Board members enrich their service outside the boardroom

• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1002/ban.31099
• Date: 01 May 2020
• Published date: 01 May 2020

B&A For Board Members

DOI 10.1002/ban © 2020 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., A Wiley Company • All rights reserved

Board members enrich their service

outside the boardroom

The board member who finds genuine satisfac-

tion in serving on a nonprofit board because of

board meetings is…yet to be heard from. Board

members want to do more than just attend meet-

ings when they commit to joining a board.

When executive directors find ways to put board

members to use outside of board meetings, they

help them get the most out of their time on the

board—and keep them satisfied, motivated and

enthused about service at your organization. When

board members feel this way about their time on

the board, you’ll retain their services and benefit

the organization.

Here are some ways nonprofit boards make im-

portant contributions to their organizations:

• Make valuable fund development contacts.

Executive Director Sharon Chesna (Bingham-

ton, NY) said she asked a board member who

works at a large engineering firm for entrée into

the company’s grants committee. “The board

member helped me make connections with the

head of their community fund, and encouraged

him to invite me to speak at their committee

meeting,”

The board member attended the committee

meeting with Chesna, and shared her perspec-

tive on the organization’s work. “Because [we

were] both there, we received a $2,500 dona-

tion,” she said.

• Share their professional expertise with the

client base. Chesna’s organization conducts

programs for families at family resource centers.

“A number of board members have agreed to

present ‘talk times’ to share information,” she

said. For instance, a banker facilitated sessions

on home buying and developing a home bud-

get, while another member provided educational

child health information, and others read to

children, Chesna said.

• Use board committees to put skills to use.

Chesna said that through committees, board

members enjoy the opportunity to share their

expertise in areas like finance, personnel policy

development and bylaws review. “Members who

become involved in our fund development com-

mittee are often willing to help draft materials

and letters for donor campaigns,” she said. “One

member has coordinated the theme for our an-

nual silent auction and made it unique by en-

couraging everyone to donate something that they

purchased during a vacation.”

• Use board sub-committees. As a sub-com-

mittee of the organization’s fund development

committee, the annual golf tournament com-

mittee provides an opportunity for board mem-

bers to solicit local businesses as sponsors and

prize donors, recruit teams or play in the event,

Chesna said.

• Serve on community task forces. Execu-

tive Director Thelma Watson (Richmond, VA)

said a board member is co-chair of a leadership

council for a services coordination project in the

community.

• Invite board members to speak at special

events. “This year, one of our board members

will be our keynote speaker at our fundraiser

called the ‘Empty Plate Luncheon,’” Watson

said.

• Design organization logos. “At various times,

I have asked board members to think about revis-

ing our agency logo,” Chesna said. “As a result,

one member gave us three new logo options to

choose from.”

• Put Web site skills to use. One of Chesna’s

board members reviewed the organization’s Web

site and suggested revisions.

• Donate professional skills. A lawyer on

Chesna’s board reviewed the lease on the orga-

nization’s new building. “This saved us at least

$1,000 in legal fees,” she said.

• Tap their friends for services. During a

strategic planning retreat, Chesna told the board

of the need to upgrade the organization’s com-

puters. “Three members reached out to family

or other personal connections, which resulted

in free services of a computer consultant for six

months, and the donation of four computers from

a local company that was upgrading their com-

puters,” Chesna said.

Do you have any suggestions for creating board

involvement outside of meetings? Send them to me

at: jeff_stratton@msn.com. ■