Moving Your Board from Transactional to Transformational

Most board members are at the top of their game professionally, leading their companies and organizations into the future. They are serving on your board because they want to make a difference and believe that their expertise will help the nonprofit sector better meet the needs of society.

Many nonprofit executive teams are not leveraging this passion effectively.

We are often asked how to stimulate board members’ governance and giving. We recommend engaging them thoughtfully and passionately, and their financial support will follow.

Engage in Decision Making

Chait, Ryan, and Taylor in their book “Governance as Leadership” say that boards operate on three different levels. In order to move from fiduciary to more strategic to truly generative takes time, respect, and engagement. If your board is “rubber stamping” and simply overseeing lawful operation, then it’s time to up your game

Often board members will only give their time, talent, treasure, and contacts, if you engage them in key initiatives and business development. Through this work they will gain a greater understanding of the day-to-day leadership decisions and the “big rocks” that your management team is moving every day. Be transparent about the things that keep you up at night, things that should or could be done better, growth and improvements that you would like to make over time. Share with them the real investment of resources required to innovate, merge, and grow.

Finding a Passion Project

Most board members passionately want to help your clients and the communities you serve. They want to help your organization grow soundly. Someone that is on your buildings committee should be included in the decisions about whether you launch a capital campaign, why it is critical, and how it is done. Development and communications committee members should be involved in a discussion about if and how your agency invests in advertising and if staff or a consultant is hired. A board member who is a business executive might recommend market research before an expansion. These board members may have professional experience and possibly connections to pro bono services or donors that could enable you to efficiently and effectively serve your mission.

Board members want to be on committees where their expertise can be used, where they have an opportunity to lead and to make hard, sound decisions for the future. They don’t want to just attend meetings or be asked to make an annual pledge. If you’re leading a board and want members to make a commitment beyond board meetings, then ask your board members how they want to serve: what committees, passion projects, future leadership aspirations, etc.

Investing in Capacity

Engaging in key strategic initiatives will lead to giving. If someone on your board is deeply passionate about strategic planning or rebranding or merging or expanding into a region, they will be more willing to fund this initiative if they know the costs and process. Board members will be incented to donate and fundraise for staff time, new hires, new facilities, infrastructure, etc., because they understand that this investment is often not covered by a government grant.

Here’s a list of some of the passion projects that could engage your board:

• Participate in strategic planning
• Analyze capital finances and operation costs
• Host a friendraiser or crowdfunding campaign
• Organize a volunteer meet-and-greet or volunteer day
• Research staff trainings or plan an appreciation lunch
• Write an op-ed or pitch a news editor
• Produce a video or photograph clients
• Onboard and mentor new board members
• Participate in program or fundraising planning
• Oversee the development of an emergency plan
• Draft a board job description for recruitment
• Assess salaries and talent management data
• Conduct competitive market research
• Secure an honoree or entertainer for a gala
• Execute a board self-assessment survey

Click here to read a past blog post with 10 tips for building a strong board pipeline. If you are already using our free resources, we’d love to hear from you.

If we can help you with board development and engagement, or facilitate your next retreat, please contact us at: contact@growthforgood.com.

Photo Credit: Public Policy Institute of California, West Woven UK, WestfieldPC.org