How to Create a Five-Star Board

Find the Right Prospects

The first step in finding new board members is to take stock of your existing resources. A nominating or governance committee can review the skills and abilities of the existing board and determine what new resources will be needed to advance the organization’s mission. In addition to the basic need of board members to give and get contributions on behalf of the organization, what other skills, experience, or diversity issues need to be met? Some organizations use a simple chart that breaks their board down demographically and by areas of expertise to give an overview of what is missing from the mix of human talent. Are there people in your existing audience or donor base who have a passion for your organization and its mission? Is there a corporate entity that is interested in having a close affiliation with you? What past board experience do your prospects have?

Once you’ve found a pool of prospects that have been thoroughly reviewed by the nominating committee, those closest to the prospects will need to cultivate their interest in order to determine whether they are ready, willing, and able to serve. This must be done with sensitivity, as the prospect has not been elected to the board yet. You’re exploring their interest in order to report back to the nominating committee that a prospect is ready, willing, and able to serve. One good cultivation tool is to invite prospects to special behind-the-scenes events with artists so that they can experience the culture of an organization. Lunches or private meetings with your organization’s artistic and administrative leaders can pique a prospect’s interest and help you determine if it is a good match. These informal exchanges are also a great way to get a jump on the orientation process by conveying vital information that will bring a new board member up to speed faster.

After the nominating committee has made its recommendation to the full board and the board concurs that a prospect is ready to be invited to join the board, it’s time to ask him or her to serve. The prospective board member must be fully briefed on what is happening in the organization, including its performances, financial position, schedule of meetings, roles and responsibilities of board members, and any other details about board service and organizational direction. Meetings with the artistic and executive leadership help to ensure that all parties are ready for a fruitful working relationship.

Make the Most of Orientation

Typically, a board handbook and an orientation about its contents and the organization quickly follow the election. A thorough board handbook usually includes:

• Organizational bylaws and articles of incorporation
• Organizational chart
• List of board members, including officers, terms, bios, and contact information
• Calendar of board and committee meetings
• Roles and responsibilities of board and committee members
• Staff listing, including bios and contact information
• Strategic plan
• Minutes and financial reports from recent board meetings
• Audited financial statements
• Board policies on ethics, conflict of interest, legal liability, reimbursements, etc.
• Contributed income goals, sponsorship policies, or other information that the member may use in approaching prospective donors
• Donor listings
• Program books, newsletters, website, and other public organizational information

A more experienced board member, or the person who was the closest advocate of the new board member, should play the role of mentor throughout the first year to help convey the full range of knowledge that other board members and staff have gained over time. The executive director should also continue to maintain close contact with the new board member throughout the process.

Keep the Board Informed and Rotate Members

Typically, a new board member is engaged once he realizes that he is a useful member of the team and that his contribution to the organization is recognized. Committee work is a good way to get started and to keep momentum. It improves overall communication and distributes the workload among board members. Capitalizing on the individual strengths and talents of each board member will excite them and keep them engaged. Additionally, you must continue to provide information on programs, finances, marketing, fundraising, community affairs, education, and the importance of their roles as ambassadors in the community. The board president and executive director should also make a point of asking new board members for their input during discussions. Many are hesitant to become involved in the presence of more experienced members, so eliciting their feedback will encourage a well-balanced discussion with new perspectives that could be invaluable.

There are times in every organization where the board can become stagnant, losing energy or momentum. Rotating board members to different committees or alternative projects can refresh their interest. It can also be valuable to rotate members off the board entirely, at least for a brief period. Some organizations have 3-year terms for board members, at which time they must be re-elected. Additionally, many organizations have term limits, such as “no board member may serve more than three consecutive 3-year terms.” These rotation policies can help keep the board vibrant and creative, while still providing for involvement during a hiatus from the board.

Evaluate Effectiveness and Celebrate Success

One area often not addressed is the formal evaluation of a board’s effectiveness. Everyone gets so busy doing things that they forget to stop and look back at their progress. Visionary organizations take a global approach in evaluating themselves at an annual retreat. The global approach allows an organization to live in the present while simultaneously learning from the past and looking toward the future. This process usually involves reemphasizing the organization’s mission, vision, and goals in order to evaluate internal strengths and weaknesses while balancing these against the external opportunities and threats that exist. Ultimately, this is the time to update the strategic plan as part of the organization’s ongoing evolution.

Individual board members, too, need to be assessed annually. Tracking meeting and performance attendance and the level of board giving as well as overall participation can be important measures of effectiveness. Personal discussions are also important in assessing performance and in better understanding how the board member is feeling about his involvement.

You’ve had a great year—ticket sales have increased and you met your endowment fund goal! Take time to celebrate these victories with your board members. As volunteers, board members sometimes don’t immediately see the benefits of their great work. Don’t focus only on the things that didn’t go quite so well. There will be plenty of those, as dynamic organizations learn as much from their mistakes as they do from their successes. As board members depart the organization, thank them profusely for their participation. Thank them privately. Thank them publicly. Thank them repeatedly.

This article was adapted with permission from Arts Insights newsletter, published by the Arts Consulting Group, Inc.. For more information on developing nonprofit boards, visit their website at www.artsconsulting.com.