What Does an Engaged Board Look Like?
When an organization is increasingly effective at delivering on its mission, chances are you will find engaged board leadership working in collaboration with the President, and in partnership with advancement professionals on fundraising efforts. Engaged, conscientious board members are easy to spot. They are well-prepared to contribute meaningfully to board discussion and deliberation, and are actively involved in committee work or other initiatives between board meetings. Our challenge as fundraisers is to cultivate each board member's core interest and connection to our organization, and then to support volunteers as they make strategic and financial contributions, and advocate for our mission with outside audiences.
The new engagement is distinguished by board deliberations that are future-oriented, proactive, and based on trust. To fulfill their obligations to provide effective oversight of the institutions they are charged with guiding and protecting, governing boards need to be willing to take calculated risks, including challenging assumptions, testing traditional ways of doing business, and introducing innovative ideas.
- Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges
How to Get Board Members "On Board"
Everyone likes to be treated as an individual. Schedule one-on-one meetings with each board member annually. With a natural curiosity ask about their personal passions, and learn why your mission is important to them. As a board member is considering what motivates their service, ask what specific goals they have for the organization. What do they personally want to achieve as a board member this year? Use this context to guide a conversation around what specific contributions they will make to accomplish their goals for the mission. What skills, experience, networks, connections or other resources do they bring to board efforts?
9 Practical Steps to Enhance Board Engagement
- Provide board members with job descriptions: Set clear expectations. Give prospective board members an understanding of how their contribution of skills, funds, experience and connections may be deployed to accomplish mission goals.
- Enhance the on-boarding process: Pair new board members with an experienced board member to welcome and assist new members in assimilating into existing board culture.
- Encourage meaningful board discussion: Create thoughtful agendas featuring active discussion of critical issues. Encourage difficult questions and respectful dissent.
- Vet and distribute meeting materials well in advance of board meetings: Ensure you have included the most important agenda items, and board members have sufficient time to prepare for meetings.
- Engage board members' interests: Connect board members to the committees, programs, events and stakeholders best aligned with their interests.
- Host social events for board members: Give people the opportunity to create personal connections that foster the atmosphere of professional trust necessary for open discussion.
- Share access to current and historical information board members need to make informed strategic decisions: Consider technology solutions which range from complex and expensive to simple and free.
- Facilitate appropriate training: Every board member wants to be effective and have their service reflect well. If you ask volunteers to fundraise, or advocate on behalf of the organization, provide all necessary training so board members' efforts are successful.
- Keep the board's focus on the future: Encourage and support forward-thinking strategic oversight. Periodically revisit the mission statement and ensure it remains current.
Why is Board Member Engagement Important?
An increasing share of stakeholders and donors require evidence on how effectively organizations are meeting their mission's goals, and the board ultimately owns that responsibility. Engaged board leadership provides the most effective strategic oversight, and ensures adequate resourcing for organizations to best deliver on their objectives.
Regina Donovan, MBA serves as Board Chair of Association of Fundraising Professionals - Greater Philadelphia Chapter. Connect with Regina on LinkedIn here.
