Pandemic forces nonprofits to get creative with board orientations
| Date | 01 March 2021 |
| Published date | 01 March 2021 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1002/ban.31217 |
2 Board & Administrator
DOI 10.1002/ban © 2021 Wiley Periodicals LLC • All rights reserved
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Pandemic forces nonprots to get
creative with board orientations
Nonprofits have had to get creative
on many fronts to weather the pub-
lic health challenges posed by the
COVID-19 pandemic in the last year.
From adapting their fundraising
galas to a virtual platform, to finding
new ways to utilize their volunteers,
charities have gone to great lengths
to comply with the strictures placed
on them to avoid in-person contact
with others.
How they introduce their new
board members to their operations
has also been a challenge—especially
for organizations with public-facing
programming.
Take, for example, a small North-
west-based nonprofit that helps the
working homeless in its commu-
nity identify and access available
services, such as temporary and
low-income housing, food, transpor-
tation, childcare and others meant
to help them get on their feet. With
a small staff and handful of volun-
teers at its disposal, the organiza-
tion has been able to keep serving
its constituency by taking all of the
precautions suggested by public
health officials—wearing masks,
keeping six feet of distance, washing
hands frequently. They understand
there is still a risk of infection, but
they are committed to their mis-
sion and, so far, have remained
COVID-free.
The question of bringing on a
couple of new board members,
however, has the group’s executive
director wondering if the usual site
visits that are crucial to its board
orientation should be shelved for
now. While the staff and volunteers
are OK with the added risk that
its programming entails—direct
contact with a homeless population,
which is especially vulnerable to
COVID due to a lack of hygiene and
cramped spaces—its board mem-
bers don’t have to engage directly
with these people and be subjected
to such conditions.
According to board governance
expert Carol Weisman, there are nu-
merous ways to induct a new board
member, and this organization’s
usual method—a series of site vis-
its—is the best. But as it’s especially
hazardous right now, she suggests
finding one of several ways to work
around it.
“The most important question to
ask before orientation is what the
new board member’s experience with
homelessness has been,” Weisman
told Board & Administrator. “I was
lectured about hemophilia when I
joined a board and had worked as
a social worker in the field for five
years. The orientation committee
also did not realize that I had co-
authored the book for parents that
they referenced, incorrectly! Be sure
you ask why this person joined your
board and what information they
already have, either professionally or
personally.”
Weisman had several other sug-
gestions to suit these circumstances.
“Is there a film or book that aptly
describes the life of someone who is
homeless or a homeless family? If
so, consider asking the whole board
to read the book or watch the movie
and discuss it on a Zoom call,” Weis-
man said.
“Ask your staff if there is an
individual or a group they serve
that would be willing to be on a
continued on page 8
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