Bump Up Your Board Show Notes

Here are the show notes from this pro-bono conversation with nonprofit CEOs from across the country, where we explored ways to bump up your board’s engagement:

Well-functioning boards join lively discussions, provide insightful guidance, and commit to in-between activities that further your mission and grow your connections.

Rank how well your board functions with one low and ten high.

Range 5-6, average 5.3

7 Recommended and Proven Board Engagement Tactics

1. Consider a co-chair model
2. Asking each member how we are serving the mission to start the meeting
3. Give board members assignments about which they are passionate
4. Ask members at the beginning of a meeting to identify what they did the last month to support the mission.
5. Ask for advice on difficult situations.
6. Include a game where they share something related to the mission, and the next person shares a connection.
7. A treasure hunt of info. about your work or website (Hint: don’t make it too hard!)

How Long Are Your Board Meetings?

Range 1 to 2 hours, average 85 minutes

How Long and Often Do You Meet with Your Board Chair? 

• One hour once a month and ad hoc when needed
• 1x week for an hour
• One week ahead for 1 hour at most
• An hour usually once a month, but often e-mails in between
• Co-chair meetings—one is every other week for one hour; the other is weekly for one hour
• I meet with the Executive committee for an hour once a month

Board meetings Live, Hybrid or Virtual?

Virtual- 40 percent with 20 percent considering in person

Hybrid-10 percent

In person-30 percent

Does anyone else have to remind their board of their evaluation?

100 percent, yes

Percent of meeting you tell the truth or at least some of it to your boards?

Range 3-10, average 8.57

Click here to learn more about Karen’s Conversations. If you are a nonprofit executive director or CEO, click here to receive an invitation.