Nonprofit Board Leadership

Serving the Santa Barbara Community

Board Leadership

A well thought out board development plan leads directly to a strong, effective board. Our professionals will help you build a world-class, high-functioning board. Your board development plan will start with an assessment of the needs of your organization. Considering such things as the optimum size, role, and composition of your board will help ensure that you are building your board on a strong foundation specifically tailored for its needs. Additional considerations include a board member application, a board member job description, and materials about your organization and your board. Your bylaws must clearly explain the process of nominating and approving individuals for board membership as well as term limits and the process for dismissing board members.

Perhaps you’ve heard the saying that you should look for board members who have “wealth, wisdom, or work.” Or maybe you’ve heard the platitude about board members contributing “time, talent, or treasure.” All of those sayings have their merit; however, there are many other attributes to consider when choosing board members if you want a world-class board.

Board Leadership Begins with a Plan

Board leadership begins with a comprehensive plan that all board members agree with and understand. But having a good plan is only the beginning--consistent implementation is the secret. Whether the board delegates a good portion of this responsibility to a Board Development Committee or a Board Governance Committee, it is still the board’s job to thoughtfully plan for, recruit, and develop board members. Once the board has implemented their board development plan and created a high functioning board, it must then have a proactive plan for monitoring board membership so that it continues to reflect the parameters of the plan.

Contact Nonprofit Kinect today for a free consultation on developing a high caliber board for your organization.