07 Apr Building Self-Assessment and Accountability into Your Nonprofit Board

By Jackie Sue Griffin, MBA, MS

Self-assessments by your nonprofit board supports the whole as well as its parts: Not only can each member effectively determine and address their weaknesses, but the group is empowered to acknowledge knowledge, skill or other gaps and determine their desired solutions.

Periodic self-assessment builds accountability into your nonprofit board and has many benefits, including:

Setting Member Expectations

Individual members and the group as a whole must understand what is expected from them. It is leadership’s job to provide them with concise and specific information that includes what the nonprofit organization stands for, its mission, cause, and the population being served. As a nonprofit organization, reminding boards of the reasons why they joined, in the beginning, will keep them on track. In later days, referring back to these expectations will allow them to measure their actions and decisions against these guideposts.

Building Board Resources

Finding the right blend of effective board members is the goal of every organization. An assessment of what kinds of resources—skills, funds, connections and more—each board member is willing to contribute can reap great benefits to the organization, from increased reach and awareness to improved operations and revenue growth.

Supporting Ongoing Training

Training is not just an excellent way to bring board members together, but as leaders themselves, these are also opportunities for their own personal and professional development. Conducting training on a quarterly basis gives members a chance to collect new knowledge, skills and connections that benefit them as well as your organization. Any members adamantly opposed to growth and training should be a red flag; members lacking a growth mindset will likely not bring much benefit to your organization.

Improving Culture

Periodic check-ins can help board members realize if their time as a board member should be drawing to a close. If a member, committee or group no longer feels draw to the mission and excited by the prospect of service, it may be time to roll off. Even one or two stagnant or unhappy members can have a profound effect on the board’s culture and effectiveness.