’s agenda for the year.
Spend more time at board meetings in lively
debate of strategic issues.
Are not dominated by one or two people.
Operate with a balanced budget.