Philanthropy Front and Center-Atlanta

Resources for Developing Your Nonprofit Board

Recruiting board members is an important step in starting a new nonprofit organization. Building a strong nonprofit board, however, requires more than just this initial step. Board development should be an ongoing process that includes orientation, training, evaluation, and the cultivation of prospective board members. With that in mind, here are some resources to help your board development practices:

• BoardSource's Knowledge Center includes answers to frequently asked questions about recruitment and other board development topics in the Recruitment and Orientation section of its Q&As.


• CompassPoint Nonprofit Services houses the Board Café Archives at its web site. Archived articles on board recruitment and development can be found under the heading Board Members: recruiting, diversity. Current issues of Board Café can be found in the online magazine Blue Avocado.


• The Free Management Library from Authenticity Consulting, LLC, contains links and resources on a variety of topics related to organizational management. Sections on Staffing the Board and Board Orientation/Training list resources related to board development, including sample worksheets, FAQs, and topical articles.


• The Community Driven Institute's online NonProfit Library offers articles and links to resources on a variety of nonprofit management topics. The section on Board Mechanics includes articles related to board recruitment, diversity, professional development, and other topics.


• The Nonprofit Good Practice Guide, a collection of resources for nonprofit organizations, lists books, articles, web sites, and other tools related to board development under the Board Management category.

You can also find books, articles, and other resources on nonprofit boards by searching our Catalog of Nonprofit Literature (CNL) for the subject "Board members". Relevant titles include:

• Board Recruitment & Orientation: A Step-by-Step, Common Sense Guide, by Hildy Gottlieb (Tucson, AZ: Renaissance Press, 2001).
  Presents the elements of the board recruitment process: establishing qualifications, writing job descriptions, identifying prospects, the application, and orienting the new board member.


• The Board Building Cycle: Nine Steps to Finding, Recruiting, and Engaging Nonprofit Board Members (2nd ed.), by Berit M. Lakey (Washington, DC: BoardSource, 2007).
  In this second edition, Lakey breaks the nine steps down into two major purposes: replenishing the board by bringing in new members, and strengthening the board's performance.


• Building an Effective Board of Directors: Demographics, Performance, Recruiting, Fundraising, Vision, by Linda Lysakowski (Alexandria, VA: AFP, 2004).
  This guide provides an overview of the board development process for fundraisers and nonprofit managers. The appendices contain evaluation forms, fundraising assessment guides, and checklists.

To learn even more about nonprofit boards, you can attend one of our free training courses:

• Your Board and Fundraising: An Introductory Class for Small Nonprofits, which includes information on getting your board involved in the fundraising process, or


• Before You Seek a Grant: A Checklist for New Nonprofits, which discusses how to develop a governing board for a new organization.

For more comprehensive training, Building a Fundraising Board is a full-day, fee-based course developed in partnership with BoardSource that shows you how to work most effectively with your board to raise funds for your nonprofit.

Stephen Sherman, Reference Librarian, Foundation Center-Atlanta

United Way V.I.P. (Volunteer Involvement Program)

The United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta’s V.I.P. prepares people to serve on nonprofit boards and helps nonprofits find potential board members.  The program develops and places ethnically diverse and underrepresented populations into leadership roles in nonprofit agencies, in order to create a more open and caring community.

For individuals interested in joining the United Way V.I.P.,  the next class of V.I.P. will take place in September 2009. The application deadline is August 21, 2009.  You can find a fact sheet, timelines, and application on the web site.

For nonprofits in search of passionate, prepared board members, you can register your needs and download an application form on the United Way web site.

To learn more about getting your board members involved in fundraising, you can register for the Foundation Center’s class “Your Board and Fundraising:  An Introductory Class for Small Nonprofits”. Can’t make the class at those times?   Consider taking it as a webinar. 

Joanne Kepics, Regional Training Coordinator, Foundation Center-Atlanta

Words of Wisdom for Tough Economic Times

As a board member of the Atlanta Nonprofit Professionals (ANP), I have the privilege of hearing leaders in the nonprofit sector talk about issues in the field. Luckily, you don’t have to be a board member to take advantage of the professional development opportunities presented by ANP. You can sign-up for these free presentations and network at the same time.

Nan Thomas, director of the United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta African American Partnership (AAP) was the guest speaker at our most recent event. She spoke candidly about the tough economic times that we are in and how we can navigate this rocky terrain. She offered the following advice to nonprofits, particularly to those with the responsibility of fundraising:

 Respect the time: We have to face the realities of the present economy. This is not a time to have your head in the sand. Therefore, acknowledge what is happening and assess the current and future impact that job losses and cut backs will have on your organization. You can not manage what you don’t acknowledge.

Prepare mentally: Fundraising professionals must get mentally tough. Institute or reinstitute any religious or spiritual practices that you may have practiced. This can enhance your ability to cope with higher rates of rejections you may receive and help you deal with instability you may face due to economic conditions.

Assess your plan: All fundraising plans need to be assessed throughout the year to make sure you are on target. By re-evaluating your plan, you will be able to see where you may need to cut back, or increase your efforts to cover expenses in your organization.

Change your plan: Don’t be afraid to change your original plan. If you discover that your plan will not get you where you need to go, change your plan, not your goals. Get creative about fundraising and continue to ask, ask, ask!

Deploy more foot soldiers: Continue to recognize your donors and keep them abreast of the difference their contributions are making to those you serve. Create small feel-good gatherings to reward their work, which also allows them to invite others who may share a passion for your mission. Help them to get the word out about your organization, which includes promoting the need for in-kind gifts.

When raising money in tough economic times, you have to return to the basics of what you do. If you stay true to your mission, formulate and execute creative fundraising strategies, and cultivate your volunteers and donors, your organization will weather this economic storm.

To learn about creating a fundraising plan and diversifying your revenue, take the Foundation Center’s Introduction to Fundraising Planning class live, via webinar or on demand.

Asia M. Hadley, Training Coordinator, Foundation Center-Atlanta

How Many Board Members Should I Have?

We get this question a lot from visitors who are just starting their nonprofits. Last month, we co-presented two programs on nonprofit boards in which the speakers had some compelling key points:

Terri Theisen, founder of Theisen Consulting, advised at Oct. 14's program, “Nonprofits 101—Part 2: Developing Your Board”:

• Even though Georgia law (O.C.G.A. § 14-3-803) states a minimum of one board member, IRS and funders prefer to see five or more. In fact, Ms. Theisen recommends a relatively large board, about 15-20 or so. Although there are some who have said that large boards are less effective, a recent study found no correlation between board size and effectiveness.

• Larger boards must have sound infrastructure in place, i.e., committeees such as Executive (your officers), Finance, Audit, Fundraising, Board Development (nominating).

• Set clear expectations for board members -- for example, attendance at board meetings, service on at least one committee, financial contributions required, term limits for board service -- and stick to them when recruiting new board members.

Reynold Levy, president of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, titled his Oct. 16 talk, Repeat After Me: “It’s the Board of Directors, Stupid”. This was the Third Annual 2008 UPS Lecture on Nonprofit Leadership, Governance and Economic Stewardship, hosted by Georgia State University's Nonprofit Studies Program. Dr. Levy advised:

• Nonprofits should have big boards to represent diverse perspectives and to help you publicize your work and raise funds. Lincoln Center has 65 board members.

• Set high expectations for your board members regarding minimum contribution or fundraising goals, committee work, and other duties for each director. Each new member of the Lincoln Center board must agree to contribute or raise a minimum of $250,000 each year to remain on the board.

• Don't set term limits for your board members. Those who are engaged in your work will continue to be an asset, and those who do not meet your high expectations will leave anyway. Some of the Lincoln Center directors have been on the board for 30 years or more.

• When asked if he would give smaller nonprofits the same advice about board size and expectations, Dr. Levy responded yes. The scale might be different. For instance, for some nonprofits a gift of $5,000 or $50,000 might be the equivalent of Lincoln Center’s $250,000 required gift.

For more details about Dr. Levy's perspective on boards, you might want to read his latest book, Yours for the Asking: An Indispensable Guide to Fundraising and Management, which is available for use in our library (call number 703 LEV).

Is one right and the other wrong? No. Both of them make valid points. You have to examine your own organization –- where it is, where you want to go with it –- and look at the options for getting there. You and your board can then make an informed decision about board size, composition, and expectations for your organization.
 
Seeking more info on board development?

• Try a Subject search for "Board members" in our library catalog, Catalog of Nonprofit Literature

• Visit our library and browse the shelves under call number 610, or ask a staffer for help

• Check out BoardSource, a nonprofit "dedicated to increasing the effectiveness of nonprofit organizations by strengthening their boards of directors".

Pattie Johnson, Director, and Kayron Bearden, Reference Librarian, Foundation Center-Atlanta