Volunteer board members have resources on-hand
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Peter Goldberg, center, at an Alliance board |
In my memory, 2009 marked the highest level of attendance by board members of member agencies ever.
The learning and networking available during the Alliance National Conference is just one way the Alliance strives to be a resource to its member agency board members. Another way is through a free subscription to the Nonprofit Director.
With more than 10,000 individuals serving on the boards of Alliance and United Neighborhood Centers of America (UNCA) member organizations, the role of board members in the future of our institutions is vitally important.
Why? Because both the challenges and expectations involved in governing 21st century nonprofit human service organizations have grown considerably, just as our organizations have increased in size and complexity.
On top of that, organizations are expected to be more nimble and CEOs are expected to make additional decisions more quickly with both less and more data than ever before. Predictably, when additional decisions are made more quickly, not every decision will prove to be absolutely correct. Board members need to understand why this CEO-centric decision making model has evolved and become comfortable with it, but they should also set parameters for CEO responsibilities.
Public and public sector expectations of nonprofit human service organizations today make transparency and accountability essential components in the world in which we operate and govern. Add it all up and we come to an inescapable conclusion—without a doubt the roles and responsibilities of serving on a nonprofit board have changed.
As organizations, the Alliance and UNCA strive to identify those changes as well as the key 21st century expectations for nonprofit board service. Here are some thoughts to consider about the characteristics of high performing nonprofit board service.
- Attendance. Given all of the recent, and appropriate, emphasis on accountability, board members need to attend a high percentage of board meetings. In short, you can’t govern effectively if you don’t participate. Many organizations have helped to accommodate this expectation by reducing the number of board meetings convened each year and by focusing board efforts on essential fiduciary, strategic, and generative issues while shifting other responsibilities to staff.
- Awareness. Governing today requires more awareness of strategic trends and issues that confront the organization. Working with the CEO to chart the strategic future of the organization is of great importance, and thus board education efforts to assist the entire board in these responsibilities must chart similar paths.
- Fundraising. Whether popular or not, fundraising is incredibly important. We cannot lose sight of this, nor can we take for granted the incredible commitments of resources that board members provide to our organizations. At a time when so many of our organizations have become heavily funded by the public sector, it is essential to point out that every dollar of nongovernmental support is vital to the preservation of our independence. Indeed, nongovernmental funds remain the main source of independence for nonprofit human service providers.
- Voice. The nonprofits you serve need ambassadors and champions. As board members, your association with our member organizations, their missions, and their programs is a powerful statement because your voice is integral to a public and public sector that regrettably has become too cynical about disadvantaged children, families, and neighborhoods.
- Candidness. Board members can serve as sounding boards for the executive staff of the organization. Personally, I like to turn to my own board members for one-on-one candid discussions about the Alliance and UNCA. I believe many Alliance and UNCA member CEOs share similar views, since board members bring incredible experience, wisdom, and perspective.
Thank you for your contributions to the nonprofit human services field; you are an essential component of each and every one of our member agencies.
Peter Goldberg is president and CEO of the Alliance and its parent holding company, Families International. In his capacity as president and CEO of Families International, he oversees a thriving group of affiliated organizations, including the Alliance, United Neighborhood Centers of America, FEI Behavioral Health, and Ways to Work. He has been selected by The NonProfit Times as one of the 50 most influential people in the nonprofit sector seven times since 1998. |  |
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