The way a nonprofit and its board develops over time are often out of sync, causing disconnect and difficult dynamics. Has your beginning nonprofit grown into the middle stage, with your board remaining at the kitchen table level? Or has your board’s development outpaced your nonprofit’s, causing expectations that lead to frustration for all parties? In this interactive training, we will look at classic stages of board and nonprofit development and what happens when they are not aligned. You’ll have the opportunity to identify your board and organizations developmental stage, and we will then focus how to align them to generate harmonious enthusiasm and engagement. Highly recommended for board members and executive directors.
Lisa Hoffman brings 25 years of experience and success to nonprofit fund and board development, facilitation, and coaching.
Surf’s Up: Moving from the Board That You Have to the Board That You Need
1. Fundraising Success Series
Lisa Hoffman – Foundation Center
February 24, 2015
Surfs Up:
Moving from the Board You Have
to the Board You Need
2. What I’ve Been Hearing at the Office Lately…
LISA HOFFMAN – COACH – CONSULTANT –
WWW.LISAHOFFMAN.NET
Daily calls
Brainstorming
Rubberstamping
No ED evaluation
Backroom dealing
3. Noble Service – Community Trust
LISA HOFFMAN – COACH – CONSULTANT –
WWW.LISAHOFFMAN.NET
Governance Role Support Role
Represent Community Represent Organization
4. Board’s Leadership Role
LISA HOFFMAN – COACH – CONSULTANT –
WWW.LISAHOFFMAN.NET
Governance Support
Planning – Policies
Finance – Legal
Fund Development
Sound Management
Board Governance
5. When Do Boards Get Stuck?
Confuse governance and support
LISA HOFFMAN – COACH – CONSULTANT –
WWW.LISAHOFFMAN.NET
6. What Does This Look Like?
LISA HOFFMAN – COACH – CONSULTANT –
WWW.LISAHOFFMAN.NET
Daily calls
Directives
“Staff fundraises…”
What else?
7. What is Your Board’s Developmental Stage?
LISA HOFFMAN – COACH – CONSULTANT –
WWW.LISAHOFFMAN.NET
8. Kitchen Table
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Nonprofit
Beginning Stage
Board
Organizing
•Modest budget
•Tiny – no staff
•Little structure
•Small – friends of
•Hands on
•“Family” – informal
Following Leading
10. Institutional
LISA HOFFMAN – COACH – CONSULTANT –
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Nonprofit
Mature Stage
Board
Institutional/Fundraising
•Significant budget
•Formal structure
•Senior management
•Very large – up to 100
•Fundraising role
•ExCom governs
11. When Do Boards Get Stuck?
LISA HOFFMAN – COACH – CONSULTANT –
WWW.LISAHOFFMAN.NET
12. When Do Boards Get Stuck?
Stay in kitchen table stage
LISA HOFFMAN – COACH – CONSULTANT –
WWW.LISAHOFFMAN.NET
13. When Do Boards Get Stuck?
Caught between stages
LISA HOFFMAN – COACH – CONSULTANT –
WWW.LISAHOFFMAN.NET
14. What does this Look Like?
LISA HOFFMAN – COACH – CONSULTANT –
WWW.LISAHOFFMAN.NET
Brainstorming
Rubberstamping
No ED evaluation
Backroom dealing
15. How to Get Moving?
What are the meta-issues?
LISA HOFFMAN – COACH – CONSULTANT –
WWW.LISAHOFFMAN.NET
16. Meta-Level Action Plan
Board leadership engages board:
Identify board stage
Determine governance-support role awareness
Develop action steps
LISA HOFFMAN – COACH – CONSULTANT –
WWW.LISAHOFFMAN.NET
17. Meta-Level Action Plan Steps
Training:
Board support and governance roles
Board’s appropriate developmental stage
Intentional board culture
Nonprofit – corporate culture
Conflict resolution
LISA HOFFMAN – COACH – CONSULTANT –
WWW.LISAHOFFMAN.NET
18. Meta-Level Action Plan Steps
Governance Housekeeping:
Job description
Accountability
Committees
Rotation: terms – term limits
Recruitment
What else?
LISA HOFFMAN – COACH – CONSULTANT –
WWW.LISAHOFFMAN.NET
19. How are Meta-Issues Manifesting?
At meetings
LISA HOFFMAN – COACH – CONSULTANT –
WWW.LISAHOFFMAN.NET
20. At Meetings:
Dealing with Board Member Behavior
Facilitate to board governance role
Facilitate for equal time
Shut-down (skillfully) brainstorming, etc.
Follow up outside meetings
LISA HOFFMAN – COACH – CONSULTANT –
WWW.LISAHOFFMAN.NET
21. How are Meta-Issues Manifesting?
LISA HOFFMAN – COACH – CONSULTANT –
WWW.LISAHOFFMAN.NET
Between meetings
22. Between Meetings:
Dealing with Board Member Behavior
Bring shadow issues – decisions forward:
Place shadow issues on agenda; or
Board chair handles one-on-one
Real decision-making process
Zero tolerance for gossip – board culture
LISA HOFFMAN – COACH – CONSULTANT –
WWW.LISAHOFFMAN.NET
24. LISA HOFFMAN – COACH – CONSULTANT –
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# Yes No Governance and Support Questions
1 X Do individual board members contact staff directly with advice and suggestions without
formal role?
2 X Do individual board members give performance feedback to your ED outside of the
evaluation process?
3 X Do board members engage in meaningful, useful discussions and decision-making at
board meetings that reflect the boards governance role?
4 X Do board members as a governance body participate in fund development planning?
5 X Do individual board members raise money in coordination with staff/development
committee?
6 X Do all board members participate in recruiting new members, coordinating with
governance or nominations committee?
7 X Do board members brainstorm ideas for staff to implement at meetings?
8 X Do board members participate in strategic planning to fulfill the organization’s vision?
9 X Do board members view budget strategically in relationship to mission and program
priorities?
10 X Do you find out after the fact that board members have participated in an activity relevant
to the organization’s mission?
Governance and Support Worksheet Key
25. LISA HOFFMAN – COACH – CONSULTANT –
WWW.LISAHOFFMAN.NET
Governance and Support Worksheet Key
10 correct = superior governance and support role clarity!
Your board should train other boards!
8 correct = good governance and support role clarity – train
to move board from good to great
5 correct = fair governance and support role clarity –
training needed
< 5 correct = poor – the board needs help immediately!
