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Best Practices in Nonprofit Governance

Best Practices in Nonprofit Governance. Part Two. Your Presenter. Peter Brinckerhoff peter@missionbased.com www.missionbased.com. Our Agenda-Part 2. Reducing Board Liability Better Decision Making Getting and Keeping the Best Board What to do Now... Resources. Questions from part one?.

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Best Practices in Nonprofit Governance

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  1. Best Practices in Nonprofit Governance • Part Two

  2. Your Presenter • Peter Brinckerhoff • peter@missionbased.com • www.missionbased.com

  3. Our Agenda-Part 2 • Reducing Board Liability • Better Decision Making • Getting and Keeping the Best Board • What to do Now... • Resources

  4. Questions from part one? • Those who were in part one...did you have questions we couldn’t get to, or ones you thought of afterwards?

  5. Reducing Board Liability • We can’t keep all bad things from happening • But we can do our best to reduce organizational and board liability • Here are some tried and true things you can do...

  6. Reducing Board Liability • Have a conflict of interest policy, practice it and follow it • Contract for an annual audit/review AND management letter • Abide by your bylaws • Read them through annually • Have D&O insurance if....

  7. More ways to reduce liability • Keep meeting minutes • Go to meetings, go prepared and ask questions • If you disagree on a key issue, have your dissent recorded • Have a bidding policy • Have a set financial level for board involvement • Use Executive Session sparingly

  8. Making The Best Decisions • Be loyal to the mission • Stick to policy • Do your homework • Embrace diversity of opinion and perspective • Be Loyal to the decision • Evaluate

  9. Consider using a common decision format • Common decision “trees” are great ways to make sure staff and board are on the same page • I talked a bit about this in the plenary, but let’s review for just a minute

  10. Evaluating an Opportunity Is the choice consistent with our mission and values? Can we protect our existing services’ quality? Have we done the appropriate business analyses? Is it something we already do really well? Can we get good before we start? Do NOT proceed until problems are resolved Have we consulted/involved the appropriate people? Do we have the capacity to grow? Do we have the cash to invest? Proceed with caution

  11. Getting and Keeping the Best Board • You want the best board--and you want to keep the best board. • Follow these steps, first for board recruitment and then for board retention

  12. Board Recruitment • Build your skillset: • This will change over time as your nonprofit evolves • Will be influenced by your current programs, your strategic plan, and possibly by some funders • Don’t forget other criteria than skills: gender, generation of birth, geography, ethnicity

  13. Board Recruitment • Recruit consistently--not just the week before the nominating committee meets • Recruitment is a joint board/staff effort • Provide well defined and clearly stated expectations of your board • What might be some expectations? • Enforce those expectations • Evaluate your recruitment and retention efforts

  14. Retention • Mentor all your new members • Keep the board engaged • Good board leadership • Start and end meetings on time • Plan meeting dates and times a year in advance • GIVE THE BOARD MEANINGFUL WORK • and more mission..... • Regular board satisfaction surveys

  15. What to do Now.. • Form a Board Development Committee • Hold a one-day governance retreat • Skillset, meeting location/time, board terms, board metrics, committees, mentoring • Talk to your peer organizations while you’re here about what they are doing in the governance area

  16. Governance Resources • BoardSource www.boardsource.org • IdeaEncore: www.ideaencore.com • Free Management Library www.managementhelp.org • Books by Peter Brinckerhoff • Mission-Based Management (3rd Edition) • Smart Stewardship for Nonprofits • Mission-Based Marketing (3rd Edition)

  17. Thanks for coming! • Enjoy the rest of your conference • Remember to contact me with any questions • peter@missionbased.com

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