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Happy 2016!
What would a strong, vibrant board mean for your organization? If yours is like most nonprofits, a healthy board indicates the health of the entire enterprise. Let’s start the new year by exploring a trend, a tip and a FREE tool to guide you toward a more effective board.
The Trend: More accountability in the boardroom. This is great news! The casual attitude of the past regarding fiduciary responsibilities is being replaced by attentiveness to regulations within the nonprofit field. This means people who are serving on boards aren’t just there to fill a seat; they have to be involved.
The Tip: A good place for board members to demonstrate their heightened sense of responsibility is with attention to the Form 990. One strategy for educating board members about what to look for is to make your most recent 990 a key discussion point at your next meeting. Also, prior to filing this form with the IRS, each board member should carefully review the form and make note of any questions. Then, ask your questions in the boardroom! Chances are, if you have a question, others do as well. They will thank you for prompting a robust, informative discussion!
The Tool: The Alliance for Board Effectiveness (ABE) offers a FREE Board Effectiveness Self-Assessment. This compact tool is a great way to discover your board’s strengths and weaknesses. It will then lead you to determine what needs to change to become more effective. The Alliance boasts some of the top governance consultants in North America and I’m honored to be included as a Partner. We provide organizations like yours with ideas and strategies on building effective boards. Check the ABE website frequently for more tools you can use.
Throughout the year, I’ll provide more trends and tips about ways your board can become more intentional and how you can become a more impactful board member. (I can’t wait to introduce my new book, The Intentional Board, scheduled for release later this year.)
Your friend,
Kent Stroman,
America’s ASKing Coach
PS: Are you noticing other trends in the boardroom? If so, I’d love to hear from you. I may be able to address your observation in a future newsletter!