Whenever I bring up the subject of boards, so many fundraisers roll their eyes. Why are our boards such a huge pain point and what can we do about it?

I say we have to face reality about some sensitive topics: people, motivation, volunteers and commitment rather than chasing after some myth of the ideal board.

Let’s be realistic and see what we really can expect from our board – particularly in the area of fundraising.

Let’s remember that most board members are afraid of fundraising because they are embarrassed and fear rejection.  And they generally are not sure what your expectations are of them.

Get your expectations in the right order and you’ll have a happy relationship – and a productive one – with your board.

Here’s what you can count on – and what you can’t  – with your board members.

WHAT YOU CAN COUNT ON

1.  Most board members really do want to help. They just don’t know how. It’s really up to you to make it easy for them. You’ll need to motivate, guide and support them.

If you do make this investment of your time and energy, then you’ll have a gold mine of great board members on your hands.

2.  Most board members are open to and even enjoy education. They don’t like “training” but they do like “education.” June Bradham, author of “What Nonprofit Boards Want” says that the word “training” makes them feel like seals.

Most board members are eager to do a good job and want to know what their job is. The clearer your job expectations are for board members, the more you’ll get out of your board.

3. Most board members are capable of being terrific friendmakers if they know the right thing to say and they are pumped up.  But you need to teach them what friendmaking is all about or they may go in the wrong direction.

4. Most board members are happy to help thank donors. In fact, they love it!  And you can increase donors’ future gifts if your board members make thank you calls quickly to donors.

5. Most board members can be terrific “sneezers” spreading the viral message around your community. Just make sure they can practice what do say in a comfortable, natural fashion.

HERE’S WHAT YOU CAN’T COUNT ON

1.  You can’t expect them to be good at soliciting. That’s a special skill and personality type. Frankly I don’t even want all my board members out there soliciting because some of them would not be very good at it.

Treasure the board members who are good at soliciting and find other productive jobs for those who are better at other things.

2.  You can’t expect them to show up at every event. You need to tell them what your priorities are – what’s essential and what’s optional.  Then, when they have a clear idea of what you need from them, they can give it to you.

3.  You can’t expect them to know exactly what to say. You might think they know the mission, vision and case for support, but they need practice, practice, practice putting it into their own words.

4.  You can’t expect them to maintain their passion on their own. It’s your job to keep them pumped up and excited about the cause. If you do, you’ll have an enthusiastic, fired-up team helping you spread the word and make connections!

5.   You can’t expect them to keep coming to boring meetings. Busy people will flee if they feel their time is not well used. If you liven up your meetings, then you’ll also liven up your board!

So set your own expectations correctly,  provide the leadership and support your board needs, and you’ll be rewarded with a high-performing team!

I ran across a terrific post today by Lisbeth Cort from the “Nonprofit Execs on the Edge” blog.

She discusses why board members need to set aside time to discuss bigger picture issues. And how important it is to “just talk” in order to “think more expansively.”

Here you are, having spent a lot of time and effort enlisting a group of smart, capable people for your board.

Then you waste their time and energy on low level discussions.

Is This Your Board Meeting?

Then what do you have?

Someone once said: “the greatest waste of human brain power in the world is the typical nonprofit board meeting.”

What are your impressions of THAT quote? : )

You may have heard me rant and rave about boring board meetings – one of the most dangerous perils for any nonprofit board.

Because if you have boring board meetings, what kind of board will you end up with?

A BORED BOARD.

And is a bored board willing to take real action? Will they dive into fundraising and friendmaking for the cause? Forget it!

Time to liven up your board meetings – and liven up your board!

Is your board taking enough responsibility for your organization’s results in the world? Do your board members really understand how firmly the monkey is stuck on their back, so to say?

Let’s hope they recognize it!

Do Your Board Members Understand that the Monkey Is on Their Back

I really wonder if board members understand their incredible responsibility.They are the LEGAL GUARDIANS of your organization.

I’ve been thinking a lot about boards this month as I work on my new webinar series, “Create a Fired Up Board in Action for the Cause.”

I personally study “high performing boards” that I run across in my work. And I pay attention to what they are doing to be so successful.I find that many, many boards don’t even understand their legal job.

So let’s just lay this out.  I’m quoting from a great little web article from BoardSource, that aptly summarizes the legal responsibilities of boards.

It’s a great idea to evaluate every meeting or committee meeting that you hold.  But you want something painless and simple, that will actually encourage people to participate.

One organization I belong to has breakfast speakers once a month, and members pay to come for breakfast and the speaker.

This organization sends an email to all attendees immediately after the meeting, asking them to fill out an evaluation survey on SurveyMonkey. They get good, not great, response on the survey.

Another board that I serve on solicit evaluations immediately after the meeting. In our board packets, there is a convenient evaluation form to fill out.  Here’s what’s on the form:

Share your thoughts about the board meeting:

Meeting room?

Stick to the agenda?

Liked the agenda?

Did we miss anything important”

People were prepared?

Reports clear and helpful?

Cordial, team-like discussion?

Appropriate use of our time? (meeting began and eneded on time?)

Any other comments?

Anything we could improve?

In your opinion, what is the biggest challenge our organization faces this year?

What were your big take-away’s from the meeting?

How important is it that you coach carefully any of your volunteers?  And you need to choose them carefully too!

I am commenting today on a LinkedIn discussion. The person who started the conversation told of a private school where two different board volunteers spoke about fundraising to the other parents. The first volunteer who spoke complained about “slack parent giving” last year, particularly compared to faculty/staff giving. And he was dressed in a monotone of gray.

Wow, just the sort of delivery designed to get parents charging ahead to support the annual fund! Make folks feel bad and you’re lost before you start.

The second volunteer was a more “flamboyant” presence. He went on about how generous parent booster giving had been last year – to sports and extra-curricular activities. He was engaging and warm.

The first volunteer was deadly (he had a track record of defeat), and the other one was enthusiastic (he had experienced success.) Clearly the person who had a negative and defeatist tone would never inspire other volunteers.

This also shows that you can’t expect every single board volunteer to be a great fundraiser. I think it’s delusional to expect all board members to be able to be effective advocates for the cause or successful fundraisers. We need to select, train and “pump up” our volunteers carefully!

I like to script my folks – or at least give them talking points – so they make an appropriate and engaging presentation. Negativity or arm-twisting never work!

Never trust a volunteer to get up in front of a crowd and deliver the right message. Remember, they aren’t in the business, they are just beginners (usually).  So take control, brief them and give them the talking points.

If you’re really on top of things, actually schedule a formal rehearsal with them. Put them in front of a fictitious group of people and let them practice.