Building Your Best BoardBuilding Your Best BoardBuilding Your Best BoardA 2‐part webinar series: October 2 & 9, 2013

Building Your Best BoardA 2‐part webinar series: October 2 & 9, 2013

Thank you for joining us We will begin in few minutesThank you for joining us. We will begin in few minutes. Please check your speakers/phone connection.                  If you experience any problems please let us know byIf you experience any problems, please let us know by typing in the questionbox.Follow the OEC on Twitter: @OhioEnviro.Follow the OEC on Twitter: @OhioEnviro.                          The hashtag for this webinar is #OECwebinar

Building Your Best BoardBuilding Your Best BoardPart I: Board Roles & Best Practices for Board Development

Building Your Best BoardA 2‐part webinar series: October 2 & 9, 2013

Kristy Meyer

Ohio Environmental Council

Francisco Ollervides & Diana Toledo 

River Network

Peter Lane & Nancy Oswald

Institute for Conservation Leadership

Goals of Webinar series

By the end of this Series you will be able to:

1. Reflect on the roles and responsibilities of a nonprofit Board and assess areas where your own Board can be strengthened

2. Identify steps you can take to strengthen your organization’s Board recruitment and orientation practices

3. Identify the benefits of a board governance plan and know 5 things every plan should include 

4. Consider steps to engage your board in building a plan

5. Create accountability mechanisms to ensure progress

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y p g

ChatLast week recap‐

What did you learnWhat did you learn about your organization 

d B d?and Board?

4

Typical Board Roles (Governance)

1. Ensures ongoing viability of the organization2 Connects to the community2. Connects to the community3. Makes decisions & sets policies that define how 

the org carries out its Missionthe org. carries out its Mission4. Manages the organization

5. Manages the organization’s finances

6. Ensures effective planningp g

7. Monitors and evaluates Programs 

58. Assesses its own work and replaces itself

Typical Board Roles

Where does your BoardWhere does your Board spend most of its time?p

6

Annual Plan for the Board

• Why an annual plan• Why an annual plan for the board?

• What it is and isn’t

7

Annual Plan for the Board

Benefits

• Identifies the most important work ahead for the board (big picture)

• Clarifies what the board expects of members and committeesT k h k f d• Takes the guess work out of agendas

• Raises likelihood the board will fulfill its duties & meet its goalsmeet its goals

• Keeps (or shifts) focus on governance• Helps the board hold itself accountable

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Helps the board hold itself accountable

Annual Governance Plan for your Board

What to Include• “Big 5” categories for “planned attention”

1. Strategy and trends (big picture)2 Board development goals2. Board development goals3. Monitoring the organization’s performance (goals, $, 

programs, etc.)4. Managing the performance of the board 

and its committees5 Major “must‐dos” from policies bylaws other requirements5. Major  must dos  from policies, bylaws, other requirements

• What, when, success measures, responsible partyi l

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• Committee plans 

Sample Board Action PlanWhen Performance or Success  Who is Responsible

What We Will Accomplish

Deadline, quarterly, key board meeting dates, etc.

Measuresp

Committee or ad‐hoc group, point person, etc.

1 Elect new board Q1 Identify needs 3 b th t Nominating Committee1. Elect new board members

Q1 – Identify needsQ2 – Propose slate

3 new members that provide needed skills

Nominating Committee

2. Decide whether to  Q2 – Identify issues Decision made, meets Ad‐hoc Committeeexpand to Butler County

Q3 – Identify options & criteriaQ4 – Decide

agreed upon criteria

3. Review org’n's performance on annual goals

Q2, Q4 Reviewed on schedule and decisions made

Full board, with preparation from Exec. Cmte and Staff

f l hl d4. Increase financial oversight

Monthly: meetings and budget reports

Reduced variationIncreased confidenceClean audit

Finance Committee (reactivate)

i h l l h i i h i5. Improve oversight and support of Exec. Director

Q1 – Set annual goalsQ3 – Feedback, inputQ4 ‐ Conduct review, set new goals

Exec. Dir.  and Board satisfaction with support and feedback (debrief)

Chair with review committee

Sample Board Action PlanWhen Performance or Success Who is Responsible

What We Will Accomplish Deadline, quarterly, key board meeting dates, etc.

Performance or Success Measures

Committee or ad‐hoc group, point person, etc.

1 Elect new board Q1 Identify needs 3 b th t Nominating Committee1. Elect new board members

Q1 – Identify needsQ2 – Propose slate

3 new members that provide needed skills

Nominating Committee

2. Decide whether to d t B tl C t

Q2 – Identify issuesQ3 Id tif ti &

Decision made, meets Ad‐hoc Committeeexpand to Butler County Q3 – Identify options & 

criteriaQ4 – Decide

agreed upon criteria

3. Review org’n's performance on annual goals

Q2, Q4 Reviewed on schedule and decisions made

Full board, with preparation from Exec. Cmte and Staff

4 I fi i l M hl i d Fi C i4. Increase financial oversight

Monthly: meetings and budget reports

Reduced variationIncreased confidence

Clean audit

Finance Committee (reactivate)

5. Improve oversight and support of Exec. Director

Q1 – Set annual goalsQ3 – Feedback, inputQ4 ‐ Conduct review, set new goals

Exec. Dir.  and Board satisfaction with 

support & feedback (d b i f)

Chair with review committee

Committee Plans 

Wh d1. Clear scope  and  charge for the 

year (or next 6 mos )What do committees

year (or next 6 mos.)

2. Role of the board on major tasks• Do it

need to be• Do it 

keep us posted or little reporting needed

successful? • Input• Approval• Help us decide (as a full board)

3. Approval of their plans4. Leadership

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4. Leadership

Sample Committee Annual PlanFundraising Committeeg

What We Will AccomplishWhenDeadline, quarter, key board meeting

Full Board Role(s)Approve, give input, report to, none needed

Performance or Success Measures

board meeting dates, etc.

needed

1. Identify resource and staff  Feb Approve Approved, doablesupport needs, refine plans as needed

2 Board training on asks Apr Participate Increased confidence in2. Board training on asks, donor meetings, opening doors

Apr Participate Increased confidence in fundraising roles

3. Summer FR event July Input, Participate $10,000 netVolunteers outside board engaged

4. Raise board match for the fall FR campaign

Sept Give or raise $ $5,000  total100% board participation

How to Create your Plan

Identify what you need to  Reviewy yaccomplish as a board

1. Brainstorm ideas

ExecutiveDirector Salary

Review for• Use 5 areas, minutes, or bylaws as prompts

• Tip: 6” x 8” sticky notesHold Arton River

Review forAllison

• Tip: 6  x 8  sticky notes

2. Organize similar ideas together and clarify 

on RiverFundraiser Board

Electionsg yintentions

3. Decide what to include Recruit Board Memberwith Fi a ewith FinanceSkills

Questions?

15

How to Create your Plan

Assign work to committees or ad‐hoc groupsor ad hoc groups 

– Identify tasks that need clarificationclarification

– Charge committees with returning with their annual gplans, if needed 

S h d l d t t iSchedule dates to review and approve the annual plan and committee plans

Creating Accountability

1. Ask, “How will we keep , pour plans moving and be accountable to each other?”

2. Schedule milestones and tasks in board agendas

3. Refer to the plan at imeetings

4. Board president oversight and omm ni ation

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and communication

Creating Accountability

What is the appropriate role of staff?What is the appropriate role of staff?

18

Review and Questions

1. Reflect on the roles and responsibilities of a nonprofit Board and assess areas where your own Board can be strengthened

2. Identify steps you can take to strengthen your organization’s Board recruitment and orientation practices

3. Identify the benefits of a board governance plan and know 5 things every plan should include 

4. Consider steps to engage your board in building a plan

5. Create accountability mechanisms to ensure progress

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Next StepsNext Steps

What seems most important pfor you to do next?next?

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Upcoming Programs & Resources

Custom Designed Services

Si t I t i PSignature Intensive Programs1. Leading from Within 20142. Executive Leadership Development Program 2014

Distance Learning1. Leading Coalitions and Networks (February-March 2014)2 E l ti Y I t (M h A il 2014)2. Evaluating Your Impact (March-April 2014)

Online Resources1. Benchmarking Your Organization’s Development (workbooks

for staffed and all-volunteer groups)2. Expectations of Exec. Director, Board, & President, other tools

21www.icl.org

Thank you!  Please give us feedback by 

l i h h illcompleting the survey that will pop up after the webinar endspop up after the webinar ends.  

Please contact us!

Institute for Conservation River NetworkLeadership (ICL)Nancy Oswald

Ph (301) 270 2904Paco Ollervides

Phone: (914) 400 8210Phone: (301) 270-2904Email: nancy@icl.org

Peter Lane

Phone: (914) 400-8210Email: FOllervides@rivernetwork.org

Diana ToledoPhone: (301) 270-2903Email: peter@icl.org

Phone: (828) 258-2109Email:Dtoledo@rivernetwork.org

Kristy Meyer, Ohio Environmental Council, KMeyer@theOEC.org