Three Steps to Get Your New Board Member Service Off to a Good Start
This piece is Part 1 of 4 in our New Board Member Planning and Preparation Series.
You’ve just been appointed to the Board of a nonprofit organization you believe in and trust. Now what? The time between receiving this good news and beginning your Board service is important for laying the groundwork to be an impactful Board member. I have always found that putting in a little extra effort before your Board service starts will help both you and the organization get the most out of the relationship.
The following are three early steps that will help get your new Board member service off to a good start:
Step 1 – Do not wait for the first Board meeting or the new Board member orientation to start the learning process. After Board appointment a whole new level of access to information will be available. Take advantage of this early access to expand your understanding of the organization’s mission and history as well as learn about recent challenges and successes. Pay particularly close attention to the previous Board’s strategic planning discussions and carefully read the current strategic plan documents, in addition to the organization’s most recent Forms 990, annual report, financial statement audit, and other documents and policies related to governance. Finally, ascertain when the organization is next scheduled to update its strategic plan.
Step 2 – Reach out to people working in select senior management positions aligned with your skill sets and interests. Let them know you are excited to serve and want to help were needed. This is a good opportunity to share both your professional resume and discuss your personal interests. Make sure to sprinkle in a few questions, and maybe a few compliments, so they can see you have made efforts to learn more about the organization’s mission, programs, and operations. As a finance professional, I typically reach out to the Director of Finance or CFO to introduce myself and start a general introductory dialogue.
Step 3 – Ask the organization to introduce you to a current or retiring Board member who would be willing to share some insights and provide guidance from a Board member’s perspective. For this meeting have three or four questions ready that will build on what you learned in Steps 1 and 2. These should be different questions than you would ask of senior management. Focus your questions on how the organization governs and what are some of the key expectations for new Board members. Ask probing questions about how to be active during Board meetings. Consider finishing with my favorite questions: “As a new Board member how can I be most helpful to the organization, and how can I be actively involved between Board meetings?”
Planning Tip – Put the word out to your network, friends, and family about your nonprofit Board appointment. This is not an act of shameless self-promotion. Getting the word out will help the organization to expand its reach and gain new supporters and constituents. It will also demonstrate your pride in the organization and your commitment to be an engaged and active new Board member.
Steps 2 and 3 are all about making strategic early connections. Doing your Step 1 homework will improve your chances of making quality connections and leaving positive impressions that you took the time and effort to learn about the organization. I have always found that investing a little extra time on the front end as a new Board member will increase both my visibility within the organization and my potential to have a positive impact.
