Board orientation pdf

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Practical, real-world advice for the most challenging ofpositions The role of the chairman of the board is an art form that varieswith the size, type, and corporate climate of the organization.

Chairman of the Board provides practical guidance on this criticalrole, offering advice on matters such as how to work.

Home Board Orientation Board Orientation Board Orientation by Cain Consulting Group. Board Member Orientation by Michael E. Resources in Education by Anonim. Chait,Richard Chait,Thomas P. Holland,Barbara E. Fired Up Fundraising by Gail A.

Joan Garry Nonprofit Leadership. Does your nonprofit already have an inspiring, helpful, put-together board orientation program for new board members?

If yes, you get a big hug from me. Well done. Instead, consider reading Critical Interview Questions for New Board Members a very popular post I wrote that helps you figure out what to ask people you are considering for your board. Healthy nonprofits have great boards that work hand-in-hand with the Executive Director to help fulfill the mission.

In order to have a great board, a nonprofit needs board members who are engaged, inspired, and understand how to help. This is true for long-standing board members. This is especially true for brand new ones. The main objection I hear is time. You wish you had a moment to pee, no less pull together a board orientation package. By the end of this, you will have no excuse. You will see very clearly why this is so important. My board orientation template works for tiny one-person nonprofits just as well as it does for large ones.

Sylvia had been involved as a donor to the organization. She enthusiastically agreed to join the board because she believed she could make a difference.

Score one for this organization. Even though there was a class of new board members joining at the same time, there had been no separate gathering to provide any information to enable them to hit the ground running. Nevertheless, Sylvia walked into the meeting feeling excited. She was pointed to a table of binders, each with a name on it. But there was no binder for her. The binder contained a wealth of current and past information, including many pages of past board meeting minutes.

But there was no time to review it before the board meeting started. She discovered that decisions were often made by mysterious committees.

There was an executive committee. It seemed to have a lot of power. The most baffling one came at the end of the evening when all binders were to be returned to the table.

How long do you think Sylvia lasted on the board? This story makes me mad. Sylvia was more engaged before joining the board than after leaving. Nonprofits can ill afford to lose one single person who raises her hand or opens her checkbook. A new board member needs so much more than this. The job is fuzzy to begin with. Now we get to the meat… the plan itself. My plan has two parts — 1 The Binder and 2 The Session.

Board members who walk through the doors feeling this way are your most engaged and productive board members. Have you considered asking a veteran board member to serve as a board buddy or mentor for a new board member?

Some people join boards to share their professional expertise with the nonprofit. A follow-up phone call from the board chair after the board member agrees to serve, but before his or her first meeting, can set the stage for a positive communications and a productive relationship with the board chair. Don't forget to include in the orientation background on any special issue s that pertain specifically to your nonprofit's mission, plus information on: governance policies so that all board members are reminded about their legal and fiduciary duties ; accountability practices such as the need to disclose conflicts of interest ; and the responsibility to review and approve the executive director's performance and compensation , among other key policies.

A sample orientation checklist is linked below in the Resources section. Inviting fellow-board members, such as officers or committee chairs, to lead relevant portions of the orientation offers another way for newbies to get to know their colleagues on the board as well as the roles they play individually. Inviting all veteran board members to attend each board orientation gives those board members who missed their own orientation — or would like a refresher — to get caught up, and also reinforces a culture of continuous learning.

Encourage a culture of inquiry and candor. Beyond Orientation Society expects so much from our volunteer board members — in turn we need to thoughtfully prepare and support them.