Many nonprofit organizations struggle to maintain a full and engaged board of directors. If your board meets frequently, has high attendance expectations, and asks members to perform significant “homework,” you may have difficulty recruiting and retaining members. Qualified individuals are generally busy with work, family, and other activities, and may not have enough free time to devote to all of the obligations expected of board members. However, by dividing responsibilities into committees, you can help board members feel less burdened while also retaining longer. Committee work provides additional benefits, as well.
Reduced Workload and Increased Investment
A common and effective way to divide board responsibilities is by function, such as finance, fundraising, and governance. In addition to potentially decreasing board member workload, committee work allows members with specific abilities or expertise (e.g., financial, legal, marketing, and IT) to directly apply their talents where most needed. For instance, if modernizing your nonprofit’s IT network, why not delegate the task to a technology committee with members that have the experience and skills required to research and select new hardware and software?
Dividing board duties into committees might also help you recruit new members. For example, an otherwise reluctant physician may be persuaded to join a nonprofit hospital board if one of the committees is working to implement policies that the doctor supports. Committees can also help orient new members — allowing them to work closely with committee mentors and become invested in your organization’s activities.
Work of a Dedicated Group
For an example of how to maximize a committee’s activity, consider a board member nominating committee. Nominating committees often evaluate board membership requirements, gather candidate names, interview prospective members, and offer recommendations.
To assist with recruitment, the committee may create a summary for prospective applicants that covers topics such as your organization’s mission and programs, its history and evolution, board member roles, and potential committee assignments. After interested applicants have reviewed the summary, committee members may offer to answer questions or clarify points. If candidates choose to proceed, members could schedule interviews with the entire committee or individual committee members. The committee can then recommend the most qualified candidates to the full board for a vote.
This technique allows board members with a specific interest in recruiting to thoroughly immerse themselves and use their specific skill sets. At the same time, board members with other interests might want to avoid the time-consuming process of finding new members.
Permanent and Ad Hoc
Although some committees may become permanent fixtures on your board (such as executive, finance, and nominating), you can also form temporary, ad hoc committees. For example, if you want to build a new facility, you could form a committee to oversee the process from site selection until opening day. Contact us for additional information, or if you are searching for a board member with accounting expertise.
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