Do you wanna guess what committee it is?  In my years of working with many different types of nonprofit organizations, it has been proven over and over again.

It’s the Board Development Committee.  Sometimes it’s called the Governance Committee, or the Nominating Committee.  I prefer “Board Development”, because when functioning well, it’s doing exactly that – developing a strong, high performing and engaged board.  Year round.

So What’s the Big Deal?

 

Here is why you need this committee:

1.   Weak or unengaged boards are the top complaints of nonprofit CEOs and board presidents.  When you’re committed to changing that, you need a group focused on strengthening your board.  Year round.  If your board numbers are dwindling, it may be tough to form a functioning committee.  Go outside your board if you have to – enlist advisors who you trust and have experience engaging others, or perhaps who have served on strong nonprofit boards.  The results of having an engaged board may amaze you – more ideas, more money raised and more ambassadors!

2.   Effective Board Development committees have robust agendas all year because there is so much to do – outlining board member expectations, facilitating  the recruitment process, coordinating orientation activities, creating engagement and retention strategies, providing relevant recognition opportunities, reviewing evaluation results, creating opportunities for socializing, etc.  In addition, they will focus on succession planning with a leadership pipeline in mind so you won’t have a weak board again.

3.    Your board recruitment strategy will be aligned with your goals and initiatives so you can achieve your mission.  Assuming you have outlined key priorities for your organization, now you can provide intentional focus through this committee to ensure any gaps in the composition of your board are filled. When you are purposeful and recruit people to your board for a specific reason, with diverse perspectives, you increase your impact in the community.

4.   Your board retention rate will improve.  Everyone wants to be part of a winning team!  Once you show signs of increased success, not only will members stick around because they are proud of their work and see results, but others will start asking how they can get involved.  How many board members are needed to do the work you envision?  How many seats do your bylaws allow?  Your board development committee will discuss items like this and make recommendations to the board.

Securing the right team, with the right balance of talent, time and connections, is critical to your mission and deserves your full attention.

Are you convinced that a Board Development committee is required for your future success?  Yes?  If you’d like a laser-focused coaching session on a particular board engagement issue or how to get started with this committee, schedule a complimentary call with me here.

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