Slides from the Oct 2, 2013, webinar "Building Your Best Board," presented by the Ohio Environmental Council, River Network, and the Institute for Conservation Leadership.

1. Building Your Best BoardBuilding Your Best Board
A 2‐part webinar series: October 2 & 9, 2013
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The hashtag for this webinar is #OECwebinar

2. Building Your Best Board
Part I: Board Roles & Best Practices for
Board Development
Kristy Meyer
Ohio Environmental Council
Francisco Ollervides & Diana Toledo
River Network
Peter Lane & Nancy Oswald
Institute for Conservation Leadership

3. Ohio Environmental Council
The OEC is the Ohio’s most comprehensive, effective and respected
environmental advocate for a healthier more sustainable Ohioenvironmental advocate for a healthier, more sustainable Ohio.
Our experts work daily to restore, protect, and strengthen the
quality of life for families and communities—from the air wequality of life for families and communities from the air we
breathe and the water we drink to the food we eat and natural
resources we enjoy.
Please join us! OEC members:
 Receive great benefits
B f h i ki d Become part of the community working to restore, protect, and
strengthen the quality of life for families and communities in
Ohio.
Join us today at www.theOEC.org.

4. Polls
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5. Goals of Webinar series
By the end of this Series you will be able to:
 Reflect on the roles and responsibilities of a nonprofit Board
and assess areas where your own Board can be strengthenedand assess areas where your own Board can be strengthened
 Identify steps you can take to strengthen your organization’s
Board recruitment and orientation practices
 Identify the benefits of a board governance plan and know 5
things every plan should include
C id t t b d i b ildi l Consider steps to engage your board in building a plan
 Create accountability mechanisms to ensure progress
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6. It comes down to leadership…
“Development of the Board of
Di t i th t f d t lDirectors is the most fundamental
activity needed to build and maintain
a strong nucleus for a nonprofit
organization.”
Marc Smiley, Solid Ground
O i i l D l G
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Organizational Development Guru

7. Evolution of a Nonprofit Board
the Organizing Board
the Governing Board
the Institutional Boardthe Institutional Board
From: Karl Mathiasen (1990) Board passages:
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From: Karl Mathiasen (1990) Board passages:
Three key stages in a Non Profit Board’s Life Cycle

8. The Big Picture
Board roles:
• LeadershipLeadership
• Planning
• OversightOversight
• Resources
Staff roles:
• Daily operation & program management;
• Implement policies set by Board;
• Keep Board informed about issues &
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activities that are part of the life in the org.

9. Typical Board Roles
1. Ensures ongoing viability of the1. Ensures ongoing viability of the
organization
2 Connects to the community2. Connects to the community
3. Makes decisions & sets policies that define
h th i t it Mi ihow the org. carries out its Mission
4. Manages the organization
 hires & fires Exec. Director
 sets internal policies (financial, personnel,
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fundraising, PR, etc.)

10. Typical Board Roles
5. Manages the organization’s finances
6 Ensures effective planning6. Ensures effective planning
7. Monitors and evaluates Programs
8. Assesses its own work and replaces itself
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11. The Big Picture
Board roles:
• LeadershipLeadership
• Planning
• OversightOversight
• Resources
Staff roles:
• Daily operation & program management;
• Implement policies set by Board;
• Keep Board informed about issues &
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activities that are part of the life in the org.

12. Shared Leadership – Responsibilities
Governance (Board) Management (Staff)
 Oversight & guidance
 Acts as a group on behalf of
the organization
• Day‐to‐day operation
• Acts as an individual on behalf of
the organizationthe organization
 Continuous
 Has minimal or no staff
the organization
• Temporary
• Has access to all staff
 Ultimately responsible
 Typically NOT issue expert
• Limited/immediate responsibility
• Typically professional/NGO
 Volunteer
 Sees only parts of the
whole
expert
• Salaried
• Intimately involved w/ everything
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whole • Intimately involved w/ everything

13. An Important Distinction
A Board plays two important but distinct roles:
Governance role, and
S t lSupport role
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14. Governance Support
b d d d bAs a body or
individuals?
Board acts as a
body
Board members as
individuals
Who is the
boss?
The board is the
boss
Board members act with
or under direction of
boss? boss
staff
What are
• Big decisions
• Legal oversight
CEO
• Advice
• Revenue strategy
(fundraising, donating or
they doing?
• CEO
• Planning
• Efficiency & impact
( g, g
making connections)
• Ambassadors
• Volunteering
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• Volunteering
Board Café (2011), Jan Masaoka

15. Shared leadership form ‐ Homework
Helps distinguish what staff does
from what Boards do
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from what Boards do

16. Are there aspects of your organization’s
work where more clarity on the staff’s
vs. the Board’s role could be helpful?
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pf

17. Five “BMPs” for Creating a Strong Board
1 Select well1. Select well
2. Articulate expectations
3. Provide organizational information &
ongoing education
4. Engage each Board member and promote
team workteam work
5. Anticipate and prepare for leadership
transitions
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transitions

18. 1. Select well
A thoughtful, deliberative process that is
functioning throughout the yearfunctioning throughout the year
C id d iConsider your needs in:
• Skills and knowledge
C t t d i fl• Contacts and influence
• Demographics
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19. 2. Articulate Expectations
“A Board that knows what is expected of it and performs at“A Board that knows what is expected of it and performs at
the highest level is a strategic resource for its organization
and lead staff…. Good governance begins with people whoand lead staff…. Good governance begins with people who
can do the most to fulfill the mission of the organization.”
BoardSource
Tools: Board job descriptions &
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Tools: Board job descriptions &
Fundraising Commitment form

20. 3. Provide Needed Information & Ongoing Education
• Board Manual
• Board meetings & retreatsBoard meetings & retreats
• New Board member orientation
• Committees
• Board & Committee workplansp
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21. 4. Engage Board Members & Promote Team Work
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22. 4. Engage Board Members…
• Evaluate effectiveness of
current assignments
• Conduct Board
self‐evaluations
• Conduct exit interviews
with departing Boardwith departing Board
members
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23. 5. Plan for Leadership Transitions ‐ Steps
1. Review bylaws regarding term limits for Board
members & officers
2. Review current make‐up of Board, officers and
committees
3. Determine upcoming term expirations & vacancies
4. Review your needs with regard to upcoming projects, y g p g p j ,
developments, etc.
5. Review potential new Board members identified
throughout the year for skills and dynamics
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24. 5. Leadership Transitions
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25. In Conclusion:
Great Boards have
 critical elements of leadership, composition,
structure and practices in place;structure and practices in place;
 clarity on their role vis‐à‐vis staff
 leadership that reinforces interpersonal
relationships and strengthens lines of
i ticommunication;
 meaningful engagement through committees;
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 personal satisfaction.

26. Your Homework
Fill out the Shared Leadership form
b f t k’ bi
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before next week’s webinar

27. Upcoming Programs
• River Network Financial Management Webinar Series g
• 6‐month intensive training, starting November ‘13
• Six 90‐min. webinars, first Tuesday of every month
(Nov. ‘13 – April ‘14)
• Five hours of one‐on‐one consulting
• Email follervides@rivernetwork.org for more information@ g
• National River Rally Pittsburgh PA• National River Rally, Pittsburgh, PA
(May 30‐June 2, 2014)
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28. Tools & Resources
• Resources from webinar
• Shared Leadership form & Board Succession Planning form
previously sent
• For others, email follervides@rivernetwork.org
i k hi fi• River Network Partnership Benefits
• Free fundraising database, insurance discounts, quarterly
publications, discounted services & morep ,
• http://www.rivernetwork.org/partner‐benefits
• River Network Resource library y
http://www.rivernetwork.org/resource‐library?tid=All
• Organizational Assessment Tool
// /
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http://www.rivernetwork.org/status‐report‐survey

29.  See you next week!
o Building Your Best Board (Part 2);
October 9th, 1 ‐ 2 p.m. EST, p
o If you registered for Part 1, you are
already registered for Part 2already registered for Part 2.
o You will receive another email with
login instructions for Part 2.