Emily DavisPresident, Emily Davis ConsultingSenior Governance Consultant, BoardSource18 March 2016

Essentials in Governance Excellence

Today’s Agenda• Roles, Responsibilities,

Expectations• Organizational lifecycle

stages• Navigating organizational

structures• Board recruitment &

retention• Strategies for success

A Little About Me…

NameLocation

Current Board/Staff

RoleQuestion or Challenge

A Little About You…

Essentials of Board Leadership

Why did you join?

What might have

scared you?

Why would you leave?

Why do you stay?

10 Basic Board Responsibilities

1. Determine mission & purpose

2. Select the chief executive

3. Support & evaluate the chief executive

4. Ensure effective planning

5. Monitor & strengthen programs & services

6. Ensure adequate financial resources

7. Protect assets & provide financial oversight

8. Build a competent board

9. Ensure legal & ethical integrity

10. Enhance the organization’s public standing

*10 Basic Board Roles & Responsibilities

How does the board as a whole perform the 10 responsibilities listed?

Rate the board as a whole on a scale from 1 – 4.

4 = Outstanding3 = Good2 = Fair1 = Poor

Board Roles & Responsibilities

Set Organizational

Direction

*BoardSource

Set Organizational Direction

Strategic Priorities

Goals

Objectives

Tactics

Board Roles & Responsibilities

Set Organizational

DirectionProvide

Oversight

*BoardSource

Provide Oversight

*Nonprofit Lifecycles: Stage-Based Wisdom for Nonprofit Capacity

Ask the Right Questions*

What is our capacity? What does success look like?What matters the most to us?

How does this serve our mission? How does it fit our strategic goals? How might this be a challenge for us?

Why is this important right now? Why should we consider other options?Why is this relevant to our stakeholders?

*Governance as Leadership

• Board assessment• Staff• Committees• Meetings

Board Roles & Responsibilities

Set Organizational

Direction

Provide Oversight

Ensuring Resources

*BoardSource

What is Fundraising

By source…

Diversity is keyIndividuals

Special events

Foundation grants

Government grants

Corporate sponsorship

Earned income

Service clubs

By time…

Involve & Engage Donors, 25%

Prospect Identification, 20%

Engage & Cultivate, 25%

Ask, 5%

Recognize & Engage, 25%

Hats We Wear

Legal Ambassador Volunteer

*BoardSource

Board Roles*Connector• Meeting & engaging with people

Storyteller• Illustrating the work in a compelling way

Visionary• Making the case for the future

Closer• Asking for specific support or involvement

*Creation in Common

Organizational Lifecycles

Lifecycle Stage

q Ideaq Start-Upq Growthq Matureq Declineq Turnaround/Renewalq Terminal

Organizational StructureBoard of Directors

Committees

Volunteers

Executive Director

Staff

Volunteers

Consultants/Contract

Committees

Staff

Board members

Volunteers

Consultant/Contract

Shared Leadership

BOARD LEADS

SHARED LEADERSHIP

ED LEADS

Strategic Plan Fundraising Plan/Strategies

Evaluation Board Meeting Prep

Policy Questions Staff Hiring & Oversight

Develops, Implements, &

Oversees Programs

Chief Fundraiser

Operations Reporting

Create & Review Policy

CEO Hiring & Oversight

Connections to Funding

Financial Due

Diligence

Board Recruitment & Retention

*BoardSource

Committees

• Types• Purpose• Members• Meeting frequency• Communication with

board

Example: Education/Program Committee

Board asks strategic questions, identifies high-level adjustments needed (Legal Hat)

Monthly/quarterly committee reports on program progress (Volunteer Hat)

Board participates in marketing efforts to meet programmatic goals (Ambassador/Volunteer Hat)

Board reviews trends, asks strategic questions, and determines resources needed (Legal Hat)

Committee launches evaluation, gathers data, & identifies trends (Volunteer Hat)

Committee researches & designs evaluation processes/consultant (Volunteer Hat)

Board requests impact programming (Legal Hat)

Questions?

Identify

Cultivate

Recruit

Orient

Involve

Educate

Evaluate

Rotate

CELEBRATE!

*BoardSource

Timeline• Review docs & past recruitment• Design self-evalMonth 1

• Conduct self-eval & demo matrix• Design application, interview questions & outreach messagingMonth 2

• Add to website• Share with networksMonth 3

• Schedule & conduct interviews• Invite to board meetingMonth 4

• Host at board meeting• Make recommendationsMonth 5

• Inform candidates• Schedule orientation• Intro board buddies

Month 6

• Debrief process• Gather feedbackMonth 7

*Emily Davis Consulting

Step By Step

Evaluation Application Expectations Outreach

Vetting Candidate Approval Wrap Up Debrief

*Emily Davis Consulting

Orientation

Retention & Engagement

What Makes ‘Em Tick

•Always YES•Wants to help everyone & everything

•Caution!

OVER-COMMITTED

•Needs lots to stay engaged

•Don’t let them sit around

BUSY, BUSY, BUSY

•Verbal & print

•Use titles & acknowledgment

LIKES RECOGNITION

•Stays focused & on track•Great for events•May get discouraged by others’ lack of support

ORGANIZER

• Lots of ideas for improvement

• Pair with an Organizer to keep things moving

CREATIVE

*Abigail Harmon

Board Culture

Board Meeting Tips

Governance

• Board reports• Strategic

priorities/goals• Mission moments• Ask questions• Avoid

micromanagement

Facilitation

• Consent agendas• Shared

responsibilities• Giving

accountability• Follow up

Participants

• Guests, Staff• ED• Board members• Honor time

Agenda Elements

• Strategic Priorities, Mission Statement

• Call to Order, Attendance

• Mission Moments

• Board Reports Discussion

• ED Report Discussion

• Voting

• Adjournment

• Next meeting

Meeting Preparation

It’s Not About You

How does this serve the mission?Does it fit our strategic goals?

What’s our capacity?What does success look like?

Keep it high level!

Communications: Cycle of Value*

ALIGN• Intersect• Invent• Invest

ACT• Engage• Clarify• Close

ADJUST• Review• Renew

Purpose

Facts

Explanations (what is needed)

Promise (follow up)

Request

*Conversant

Take Away & Commitment

Resources

• BoardSource

• 4Good

• The Policy Governance Model (Carver)

• Council of Nonprofits

• Roberta’s Rules of Order

• A Fundraising Guide for Nonprofit Board Members

• Nonprofit Board Answer Book

• Creating Caring and Capable Boards

• 10 Basic Responsibilities of Nonprofit Boards

• The Board Building Cycle

• The Nonprofit Policy Sampler

Emily Davis, MNMPresident, Emily Davis Consulting

Senior Governance Consultant, BoardSource(720) 515-0581

emily@emilydavisconsulting.comemilydavisconsulting.com