Author: Ann Green

How to Ensure Effective and Engaged Nonprofit Boards – Part Three – Board Member Orientation and Training

Ann Green board
Photo by Michigan Municipal League via Flickr

How to Ensure Effective and Engaged Nonprofit Boards – Part One – Finding Good Board Members

How to Ensure Effective and Engaged Nonprofit Boards Part Two – Board Member Expectations and Requirements

ORIENTATION
Your next step to ensuring effective and engaged board members is to give your new members an orientation.  If you are bringing on more than one board member,do the orientation for all new members at same time. This can help them feel more engaged right away. Make it congenial and include food. You want your new board members to feel welcome.

The board orientation is conducted by the Board Chair,and a few other select board members,including the Board Treasurer to go over financials. The Executive Director should also be there. If appropriate,involve some senior staff,perhaps the Development Director and Marketing Director. This meeting should take place before the next full board meeting.

Give each new board member a board manual before the orientation and have them look it over before attending. This link contains a list of items to include in your board manual. What goes in the board of directors manual?  Don’t overwhelm people with too much information.  

During the orientation,go over some of the key parts of the manual. New members should be encouraged to ask questions.


Here are some items to cover in the orientation. Of course, you should tailor it as needed.

ByLaws and Other Organizational Documents
You don’t need to go over every bylaw, but make sure members are familiar with them,as well other documents such as the 990 and audit forms.

History and Mission
Briefly go over the history and mission of your organization. Give an overview of what your organization does and talk about key programs and accomplishments.  

Strategic Plan
Summarize the main parts of your strategic plan. Be prepared to answer questions the new members may have.

Expectations and Requirements
Revisit some of the expectations and requirements you discussed with your members prior to joining the board. See Board Member Expectations and Requirements  Now is a good time for them to sign their board agreement, if they haven’t already done so.

Committees

Discuss which committee the board member should join. This is often a requirement. The board manual should include committee job descriptions that will help members decide which committee is right for them.  

Key Messaging

Make sure your orientation material includes key organizational messaging – tag lines, talking points,and elevator pitches. Here is some information in case you don’t have organizational messaging  The 4 Cornerstones of an Engaging Message Platform Board members serve as ambassadors of the organization and often meet with funders and other members of the community. They must use your official organizational messaging.

Consider assigning new board members a mentor (someone who has served on the board for more than a year). The mentor can be available to answer questions the new board member may have. After the new member has served for a year, he or she can mentor an incoming board member. This is another way to help board members feel engaged.

TRAINING
New board members may need training in certain areas.Training is not limited to new board members and should be used on an ongoing basis.

Financial
If your new board members don’t have a financial background,give them a finance training. Board members are responsible for the financial well-being of the organization and need to approve the annual budget. Go over all financial forms and budgets to make sure they understand them. 


Fundraising
Board members are often required to fundraise. If your members are not familiar with fundraising, you will need to give them a training. Make sure the training is done by someone experienced in fundraising. Here are some things to include. How Board Members Can Become Effective Fund-Raisers

Messaging
Consistency in messaging is crucial.You could conduct a training where board members practice their elevator pitches.Create role play situations, such as having them talk to potential donors. Here is a more detailed explanation of an exercise. Powerful Elevator Speech Exercise for Your Board Members This can also be an ongoing training.


Ongoing Training
Periodically use your regular board meetings for training. If your meetings are two hours,conduct business during the first hour and do a training during the second hour. Using a consent agenda can help keep your meeting on time. Here is more information What is a consent agenda or consent calendar? Seek input from your members to see what types of training they would like. Some possibilities include leadership,team building,or perhaps a quick fundraising training before your next annual appeal.

In addition to trainings, keep your board members updated on your organization’s accomplishments. Include a brief report with each board meeting agenda. 

Making sure your board members know their role and what your organization does will make them more effective and engaged.

Here is some additional information about Board Orientation and Training.
Orienting and Training Board Members

Board Orientation

In my next post,I will write about the role of boards in fundraising.

For everything you wanted to know about boards, go to Board Source

How to Ensure Effective and Engaged Nonprofit Boards Part Two – Board Member Expectations and Requirements

Ann Green board
How to Ensure Effective and Engaged Nonprofit Boards – Part One – Finding Good Board Members

How to Ensure Effective and Engaged Nonprofit Boards – Part Three – Board Member Orientation and Training


Now that you have found potential board members, you will need to go over expectations and requirements with them.

First, you need to understand the role of a  board member. A board member provides governance and financial oversight.They do not run the day to day operations of the organization. They are also responsible for hiring and evaluating the Executive Director,approving the budget,and strategic planning. 

Knowing what is expected of board members will help you find effective and engaged individuals, and help candidates determine whether serving on your board is right for them.

If you don’t have a set of expectations and requirements for your board members,you should put one together right away. Here are a few of the standard ones to include.

Time Commitment
Approximately how much time is a board member supposed to commit to your organization?  It’s usually several hours a month. Be reasonable in determining this. Remember that board members are busy professionals who are volunteering their time.

Attendance
Board members should be required to attend a majority of full board meetings and committee meetings. This could mean being available for meetings at least once a month. Board members are also expected to attend organizational events. If you have a gala, they need to attend that. Let them know how many other events they should attend.

Fundraising
Most boards have some sort of fundraising requirement,and I will write a separate post about the role of the board in fundraising. At the very least, board members should make a substantial contribution, based on their income level, to the organization.

Serving on a Committee
Many boards require their members to serve on a committee. Different committees can include governance, finance, development, program, and communications.

Serving on a committee is a great way for a board member to feel more engaged, while providing their expertise and skills to the organization.

You may want to consider having potential board members serve on a committee for a period of time, maybe three to six months, before inviting them to join the board. This way you can determine if the person would make a good board member and the individual can decide whether serving on your board will work for them. You don’t want to bring on a great board member who serves for a few months and then realizes they don’t have the time to commit to your organization.

Term Limits
Many boards elect members to three year terms. Some include an option for an additional three years, and then the person is expected to step off the board. This ensures a fresh board. This is something you will need to determine. Will the person be expected to serve for three years?  At the very least, they should make a commitment of one year.

Once you have determined your expectations and requirements, prepare a board member agreement for both the board member and board chair to sign. Here are some samples you can  use.

Board Member Expectations

Nonprofit Center Board Member Expectation Statement

The following link includes a sample agreement you can download.

Roles and Responsibilities of Nonprofit Boards 

After a board member serves for a year, the board chair should look over the agreement to make sure the member is fulfilling his or her requirements. At the same time, the board member can fill out a self evaluation.  Here is a sample.  Individual Board Member Self-Evaluation

If the board member is not fulfilling his or her requirements,the board chair will need to take action, perhaps starting off by talking to the person about steps for improvement. If nothing changes, the board chair can ask the board member to step down. 

This should be done every year for each board member. Of course, in order for this to work, you need a board chair or other board leadership that is willing to make these annual evaluations.  It will take more time, but will help keep your board effective and engaged.

In part three, I will discuss Board Orientation and Training

For more information about boards, go to Board Source


How to Ensure Effective and Engaged Nonprofit Boards – Part One – Finding Good Board Members

Ann Green board

Image by DonkeyHotey via Flickr

How to Ensure Effective and Engaged Nonprofit Boards Part Two – Board Member Expectations and Requirements

How to Ensure Effective and Engaged Nonprofit Boards – Part Three – Board Member Orientation and Training

The ideal board member is someone who is both effective and engaged. When recruiting people for your board, look for individuals who are passionate about your mission and have skills and expertise that will help your organization succeed. You want someone who chooses to be on your board because they are committed to serving the community and not because it looks good on their resume.


There is a popular phrase in the nonprofit world that says board members should offer time, treasure, and talent to an organization. That’s sounds good, but don’t just recruit a potential board member whose only contribution to your organization will be a financial one.

One of the best ways to find new board members is for your current board to hand select them. You may have a nominating or membership committee to do this, but all board members can weigh in. Your board should have a pretty extensive professional network where they can find potential new members.  

You could also consider some of your current donors. After all, they have already made a commitment to your organization. If you do try to recruit donors, again make sure they are able to provide time and talent, and not just treasure.

The Executive Director (ED) sometimes recommends people for the board. This can be tricky, because the ED is accountable to the board.

I have seen some organizations post announcements on listserves trying to recruit board members. I’ve never thought this was a great recruitment method. You would have to spend more time vetting someone to ensure they will be a good match for your organization.

Your board should include people with a diverse set of skills. If your current board is lacking someone with a particular background, say law or finance, then that’s where you should focus your recruitment efforts. For the record, your board does need at least one member with law background and another with financial expertise (who may be your board treasurer).   

Of course, the ideal board consists of people who are reflective of the community you serve, and everyone wants a diverse board, but the top priority should be finding someone who is effective and engaged.

You can use this sample recruitment form to help you identify certain demographic groups and skill sets. Sample Board of Directors Recruitment Grid

After you identify potential candidates,conduct an interview process. This can consist of the applicant filling out a questionnaire and meeting with the nominating committee. At this time, you should go over any expectations and requirements.

In Part Two, I will discuss Board Expectations and Requirements. In the meantime, what are some ways that your organization recruits board members?

Here are some additional resources on recruiting board members.


Guidelines for Recruiting New Board Members

Nonprofit Board Recruitment Strategies

Questions to Ask Prospective Board Members

For everything you wanted to know about nonprofit boards, go to BoardSource  




Fresh Fundraising Ideas

Ann Green Uncategorized

Do you need some fresh fundraising ideas for the new year? Or, maybe it’s time to revisit some that have proven to work.

In her post, Seven quintessential nonprofit resolutions for 2012…and beyond, Pamela Grow gives us tips from creating a solid plan (it’s not enough to have a plan, you need to execute it) to starting a monthly giving program (something you may not have thought of before).

Direct mail is still one of the most common ways to raise money, but you need to do it well. Jeff Brooks shows us How fundraisers are getting it right in the mail These are simple techniques that show results. 

Focus your efforts on your current donors. It should require less effort than trying to find new ones. This post by Sumac talks about Creating the “Perfect Donor Experience”. It’s not just about the ask. Spend time thanking your donors and keeping them updated and engaged. Let them know how they are making a difference.

Speaking of saying thank you, Kivi Leroux Miller highlights Nine Clever Ways to Thank Your Donors. Be creative – don’t just send out the same boring thank you letter. Of course, also let your donors know how their gift is being used to make a difference for the people you serve.


I encourage you to give some of these ideas a try to keep your fundraising fresh.

Create a Style Guide for Your Organization

Ann Green Communications, writing ,

Photo by imelda via Flickr

One way to ensure consistency in your communication materials is to create a style guide.  A style guide can cover both elements of your written material (editorial) and the look of your materials (design). Don’t be intimidated by putting one together. You can create one that’s just a few pages long.

 
Getting Started
You may want to use a published style guide such as the Associated Press (AP) Stylebook (probably best for nonprofit organizations) or the Chicago Manual of Style as your base, and then make additions or changes as needed.  These style guides cover items such as when to use commas (red, white, and blue as opposed to red, white and blue), and when to spell out numbers (one) as opposed to writing them as numerals (1).
 
Fonts
Choose a font that you will use in all of your materials. Serif fonts such as Garamond or Times Roman are best for print, and sans serif fonts such as Ariel or Verdana  work better for online materials. Whatever you decide, choose something that’s easy to read.  Here is some more detailed information on choosing fonts. The Best Fonts to Use in Print, Online, and Email
 
Your Organization
What is the official name of your organization, and what are the acceptable ways to abbreviate it? You could also include your mission statement and a brief history of your organization in your style guide.
 
Language
Figure out language that is specific to your organization. Are you a nonprofit, non profit, or non-profit organization?  Do you serve youth or children?  Are you active in the African-American or African American Community. Is there any language you should never use in your materials?
 
Tag Lines and Key Messages
Include your tag lines and key messages.  If you don’t have these, now is a good time to come up with some.  Be sure whatever you come up with is clear, concise, and conversational. Write in the active voice and don’t use jargon. Include these in all your materials and revisit them (maybe once or twice a year) to make sure they are still relevant.
 
Design
You can also use your style guide to indicate design preferences. Make sure you use the exact same colors in all your materials. Colors have PATONE numbers, which are used by designers and printers. Figure out which ones you will use – here is a guide to help you. Find a PANTONE color You’ll be amazed to see how many shades there are of one color. Having PANTONE numbers will be especially useful if you use more than one print company.
 
Logo
Decide how you want your logo to be sized and where it should be on the page. I recommend you keep your logo in the same place in all your materials to ensure a consistent, recognizable look. You may need to adjust sizing depending on the materials. 
 
Finishing Up
Once you have your style guide in place, go over it with staff, board members, volunteers, and consultants (anyone who might be communicating your message).  Make sure everyone has a copy or that it’s easily accessible on your shared server. When you hire new staff, go over the style guide with them at their orientation.  
 
Creating a style guide will take a little work up front, but it will be worthwhile in the end because your materials will have a consistent message and look. 
 
Here is an example of a style guide that uses AP as a base. VOICEOFSANDIEGO.ORG STYLE GUIDE

Take Time to Plan

Ann Green Uncategorized
Hopefully, your organization has its 2012 plans (operational, fundraising, marketing, program,etc.) in place.  If you don’t, it’s not too late to start.

You might have heard the expression, if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Okay, maybe you won’t actually fail, but you will have a better chance at success if you put together a yearly plan, regularly monitor your progress (I recommend every quarter), evaluate what is working and what isn’t, and make any necessary changes.

Putting together a yearly plan with your goals and objectives doesn’t need to be a daunting process.  A planning tool you can use for your operational  plan is the organizational dashboard. Library of Sample Dashboard Indicators  Of course, you can modify this to meet your needs.

Here is some additional information about operational plans, and how they differ from strategic plans, as well as information about putting together fundraising and marketing plans.

Operational Plans
Frequently Asked Questions about Nonprofit Strategic Planning
Planning – Principles and Practices for Nonprofit Excellence

Fundraising plans
The 7 Questions Your Nonprofit Fundraising Plan Must Answer
6 Steps to a Fundraising Plan for a New Nonprofit

Marketing plans
Nonprofit Marketing Plan Template — Ready-to-Use
Nonprofit Marketing Plan Template

Taking time to plan is time well spent. Good luck with your planning!

Does your Organization Need an Annual Report?

Ann Green Uncategorized
Photo by Eric (aka Herve) via Flickr

Nonprofit organizations are not required to produce an annual report, but I believe your organization will benefit by having one.

The main purpose of an annual report is to highlight your organization’s accomplishments. You don’t need a glossy 20 page document. In fact, if you are a small organization, that would not be a good use of your resources. Instead you can produce, a short (four to six pages), simple piece to send to your supporters. Here are a few things to include in your annual report.

  • Your accomplishments. Don’t overwhelm your readers with a lot of text and statistics. Use pictures, short stories, and quotes. If you run an afterschool program, a couple of pictures showing kids engaged in activities can emphasize the work you are doing. Be sure to show results, too.
  •  Your financials. Include your revenue and expenses, and break them down by department (program, administration, etc.). Keep it simple and use a pie chart or bar graph. 
  •  A donor list. You may want to just list your major donors in the printed piece and include all donors on your website. Generally, organizations will group donors by giving level. 
  • Say thank you. In the brief introduction by the Executive Director and Board Chair and in the donor section, be sure to thank all your supporters. 

You don’t need to mail your annual report to all your supporters. You may want to mail it just to your major donors. Put your annual report on your website, and then let everyone know it’s available. You could send out a special e-mail announcement or include something about your annual report in your newsletter. Of course, you should make a hard copy available to anyone who wants one. You should also have hard copies available for potential funders and other supporters.

If you choose not to produce an annual report, you should still have a list of accomplishments readily available. You often need these for grant proposals, anyway. I recommend keeping a running list, so you are not scrambling to put something together when it’s time to do your annual report or a grant proposal. This can also help you get your annual report out earlier in the new year.

Show Gratitude

Ann Green Uncategorized
Saying the words thank you can be very powerful. We all know how important it is for nonprofit organizations to thank their donors. Each day that you get a donation, set aside time to send out great thank you letters. In addition, recognize your donors in your newsletters and annual report. But thank yous go beyond your donors. Who else should you thank?

Before we get to that, a few notes about showing gratitude.

  • Make sure it’s sincere. Don’t thank someone unless they deserve it. 
  • Make it specific. Thank someone for a particular task or something they did – Thank you for supporting our auction. Thank you for all your work on the grant proposal.
  • Beware of overkill. If you thank people too much, it won’t sound genuine. Remember to make it sincere and specific. 

Now, here are some people to thank.

Volunteers
After all, your volunteers are not being paid to help with office work, write newsletter articles, or work on events. They need a reason to keep coming in. Besides a verbal thank you, you could bring in treats for your volunteers or take them out to lunch.

Board Members
Board members are often busy professionals, as well as being volunteers. Board members are expected to make a commitment to serve your organization, and they deserve thanks for that. You can thank them individually for helping with a certain task and as a group in your newsletter or annual report.

Staff Members 
If you are a manager, don’t forget to thank your staff members for a job well done. People thrive on praise. Besides individual thank yous, find a way to thank the whole staff, such as having occasional group lunches.

Your Manager
Most managers want their staff members to succeed and would be thrilled if you thanked them for their support and guidance. Remember to be sincere and don’t suck up.

Your Colleagues 
Thank your colleagues if they provide you with information for a report or help you with something that just made your life a whole lot easier. It makes for a more congenial workplace.

Other Supporters
In your newsletter, you can thank other supporters for attending an event or calling their legislators about an issue. People always like to feel appreciated for what they have done.

It’s really quite simple to say thank you, yet at the same time it can be very powerful.

Image by woodleywonderworks via Flickr

Don’t Ask for Money in your Newsletter

Ann Green Uncategorized
Photo by elvinj via Flickr

Some organizations will put a fundraising appeal in their newsletter. I think that’s a bad idea. Your newsletter is one of the many ways to thank your donors. It should showcase your programs and clients – demonstrate to donors how their money is being spent (without actually saying that). Your newsletter is not an appropriate fundraising venue for a couple of reasons:

  • A good portion of your communications with donors and other supporters needs to be something other than a fundraising appeal. Many donors feel that the only time a nonprofit organization is in touch with them is when they are asking for money.
  • A fundraising appeal can get lost in a newsletter. To get the most out of your fundraising appeals, send separate, specific messages. Instead of including a reminder in your electronic newsletter for people to send in their annual appeal, send a separate e-mail message.


Even worse than including a fundraising appeal in your newsletter, is sticking a donation envelope inside your annual report. Your annual report is the ultimate thank you to your donors. It’s a place to list your accomplishments, tell stories about your clients and programs, show how your funds are being spent, and even include a list of donors. It’s not a place to ask for money.

I once received a donation envelope inside a holiday card that I received from a nonprofit organization. Not good. Holiday cards are great way to reach out to donors and other supporters, but leave the fundraising appeal out of it.

Of course, fundraising is very important, but don’t include donor appeals in your newsletter or annual report. Send out separate appeals. They will be more effective if you do.

Gotta Love Guidestar!

Ann Green Uncategorized

Are you familiar with Guidestar? Their mission is to “revolutionize philanthropy by providing information that advances transparency, enables users to make better decisions, and encourages charitable giving.” Guidestar’s website contains a wealth of valuable information. I should note that Guidestar is not paying me to say any of this. I just think it’s a great resource. Here’s why:

  • If you want to research a foundation, Guidestar’s free database will give you access to the foundation’s 990 form . The 990 is a form that tax exempt organizations file with the IRS. It will give you information on the foundation’s assets and grantees. This can help you to determine whether your organization is a good fit for a potential grant and how much money to request. 
  • The 990 form can also be useful when you are applying for a job and want to see the organization’s operating budget and other financial information. It also includes salaries of the highest paid individuals. This is helpful when determining whether the organization’s salary levels will meet your needs. 
  • Besides access to the organization’s 990 forms, Guidestar offers free webinars on a variety of topics. They also have a great bi-weekly newsletter to keep you up-to-date on different nonprofit trends. The website contains back issues of the newsletter, as well as blogs and other information. 

I hope you will take a look at Guidestar. Let me know about any other resources you like to use.