The phone rang, you answered it, and now someone has asked you to run for an office on the board of directors. You are interested, but don’t really know what it means or takes to be a board member.
In this article, I’ll answer the following questions and discuss what to consider before saying yes so that your yes is an enthusiastic YES!
•What does it mean to serve on a board of directors?
•What will my responsibilities be?
•Do I have the right qualities?
•What if I run and I lose?
•Why should a PNP serve on a board of directors?
Choosing a board or the board chose you
This is easy if they asked you. Perhaps it is because you have a long-standing association with an organization or maybe they know you through your work or some other association.
If you are choosing the board, decide who, what, or where you want or are willing to serve. This group may be located anywhere; it can be a large or small board. The board could be in your own backyard—the condominium association, your local community—the Boys and Girls club, your church/synagogue/mosque, your state, your region (i.e., Midwest), or a national or international organization.
Begin by checking out their mission, vision, and values statements. Do they match with yours? Is the mission statement clear, concise, and compelling? Is it something you believe in? It is quite a bit more enjoyable to serve an organization if both you and the organization are moving in the same direction.
It is critical to know if the mission, vision, and values statements of an organization are in sync with your own personal mission, vision, and values statements. It is very difficult to support something you do not believe in. You also need to look at whether or not the work of the organization reflects their mission, vision, and values statements. A great way to check whether the work and the statements are reflective of each other is by volunteering to be on a committee. Committee work is a great way to get a taste of the other people who serve the organization and to see how the organization is run.
The 3 Ts
Time
Take stock of how much time you can offer. Are you at a point in your life that you have a few hours a week to offer? Perhaps you have a lot of time to offer or might only have sporadic time available. On the other hand, maybe you have only one lump sum of time to give.
Also, take a look at when the board meets. If the board meets one day a week, are you consistently available at that time? This is an important aspect as many boards have a clause in the by-laws that if you miss so many meetings you are removed from the board.
Talent
Next, take a good look at the talents and skills you have to offer. These talents and skills may be related to your everyday job, they may be only a small part of what you do everyday, or they may be a talent you have cultivated over time. If you feel you have few talents and skills, the organization may provide you with training. Again, committee work is a great place to learn. Don’t forget that service on a board of directors, or committee service, is a great way to add to your resume.
Treasure
A very important area to consider and ask questions about are financial responsibilities. Questions to ask: Does the board have established fundraising policies? If so what are they, and can you live with them? Is there a board member fundraising job description or are board member fundraising responsibilities included in all the board member job descriptions?
Another area to consider is the financial status of the organization. Is the financial plan reflective of the strategic plan? Is the cash flow projected to be adequate? Are cash-flow projections reasonable, objective, and not overly optimistic? How accurate have past projections been? Who controls the budget?
If you are already a member of the organization you are considering, as a member you have a right to ask to see the financial report/status. You may need to view this information in the office of the organization as this information is generally private and not for publishing.
Board orientation
Ask whether there is a board orientation. This orientation should provide written documents, such as the bylaws, annual report, budgets, recent financial reports, minutes of recent meetings, organization charts, strategic plans, board and staff lists, etc. Another source of useful information, if it has been recorded, is the history of the organization. Other orientation topics should be a discussion of the structure of the board and relationship to committees, meeting schedules, roles and responsibilities of the board and staff, and the interests and skills the new members bring to the organization. Important questions for you to ask: Is the governance or nominating committee active throughout the year to asses strengths and weaknesses, identifying and recruiting prospects to present the best possible slate for election? Do they consider responsibilities of and the skills needed among the officers before presenting a slate of candidates? Are there policies and procedures in place to ensure adequate turnover and renewal on the board? Do members of the board demonstrate mutual respect and share a focus on the mission?
Elections
What if you run and lose? The reasons why one candidate defeats another are often varied and complex. Perhaps you will also need to look inside yourself as to why you want to run for office. Running for office is always a risk because only one candidate can win. If you don’t win, don’t be discouraged. Your expertise and contributions are still very much needed. You may want to volunteer to become involved in other association projects or serve on a committee as a way to keep your foot in the door. You should also consider running for office again within the next year or two. Once you have run for an office, the membership becomes aware of who you are and what qualities you bring to the table. That recognition can help you during the next election.
Why serve on a board of directors?
The answer to this question is as varied as the number of people serving on a board. Here are some reasons people serve on boards:
•Their skills are needed
•To build a sphere of influence
•Networking
•Professional development—learn new skills, and to let others know what a PNP is and does
•To effect change—in an organization, in public policy
•Enjoyment of working with others who share a passion
•To give back
•To have an impact
•It is fun!
Next steps
Congratulations, you have taken the leap of faith and decided to commit to serving a worthy organization. According to BoardSource (www.boardsource.org) there are 10 basic responsibilities of nonprofit boards:
1.Determine the organization’s mission and purpose
2.Select the chief executive
3.Provide proper financial oversight
4.Ensure adequate resources
5.Ensure legal and ethical integrity and maintain accountability
6.Ensure effective organizational planning
7.Recruit and orient new board members and assess board performance
8.Enhance the organization’s public standing
9.Determine, monitor, and strengthen the organization’s programs and services
10.Support the chief executive and assess her/his performance
More questions
There are many excellent resources available to seek more information.
BoardSource, 1828 L Street NW, Suite 900, Washington, DC 20036, is a resource for practical information, tools and best practices, training, and leadership development for board members of nonprofit organizations. They have several publications designed to help build strong and effective boards. They also have a web-site with information: www.boardsource.org.
CompassPoint, 731 Market Street, Suite 200, San Francisco, CA 94102, is another resource that provides information to nonprofit boards. They have an email newsletter, Board Cafe, that can be subscribed to from their web page, www.compasspoint.org.
Serving an organization should be a win-win proposition. It should be a situation where the organization gains from your knowledge, skills, and service and you gain knowledge, skills, and the satisfaction of serving the organization.
Correspondence: Brenda Cowan Frautschy, MSN, RN, CPNP, Prevea Health, Pediatric Neurology, 1821 S Webster Ave, PO Box 19070 Green Bay, WI 54307-9070.
1 Brenda Cowan Frautschy is a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, Prevea Health, Pediatric Neurology, Green Bay, Wis.
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