Tools and ideas for effective board development shared with 125 nonprofit leaders

Do you really want an effective board? If the answer is yes, says business and nonprofit consultant Kathy Keeley, then be prepared to invest time and effort into structuring, recruiting, orienting, and communicating with your nonprofit board. Keeley posed this thought-provoking question at the beginning and again at the end of her presentation for “Charting a Course: Developing an Effective Nonprofit Board”.

Held April 15th in Duluth, the two-part training was presented through the Northland Foundation’s Strengthening Communities Initiative, a capacity-building program for nonprofits. A series of similar trainings is one of the program components along with technical assistance and financial awards.

The April 15th training was divided into two parts. The morning was open to executive staff and board members of nonprofit organizations and included a plenary session led by Kathy Keeley followed by a lively panel discussion of individuals with a variety of nonprofit board experience. After lunch, 50 or so executive directors participated in an interactive workshop led by Keeley. The group drilled deeper into the specifics of board roles and responsibilities, orientation manuals, boards and fundraising, and addressing board issues.

The underlying message of both sessions was that, in the current nonprofit environment, board members should not only be passionate about the mission but should also have a clear understanding of expectations for their service – and be accountable for meeting those expectations. Successful board development is not a one-time task but an ongoing job, emphasized Keeley, and while the chair may provide support the buck stops with the executive director.

Nonprofit financial and management tools, board development materials, Charting a Course PowerPoints, and other resources are available at no charge for download on the Northland Foundation website.When asked about future training topics of interest, participants at the last “Charting a Course” event, held in October 2009, ranked board development as a high priority. The feedback from this most recent training affirmed its timeliness and content which truly resonated with the audience. Among the comments shared on the evaluation forms were the following.

• I can’t wait to start talking about what I learned with my board chair.

• I came away with concrete steps my agency can take to improve our boards.

• It was especially helpful to be reminded of the importance of mission and by-laws along with expectations of each member and their role.

• As a new board member, I now see the strengths of the orientation I’ve received, but I also now see what I need to seek clarification on.

“The strong participation of the nonprofit community, Kathy Keeley’s expertise, and the panelists who volunteered their time helped make this a dynamic event,” said Erik Torch, Grant Program Manager. “Northland is planning more trainings featuring topics that attendees have indicated are most relevant, so watch for upcoming Charting a Course events.”

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The Northland Foundation would like to acknowledge its funding partners for their support of this training.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Administration for Children and Families - Strengthening Communities Fund - Nonprofit Capacity Building Program

and

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Foundation