Growing,Your,Board,Step,Should business, insurance Growing Your Board Step by Step

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Should a board of directors be madeup of friends and relatives? Worker bees willing to knock themselvesout on behalf of your non-profit? Or community leaders who are ableto help the organization grow through their financial and businesscontacts? The answer is, “Yes, all of the above, but at differenttimes in the growth of your organization.”Starting Out: Small and FriendlyA new, small non-profit is unlikelyto have the drawing power to attract community movers and shakers, soyou’re most likely to start out with a board of individuals who area part of your personal circle. The up-side to this is that they arelikely to be loyal and supportive. The down-side is that they areloyal not to the organization and its mission, but to you. As aresult, while they're happy to tell you you're doing a great job,they may be less happy to give up weekends and evenings to help runevents, raise funds, or develop a realistic budget.While a board made up of friends andfamily is a great place to get personal support, it’s important toknow that such a board is unlikely to help your organization movemuch beyond a “mom and pop” level either financially orotherwise. That’s because their commitment is to you – and not toyour organization or your mission. It’s also because, most likely,your friends and family won’t represent top community leadership orfunding prospects. If you like being a small, low-budgetorganization, you may want to just enjoy the support and friendshipyou’ve gathered, and leave your board at that. If, on the otherhand, you’re interested in growth, you’ll need to think abouttaking the next steps in board development.Growing Your Board’s StrengthAs your organization grows, you mayfind that some members of your core board are increasingly involvedwith the organization, while other members lose interest. That’sokay, if you can find a way to move your less involved buddies intosupport roles (volunteers, advisors, etc.) and find new board memberswho are less focused on you and more focused on the organization.Ideally, new board members will also be better positioned to help youraise your profile, improve the bottom line, and meet yourorganizational goals. Some of these new members may be hands-onworkers, but at least some should be selected on the basis of whothey are in the community, and not on the basis of how strong theirbacks are!Where can you find potential boardmembers who may not know you personally?Start by asking your best existingboard members for their ideas. Often, your inner circle hasconnections you never knew about, including cousins who runbusinesses, friends who manage community foundations, and uncles whohappen to be in the state senate. If a board member has such aconnection, now is great time for him to prove his worth by callingon his friend or relative and inviting them to learn more about yourorganization.Another good place for finding andrecruiting new board members is at meetings of top community leaders.Join and attend Chamber of Commerce events, bring lots of yourbusiness cards, and schmooze. Join the local Rotary Club, and connectwith prospective board members and funders. If the Kiwanis orOptimists are major players in your town, get involved.Building a Power BoardOnce you’re an established non-profitentity in your community, it’s time to move your board to a higherlevel. Now, you’ll want to recruit community members who arewilling and able to help you make the money flow. A mature boardincludes mainly business people and community leaders who have thecapacity and willingness to actually look a wealthy individual in theeye and ask for financial support. Only board members with a highlevel of commitment and a solid set of connections can helpyour organization with major projects like building an endowment orlaunching a capital campaign.As before, you may well be able to findtop board prospects through your existing board. Now, though, you mayalso need to get involved with your own community at a higher level.To meet and shake hands with top community leaders, you need to meetthem where they live. That may mean joining a club, attending afundraiser, or asking for an introduction from a mutual friend. Ifthere are charitable events (galas, auctions) that the wealthierphilanthropists in town generally attend, you might try to wangle aninvitation.You won’t recruit directly from golftournaments or galas, but you’ll have a chance to introduceyourself and your cause, make connections, and exchange cards. Onceyou have the interest and attention of a prospective heavy hitter,you’ll have a chance to extend an invitation to come and see whatit is you do, and why your work matters. It’s here – at yournon-profit’s headquarters – that you’ll be able to get acrossthe excitement and importance of your organization. Be sure you havea terrific presentation ready, and great people, projects or outcomesto display. One on one, you can make the “sale,” and bring topboard members to the table. Sumac is the easiest, most complete and cost-effective software for managing non-profits’ data. td p { margin-bottom: 0pt; }p { margin-bottom: 6pt; }For information on Sumac or for more articles published by SumacResearch, visit: Sumac'sWebsite