Engaging Trustee's
Over the past eight years we have had the privilege of working with nonprofit organizations of all sizes. In those eight years we have come to realize there are three major things holding organizations back from unlocking their potential.
Leaders can become so focused on working IN their role that they neglect working ON their organization. Spending time working on the organization is critical to providing a pathway forward and moving teams in a positive direction. The three major levers that nonprofit CEOs need to be focused on consistently to break the status quo are the following:
Developing Engaged Trustees
Designing Transformative Strategy
Developing Staff
Developing a board of engaged trustees is the #1 catalyst for your organization's growth. The board is not just a group of individuals that govern, they are a gateway to: advice, stewardship, resources, social networks, talent, professional services, and especially vision.
A variety of trustee candidates will provide different levels of access to growth opportunities. The CEO of a Fortune 500 company and a small-town business owner will offer different access to gateways, and while one is not better than the other, both bring a unique perspective. So how do you know which one to recruit for the board of trustees based on your organization's strategic need and realistic expectations of scale?
The recruiting strategy for trustees must match the strategic direction of the organization. If your organization’s strategy is to scale from a local to regional presence, then the trustees must have gateway value regionally or state-wide. The reasoning for this is to raise the level of order and organization of the board to operate at the desired level of scale. Be mindful not to make too big of a leap with recruiting board candidates. If you are trying to scale regionally, you may not be able to influence a candidate to join your board if they currently have the ability to work at the national or international level of scale. Their values will determine what level of interest they will have. It could be local, regional, state, national, or international.
Recruiting, on-boarding, placement, and leadership of trustees is an on-going job that, if managed consistently in partnership with the board, will continue to pay dividends. The way to build engaged trustees is to appeal to their values, talents, and passions. If you can link those values to the strategy and the work of the board, then it will keep trustees engaged around what they enjoy. Be sure to discover candidates' passions, talents, and interests during the recruitment phase. Ask the tough questions before they become a member of the board, so it will be clear where they can deliver the most value.