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Board Training Essentials

Presented for Stevenson, Inc.June 2, 2010

Alice L. Ferris, ACFREJames S. Anderson

GoalBusters Consulting, LLCwww.goalbusters.net

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Poll Question

What is your primary role today? Board member Top nonprofit executive-Executive Director,

President, CEO, etc. Nonprofit manager-Director of Development,

Marketing Manager, etc. Support staff Other

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Your goals

What questions would you like answered today?

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Our goals for today

Board roles and responsibilities Assessment Tools for training

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Our Philosophy about Boards

Board members are the organization's top leadership

Recruit and retain these leaders just like you would recruit your top executive: take it seriously!

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Gallup's Employee Satisfaction Survey

12 questions summarized I know what is expected of me I have the tools and training to do what I need to do Someone recognizes and seems to care about my

work The mission is important to me and I can make a

difference within it I have had opportunities to learn and grow

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What is expected of me:

Board roles and responsibilities

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What do boards do? Selects and evaluates executive Determines mission and vision Sets organizational policy Ensures effective organizational planning Monitors programs & services Promotes organization in community Ensures and manages adequate resources

Managing what we have Going and getting more

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What should boards NOT do?

Micromanage staff Be involved in the minutia of day-to-day

operations Change the mission and vision too frequently Bad-mouth the organization or its decisions Ignore financial responsibilities

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What can boards do if they want to?

Volunteer in program services Speak on behalf of the organization in public

relations situations Ask people for money

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Board Recruitment:

Proper training begins at the beginning!

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Who should you recruit?

People first, then skills Need to care about the mission/your organization Need to be a good personality fit Need to have time available

Preferred skills Business savvy Nonprofit volunteer experience

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How should you recruit? Take it seriously Invitation: don't make it seem like a sure thing

(even if it is) Interview: get a board member or several

involved Selection: review assessment matrix and select

based on match Nomination: explain expectations up front Acceptance: provide orientation

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Board Assessment:

Determining your training needs

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What are we measuring?

Knowledge base Availability or willingness to provide access to

that knowledge base Diversity Length of tenure Performance General attitude/satisfaction with one's role

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Knowledge Base

Financial Legal Nonprofit

management Program

understanding Marketing Audience connection

Client Fundraising Business community Leadership Technical knowledge

about your mission Others?

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Availability

Don't always go to the people who do what you need for a living and expect them to donate time

Assess comfort level with using their knowledge base for your organization

Determine how much time they realistically have available to provide their knowledge

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Diversity

Beyond standard race categories Age Geographic distribution Political persuasion Faith Employment background More...

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Length of Tenure

Importance of term limits Staggering board terms

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Performance: Self Evaluation

Ranking questions (scale of agreement): The board has a full and common understanding of

the roles and responsibilities of a board Board members understand the mission and

programs The board has clear goals and action steps

resulting from annual planning The board receives regular reports on and

understands finances and budgets, program performance, and other important matters

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Performance: Self Evaluation

Ranking questions (scale of agreement): The board is actively involved in fundraising The board effectively represents the organization to

the community Each member of the board appears to be involved

and interested in the organization's work

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Performance: Self Evaluation Yes or no questions

I attend meetings regularly and participate in discussions

I feel informed about the mission and vision and support it

I contribute my time to the best of my ability I contribute money to the best of my ability I am serving on a committee or task force I encourage others to support when I can I find my participation to be rewarding I am satisfied with my current contributions

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Gap Analysis

What gaps are because people are missing? Knowledge base for professional skills Availability Diversity

What gaps are because people don't have the training or tools? Knowledge base for fundraising and nonprofit board

governance Performance and attitude

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Board Training: Opportunities to learn and grow

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Adult Learning PrinciplesDr. BJ Bischoff, AFP Faculty Training Academy

Focus on “real world” problems Emphasize how the learning can be applied Relate the learning to the learners' goals Relate the materials to the learners' past experiences Allow debate and challenge of ideas Listen to and respect the opinions of learners Encourage learners to be resources to you and to

each other Treat learners like adults

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Training format:Half Day or All Day Retreat

Advantages Concentrated time More comprehensive

information Opportunity for hands

on practice Possibly more focus

from participants

Disadvantages Hard to get people to

commit People who need to be

there most will be the ones that don't come!

Distracting if people come and go

Brain burnout by end of day

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Training format:Add on to Board Meeting

Advantages They're already there Focused on one topic Short, concentrated

information

Disadvantages Depending on where

you place it, people may leave or come late

May not be enough time to fully develop concept

Probably not as much time for exercises and activities

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Training format:One on One

Advantages Customization Focused

Disadvantages That's a lot of trainings Consistency of

message People who need it

most won't participate

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Training Environment

Participant comfort Use of handouts: all at once v. hand them out

as you need them Vary teaching methods

Lecture Discussion Activities

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So what do we want to learn?

What the staff wants to teach

What the board wants to learn

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So what do we want to learn?

What the staff wants to teach Major gift fundraising

What the board wants to learn Programmatic

planning and implementation

Impact on community How to read financials Special event

fundraising

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Teaching about Program Operations

Points to cover How your organization is structured What you do

Teaching tool: can be add-on or all day Staff introductions Site tour Immersion program: “A Day in the Life” “Mission minute”

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Sample Immersion Program

Breakfast with the Executive Director Sign any disclaimers if needed

Site tour Extended stops in areas that are most “hands on”

or most directly seen by the public Make it “exclusive”: provide access to areas not

normally open to the public if possible Conclude with refreshments and debrief

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Teaching about Financials

Points to cover Difference between balance sheet and income

statement Where your revenues come from Where your expenses go to

Teaching tool: add-on or during orientation Use mock financials for balance sheet/income

statement discussion Use pie charts

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Sample Financials

Foundations

Corporate

Direct mail

Special events

Major gifts

Fees for service

Government grants

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Teaching about Fundraising Points to cover

General philanthropic information, like Giving USA stats

What portion of operating budget is dependent on successful fundraising

What tools you are using now What tools you would like to use What roles can they play

Connector Expert Closer

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Teaching about Fundraising Teaching tools: can be add-on or half to

all day Structured discussion Role play

Scripted role play Team role play

Game show http://jeopardylabs.com/

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Sample Half Day Training

Breakfast with all development personnel Introductions and icebreaker

What's the most unique thing you ever donated to a nonprofit (or heard about being donated)

General information: can do this as a game show if people are more savvy National trends Our trends Tools we're using now

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Sample Half Day Training

Tools you want to use or tools you want to better implement

Role identification (connector, expert, closer) Role play exercises Debriefing and refreshments

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Orientation

Important first step to establish expectation of ongoing training

Demonstrates commitment and seriousness

Points to cover “Socialization” Program operations Board manual Expectations Financials Major issues Board mentor

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Orientation agenda

Recommend half to full day Breakfast with current board (45 minutes) Staff introductions and site tour

If half day, 30 minutes If full day, 1 hour or up to half day if conducting the

immersion program

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Orientation agenda

Review board manual (30-60 minutes) Meeting schedule Board roster Policies Past minutes (for later review) Conflict of interest policy statement for signature Expectations of the board, including financial

commitment form

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Orientation agenda

Review financials from last board meeting (30 minutes) Financial basics (pie charts)

Where our money comes from Where it goes

Preferably ask the current board treasurer to present

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Orientation agenda

Major issues (15 minutes to an hour) Are there any pending or in progress discussions

that you wouldn't want to walk into the middle of and feel uninformed?

Board president should facilitate this discussion

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Orientation agenda

Assign a board mentor Preferably someone they know Have them join at lunch or assign at breakfast if half

day Expect follow up from board mentor within 10 days

and at least one day prior to next board meeting

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Questions

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GoalBusters Consulting LLC

Alice L. Ferris, MBA, ACFREalice.ferris@goalbusters.net

James S. Andersonjim.anderson@goalbusters.net

www.goalbusters.netTwitter: goalbusters

Facebook: facebook.com/goalbusters