From securing and managing grants to strategic planning to stewarding supporter relationships, board members are key players in facilitating your nonprofit’s operations and upholding your mission. Your organization relies on them for their governance, oversight and nonprofit expertise.
To maximize your board’s effectiveness, you need to build a solid, healthy foundation for your relationship with board members. That way, your board will be more productive and work in tandem with your nonprofit’s staff to make a difference.
Throughout this guide, we’ll share tips for forging a relationship with your board based on mutual respect, trust and understanding. Let’s get started!
1. Set clear expectations.
Start relationships off strong with clear expectations for board members’ roles. When everyone’s on the same page about their responsibilities and how things work, you can avoid miscommunication and set your board up for success.
To clarify exactly what your board must accomplish, your nonprofit’s leaders should:
- Host a board member orientation. Having dedicated time for onboarding and training your board members can help increase accountability and lead to more efficient decision-making. During your board orientation, review your nonprofit’s background, strategic goals and budget to familiarize new board members with your organization.
- Define responsibilities. Most importantly, your orientation should make it clear what each board member’s responsibilities will be. These may include strategic planning, approving budgets, managing potential risks, identifying high-value prospects, developing internal policies and monitoring compliance with laws, regulations and ethical standards.
- Establish board policies and procedures. If you haven’t already, outline policies and procedures for how your board should operate. These guidelines will provide structure to your board, define board success, help resolve conflicts and answer any questions board members may have about how they should act in certain situations. For instance, you’ll likely create a conflict of interest policy, board meeting procedures and a code of ethics.
Additionally, you may implement some sort of board evaluation to reinforce your expectations and assess your board’s performance. Then, you can use the results to improve your training materials and further clarify role expectations if necessary.
2. Foster a positive board culture.
Create a positive work environment where board members feel empowered to put their best foot forward. Juggling the many responsibilities of a board member can be stressful at times, but with an uplifting board culture, you can keep your board engaged and motivated to move forward with their mission-critical work.
Follow these strategies to foster a welcoming, positive environment:
- Lead by example. If your nonprofit’s leadership team models a professional yet enthusiastic spirit and commitment to your nonprofit’s values, then your board members will follow suit. Set the tone for your board, and maintain a positive attitude that inspires board members to do the same.
- Seek diverse perspectives. When assembling your board, you should look for a diverse group of people with different experiences and insights they can bring to the table. Make board members feel comfortable sharing their perspectives and lending their unique expertise. This way, you’ll facilitate productive conversations and well-rounded decisions that help your nonprofit grow.
- Make personal connections. Team members who get to know each other personally often work better together. Provide opportunities for board members to form personal connections through team-building activities, happy hours and volunteer outings that keep them engaged and encourage better collaboration.
Remember to also put your organization’s purpose at the forefront of everything your board does. Reminding your board members of why they committed to your nonprofit in the first place can help strengthen their relationship with your team and keep them focused on your mission.
3. Provide meaningful involvement opportunities.
Engage board members through opportunities that allow them to lend their unique expertise and make a clear impact on your mission. While your board members’ specific involvement may look different, you may incorporate them into your:
- Strategic planning. Your nonprofit’s strategic plan aligns your organization’s goals with its values to provide focus to your activities and operations. Involving your board members in the strategic planning process allows them to infuse their prior experience and passion for your cause into your plan. As a result, you’ll not only have a better roadmap for your future endeavors but also a stronger relationship with board members who will feel more invested in your nonprofit’s success.
- Community outreach. According to 67% of nonprofit executives, their boards don’t spend enough time building relationships with community members. However, each board member has their own network of people with the potential to provide immense support for your cause. Take advantage of these connections by having board members share petitions, speak at community events and advocate for your organization online.
- Fundraising initiatives. Lastly, involve board members in your fundraising strategy. They may meet with prospective major donors, participate in feasibility studies, steward your supporter relationships and secure grant funding.
To make your board’s work even more meaningful, match them with roles that reflect their interests and experience. For example, if one of your board members used to be a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), ask them to serve on your finance committee.
4. Maintain open communication.
Open communication is the key to keeping board members informed, productive and satisfied in their roles. Board members should both receive frequent communications from your nonprofit’s leadership and feel comfortable coming to your team with any questions or concerns.
Establish an open communication policy by:
- Sharing important updates. Keep your board in the know by providing updates about your nonprofit’s activities and cause. Consider creating a dedicated board newsletter where you can share progress reports, achievements, fundraising campaign results and current challenges your organization faces.
- Soliciting feedback. Give board members a chance to submit their honest feedback on working with your nonprofit via a yearly board survey and less formal opportunities throughout the year. Listening to and implementing their suggestions will help you improve their experience and show you’re committed to building genuine relationships with them.
- Approaching conflicts constructively. If and when conflicts arise, address these issues promptly. Hear out all parties involved, and follow all appropriate board policies and procedures as you work to resolve the conflict together.
- Scheduling check-ins. It’s important to meet with your board members individually once a year and provide opportunities for feedback at meetings. These check-ins give board members the opportunity to ask questions, address concerns, discuss their experience and provide any suggestions for improving the board’s operations.
During your regularly scheduled board meetings, you should also take measures to ensure everyone’s voice is heard. For instance, consider distributing meeting materials in advance to prepare your board members for productive discussions.
5. Thank them for their contributions.
Just as you steward your donors, show your appreciation for your board and all of their hard work to retain them as members of your organization. Considering that 66% of employees consider leaving their jobs when they feel unappreciated, it’s important to remind your board members how valuable they are and how critical their roles are to your success.
Here are some thoughtful ways you can show your board members you care:
- Send thank-you notes. Thank-you notes are a tried-and-true way to show your board members how much you appreciate them. Make sure to personalize your notes by adding specifics about each board member’s contributions and accomplishments. You may send these messages via email, eCards or physical letters.
- Give gifts. Sometimes, a tangible token of your appreciation goes a long way in demonstrating your gratitude for your board. Common board member appreciation gifts include branded merchandise from your nonprofit, gift cards to local businesses or office accessories to make their work easier.
- Host appreciation events. Gather your board members together to thank them for their hard work in person. Make it a night they’ll never forget by catering food, inviting their families and highlighting the impact of each individual on your board.
While these are all internal appreciation strategies, you may also give your board public shoutouts to share your gratitude on a larger scale. These may include social media posts, a section of your website dedicated to board accomplishments or board member awards. Just remember to ask for your board members’ permission first before implementing any of these strategies.
Throughout your board’s tenure, you should continuously put effort into maintaining strong relationships with your board members. That way, you can build upon the healthy foundation you’ve created, enabling your organization to retain board members, develop a positive reputation and maximize the social good you accomplish.
