BOARD DEVELOPMENT COURSE

3 SESSIONS | WEDNESDAY AUG. 27, SEPTEMBER 3 & 17 |10 – 11:30AM

INSTRUCTOR ANNE ACKERSON

This program is made possible with support from American Express Foundation and the New York State Council on the

Arts, a State Agency

Leading by Design: Building Your Board’s Human Capital

•The Cycle of Board Recruitment and Management•The Board Development Committee•Needs Assessment•Identification•Cultivation•Recruitment•Orientation and Engagement•Training•Evaluation and Rotation•Ongoing Training

1

Board Recruitment and Management Cycle

2

Board Development Committee

What is its role? What are its specific

tasks? Who needs to be on it? How often will it meet?

3

Needs Assessment

SWOT Vision-Values Discussion: Vision and Mission

Statements, Strategic or Long Range Plan Skills/Experience Inventory of Current Board

Identifying Your Organization’s Board Current Strengths and Future Leadership Needs

4

Skills/Experience Inventory of Current Board

Board Member Name

DiversityM/F Ethnic/Racial Age

Profession/Avocation

Areas of Expertise

Active with our organization in the following ways…

Has ability to help our organization do…

5

Identification

Matching needs to potential candidates Characteristics to think about: forward-looking,

optimistic, comfortable with risk or uncertainty Using existing and new networks to identify potential

candidates

www.managerfactory.com

“I recently challenged my board to think more creatively about the nominating process by cultivating individuals who are interested in things that may not seem immediately relevant to our museum mission. This included people interested in preserving open space, fair trade enterprise and micro loans to poor people who want to start a business, the growing interest in "simple living" or "green lifestyles," character education for children, encouraging public/private partnerships, etc.” Starlyn D’Angelo, Director, Shaker Heritage Society

How can you identify new and different board members for your organization?

6

Cultivation

A process that may require several interactions over varying lengths of time

Tailored to an individual – Could Include:• Multiple Conversations by phone and in person• A tour of the facilities and meeting of staff• Sitting in on board meeting• Meeting board members• Attending an event

Museum of Modern Art

7

Cultivation

Based on the Needs Assessment and Identification exercise, describe why a prospect is wanted and needed.

Explain expectations and responsibilities – this is where a board member job description comes in handy

Is the prospect interested and ready to serve? Does the prospect need more cultivation? What if the prospect says “no”?

8

Orientation & Engagement

Make orientation of new board members (or prospects) a formal activity

Orientation should include: Overview of the organization – its history, programs, pressing

issues, finances, facilities, strategic or long-range plan Overview of the board and staff – committees, board member

responsibilities, bylaws, organizational chart, board and staff lists; resumes of key staff

Board Member Handbook – a handy reference for new and veteran board members Pair up new and veteran board members to lessen the learning curve Involve all board members in committees or task forces; hold them accountable and thank them often

9

Check List of Items to Include in a Board Member’s Orientation Packet/Handbook

10

Training

Training is your opportunity to align the board around the organization’s culture and purpose

Formal Conferences, seminars or workshops In-house speakers (staff or outside expertise you bring in to board or committee meetings) Field trips – tours of your own facilities or of others to examine an issue in depth or to

benchmark Retreats Joint meetings with boards of other cultural organizations around a common topic Set aside 10-15 minutes at every board meeting for a short “tutorial” in some aspect of the

organization

 

Informal Distribute mission/issue-related articles for board members to read at their leisure; follow up

with a

post-board meeting discussion at the local watering hole Offer drop-in opportunities to observe programming Devote a section of your website to board member only news and information; keep it

updated

11

Evaluation12

Who and What Needs to be Evaluated? The board as a whole – for its effectiveness as

leaders, stewards and decision-makers Committees – for their ability to carry out their charge Individual board members – for their ability to meet

the organization’s expectations What are the tools? Assessment forms Strategic or Long-range Plan Annual workplans Board member job description

Two Words about Board Member Rotation

14

NYS ARTS BLOG www.nysarts.typepad.com

14

Webinars on the BLOG!

o Ask questions

o Review Topics

o Share information

o Explore new ideas

Next Session Wednesday

September 3rd

“Maintaining Momentum

with Training”

Webinars on the BLOG!

o Ask questions

o Review Topics

o Share information

o Explore new ideas

Next Session Wednesday

September 3rd

“Maintaining Momentum

with Training”

On to the Blog! “I recently challenged my board to think more

creatively about the nominating process by cultivating individuals who are interested in things that may not seem immediately relevant to our museum mission. This included people interested in preserving open space, fair trade enterprise and micro loans to poor people who want to start a business, the growing interest in "simple living" or "green lifestyles," character education for children, encouraging public/private partnerships, etc.”

  What in your organization’s vision or mission

statements could jumpstart a totally new conversation about talent identification, cultivation and recruitment?

  What do you see as the one or two steps you’d like to

take immediately to make change in how you attract or engage new board talent?