joining the team: covering your board bases (cbca)

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JOINING THE TEAM: COVERING YOUR GOVERNANCE BASES

Colorado Business Council for the Arts Emily Davis, MNM, CGT Emily Davis Consulting

October 14, 2015



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30 seconds or less

Name Governance Question or Challenge

Organization & Board Role



Let’s Get Started: Governance

Roles & Responsibilities Hats We Wear Shared Leadership



•  How many boards will you sit on? •  Board terms •  Type of board •  Board size, demographics •  Financial support •  Clarity of expectations

PERSONAL PLANNING



1.  Determine mission & purpose

2.  Select the chief executive

3.  Support & evaluate the chief executive

4.  Ensure effective planning

5.  Monitor & strengthen programs & services

6.  Ensure adequate financial resources

7.  Protect assets & provide financial oversight

8.  Build a competent board

9.  Ensure legal & ethical integrity

10. Enhance the organization’s public standing

10 BASIC BOARD RESPONSIBILITIES



Set organizational

direction

Provide oversight

Ensure necessary resources

BOARD ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES



Strategic Priorities

Goals

Objectives

Action Items

•  Process not a document

•  Roadmap •  Three-years •  Input from board,

staff, stakeholders •  Narrative, resources,

implementation tools

WHAT IS IT?



Generative

Fiduciary

Governance as

Leadership

Strategic

WHY are we going to do it?

HOW are we going to do it?

WHAT are we going to do?

§  Scanning your external environment

§  Comparative advantage

§  Strategic plans

§  Confronting challenges in traditions & values

§  What matters most to us? §  What does this mean to

us? §  Meaning §  Framing the right issue

§  Tangible §  Operations §  Legal §  Results §  Resources

§  High performing boards address all three

§  Great boards know the differences

§  Fundraising in all three



FEARS & HESITATIONS



WHY 100% BOARD GIVING??



GIVING PYRAMID



SPHERES OF INFLUENCE

New gifts

Annual donors

Midsize donors

Major donors

Planned giving



Prospecting Identification Preparation

Cultivating Build the Relationship

Engage the Donor Ask for the Gift

Stewarding Recognition Reporting Communicating Engagement

FUNDRAISING PROCESS



FUND DEVELOPMENT

Diversity is key Individuals

Special events

Foundation grants

Government grants

Corporate sponsorship

Earned income

Service clubs



2013 SOURCES OF GIVING*

*Source: Giving USA 2014



YES!!

Yes, but not that much

No

3 POSSIBLE OUTCOMES



Legal Hat

Ambassador Hat

Volunteer Hat

The Different Hats We Wear…



WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE AN AMBASSADOR?



ENSURE BOARD & ED ENGAGEMENT*

ED is displacing board

GOVERNANCE AS OBSERVATION

ED is in constructive partnership with board

GOVERNANCE AS

LEADERSHIP

ED is going thru the motions with the board

GOVERNANCE AS

ATTENDANCE

ED is displaced by board

GOVERNANCE AS MICROMANAGEMENT

ED ENGAGEMENT

BOARD ENGAGEMENT

* Source: Richard Chair et. al. “Governance as Leadership”



Board Leads

Shares values thru policies that put mission in action

Hires, supports, assesses ED

Opens funding resources in community

Oversees financial due diligence

Recruits & retains new board members

ED Leads

Develops/ Proposes policy questions

Hires, supervises, motivates staff

Develops & implements programs

Shared Leadership

Strategic plan

Fundraising plan & strategies

Evaluations

Prep board meetings

SHARED LEADERSHIP



Identify

Cultivate

Recruit

Orient

Involve

Educate

Evaluate

Rotate

CELEBRATE!



SAMPLE BOARD RECRUITMENT TIMELINE

• Review docs & past recruitment • Design self-eval Month 1

• Conduct self-eval & demo matrix • Design application, interview questions & outreach messaging Month 2

• Add to website • Share with networks Month 3

• Schedule & conduct interviews • Invite to board meeting Month 4

• Host at board meeting • Make recommendations Month 5

• Inform candidates • Schedule orientation • Intro board buddies

Month 6

• Debrief process • Gather feedback Month 7



What Makes ‘Em Tick

• Always YES • Wants to help everyone & everything

• Caution!

OVER-COMMITTED

• Need lots to stay engaged

• Don’t let them sit around

BUSY, BUSY, BUSY

• Verbal & print

• Use titles & acknowledgment

LIKES RECOGNITION

• Stays focused & on track • Great for events • May get discouraged by others lack of support

ORGANIZER

• Lots of ideas for improvement

• Pair with an Organizer to keep things moving

CREATIVE

*Abigail Harmon



FACILITATION TIPS



It’s Not About You

How does this serve the mission? Does it fit our strategic goals?

What’s our capacity? What does success look like?

Keep it high level!



•  Don’t be afraid of conflict! •  What is the process for

conflict resolution? •  Don’t take it personally. •  What is best for the

mission? •  How will you demonstrate

excellent leadership?

CONFLICT MANAGEMENT



EVALUATION



ONE TAKE AWAY



•  BoardSource •  4Good •  The Policy

Governance Model (Carver)

•  Council of Nonprofits •  Roberta’s Rules of

Order •  A Fundraising Guide

for Nonprofit Board Members

•  Nonprofit Board Answer Book

•  Creating Caring and Capable Boards

•  10 Basic Responsibilities of Nonprofit Boards

•  The Board Building Cycle

•  The Nonprofit Policy Sampler

RESOURCES



Emily Davis, MNM Emily Davis Consulting

(720) 515-0581 [email protected]

emilydavisconsulting.com

joining the team: covering your board bases (cbca)

Government & Nonprofit