Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.
– Robert Collier
30 Traits of Successful Boards
- Work first for the organization; then for their constituents
- Survey community needs
- Govern, not manage – your CEO manages
- Work within the focus of the organization’s mission
- Build a culture of honesty, respect and humility
- Set the course through long-range strategic planning
- Understand that nonprofit governance requires good business skills
- Establish, document and communicate guiding principles and policies
- Monitor compliance with guiding principles and policies
- Participate in fundraising activities
- Understand that all authority resides with them
- Clearly delegate authority
- Have one employee – the CEO
- Cultivate a high level of trust and confidence in the CEO
- Hire slowly; fire fast
- Use task forces for well-defined projects with specific deadlines
- Use committees for long-term or recurring project management
- Make board development an ongoing priority
- Provide new board member orientation
- Recruit new members for commitment to the mission of the organization
- Speak with one voice
- Meetings may look like study sessions with few items discussed in detail
- Respect the agenda
- Meetings focus on the long term future more than the present
- Focus individual efforts on what members do best
- Track results
- Discuss conflicts of interest or perceived conflicts of interest
- Have diverse membership
- Use resources in decision making such as budget, bylaws, articles, etc.
- Meet at least once each year just for fun
As always, I am hoping for your every success!
This list is found in Chapter 5 of my book, “Build Your Boat …Reach Your Destination.
