Ensuring that the board has the “right” members is one of the board’s most important responsibilities. Unfortunately, many boards approach recruitment as a task to complete only when current board members’ terms expire — a strategy that often leads to last-minute scrambling to find candidates quickly.
Smart boards approach recruitment as a year-round board responsibility. A continuous cycle of identifying potential candidates, exposing them to the work of the organization and current board members, and getting them actively involved early in the process, results in a more well-rounded pool of candidates.
Board meetings should be a place for the discussion, debate, and consideration that can’t take place in a written report or presentations from the chief executive and committee chairs. A commitment to having strategic meetings means focusing on providing your board members with opportunities to connect to the work of the organization and engage in action-oriented, results-driven work. And it takes intentionally structured meetings to make this happen.
A Nonprofit Board’s Dynamics and Processes, FAQs: BoardSource has been fielding governance-related questions posed by nonprofit leaders for nearly 30 years. Here are the answers to those questions most frequently asked about board dynamics and processes.
Practices of High-Performing Boards - What the Best Boards Do Well: Designed for nonprofits that are eager to take their leadership to the next level of board performance, this seminar is especially appropriate for boards that understand governance basics and want to accelerate their performance.
