What Does It mean to Serve on a Board of Directors?
Hi everyone. I know it has been a while since I posted. Between the day job and serving on my city’s Charter Review Commission, it’s been a busy summer!
I’ve been rolling this topic-What it means to serve on a Board of Directors-around for a good while. As you will see, I have a lot to say about this topic! This subject is super close to my professional and personal heart. It’s long but I hope you find what follows useful. As always, let me know what you think and what questions you might have!
Serving on a Board of Directors
Years ago, when I was invited to serve on my first board, I was super excited and honored. When I became president of that board a few short months later, even more so. I felt important, like my voice all of a sudden mattered. I had power to make decisions and to make things happen. Media wanted to talk to me and take my picture. I got invited to meetings with “important” people. And everyone wanted to be my Facebook friend. I felt super sexy ya’ll.
That feeling didn’t last very long...lol.
The reality was that I had no clue what I was doing. I had no previous board experience and my fellow board members were pretty much in the same boat. All of a sudden (in reality, yes it did happen very quickly), I was not only responsible for leading the board, but was also responsible for managing a part-time contract staffer and the day-to-day-operations of the organization. There was no executive staff-we were a working board.
Very quickly, I found myself dealing with creditors (the org owed money), disgruntled community members, and a severe lack of infrastructure. Those media folks who couldn’t wait to talk to me also couldn’t wait to judge and shine their shiny spotlight on our failings and weaknesses-we were a high-visibility organization and so whatever we did or did not do was likely to be newsworthy. It was SUPER scary to be the focal point of all of that, and I didn’t have a lot of personal experience to draw on, for navigating it.
Fortunately, the small board we had at the time was made up of people committed to the cause, myself included. I was also extremely fortunate to be in college at that time. After a career in restaurant management, I had returned to school in my late thirties. My board service actually had a lot to do with the field of study I chose for my Master’s degree (Public Administration with a Specialization in Nonprofit Management). Between management experience and coursework, I began to get a handle on things.
I eventually served as board president for eight years while completing my education and working full-time. Still responsible for day-to-day-operations, it was hard. I am sure I shaved a few years off of my life. However, I cannot regret how much I learned and the skills I gained, during that time. It really did create the path for the rest of my career/s.
After all of that, my main goal for writing this post, is to talk about what I learned about board service, and its impact on an organization. Serving on a board of directors is one of the most fulfilling things a person can ever do and, in all transparency, I hold board service to a really standard. I know this. I have seen the damage when boards don’t take their responsibilities seriously. Board service done well can make all the difference in how much impact your organization can have for community. It can change lives and change the world. But when a board of directors doesn’t take its responsibilities seriously, it can be a killer of those things, and more.
So, what does it mean to serve on a nonprofit board of directors? If you haven’t noticed yet, it isn’t all fun and games. Being a board member is a serious commitment. I have put together a list of major lessons learned and what I think of as my “guiding principles” when it comes to the board of directors.
Serving on a board of directors is a JOB. It is work, often a lot of work-and time. The entire reason for that board position is to serve and do work for the organization. That work is the reason for being there. It is a lot of responsibility and not nearly as sexy as folks might think.
Do not EVER underestimate how important commitment to your cause and mission are, to having a successful board of directors, particularly for a small organization. And let me be clear-I am talking specifically about YOUR org’s mission and cause. Not a general “for the community” kind of commitment. Your mission is that “thing” that allows (and requires) diverse people with varying opinions, priorities, and personalities to get past all of that, and come together to make important decisions and to get things done. This is also critical if and (more likely) when board members have to get real with each other.
Board service has its perks. You get a title, usually held in higher regard by others, often access to spaces you wouldn’t otherwise be invited to-not to mention that whole changing the world part. But the perks come with responsibility and accountability. I repeat this because it is so often minimized in our efforts to get “enough” people on the board.
Which brings me to my next lesson. Serving on a board of directors is about the organization, not about individual board members. Charitable entities, by definition, exist to serve the greater, not individual good. In really plain terms, this means that an organization doesn’t exist at the convenience of its board members. Yes, absolutely, there are areas where ensuring that board members can serve is important-life happens. But the reality is that, the work of the organization has to continue. Boards can adopt many measures that allow for interruptions to happen, without them impacting its ability to meet obligations. These might include allowing things like email votes, virtual board meetings, or a general meeting schedule that fits with the most schedules. But there are limits to how much board obligations and responsibilities can be bent for the personal convenience of its members. Be careful with that one.
Serving on a board of directors requires you to be curious and proactive. Quite often, the existing board doesn’t ensure that incoming members have a good grasp on what will be expected of them. So under-trained, uneducated (about their roles and responsibilities), and (eventually) unengaged boards continue to perpetuate themselves. All the while, the organization itself suffers or stymies.
That said, while it may be true that many boards fail at adequately orienting its members, that doesn’t absolve individuals from still needing to know what their responsibilities are. There are many resources out there for this (including this site). If you are going to serve on a nonprofit board of directors you should know that, no matter what processes for learning may or may not be in place, you are accountable and need to be proactive in seeking the knowledge and information you need, in order to serve the organization well.
This leads me to one of my most important guiding principles. If you do not have time and capacity to serve, don’t serve! It is ok to say no-there is no shame or judgement in that. Some of the board members I have the most respect for, are the ones who assessed their capacities and made the decision to step back. I KNOW that folks want to be a part of something and serve their communities. There are so many ways to serve and support the causes and organizations important to you. The board of directors is not always that place, and this is ok. You absolutely will not serve your favorite organization or your community well, by overcommitting and not being able to fulfill your obligations. That cause you care so much about deserves better.
Finally, the board of directors for any nonprofit entity is not an advisory committee. Now, don’t get me wrong, the perspectives, experiences, and skills that board members have are tremendously valuable to an organization. But those aren’t the actual responsibilities, actions, and tasks you are there for; being a board member is so much more than that. Boards hold the fiduciary (read legal and ethical) responsibility for their organization. You are responsible for identifying the purpose and mission, yes. But you are also responsible for ensuring the structures necessary for carrying those things. Goals, policies, resources, community engagement, and more. You may very well be responsible for other peoples’ livelihoods. These are those not-so-sexy, but critical, pieces I alluded to earlier. No matter how much desperate board recruiters might downplay the commitment, if you choose to serve on a nonprofit board of directors, especially one with little to no staff (anything under 5-6 staff for sure), you should expect to give 8-10 hours a month to your board obligations, in order to do it even close to well.
As I mentioned, I have a lot to say on this topic. Board service is so important and yet, completely undervalued by the sector as a whole. Funders need to think more deeply about how they can support strong boards. Prospective members need to think long and hard about the level of commitment they can give. And current boards really need to look deeply at themselves and identify the areas that they must address, in order to ensure that the next board is well-grounded in its responsibilities.