How to Invite Unproductive Members to Step Off Your Nonprofit Board
How to Invite Unproductive Members to Step Off Your Nonprofit Board
Bryce Sanders, President
Perceptive Business Solutions Inc.
The average tenure of a corporate board member is 9.7 years. (1) CEOs serve 6.9 years on average. (2) In the case of nonprofit organization run primarily by volunteers, it can seem some board members have been around forever. Some remain on the board but never show up. Others do attend meetings, sit silently, volunteer rarely and donate little or no money. In the corporate world, shareholders vote board members in. How can a local nonprofit get people to step off the board?
This is an area that is filled with danger. It is a minefield. There is an old saying about word of mouth advertising and restaurants: If you have a good experience, you will tell another person. If you have a bad experience, you will tell ten other people. Unlike corporations, nonprofits hope members will leave the charity money in their will because of the good experience of their involvement during their lifetime.
There are all sorts of steps you can take if you are starting a new organization. You can write term limits into the bylaws. When you have an existing organization, it is challenging to make changes, but you do have options. Often the motivation of the nonparticipating board member comes into the picture.
1. Create an advisory council. Think of it like the House of Lords. It’s part of the UK government, but the day to day running of the country is done by the House of Commons. Your newly created Advisor Council might meet with the officers once a year, possibly over lunch. They would be appraised of the issues facing the organization and asked for their opinions. Advisory Council members are listed on the letterhead. This is ideal for members who prefer prestige vs. doing actual committee work.
2. Require board members to attend most board meetings. This would require a rule to be put into place. There can be flexibility regarding dialing in if they are traveling. It is a reasonable request since the directors are meant to be guiding the ship. If they do not attend meetings over a long period, there could be a quiet meeting when they are asked if they want to remain on the board, step off or become a director emeritus. (nonvoting board member, more of an advisory role.)
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3. Introduce board dues. This makes sense because many nonprofits run on shoestring budgets. This could be tied to attendance at the charity’s fundraising events. Put another way, the board dues price is arrived at my totaling the cost of a ticket to each event and an annual fund contribution. This puts a price on board membership but might be a hardship for board members who contribute in other ways but cannot afford the financial support.
4. Require all board members to serve on a committee. This makes sense. There are always projects that need to get done. The inactive board members might not see their presence missed much at occasional board meetings. They know they will be expected to contribute their time and talent at committee meetings, which are more frequent.
5. Require board members to attend major events. This makes sense because they are the face of the organization. You might have two or three fundraisers a year. They need to buy a ticket and act as an ambassador, greeting fellow members who also bought tickets. This imposes a cost on board membership. It can also create a solution for board members who can help but cannot afford it. They might be working as volunteers assisting the staff at the event.
6. Everyone is a fundraiser. I believe the board of directors is an extension of the Development Department. The professional staff can run the organization, but someone needs to bring in the donations. Board members often have deep pocketed friends. Not everyone is comfortable raising money. They have the option to raise funds from others or contribute a certain amount themselves.
7. Simply ask them. Each year, the board president or chair might sit down individually with each board member, asking them if they want to continue in the role. If the answer is yes, they discuss how they will be supporting the organization. This involves making a specific commitment. The risk is the person says they want to stay, but does not want to do anything.
Turnover in a board can be healthy, but you must be careful how you get there. If people do step off, publicly thanking them for their service is a good idea.
(1) https://corpgov.law.harvard.edu/2020/10/18/corporate-board-practices-in-the-russell-3000-and-sp-500/
Bryce Sanders is president of Perceptive Business Solutions Inc. He provides HNW client acquisition training for the financial services industry. His book, “Captivating the Wealthy Investor” is available on Amazon.