Board Training and Education
Stepping into a leadership role in your community offers unique opportunity of learning new skills.
Do you care enough to be a leader?
Tools you need in Craft and Art of Leadership
Character, Competence, Intelligence
Power in Direct Communication
Logical argument versus Emotion appeal
Canadian Law
Directors' Training
Art and Science
The Mission, The Values, The Plan
The Drucker Foundation’s Self-Assessment
Tool identifies five key questions that can assist
not-for-profit directors in sizing up their organization:
What is our mission?
Who is our customer?
What does the customer value?
What are our results?
What is our plan?
The first three questions address the board’s
need to understand and re-visit its mandate. Question
four looks at the organization’s effectiveness in deliv-
ering on its mandate. Question five turns the board’s
attention to developing a plan to better deliver on
the mandate.
It is also important for directors and prospec-
tive directors to understand the corporation’s mandate
so that they can determine whether their motivation
for serving on the board is compatible with it.
In addition, the purpose of the organization,
as articulated in the mission and vision, will determine
why the corporation enjoys not-for profit status, why
members join the organization, and why the public and
other funders support the organization financially.
Board Orientation Chart
The following is an overview of the information that needs to be conveyed urgently to all shareholders, with special attention given to the committee and board members. It is of paramount importance that everyone understands organization’s purpose, structure and direction.
These materials can be presented in person and in writing at an orientation meeting.
Information about the organization
Issues
Presentation options
Program
Inspire within new board members a passion and commitment for the outcomes of the organization – what it does, whom it serves, what difference it makes – Their passion will motivate their actions.
Talk to them about what is important in their lives and connect it to the mission. Tour of facilities. Visits to the programs or if possible participation in program. Engage them in small setting to talk with client, member, or program participant. Video, slides, film presentation. Short presentations of recent stories/programs.
Finances
Provide new board members with easy to read summaries of financial information – source of each channel of income, how it is spent, and the state of the organization’s financial health, including their role in fund-raising.
Provide a short team presentation with the Executive Director, business manager (CFO) and Finance Chair for overview and questions.
Provide financial history as well as current Background materials ( recent audit, budget, financials), narrative and if possible – graphically presented.
Discuss and provide action plan of the fund-raising strategy.
History
Root each member in an understanding of the history of the organization. Help each new board members see their own participation as part of the organization’s ongoing story.
Story about the founders vision. Tales about start up challenges. Stories told by “old timers” and former clients. Pictures, scrape books. Written materials.
Strategic Direction
Present a framework for the plan for the future so that new board members see their own participation as part of the organization’s ongoing story.
Presentation/discussion by the executive director or board chair. Copy of strategic plan (or other documents, especially mission statement, if no plan is available).
Organizational Structure
Introduce the staff and talk about how the work really gets done in order to help new board members understand who does what and lines of accountability.
Copy of the bylaws, determination letter. Organization chart. Introduction to key staff members. Invite one staff member to each board meeting to give 10 minutes on what they do.
Board Roles
Talk with new members to ensure that they understand the role of the board and can envision where they will fit in..
Presentation/discussion, preferably with the whole board involved.Written materials. One to one with President Board Member Job Description and Agreement.
Board Member Responsibilities
Ensure that new board members understand their own responsibilities as board members.
Presentation/discussion. Signed agreement (job description), including conflict of interest and ethics statement.
Board Operations
Help new board members understand how the board operates so that they may participate effectively.
Board manual. Board mentors. Committee charges and member lists. Meeting schedule.
Board Members
Facilitate new board member integration with the other members.
List of board members and biographical data.
Time set aside for social interaction. A fun and quality Orientation.
Skills
How to read a financial statement. Meeting and Voting processes.
Written materials, By-Laws, Presentation by the treasurer or finance committee.