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Recruitment
When recruiting for new board members, BoardSource suggests personal characteristics to consider:
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Ability to listen, analyze, think clearly and creatively, work well with people individually and in a group
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Willingness to prepare for and attend board and committee meetings, ask questions, take responsibility and follow through on a given assignment, contribute personal and financial resources in a generous way according to circumstances, open doors in the community, evaluate oneself
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Commitment to develop specific skills if you do not already possess them, such as cultivating and soliciting donors, cultivating and recruiting board members and other volunteers, reading and understanding financial statements, and learning more about the major programs, services and activities of the organization
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Honesty, sensitivity to and tolerance of differing views, a friendly, responsive, and patient approach, community-building skills, personal integrity, a developed sense of values, concern for your nonprofit's development, a sense of humor |
Why offer a Board Orientation?
Conducting a board orientation for new board members is an excellent way to jump start their board service and ensure that they have a clear understanding of the organization and feel a part of it. It is a key step in building a team of individuals working together toward a shared goal.
An orientation should involve all new board members, key board and staff leadership. Board members, as well as staff, need to take a role in sharing information about the organization’s programming, history, organizational structure, finances, board responsibilities and expectations, board rules and operations, and strategic directions with new members. Members need to get acquainted with the basic issues that face the organization, the board culture and style. In addition to being informational, the orientation needs to include time for members to get to know each other personally.
Board members must:
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Become familiar
with organization's mission, vision, goals, history, future
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Learn about
their responsibilities, such as structure of board, positions,
job descriptions, expectations (financial, social events)
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Learn about
the operations, such as how meetings run, calendar of
events, policy making, legal responsibilities, budget
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Learn about
their fellow board members |
A board orientation should cover:
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Program |
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Finances |
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History |
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Strategic Direction
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Organizational
Structure |
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Board rules,
By-laws, policies |
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Board member
Responsibilities |
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Board Operations
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Board members
biographical data |
Conducting a board orientation:
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Board Orientation
Binder (see below) |
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Board Mentoring/Buddy
system |
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Site visit
- see the operation firsthand |
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New Board
Member serve on one or two committees |
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Orientation
meetings |
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Ongoing training |
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Orientation
social |
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Retreats |
A binder of key organizational documents is helpful to complement the orientation and provides a good reference tool for new members. Suggested contents for the binder:
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Bylaws |
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Board minutes for the previous year |
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Current year budget |
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Previous year financial statement/audit |
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Current board list with affiliations and contact information |
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Current staff list with contact information |
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Organization chart |
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Meeting dates for the year |
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Committee descriptions and membership list |
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Strategic and operational plans |
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Current program information |
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Annual report |
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Policies – financial, personnel, investment, conflict of interest, etc. |
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Download |
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Board Training Presentation
[.ppt]
[.pdf] |
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United Way Board Basics—Presentation
[.ppt]
[.pdf] |
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Features |
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