It’s time to change the way we run nonprofit boards. It’s more critical than ever to work together to build community organizations that are inclusive, mission-driven, and grounded in the community they serve. Continue reading for a few inclusive board practices and meeting tools that might just surprise you.
Ditch the Give or Get
Okay, I know this one is potentially controversial, but let me explain. Every single board member should have a role to play in fundraising. Personally, my favorite fundraising model is Kay Sprinkel Grace’s AAA Fundraising Model, which essentially gives every board member a specific role to play based on their comfort level and network. The roles include Ambassador, Advocate, and Asker. At any point, a board member may play one or all of these roles. I specifically love this model because it takes the pressure off of board members having to make an ask. Not everyone is comfortable playing that role, and I’ve spoken with countless board members who avoud fundraising all together because they think they have to make an ask. In this model, that’s not the case. However, they can support the Asker by engaging in difference forms of ambassadorship and networking, helping cultivate leads and working with other teams of board members to organize resource development events.
So why no give or get? It’s no secret that nonprofit boards, especially of larger, national organizations, become a place of status, wealth, and power. Up until recently, a good number of these board seats were made up of older, white men. For a nonprofit organization to actually be rooted within the community it serves, it should represent that very community. That means, not everyone serving on a board will have disposable income. Not everyone on the board has a job in the C-suite. A board should be made up of members who bring all types of diverse skillsets and backgrounds to the table. A board president might think, ‘well, if they can’t bring in $3,000 and they don’t want to ask for it, what use are they to the board?’ This is short-sighted. While yes, fundraising is a critical component of the position, it’s not the only component. There are other ways board members bring value. They might have specific skills in communications, in legal practices, maybe they are deeply rooted in the community and an active volunteer. Maybe they just have deep passion for the work. Now, I’m not saying board members should never contribute. That is part of their role. Kay Sprinkel Grace, in addition to encouraging board members to be an ambassador, advocate, or asker, does suggest board members make a monetary gift that is significant to them. So, for one person, that might mean 1,000. For another, that might mean 5,000. This reduces the barrier to entry for board service.
Leverage an Advisory Board
Another wonderful way to include a diverse group of people in leadership is to develop an advisory board. An advisory board is more informal and does not have decision-making power or a vote. However, it’s a great way to bring on folks with a wide variety of skillsets to offer advice and feedback. For example, I once worked with a youth advocacy organization – while their board of directors did not have any members who had gone through the organization’s program as a youth, their advisory board was made up of alumni. This allows the organization to connect on an even deeper level with community members and constituents in a way they might not be able to with their current board makeup.
Use Transparent Decision-Making Tools
One of the greatest tools I learned from my time working with David La Piana, was understanding the deep impact of the Strategy Screen. The strategy screen is a set of criteria for making decisions. This type of criteria makes it easier for board members to align on what types of strategic considerations are important to them, and also helps foster inclusion so that when a decision is made, everyone is aware of why it was made. For example, a sample strategy screen may look like the below:
Does this decision align with our mission?
Would our partners support this decision?
Is this decision aligned with our values of diversity, equity, and inclusion?
Do we have the staff capacity to pursue this decision?
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Proposal-based decision making is also incredibly useful. adrienne maree brown offers three main steps for this method in her book, Emergent Strategy:
- Brainstorm ideas around a decision that is needed
- Assign one person, or a sub-group, to develop a proposal that best represents that discussion had during the first step
- Review the proposal and make a decision
Proposal-based decision-making is an inclusive process, but also a process by which board members can feel a sense of ownership in making decisions.
Use Accessibility Functions
It’s important to be aware of any accessibility needs your board may have. One of my former clients started every meeting with “do you have any access needs today?” and everyone would go around the room and either say no, or answer with what they might need to show up and be present. This could look like the need for the meeting to be recorded, the need for a transcript for those with different learning styles, perhaps the need to stay off-camera for that particular meeting. During one meeting, my client expressed that their access need that day was simple – they had been in meetings all day and did not have a chance to eat yet, so they said they’d be eating a quick yogurt during the meeting.
It doesn’t have to be complicated – just meet people where they are at!
There are plenty of tools for Zoom recordings, AI meeting summary generators, transcripts, etc., that can help your board members address their individual needs while encouraging them to be present in the best way they can.
Hope these inclusive board practices help. Feel free to reach out to me should you need help in developing an inclusive, collaborative board retreat!