Sitting vs. Serving: 10 Ways to Be a Better Board Member

 

No matter what type of nonprofit you’re with, what their mission is, or whether it has a governing or a working board, there are standards and expectations that come with the job of being a board member. Nonprofits are constantly on the lookout for amazing community members who might climb the not-so-corporate ladder and rise from being a general volunteer to serving on the Board of Directors. Unfortunately, sometimes people rise up only to “sit” on the Board of Directors.

If you suspect you’re a “sitter”, I urge you to stand up and engage in a level of service that your nonprofit craves. Here’s a checklist of 10 ways to ensure you’re serving your organization:

ü  Attend ALL board meetings. Sometimes life gets in the way, I get that, but most likely when you agreed to become a board member someone told you when board meetings would be; add them to your calendar in advance and please don’t make excuses regarding scheduling conflicts.

ü  Feel the mission. Hopefully you’ve been onboarded/oriented properly and know what the mission of your organization is, but does it excite you? Are you passionate about the work this nonprofit does? It’s great if you are able to go out into the community and recite the mission statement, but you get beaucoup bonus points if you can show how much you feel the mission when you talk about it.

ü  Make a financial contribution to the organization out of your own pocket. It may seem silly to you but it means A LOT that board members donate personal funds to a nonprofit. In some cases, grant funders will require 100% “board buy-in” from an organization to be eligible for funding. It’s also a great way to show you truly believe in the mission and the work of the organization.

ü  Join a committee. Most likely your organization has multiple committees set up to do mission-related work, administrative activities or other strategic or leadership initiatives. There’s no better way to get a really good feel for the organization than to roll up your sleeves and get your hands dirty. It helps the organization get more done and also gives you a more comprehensive understanding of what this nonprofit does.

ü  Talk up the organization. All that committee work and personal donating you’ve done should make you really proud…and give you more to brag about when you’re talking to friends, neighbors, colleagues and more. The best board members are out there raising awareness for their nonprofit, gaining community interest and involvement.

ü  Recruit volunteers. Have you ever heard the expression “many hands make light work”? Well, it’s true. All of the committee work and efforts for organizational activities gets done much more quickly and efficiently when we all pitch in. And your words have weight, after all, you’re one of THE TOP volunteers of the organization. So build your team, ask people to join you in lifting up this organization by donating their time.

ü  Recruit new donors. Organizations definitely need bodies and hands for doing all the work, but as we all know: money makes the world go round. Think of your nonprofit as a business; without profitability a business won’t be “in business” long, will it? The same principles apply to your organization. It’s a much easier ask when you’re out and about fundraising when you can say you’re leading by example as a current donor. It helps people open their wallets when they know the person asking them to contribute has done so themselves.

ü  Don’t accept the status quo. I’ve heard a lot of board members push back on change; saying things like, “But we’ve always done it this way.” Be a board member who has the organization’s best interests at heart and be forward thinking; think about things strategically and from different angles, ask questions, make suggestions and be willing to participate in conversations.

ü  Keep an eye on the books. You may or may not be the Treasurer of the organization, but you need to make sure your nonprofit is financially sound. You’re not overstepping if you ask to see the accounts, financial statements, or for any specific financial data; it’s actually part of your fiscal and fiduciary responsibilities as a board member.

ü  Picking the next in line. I’ve always thought that the best board members know the best next board members. If you’ve made it through this check list with your head held high and you’re feeling might proud of yourself right now – you should be! It also means that you’re the perfect person to ensure the future success of the organization by identifying future awesome board members. Look to the volunteers and committee members next and seek out people who have passion, integrity and a sense of honesty and commitment, just like you do. It’s the best way to ensure your nonprofit will enjoy a board filled with dedicated and service-oriented community members for years to come.