Nonprofit Resources
Mission-Centered Governance: Orienting and Evaluating Board Members
Welcoming new board members is a pivotal moment for any organization. These individuals bring fresh perspectives, valuable expertise, and renewed energy to the boardroom. Their ability to contribute meaningfully, however, depends largely on how well they are oriented and integrated into the board’s culture and responsibilities.
A thoughtful and structured onboarding process for new board members not only sets the tone for their service but also strengthens the board’s overall effectiveness. In this article, we discuss best practices for orienting new board members and share strategies for evaluating and enhancing board performance to ensure long-term success.
Orienting New Board Members
Once your ministry has recruited and selected a new board member based on the desired attributes and characteristics outlined in our previous article, it’s time to welcome them. New members will arrive with varying levels of familiarity with your ministry and the responsibilities of board service, so it is important not to rush orientation or assume prior knowledge.
Although ministries and nonprofit organizations vary in size, structure, and mission, their boards share a consistent core purpose: the board holds ultimate authority for the organization’s governance and is responsible for strategic decisions that shape the organization’s future. Traditionally, the board chair serves as the primary liaison with the organization’s leadership. However, this role is delegated by the board as a whole. The senior leader works for the board and does not “report” to the board chair. It’s also important to note that nonprofit boards operate collectively, with no hierarchy, and the board does not report to or work for the chair.
Effective boards often meet infrequently and rely on a combination of formal and informal processes to accomplish their tasks and objectives. This complexity requires clear communication during the onboarding process to ensure new board members understand the board’s structure, expectations, and norms.
Unlike employee onboarding, which can be a gradual process of learning on the job and growing into the role, board member onboarding should occur quickly. Assign an experienced board member to mentor the new member, clarify responsibilities, answer questions, and provide ongoing support.
Many ministry and nonprofit boards lack a formal onboarding program, which can limit new members’ early contributions. Effective board member orientation should cover four key areas:
- Welcome – Express appreciation for their service and enthusiasm for collaboration.
- High-level orientation – Provide an overview of board culture and the organization’s mission, vision, history, and leadership.
- Lower-level orientation – It is particularly important to ensure that new board members understand both the collective role of the board (see “Key Nonprofit Board Responsibilities” at the end of this article) and the individual responsibilities of board members. Each new board member should have a clear understanding of what is expected of them. Depending on the organization, this may include:
- Maintaining personal alignment with the organization’s mission, vision, and core values.
- Developing a deep understanding of the organization and its ministry context.
- Diligently reviewing the organization’s financial statements and understanding its financial state and trends.
- Donating financially as they are able.
- Preparing thoroughly for board meetings (e.g., reviewing materials in advance).
- Actively engaging in board discussions and decision-making.
- Keeping an appropriate board-level focus on issues.
- Ongoing follow-up – Offer opportunities for questions and continued mentoring and coaching.
For consistency and convenience, consider creating an orientation binder that includes key information such as your organization’s financial statements, bylaws, strategic plan, committee structures, board policies, and minutes from recent board meetings.
Sharpening Board Member Performance
Given that boards have exceptional influence and impact but limited interactions over the course of the year, it’s essential for board members to be prepared, focused, and fully engaged during meetings. While board performance evaluations may feel uncomfortable, especially considering the time, talent, and resources members contribute, evaluations are vital for growth and alignment.
Viewing performance (collectively and individually) on a continuum can be helpful:
Unacceptable -> Marginal -> Acceptable -> Solid -> Exceptional
Methods for Providing Feedback
Strong feedback mechanisms foster reflection, discussion, and development. Effective methods for providing board member feedback include:
- Annual one-on-one interviews conducted by the board chair and a senior board member – These can be short in-person or virtual conversations with each board member. The board should develop a list of five to 10 questions to discuss with each member to gauge changes or differences. Potential topics include their experience as a board member, board effectiveness, strategic recommendations, support needs, and areas for greater contribution.
- Self-assessment questionnaire – This questionnaire should be focused on calling, commitment, engagement, and duty of care. When members complete this self-assessment before their annual conversation with the chair, it can enrich the conversation.
- 360-degree feedback – In this process, the board creates a survey based on the expected skills and behaviors of board members, rated on a scale of 1 to 5. Each board member completes a 360-degree survey for each of their peers. The responses are then compiled to provide a summary of each board member, including average scores for each question.
Your board is only as strong as its members. Understanding how individual members perceive their performance, and how their peers perceive them, is essential to the board’s effectiveness. This is especially important as board composition evolves over time. Strong onboarding, evaluation, and feedback processes allow for cohesion, continuity, and sustained ministry impact.
Please contact us with any questions or if we can assist your ministry with board coaching and training, or other governance considerations or concerns.
Appendix: Key Nonprofit Board Responsibilities
A clear understanding of the overall board’s role is essential for effective governance. This understanding should be established during the recruitment and orientation of new board members.
The key responsibilities of a nonprofit board include:
- Direction
- Review and approve the organization’s mission, vision, and core values.
- Approve and oversee the implementation of long-term strategic and annual operating plans.
- Capacity
- Select the senior leader/chief executive.
- Evaluate and support the senior leader/chief executive.
- Ensure the organization has sufficient resources and capacity to fulfill its mission.
- Performance
- Provide financial, organizational, and program oversight.
- Establish accountability for ethical and contractual obligations.
- Monitor and strengthen the ministry’s reputation.
- Ensure ministry programs align with the overall mission.
- Governance
- Recruit and train new board members.
- Establish effective board structure, policies, and procedures.
- Evaluate board performance and programs for development.
Learn more about board goals and individual member responsibilities in our Nonprofit Board Governance: Goals and Responsibilities article.
Authors:
Stan Reiff, Professional Practice Leader – Consulting | Partner, CRI Advisors, LLC† | Partner, CRI Capin Crouse Advisors, LLC†
Pat MacMillan, Founder and CEO, Triaxia Partners
Additional Resources:
This article draws on concepts from Mission-Centered Governance, an in-depth, biblically based governance curriculum provided free of charge by the Maclellan Foundation at mcgovernance.org.1 The following sessions relate to this article:
- Session 10 – Defining Board Member Responsibilities
- Session 11 – The Attributes of an Ideal Board Member
- Session 14 – Orienting New Board Members
- Session 15 – Sharpening Board Member Performance
The following CapinCrouse articles also provide insight into board governance:
Mission-Centered Governance: Recruiting Ideal Board Members
Mission-Centered Governance: Managing Critical Relationships
Nonprofit Board Governance: Goals and Responsibilities
Nonprofit Board Governance: Warning Signs to Watch For
Nonprofit Board Governance: Senior Leader Warning Signs to Watch For
1Mission-Centered Governance is built on a solid biblical foundation while applying the technical expectations for effective governance. Primary copyright © The Maclellan Foundation Inc., 2020, 2024, MISSION CENTERED GOVERNANCETM All Rights Reserved – Used with Permission.