Any Board Member Can Be a Board Champion

The concept of a “Board champion” for a nonprofit organization is frequently misunderstood. Board champions do not necessarily have to be officers. They can be any responsible Board member who is willing and able to actively engage in helping the organization. Board members have the potential to help in many ways, both small and large, by sharing their experiences, skills, and aspirations for the organization. Even seemingly small ideas and offers to assist can sometimes have just as big of an impact as officer service.

Trust is a key element for nonprofit Boards to be effective. In a recent article for ASAE’s Associations Now publication, contributing editor Mark Athitakis, discusses ways to build Board trust and how this can be a challenge for nonprofit organizations:

“Trust among board members is harder to come by … boards have experienced extended periods without in-person meetings, had divisive conversations about how an [organization] should act during a crisis, and worked to navigate economic hits from reshuffled meetings and other disruptions —all of which can make it more difficult for board members to find common ground.”

In the article, Mark reflects on a recent discussion in which he and I reflected on how the prevalence of virtual Board meetings, with “compressed meeting time and reduced opportunities to connect in person,” makes it is easy to lose connections with Board members which will naturally erode trust.

Identifying and empowering “Board champions” within an organization will help to maintain a high level of trust with the Board. When you encourage individual Board members to get involved and be more actively engaged, you will find that Board member trust will rise exponentially. Further, the efforts of your organization’s Board champions can be a model and inspiration for other Board members.

Board champions do not necessarily have to be “super-active” Board members. Even a few meaningful contributions can help “move the needle” by helping the organization to resolve problems, overcome challenges, access resources, and/or gain consensus, to name a few examples.

Further, many people believe only Board officers can make a big difference. Board officers can and often are Board champions by the nature of fulfilling their larger roles. But a highly motivated regular Board member, through a single idea or action, can equally advance the organization’s mission and successfully participate in solving a problem. Sometimes seemingly small acts of cleverness can have as much or more impact as a Board officer working hard quietly behind the scenes.

As an example, early in my career I was invited to serve on the Board of a national organization. I felt intimidated by the experienced leaders already on the Board, especially the Board officers. I was wondering how I could make a difference and not be viewed as “excess baggage.” At my first Board meeting, they discussed finding a keynote speaker for the annual conference. I had a friendship with a recently retired White House Presidential cabinet member. I was able to secure this person as a keynote speaker with just a couple of emails. The organization gained national attention and fellow Board members now remembered my name. Did it make a big impact? Yes. Did the organization benefit? Yes. Was it a lot of work? No. I merely reached out to one of my connections.

Planning Tip – Work the concept of how to be a “Board champion” into annual Board orientation meetings. Be positive and also descriptive, highlighting the many different ways a Board member can contribute and add value. Avoid marginalizing Board members who may not have the connections, skills, or time that another Board member may have. Accentuate the ways an individual Board member’s interests and aspirations can be matched to the organization’s needs.

Board champions will not just appear. They need to be cultivated. As the Associations Now article recognizes, nonprofits “need to be proactive and inventory [their] board to understand their interests and needs, to figure out how to give purpose to their board term.” Once a Board member has discovered the purpose of their Board service, they will be motivated and inspired to find meaningful ways to contribute.

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