A New Year and New Opportunities for Board Service
Jan. 18, 2022
By: Ellie Burns, Ed.D.
Director of Nonprofit Relations
A nonprofit organization is only as strong as its governing board of directors. Over the past two years, boards have faced challenges that could not have been anticipated as members agreed to serve. The need to be flexible, nimble and seek to meet mission in new and unexpected ways has altered how many boards have had to operate in order to navigate organizations through turbulent waters. A new year provides a new opportunity to level set and develop a shared understanding about where the organization stands today and where it is headed into the future.
Consider What Needs to Change & What Changes are Here to Stay
With so much change in the world, nonprofit organizations have been asked to step up to new challenges and meet unprecedented needs while often reinventing delivery models to ensure the health and safety of employees and those they serve. Now is the time for boards to work alongside staff teams to determine what was temporarily needed to meet the mission at the moment and what changes should stay in place to benefit the organization in the long term.
- The future of work: Nonprofit staff are experts in their respective fields and are critical to the success of organizations. As boards seek to guide nonprofits strategically into the future, they must maintain a clear line of communication with those who are delivering on the mission each day. As organizations and businesses worldwide consider adjustments to traditional in-office models, ensure management provides consistent updates on how changes in work models impact mission delivery and organizational culture. Consistent data and feedback on such changes keep board members informed and provide the opportunity for board members to identify shifts in productivity or talent retention and acquisition to encourage necessary pivots over time.
- Resources at the ready: Much has been made of the challenges of the past two years, but for many nonprofit organizations, necessity created productive and positive innovation. Opportunities to better meet the mission were realized, and in many cases, the organization is best served by making these changes permanent. Telehealth, opportunities for virtual counseling and therapy sessions, enhanced online coursework and more are all examples of how our world has positively responded in ways that are here to stay. As a board, evaluate the changes in service delivery that must continue and then ensure staff has the necessary resources to execute them at the highest level. Determine what resources and staffing adjustments are required to accommodate the permanent shifts in service delivery and integrate them into the organization’s strategic plan.
- Mission-Focused and Purpose-Driven: Nonprofits have been called upon to often do more and meet quickly evolving needs. As we move into a more consistent way of being, the board must evaluate the programs and impact of work that has accumulated over the past two years. Programs may have been necessary at the moment, but now is the time to determine if keeping them results in mission creep or veers the organization outside of its lane and away from its purpose. In the long-term, mission creep can cause more harm to the organization than the short-term opportunities a pivot was designed to achieve.
About the Author:
Ellie serves as the key staff member to connect nonprofits to valuable resources within the Community Foundation as well as other community resources. She creates opportunities for connection and learning among nonprofit leaders through training programs and works closely with nonprofit board and staff members, grantmaker colleagues and community partners to support the overall health and wellbeing of the nonprofit sector in Greater Des Moines. Contact her at burns@desmoinesfoundation.org or (515) 883-2629.