INTENTIONAL GOVERNANCE WITH A PASSION

INTENTIONAL GOVERNANCE WITH A PASSION

If you had no limitations ….
Danosky & Associates 2016

Two Reasons for Having a Board
Outcomes Risk Management Mission Accountability Adequate resources Fund-raising Long-term viability Financial Accountability Danosky & Associates 2016

What board members bring to the table
Expertise Experience Wisdom Influence Community-focused Fundraising Danosky & Associates 2016

Nonprofit Lifecycle @ 2001 Susan Kenney Stevens

Lifecycle of a Nonprofit and Its Board
Managing Board Small Friend-oriented Operations Focused Programs Day-to-day Almost staff Governing Board Larger Expertise/Talent - Oriented Governance Focused Mission Oversight Resources Organizations and Boards go through a life-cycle Unlimited potential Limited lifespan Danosky & Associates 2016

Effective Board Member
What They Bring What They Avoid Time Talent Treasure Influence Tactical Issues Day-to-day activities Operations Danosky & Associates 2016

When Boards Don’t Work Common Mistakes Board Member Pet Peeves
Setting unclear or few expectations Focusing on trivial issues Not providing information and lead time for mission critical decisions Not knowing when to say ‘goodbye’ Unstructured meetings that end up in the weeds Mission creep Absenteeism ‘Founderitis’ Danosky & Associates 2016

Once upon a time …. Danosky & Associates 2016
Prep: Schedule 5 minutes for this story. Read the following Imagine that a friend tells you about a magical building. She tells you that if you enter this building, you will have access to resources that allow you to do something meaningful for your community, to make a difference, to contribute your skills, talents, ideas. Plus, inside there are other respected community members whom you might enjoy. Your friend speaks with enthusiasm about this building. She invites you to the building for a day. You are thrilled. You and your friend go through a revolving door into the building. As soon as you are in the building, your friend says she has a lot to do and disappears. You wander around this building trying to figure out what you are supposed to do. You do meet some folks who seem to be pretty great, but they don’t seem to have time to explain anything to you. You pretend to be busy tidying-up things. You even fix a broken light fixture. But then you start thinking of all the things you could be doing with your time -- reading a good book, playing softball with your daughter, balancing your checkbook. After an hour or so you run into someone who seems to be as lost as you are. He tells you that it is his 15th day there. You start wondering how magical this building really is and how upset your friend will be if you leave before the end of the day. You end up walking back out the revolving door at about 1:00 in the afternoon, a good four hours before you planned to, feeling that you have wasted half a day. Guess what? This is what happens every week, chronically, in boards all across America. Organizations convince very talented individuals to serve on their boards. Then they fail to do what it takes to nurture, support, and involve them. Many leave and many more continue serving but only going through the motions and certainly not contributing everything they could or are willing to contribute. There is a lot of magic in board service that makes it inherently attractive. But if your recruitment strategy is limited to “marketing” and getting people onto the board, it will fail. You will get the revolving door. A successful recruitment strategy includes nurturing and maintaining board members, it involves going through the entire Board building cycle, which we are going to learn about today. 2. In your own words, explain why effective board building is so important. Additional content: An additional point may be diversity to reflect the population and/or constituents and stakeholders of the organization. SeeTopic Paper by Vernetta Walker, “Beyong Political Correctness: Building a Diverse Board Additional content: Importance of Board building: Research indicates that leadership is essential: “Leadership always emerges as the starting point for the journey toward high [nonprofit] performance.” (Light, 2002) For effective leadership, organizations need boards to continuously add qualified members and keep them engaged – that is, conduct “board building.” Board building shouldn’t just happen when it’s time to fill a vacancy, but should be a continuous process. Additional content: Demands for the Future Effectiveness Outcomes and Results Efficiency Money, Time, and Energy Accountability Trustworthiness Danosky & Associates 2016

Demands for the future Effectiveness Efficiency Accountability
Outcomes and Results Efficiency Money, Time, and Energy Accountability Trustworthiness Present in your own words. The general trend in board recruitment is a movement away from recruiting individuals based on personal connections and toward recruiting based on strategic diversity. 3. Trainer: Exercise: 3 x 3 x 3 Exponential Learning: 3 groups, 3 steps, 3 promising practices for each is next. Need flip chart paper and markers for three groups. Danosky & Associates 2016

Legal Responsibilities
Duty of Care Duty of Loyalty Duty of Obedience Pay attention to the organization’s activities Put the interest of the organization before personal or professional interests Comply with applicable federal, state and local laws, adhere to the by-laws and remain guardians of the mission. Danosky & Associates 2016

TEN BASIC RESPONSIBILITIES OF NONPROFIT BOARDS
Define mission and purposes and advocate Select the Chief Executive Support and evaluate Chief Executive Ensure effective planning Monitor and strengthen program and services Ensure adequate financial resources Protect assets and provide financial oversight Build and sustain a competent board Ensure legal and ethical integrity Enhance organization’s public standing

The Board Building Cycle
Identify Cultivate Recruit Orient Involve Educate Evaluate Rotate Celebrate! Prep: Prepare examples from your experience of Boards. Trainer: After presenting information, divide participants into three groups for exercise. Need one or two sheets flip chart paper and markers for three groups. Trainer: Let participants know that you are covering information on page 3 of their workbook and that throughout the presentation the pertinent workbook page numbers follow the slide title, as in the current slide. Present the information on the slide using your own words. Give examples from your experience, if possible. Examples might include using a Volunteer Center or connections existing board members have to identify and recruit other members; orienting board members by having them shadow a staff person or meet individuals served by the organization; and celebrating by having a board recognition dinner. Examples can also be drawn from participants. QUESTION: Do boards manages – yes or no? Yes, 2 things: CEO, and itself One of the most important functions of the board is looking after itself. Boards need to see board building as an ongoing, year-round activity. BdS has broken down the process into bitesize bits so you can get your hands around this overwhelming task. This way, it’s easier to know what comes next and to see what’s working (and what’s not). Exercise: 3 x 3 x 3 Exponential Learning: 3 groups. Assign each group on of the 3 steps below and request them to come up with 3 promising practices for each. Instruct participants to review their workbooks for clues and promising practices. Before: Identify, Cultivate, and Recruit Identify: What do we have? What do we need? Cultivate: Seek and ye shall find. You have to get to know potential board members and get them to know your organization. Recruit: Talk about needs and experiences, roles and responsibilities. Sell! On Board: Orient, Engage, Educate Orient: To the organization, to the board. Engage: Through mentoring, committees/task forces. Educate: Provide information, have retreats, go out and seek knowledge from other sources. Over Time: Rotate, Evaluate, Celebrate Evaluate: Set goals for the board. Assess the whole board and individual board members. Rotate: Develop leadership. Plan for future succession. Term limits. Celebrate: Big and little victories, of the organization and individual board members. Additional content: METAPHOR: These 9 steps are true for any team – i.e. sports Danosky & Associates 2016

Step 1: IDENTIFY Board Needs
Skills, knowledge, perspectives, and connections for strategic planning Board needs assessment Identify sources of board members with the desired characteristics Present the information on the slide using your own words. ASK FOR EXAMPLES – What do you need on your boards?: Give examples from your experience, if possible. For example, suppose a board of an organization that works on women’s empowerment needs greater diversity of gender, or a board of an organization that works with low-income families needs greater ethnicity; or a board of a fast-growing organization needs increased financial management skills. Identify Board needs Workbook page 3 4. Let participants know that pages 5-6 of their workbook has a tool to help with this step. – Profile Worksheet – Anyone used? How helpful is it? 5. Avoid tokenism – always have 2 (i.e. youth) 6. Wider diversity may mean wider disagreement/discussion among members. Additional content: Does Anybody have a Governance Committee – Responsible for ongoing reviews and recommendations to enhance quality and future viability of Board 1) Roles and Responsibilities, 2) Composition, 3) Knowledge, 4) Effectiveness, and 5) Leadership. Keeps list of needs and wants: What is current composition? What is needed now? What gaps need to be filled in the future? What are the priorities? What other attributes are important? Danosky & Associates 2016

Step 2: CULTIVATE Potential Leaders
Ask current board members, senior staff, and others to suggest potential candidates with needed characteristics Invite these candidates to connect with the organization Get them interested in your organization, and keep them informed Present the information on the slide using your own words. ASK FOR EXAMPLES or give examples from your experience, if possible. Examples might include a donor as a prospective member or asking Volunteer Centers to suggest individuals that have the desired characteristics, per step 1 (identify), and inviting such individuals to help with a one-day event or come to your annual banquet. Let participants know that page 7 in their workbook has a sample information form for prospective board members – has anyone used this? 2. How and where to find board members: Where to find suggestions for good board members—colleagues, articles in media, board members, Volunteer Center, boardnetUSA Where to look—churches, associations, colleges Whom to consider—community leaders, donors leadership programs Danosky & Associates 2016

Step 3: RECRUIT Prospects
Describe why a prospective board member is wanted and needed Explain expectations and responsibilities and don’t minimize requirements Invite questions, elicit their interest, and find out of if they would be prepared to serve Recruit a diverse board Present the information on the slide using your own words. Ask for and/or give examples from your experience, if possible. Examples might include presenting board service as a leadership-development opportunity or providing a “job description” that contains expectations and responsibilities. Let participants know that page 6 in their workbook has a sample board member agreement – Anyone use? Could be oral pledge. Motivations for someone to serve—altruism, prestige, desire to learn, meaning in life Motivations for you to chose someone—immediate name recognition, credibility, politics, representative Materials to share—annual report, brochures, newsletter, board roster, Web site, press clippings 6. Recruit a diverse board Without tokenism With clear definitions and intentions With awareness of invisible barriers Trainer: Volunteer case study exercise is next. Participants to form small groups of 4 to 6 participants. Pass out paper and markers each group. Danosky & Associates 2016

Step 4: ORIENT New Members
To the organization: History Programs Pressing issues Finances Facilities Structure (organization chart) To the board: Committee structure Board member responsibilities List of board members and key staff Bylaws Recent minutes Present the information on the slide using your own words. Ask and/or give examples from your experience, if possible. Examples might include using video or the Internet to help orient board members, or having an open house day in which board members stop by the organization and observe staff as they do their work. Orient Board, volunteers, and new staff Trainer: Series of brainstorming slides are next. Flip chart and marker needed. Danosky & Associates 2016

Step 5: INVOLVE Discover board member interests and availability
Involve them in committees or task forces Assign them a board “buddy” Solicit feedback Hold everyone accountable Express appreciation Prep: Flip chart and marker Present the information on the slide using your own words. Ask participants to brainstorm ways to involve board members in board work and activities. Scribe responses on flipchart paper. QUESTION: What barriers have you encountered and how have you overcome them? Engage board members meaningfully. Danosky & Associates 2016

Step 6: EDUCATE Provide information on mission and services
Explore issues facing the organization Hold retreats and encourage board development activities by sending board members to seminars and workshops Don’t hide difficulties Prep: Flip chart and marker Present the information on the slide using your own words. Give examples from your experience, if possible. Examples might include inviting board members to participate in the delivery of services or key events as a way to help educate them, or having a mini-training session of minutes on a different topic before each board meeting. Ask participants to brainstorm other ways to educate board members. Scribe their responses on flipchart paper. 3. Board education through technology—teleconferencing, , listserv chart technology, Web sites Danosky & Associates 2016

Step 7: EVALUATE Board Evaluate the board as a whole, as well as individual board members Engage the board in assessing its own performance Encourage individual self-assessment Examine how the board and chief executive work as a team “Even if you are on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.” --Will Rogers ( ) American actor and comedian. QUESTION: How many of you do evaluation now? Present the information on the slide using your own words. Give examples from your experience, if possible. Examples might include starting each annual planning meeting by reviewing performance on the board’s prior year’s plan and designing board education opportunities in areas identified as weaknesses during the evaluation. Let participants know that there is a sample evaluation form for board meetings in their Workbook. Additional Content Board Self-Assessment 52% of boards did a formal, written evaluation of their performance CEOs gave their boards a C+ in understanding roles & responsibilities 93% are interested in board training Danosky & Associates 2016

Step 8: ROTATE Board Members
Establish term limits (and enforce them!) Do not automatically re-elect; consider the board’s needs and the member’s performance Explore the advisability of resigning with members who are not active Develop new leadership Prep: Flip chart and marker Present the information on the slide using your own words. Ask for and/or give examples from your experience, if possible. For example, suppose a board started without term limits and then instituted them following a review of their effectiveness. QUESTION: How many of you have no term limits? Ask participants to brainstorm other ways to rotate board members. Scribe responses on flipchart paper. Danosky & Associates 2016

Step 9: CELEBRATE! Recognize victories and progress – even small ones
Celebrate accomplishments Appreciate individual contributions – to the board, the organization, and the community Make room for humor and a good laugh Present the information on the slide using your own words. 2. Ask participants to offer some other ways to celebrate. Danosky & Associates 2016

Board Member Renewal Exercise Handling Common Board Challenges
Waning attendance Inactive committees Poor percentage of board giving Rubber stamping Chief executive turnover Prep: Flip Chart and marker Brainstorm how they would handle each problem and Flip Chart Possible Solutions for “How To Handle Common Board Challenges” Waning attendance Inactive committees Poor percentage of board giving Rubber stamping Chief executive turnover Danosky & Associates 2016

Exercise: Generate Board-Building Ideas
On your own, come up with one or two ideas that might strengthen your board. Write them down Take 3 minutes Present the information on the slide using your own words. Start timed individual work and provide support as necessary. Stop work after 3 minutes. Danosky & Associates 2016

Instructions: Idea Hunt
Your mission is to get three ideas from other participants Take your ideas to share with others Talk to at least three people – none of whom can be sitting next to you Write down ideas you learned Prep: Schedule 15 minutes for this activity. Present the information on the slide using your own words. Start timed work and provide support as necessary. Remind participants every two minutes to move on to another participant. Ring the bell to stop work after 8 minutes. Ask for volunteers to share one or two of the possible next steps they wrote down. – Any amazing ideas you found? Danosky & Associates 2016

Executive Director or Board: Sharing Leadership
The board takes the lead when it: Articulates the organization’s values through policies that put the mission into action Hires, supports, and evaluates the chief executive Opens doors to fundraising in the community Monitors fiscal management, approves the budgets, and ensures there’s an audit Selects, recruits, and orients new board members Present the information on the slide in an interactive manner and facilitate discussion. Danosky & Associates 2016

Sharing Leadership (Continued)
The chief executive takes the lead when he/she: Develops and proposes policy questions for the board’s consideration. Hires, supervises, and motivates staff. Develops and implements programs. Present the information on the slide in an interactive manner and facilitate discussion. Danosky & Associates 2016

Sharing Leadership (Continued)
Board and staff share the lead when they: Develop a strategic plan Create a fundraising plan and strategies Initiate and implement evaluations Prepare for board meetings Present the information on the slide in an interactive manner and facilitate discussion. Ask participants if they have questions about the responsibilities of the board chair, before moving on, and manage ensuing discussion. QUESTION: Does anyone have a voting CEO on the board? Trainer: Exercise “Board chair – CEO Communication” round robin with 3 flip chart questions is next Danosky & Associates 2016

Governance Committee Lead board recruitment, orientation, and education efforts Encourage ongoing board development Help clarify board roles and responsibilities Assess board effectiveness Ensure board leadership, including succession planning and nominations Establish a Governance Committee (or transform an existing Board Development or Nominating Committee) that is responsible for ongoing board recruitment and board building. This needs to come first in the process The establishment of the committee doesn’t preclude the rest of the board and the CEO from involvement – in fact, their involvement is a must Note: There is a Governance Committee job description in the handouts 4. Responsibility of the Board Governance Committee As conscience of the board Board Chair and Chief Executive As partners in leadership Individual Board Members As teammates with shared purpose, authority, and accountability Danosky & Associates 2016

And They Lived Happily Ever After
Prep: Allow 5 minutes for this activity. Read the following: Let’s revisit our story and see what might happen if the board building cycle is followed. Imagine that a friend tells you about a magical building. She tells you that if you enter this building, you will have access to resources that allow you to do something meaningful for your community, to make a difference, to contribute your skills, talents, ideas. Plus, inside there are other respected community members that you might enjoy. Your friend speaks with enthusiasm about this building. She invites you to visit it. You are thrilled. You and your friend go through a revolving door into the building. As soon as you are in the building, your friend introduces you to Ms. Presley, the board’s vice-chair who greets you with a warm handshake. For the next hour, Ms. Presley walks you through the building explaining how the first floor is dedicated to recycling plastic bottles into blankets for children, the second floor has a computer and music room for underprivileged youth, etc. She seems happy to answer all of your questions. After that, Ms. Presley escorts you to a TV room where she puts in a 30-minute video about the organization and its board of directors for you to watch. At the conclusion of the video, Ms. Presley asks you if there are any opportunities that are of particular interest. You immediately suggest serving on the board’s technology committee since that is your passion. By the end of the day you have met with the technology committee chair, put the next six committee meetings on your schedule and started researching how your employer might donate computer maintenance services. By the end of the year, you have spearheaded an initiative where three local companies put together technology teams that offer integrated A-Z support, ranging from computer donations to computer training and servicing. As a result, 48 children in this low income community are now learning valuable computer skills. Two years later you greet a friend at the revolving door and introduce him to the vice-chair, who has become a close friend. Your friend showed up because the satisfaction you got out of your service made him think he might want to contribute his vast leadership skills and community connections to this organization as well. When you both walk through the revolving door at the end of his first day, you are sure that both of you will soon be walking back into the building. Danosky & Associates 2016

What’s Next? What is Working Well? (pink card)
What is Not Working Well? (yellow card) What Would you Like to do Differently? (orange card) Danosky & Associates 2016

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INTENTIONAL GOVERNANCE WITH A PASSION

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