Nonprofits often have thoughtful board recruitment and/or orientation process, but few nonprofits have a protocol for exiting board members. With or without term limits, even the very best of board members will eventually rotate off your nonprofit’s board.

Here are some questions and thoughts to consider for gracefully managing a board member’s exit:

Annual Board Member Term Rotations

1. What board members are at the end of their term? Who assesses if they should be asked to renew for another term? What are the criteria?
2. If another board term is an option, who on the Governance Committee will reach out to confirm that the board member mutually wants to stay on?
3. As members come to the end of their term and rotation limits, ask them to mentor another board member to assume their officer or committee position.
4. If the board member is going to be asked or required to step down, consider who should have this discussion and how this can be done with great regard. Ask them to help recruit prospective new members that bring their professional skills or diversity to the board.
5. On large anniversaries or as they resign from a leadership term, consider if and how the board member’s service could be honored.

Before the Board Member Officially Resigns

1. Consider who will replace the departing board member in the positions or on the committees which they served. Potentially, ask the resigning member for their recommendation.
2. Consider who is best on your board or staff to steward the exiting board member and to ask that they continue to sustain their financial support to the organization.
3. Review a list of donors that the departing board member brought to your cause. Ask the board member to help provide any background or introductions that can help retain these donors.
4. If you use a board prospectus for recruitment, update the “job description” to include the professional skills and/or diversity that your organization will now be seeking.
5. At the departing board member’s last board meeting, someone should publicly acknowledge their generative contributions to the board, agency, and mission. The end of their board term should be noted in the meeting minutes.

Once the Board Member Has Resigned

1. Have the CEO and Board Chair send a thank you letter and/or a branded gift to acknowledge their service.
2. A member of the Board Governance Committee should conduct an exit interview to learn about what the board or organization has done well or could improve upon. Respectfully, ensure that the feedback is provided accordingly.
3. Consider if there is a way to acknowledge or celebrate their service, i.e., in your annual report, in the remarks at your gala, etc.
   If you survey or maintain a record of your board’s diversity and make-up, adjust these records accordingly for future grant applications.
4. Update your database to note the end of the board member’s term and edit any related documents: website listing, board contact list, committee assignments, term tracking report, etc.
5. As appropriate, keep in touch and make sure that they remain a valued member of your community.

Please forward this enews with resources to other nonprofit leaders and volunteers that are committed to healthy board development.

Photo by Thomas Peham and Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash