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14:04:29 From Asa Duffee (he/him) — ANCA to Everyone:
	Summit info: https://natctr.org/events/summit/2022-summit
14:13:47 From Ken Voorhis to Everyone:
	greater diversity
14:13:47 From Hilary Lambert, Wasatch Mountain Institute to Everyone:
	I would make my board larger, including 3-4 more people, all of whom are BIPOC or under age 30.
14:13:55 From John DeFillipo, JBS Wetland Center to Everyone:
	Demographic makeup and fundraising engagement
14:14:00 From Potomac Valley Audubon Society to Everyone:
	Engagement/“present”,
14:14:07 From 19012 to Everyone:
	Have more of a working board that actually does some work
14:14:08 From tammy to Everyone:
	Increased engagement with accountabilty
14:14:12 From Tamara Anderson to Everyone:
	engagement
14:14:14 From Rebecca Minnick (she/her/hers), Louisville Nature Center to Everyone:
	holding themselves accountable to expectations
14:14:20 From Liz to Everyone:
	I would like my board at River Bend Nature Center to engage in fundraising
14:14:25 From Catherine Timko Lake Erie Nature & Science Center to Everyone:
	speak up with questions during board meeetings
14:14:25 From Naomi Heindel (she/her), North Branch Nature Center to Everyone:
	They are very up for big one-time expenses; they are very hesitant to approve compensation and benefit increases (because they need to be sustained over time).
14:14:30 From Tim Sandsmark to Everyone:
	better understanding of board roles
14:14:33 From Mark McKnight to Everyone:
	Engagement in strategy (not programs) including fundraising
14:14:34 From Colleen Foehrenbacher to Everyone:
	fundraising assistance
14:14:43 From Philip Coulling to Everyone:
	More effective communication (among board members) and greater accountability for tasks
14:14:50 From Daryl Bernard to Everyone:
	I would like my board to be more receptive to competitive wages/salaries for my staff.
14:14:53 From Tony McDowell to Everyone:
	more spheres of influence to increase fund raising capacity
14:16:46 From Jen Levy (she/her), ANCA to Everyone:
	What is your biggest challenge right now with your board?
	What works well with your board?
	How does your board reflect your community and does this help with governance?
	What is a recent board accomplishment that you look forward to sharing with your peers?
15:21:01 From Rebecca Minnick (she/her/hers), Louisville Nature Center to Everyone:
	Could you please share that with everyone?
15:23:10 From Rebecca Minnick (she/her/hers), Louisville Nature Center to Everyone:
	Thanks, Corky!
15:25:45 From Dan Auer - ANCA to Everyone:
	Please take a moment after today's meeting to fill out this short survey. Thanks!
15:25:47 From Dan Auer - ANCA to Everyone:
	https://forms.gle/sM3sBz92ZvvJkjdc9
15:26:25 From Rebecca Minnick (she/her/hers), Louisville Nature Center to Everyone:
	Meet with board members individually
15:26:52 From Iain MacLeod, Squam Lakes Natural Science Center to Everyone:
	make it fun
15:26:55 From Naomi Heindel (she/her), North Branch Nature Center to Everyone:
	Meet with board members individually, together with development director, and bring the fundraising engagement tool with us.
15:27:00 From Carlee Sanford, Ruffner Mountain to Everyone:
	Same as Rebecca— schedule one on one meetings.
15:27:07 From Mark McKnight to Everyone:
	Going to use Corky's survey template- I think it's been a year or more since we've asked board members what they're wiling to do
15:27:10 From Catherine Timko Lake Erie Nature & Science Center to Everyone:
	Recognize changing schedules
15:27:17 From John DeFillipo, JBS Wetland Center to Everyone:
	Starting and endowment with ALL board members participating and contributing
15:27:35 From Philip Coulling to Everyone:
	I appreciate the resources that Corky shared and look forward to diving into those (and perhaps sharing with our board). I'm also intrigued by the graduate program in non-profit leadership that Corky now leads....
15:27:40 From Heather Hahn Sullivan to Everyone:
	Try to share more data in a dashboard format - hopefully this gives them something to react to in meetings.
15:28:19 From Rebecca Minnick (she/her/hers), Louisville Nature Center to Everyone:
	If anyone has a great dashboard for your board, would you screenshot it and share?
15:28:59 From Catherine Timko Lake Erie Nature & Science Center to Everyone:
	Thank you everyone.
15:29:14 From Rebecca Minnick (she/her/hers), Louisville Nature Center to Everyone:
	Thanks, all!
15:29:35 From Brooks Paternotte to Everyone:
	Great seeing everyone today. Thank you for joining the Connects 

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Sara Wilson, CPCC, ACC |

Are you a board member or executive director of a board that frequently gets in the weeds?

Board meetings should primarily focus on governance level matters. It can be challenging, though: balancing big picture and detail-oriented thinkers, keeping conversations from going down a "rabbit-hole," and a myriad of other issues that derail meetings.

Five tips to keep board meetings productive

1. Distribute meeting materials at least 5 days prior to the meeting, and include a weekend. This is really non-negotiable. If you can't get all the materials out, at a minimum distribute the financials 5 days prior. That's a compromise. If you want board members to be informed enough to make good decisions, they need time to do their pre-meeting preparation. Independent Sector's best practices on this topic says 7 days.

2. Discussion topics should be on strategic issues. What are the questions on which the board needs to focus to meet their governance responsibilities? Example: The color of the napkins at the gala is NOT a strategic issue. Whether or not the organization should hold a gala IS a strategic issue.

3. Committee chairs present recommendations, not reports. The point of having committees - with defined responsibilities and authority - is to move issues forward between board meetings. Don't let them use board meeting time to discuss all the details. Committees need to do their work, then bring recommendations to the board for a decision.

4. Shorten the duration of meetings. I know it's a radical idea and some of you are shuddering thinking that you already can't cover everything. It's a simple fact of human nature that we fill time when we have it. Putting the most important topics first on the agenda helps keep things focused.

5. Manage the meeting. Good meetings don't just happen; they require active management. Establish the expectation that discussions will be kept on track. Keeping the conversation on topic (and doing so politely) can be the role of any participant, however board officers can be given this task.

I know from personal experience how hard it can be to keep board meetings focused and productive. I guarantee that by following these tips, your board meetings will produce better results, and you may even have more time to go home and enjoy some time in your (hopefully weed-free) garden.

Recent Posts Categories Archives

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Is your Board stuck in the weeds? - Mayes Wilson

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Sara Wilson, CPCC, ACC | Are you a board member or executive director of a board that frequently gets in the weeds? Board meetings should primarily focus on governance level matters. It can be challenging, though: balancing big picture and detail-oriented thinkers, keeping conversations from going down a "rabbit-hole," and a myriad of other issues [...]

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If I had a dime for every time I heard a nonprofit ED complain about their dysfunctional, disengaged board of directors...I'd probably have enough to buy a twin-engine jet!

Board bashing is pretty much an Olympic sport in the nonprofit sector these days. EDs are always complaining about board members who are asleep at the switch, micromanaging, or abusing their power. Some even complain that their boards have zero connection to the work.

But, it's like I always say, the board you have is the board you build. So why then, don't nonprofit leaders build boards that are high-functioning, engaged, and excited to serve?

Here's my hypothesis: Most nonprofit leaders don't actually know what a high-functioning board of directors even looks like.

Tune in to learn what I see as a high-functioning nonprofit board that will truly help your org thrive. And once I paint this picture for you, we will talk about the five crucial elements that you need to focus on to get the right people in the right seats on the bus - and why this all matters so much for your org's mission.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (14.3MB)

Subscribe: Google Podcasts | Stitcher | RSS

Listen in to Uncover:

Why should you bother with building a high-functioning nonprofit board of directors? (2:15)

Who should serve on a board of directors? Are your board members recruiting with intention? (4:53)

Why are well-run board meetings so important? (6:00)

Why do nonprofits need clearly defined board of directors positions and roles? (7:25)

Is there a strong relationship between your nonprofit board members and staff? (8:50)

How do you get the right people on the right seats on the bus? (11:11)

Resources

Connect With Joan Garry

About Joan Garry:

Founder of the Nonprofit Leadership Lab, where we help smaller nonprofits thrive. I'm also a strategic advisor for executive directors and boards of larger nonprofits. I'm a frequent keynote speaker, a blogger, and an author on all thing's leadership and management. (Learn more at JoanGarry.com)

I'm a woman with a mission to fuel the leadership of the nonprofit sector. My goal with each episode is to dig deep into an issue I know that nonprofit leaders are grappling with, by finding just the right person to offer you advice and insights.

Today is no exception.

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Ep 152: The Secrets of a High Functioning Board of Directors

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If I had a dime for every time I heard a nonprofit ED complain about their dysfunctional, disengaged board of directors...I'd probably have enough to buy a twin-engine jet! Board bashing is pretty much an Olympic sport in the nonprofit sector these days.

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You know how you can tell if you have a great board of directors?

Board members ask great questions at board meetings. And they're not texting.

They really work the room at special events

As a whole, they exceed the group give / get

The leadership pipeline is crystal clear

The board chair asks the tough questions

A great board knows its role. It's fully engaged in the right ways. It evangelizes and fundraises. It brings contacts and connections that grow the organization's resources. It feels a sense of common purpose.

At its best, a great board serves as the strategic partner of the CEO on long term planning and short term crisis management.

Here's some advice on building, managing, and maintaining an outstandingly effective board of directors.

Rating Your Board of Directors

Recruiting and Onboarding For Your Board of Directors

Effective Committees

Running a First Rate Board Meeting

Board Relationships

Great Board Chairs

Fundraising and the Board

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You know how you can tell if you have a great board of directors? Board members ask great questions at board meetings. And they're not texting. They really work the room at special events As a whole, they exceed the group give / get The leadership pipeline is crystal clear The board chair asks the tough questions A great board knows its role.

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[Image description: Closeup on a person pulling out a one-dollar bill from a brown leather wallet. Image by Allef Vinicius on Unsplash]

Hi everyone. Before we get started, here are a couple of awesome videos. This one by Memphis Music Initiative that includes a hilarious (and wince-inducing) skit of how Harriet Tubman would be treated by a foundation if she were to ask for support today. And this poignant musical sketch by Human Services Council vividly illustrating the lack of funding in the sector and how it has been affecting the hardworking professionals dedicated to making the world better.

OK, onto this week's topic. Will Smith just won the best actor Oscar, which reminds me of another movie where he was nominated. In "The Pursuit of Happyness," Smith plays Chris Gardner, who, along with his young son, has been experiencing poverty and homelessness, living in subway stations and public restrooms. There is scene where Chris is asked by his boss at his unpaid internship to loan him $5 in cash for cab fare. He can't afford to loan his boss $5, but he is in competition for a paid position, so he reluctantly hands over the money. To his boss, this was a simple transaction; the lack of $5 didn't mean much more than a very mild inconvenience. To Chris, it was devastating, as he may not be able to afford bus fares to get back to his son.

I bring this up because it reminds me of a pervasive phenomenon in nonprofit. I'm calling it "Higher-Income Solipsism Syndrome (HISS)." This is when people who are more financial secure, through a lack of awareness brought on by their privilege, create and endorse philosophies and actions that negatively affect people who are less financially secure. Here are examples of various ways this may manifest:

An independently wealthy person takes a paid position at a nonprofit. But because they don't have to worry about money, they don't advocate for increased compensation for themselves. This depresses compensation overall, as well as possibly make other staff look greedy for demanding raises.

Someone is on the healthcare plan of their high-income-earning spouse. They don't prioritize high-quality healthcare for the rest of team because they personally don't need to worry about it.

A financially secure board member who doesn't have children or whose children are all-grown-up blocking measures to bring paid family leave for the staff.

Someone insists that unpaid internships are okay, without realizing they have their parents financially supporting them while other interns may not

Higher-paid staff ask lower-paid staff to donate a portion of their wages back to the organization in an annual employee-giving campaign, insisting that it's "only $5" or whatever

Staff, board, or volunteers go out for lunch or dinner and splitting the bill evenly because they can afford it, not considering how it affects people who ordered less expensive items to stay within their budgets.

A colleague emailed me this message:

" I work for a mid-sized nonprofit in one of the wealthiest counties in my state, so the cost of living is very high here. We also have an abundance of wealthy do-gooders that work here (as a result of said community wealth). I can't afford the cost of putting my child on our health insurance, but when I speak up, I am told that I am the only parent there with an issue. This is because the other parents all have their kids on their spouses' insurance."

It is a serious equity issue that greatly affects low-income people, single parents, and those experiencing homelessness. There are racial, gender, and disability elements at play, as people of color, women, and disabled people on average earn less than white people, men, and non-disabled people. In the movie "Happyness," it is a homeless Black single father who has to loan a white man his last few dollars, the latter being so completely oblivious of the hardship it's causing because his multiple privileges have shielded him from being aware of how his actions are affecting people who don't have the same level of economic stability as he does.

Financial security tends to run parallel with the increase in power and authority in our world, which means higher-income people are more likely to be decision-makers. In our sector, we often have higher-income senior leaders making decisions that are often reinforced by board members who, due to the way our boards are structured to attract people with wealth, are frequently higher-income themselves.

HISS is pervasive in our sector, and it's not just the wealthy who perpetuate it. All of us are susceptible. We often don't realize it is happening because as we become more economically stable, we become less and less aware of how other people's lives are. We are also more likely to hang out and build relationships with people in similar financial situations to us, which creates a bubble that affirms our views and prevents us from receiving information about people who are not in similar situations.

All of us need to do a better job being aware of when it is happening, when we are complicit in advancing it, and taking an active role in countering it. Here are a few things we all need to keep in mind:

Assess how your privileges are affecting your positions: If you are against a proposal, for example an increase in compensation for staff, you may come up with all sorts of seemingly valid reasons for your stance. But you may not be considering that your thoughts are affected by your privileges. White privilege, male privilege, etc., but also possibly the privilege of having money and other resources (like healthcare) and not worrying about your family's basic needs being met.

Notice if people who agree with you are in similar economic situations as you. You may see patterns like everyone who agrees with you on something is a homeowner with a stable job or is a financially secure retiree, while those who disagree may be lower-paid people, single parents, etc. Think about who would be most negatively or positively affected by this decision; you and the people who agree with you will likely be least affected.

Scan to see what voices are missing and why: Because of disparity in privileges, people may be missing from important discussions that affect them. A lower-income person may not be present at a meeting where compensation is being discussed because they might be working at another job. A staff member might miss a vital debate about paid family leave because they have to take care of an aging parent. Our default practice of "whoever is there gets to make the decisions" has concentrated a lot of power into the hands of privileged people. If you don't have the voices of those who will be most affected, don't have the meeting, don't make decisions.

Take the perspective of someone who doesn't have your privileges: Try to remember what it was like when you weren't as secure in your financial situation or career, and the hardships you had to endure. Now imagine that version on you being in the room and what position that version would take. If you don't have first-hand experience, try to imagine someone else. If you can't put yourself into the shoes of a person who isn't in your economic situation, then you shouldn't partake in making decisions that would affect them at all.

Assume that one or more people are experiencing financial hardship: Just because people put on a brave face doesn't mean they're OK. Many are likely facing challenges that you don't know about, especially if you are financially stable and tend to hang out with other financially stable people. And people shouldn't have to openly disclose their situations for you to support equitable practices. If you are making decisions about money, whether it's increasing staff compensation or starting furloughs or even going out to lunch or whatever, work with the assumption that there's probably at least one person there who is facing hardship.

Be alert and speak up when you see potential inequity: For significant things like compensation. But also in everyday practice. For instance, I remember earlier in my career going out with some colleagues to an expensive restaurant for dinner. Everyone ordered cocktails, appetizers, entrees, and dessert. When the check came, someone asked to split it evenly. A colleague piped in and said, "Vu only had grilled asparagus and some water. Let's just cover his portion. Also, maybe we shouldn't take a vegan to a steakhouse again!" Everyone laughed. I was grateful for that colleague. No one knew how relieved I was that I could still make rent that month AND have groceries.

Our sector does wonderful things. Because of that, we tend to attract wealthy people who don't need to work to earn money to feed their families; they just want to make a difference in the world. If that's you, please keep in mind that your words and actions have significant consequences for people who do need to earn money to feed their families, who need healthcare and paid family leave, etc., who don't have the luxury of not worrying about these things.

And the rest of us, as we advance in our careers and hopefully obtain some measure of financial stability, we too need to be aware of our increased privileges and whether we are making life better or worse for our colleagues who are not as financially stable.

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How you can help the people of Ukraine

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How financially stable people have been making life difficult for their lower-income colleagues in nonprofit

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Hi everyone. Before we get started, here are a couple of awesome videos. This one by Memphis Music Initiative that includes a hilarious (and wince-inducing) skit of how Harriet Tubman would be treated by a foundation if she were to ask for support today.

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Everyone is committed to the mission of the organization. As executive director, I feel that I have autonomy and free rein to make decisions, initiate projects, and implement changes without micromanagement from above, yet I am also supported and held appropriately accountable.

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Communication! I often don't know what's going on with the president, the president doesn't always know what's going on with me, there is little effective communication outside of board meetings, and my periodic reports to the board seldom generate any response. I would also like to see more diverse representation on our board.

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We have several board members who have not been able to follow through with commitments and who are largely AWOL these days. There are also board members who don't completely understand or know what they should be doing or when/how they should be doing it, and there is little top-down oversight and accountability.