Prepare to share your skills with the organization

• Published date: 01 November 2017
• Date: 01 November 2017
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1002/ban.30574

B&A For Board Members

DOI 10.1002/ban © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., A Wiley Company • All rights reserved

Leading with Intent 2017 reveals a problem

with board composition

BoardSource’s Leading with Intent: 2017 Nation-

al Index of Nonprofit Board Practices has both good

and bad news for nonprofit boards.

BoardSource President and CEO Ann Wallestad

wrote in a recent blog post about a call to action

for the nonprofit sector:

“While there are some encouraging trends worth

highlighting—most notably a significant expansion

of board engagement in advocacy—the study also

laid bare some disturbing truths about board at-

titudes and actions regarding racial diversity.”

Wallestad wrote more on this topic in a Nonprof-

it Quarterly article: “What comes next will vary for

different organizations. What we’re looking for here

is no mere surface-level diversity, [but] an actual

identity change through an expansion of mindset.”

BoardSource found the following in Leading

with Intent 2017:

• With current recruitment practices and pri-

orities, the lack of diversity on boards is unlikely

to change.

• A strong understanding of programs is linked

to stronger engagement, strategy and external

leadership—including fundraising.

• Boards that regularly assess their perfor-

mance do better on core responsibilities.

To download Leading with Intent 2017, go to

http://goo.gl/2GvaL2. ■

Prepare to share your skills with the organization

The board supports the organization in at least three

distinct ways: (1) strategic thinking and consultation, (2)

development and (3) advocacy.

Every board member brings unique skills, expertise, and

personal or professional experiences that will benet the

organization and impact the mission in a positive way.

This is designed to create an active, engaged board that not

only is mindful of its governance responsibilities, but acts as

advocates for and consultants and resources to the organization.

Directors may be asked at various times over the course

of their terms to weigh in on specic matters or contribute

expertise to specic projects. The needs of the organization

and timing of these “asks” will determine when this happens

and are unpredictable. Each board member should under-

stand that levels of engagement will naturally tend to ebb

and ow over the course of his or her tenure.

While some organizations see their board of directors sim-

ply as a fundraising board—a “give, get or get off board”—the

organization has chosen not to employ this model.

Organizations that do function in this way will most often

then have a secondary “advisory board” to act as support

for the staff and advocates for the organization. This dual

paradigm is antithetical to the inclusive and community-based

ethos of the organization. ■

New Year’s resolutions for board members

My New Year’s resolutions to help our organiza-

tion:

1. As a board member, I will personally make a

cash gift this year totaling: __________________

• I would prefer ______ monthly installments

______ quarterly installments ______ one payment

2. In addition, I would like to:

• Include the organization in my will

• Make a gift of life insurance

• Give stocks, bonds or securities

• Make a deferred gift

3. I would like to help the board reach its fund-

raising goal this year by:

• Identifying new donors

• Soliciting donors

• Serving on a fundraising committee

• Assisting with special events

• Recruiting new board members with connec-

tions, fundraising experience

• Marketing our organization

• Advocating for our organization with legislators

• Other: ____________________________________

Signature ___________________________________

Date ________________________________________ ■