K-State Research and Extension

Community Board Leadership Series

You are serving on a board-now what?

K-State Research and ExtensionCommunity Development Program Focus Team

Trudy Rice Laurie Chandler Nadine Sigle Jennifer Wilson

trice@ksu.edu lchandle@ksu.edu nsigle@ksu.edu jrwilson@ksu.edu

Board Leadership Series

• High Tech/High Touch• 360 minutes of interactive training• Delivered by a panel of experts• Hosted across the State of Kansas• Facilitated by local Extension Agents• Skill based training program

Potential Audiences

Appointed Boards•Fair Boards•Church Boards•Planning Commissions•Hospital Boards•Community Foundations•Not for Profit Boards

Elected Boards•Township Boards•School Boards•Cooperative Assns.•County Commissioners•City Council Members•Neighborhood Assns.•Extension Boards

Board Leadership Series

• Board Members Roles and Responsibilities

• Understanding Fellow Board Members

• Financial/Legal/Ethics

• Strategic Planning

Board Leadership Series

Roles and Responsibilities of Board Members /

Holding Effective Meetings

04/22/23

Board Member Roles and ResponsibilitiesEffective Meetings

• Duties and Responsibilities of Board Members• A Job Description for Board Members• Financial Management, Audits and Manuals • Effective Meeting Skills• Agendas, Basic Parliamentary Procedure and

the Meeting Environment

Effective Meetings Best Meeting I Ever Attended Activity Materials needed-Activity sheet handout, pencils and paperExpectations of Participants- Recall and think about a meeting you have attended in the past that you think went well and answer the questions to evaluate your meeting experience.

5 minutes

04/22/23

Top Ten Meeting Problems 1. Getting off subject, rambling and repetition2. Inconclusive-no results or follow up3. No purpose, goals or agenda4. Meetings are too long5. Disorganized leadership with lack of control6. Starts late, people are tardy, time wasted7. Poor preparation by leaders and participants8. Information overload-unfocused, irrelevant9. Individuals monopolize discussion10. Interruptions

Board Leadership Series

Understanding Fellow Board Members /Conflict Management

Understanding Fellow Board MembersConflict Management

• Behavioral Styles• Generations: Adapting to Volunteers of

Different Ages• Managing Conflict

What’s Your Generational Profile?

60% of management and 70% of boards of nonprofit organizations are

age 55 or older.

Meet the Generations

Activity: Board Member Recruitment

Materials Needed: Recruitment Worksheet, Pencil/Pen

Understanding Fellow Board Members / Conflict Management

How Do You Respond to Conflict?

Conflict Management Skills•Listen Actively

•Keep Emotions in Check

•Separate People from the Problem

•Focus on Interests, Not Positions

•Reframe

Board Leadership Series

Financial Responsibilities, Fundraising, Legalities, and Ethics

Opening ActivityReview the sample budget and financial report in your packet.

– What is the beginning balance?– What months does the report cover?– What were the expenses for the period?– What was the income for the period?– What is the balance?– What budgeted items were paid out?– Were there any nonbudgeted expenses? How were

nonbudgeted expenses met?

Financial Issues for Boards• Is the financial plan consistent with the

organization’s strategic plan?

• Are cash-flow projections reasonable?

• Are reserves sufficient?

• Is the budget adequate and reasonable?

• How do we insure against risks?

What about fundraising?

Legal and Ethical Issues for Boards• Personnel – Federal and state

employment laws

• Open Meetings Act for public boards

• IRS and state fiduciary responsibilities

• Conflict of interest issues

Board Leadership Series

Strategic Planning

Focus – Collect Data – Analyze - Interpret - Report

It’s important to be headed in the same direction

• Point North Activity

Designing a Strategic Planning Strategy

Designing a Strategic Planning Strategy

Participant Overview

• 24 locations• 42 host sites• 800+

participants to date

It Works!

• Board Basics

• Understanding Your Fellow Board Members

• Fiscal and Ethics

• Strategic Planning

• Pre 3 to Post 4

• Pre 2.5 to Post 3.5

• Pre 3 to Post 3.5

• Pre 3.5 to Post 4

On average more than 90 % of the participants indicated an increase in knowledge from the Pre to Post test

Participants Comments…………………

• “I am now more confident in asking questions related to the monthly financial statements”

• “Our board is now functioning at a much higher level of involvement and we are also much more efficient with our time”

• “After attending this training I was much more confident in my ability to serve on community boards as a contributing member and now am serving on 3”

Participants Comments……..

• “After attending this training our board had a major discussion related to the need for strategic planning and we now have scheduled a special meeting to begin that process”

• “I now have a better understanding of why some board members act the way they do!”

Lessons Learned

• 15-20 participants per site is optimal• Less than 6 participants not effective• Technology is great when it works and you

know how to use it• Record sessions for absent participants• Difficult to present and host at same time• Local discussion of great value

K-State Research and Extension

Community Board Leadership Series

You are serving on a board-now what?

K-State Research and ExtensionCommunity Development Program Focus Team

Trudy Rice Laurie Chandler Nadine Sigle Jennifer Wilson

trice@ksu.edu lchandle@ksu.edu nsigle@ksu.edu jrwilson@ksu.edu