Freshmen Board Members

For the purpose of consistency and institutional knowledge, most organizations stagger board terms. Thus, there is a perpetual freshmen class of new directors joins the board.

Here are some fundamentals of board service worth knowing from the start:

A
Attendance – Whether or not you attend the meetings, the decisions of the board belong to the board. Thus, not attending would not excuse you from actions of the board that were taken when you missed a meeting. [No fair saying, “I was at that meeting when they decided that.”] Plan to attend every official meeting in accordance with the bylaws and your commitment to serve.

B
Be Present - To participate you have to be actively engaged. Don’t treat board meeting as a place to come and learn or to return messages on a Blackberry. Prepare for meetings by reading materials in advance, making calls to committees and staff to ask questions, and by being ready for knowledge-based, meaningful discussions. Don’t be the board member who opens his or her information packet as the meeting is called to order.

C
Conflicts of Interest – Avoid them by speaking up if you believe you may have a conflict of interest regarding an agenda item. For example, if the organization is recommending a product, and you happen to have a stake in that product, then advise the board and offer to excuse yourself from the discussion and the vote.
D
Documentation - You’ll receive a lot of documents during your tenure. Remember that the purpose of information is to help you govern, and should remain confidential in most cases. The paper trail is also a way for you to build the file you need to make decisions, save documents, study issues, etc. At the start of your term, consider how you will retain and file the information. Discuss with staff what documents you want to receive and in what format (digital, by mail, fax, etc.)

F
Finances – Nonprofits find themselves in the news because the board did not oversee the finances. The organization’s members expect you to protect the financial health and resources. When it comes to finances, ask pertinent questions. If you don’t understand a report, ask to speak with the treasurer or staff before or after meetings.

G
Govern – There is a difference between your role of governance, and the staff’s role of management. Some directors inappropriately slip into a management role. Governance has its roots from the word, “steering.” Your role is to set the destination and direction; let the staff use administrative skills to best decide how reach the destinations.
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Freshmen Board Tips 9-06.doc

Posted by Julie Vreeland, NRS, Brainerd