The document outlines the importance of board evaluations in nonprofit organizations, emphasizing continuous improvement, self-assessment, and accountability. It provides methods and techniques for evaluating board performance, individual board member contributions, and the effectiveness of the chief executive. Evaluation should be conducted periodically and can include tools such as surveys, dashboards, and structured feedback to enhance governance and operational efficiency.

1. BOARD EVALUATION
Bill Taylor, UW Area Community Development Educator

2. References
• The Handbook of Nonprofit Governance by
BoardSource, published by Jossey-Bass, 2010
• The Board Chair Handbook, Second Edition by Mindy
R. Wertheimer, published by BoardSource, 2008
• The Nonprofit Board’s Role in Mission, Planning and
Evaluation, Second Edition by Kay Sprinkel
Grace, MA; Amy McClellan, MNO; John A.
Yankey, Ph.D., 2009
• The Board Building Cycle: Nine Steps to
Finding, Recruiting, and Engaging Nonprofit Board
Members, Second Edition by Berit M. Lakey, published
by BoardSource, 2007

3. References (cont.)
• Evaluating Board Performance by Bob
Cropp, Director, University of Wisconsin Center for
Cooperatives, January 1966 at
http://www.uwcc.wisc.edu/issues/Governance/board.ht
ml
• Board Performance Evaluation; Private Sector
Opinion, Issue 9 by the International Finance
Corporation at http://www.gcgf.org
• Corporate Governance: A Primer on Board Member
Evaluation by Bill Capps and Rob Steinberg of
Jeffer, Mangels, Butler & Mitchell LP at
http://about.bloomberglaw.com/practitionercontributions/corporate-governance-a-primer-onboard-member-evaluation/

4. “Exceptional boards embrace
the qualities of a continuous
learning
organization, evaluating their
own performance and
assessing the value they add
to the organization.”
The Source: Twelve Principles of Governance That Power
Exceptional Boards

5. EXCEPTIONAL BOARDS
• Results-oriented
• Measure overall
efficiency, effectiveness, impact, outcomes
• Can’t afford complacency – keep
discovering ways to increase their value

6. EVALUATION
“Figuring out something’s worth by looking at it
carefully.”
• Assessing the effectiveness and
performance of the organization, its
programs and its services

7. POTENTIAL
• Identify issues pushed aside during normal
business
• Identify strengths & weaknesses affecting
optimal performance
• Keep the board focused, on track
• Allow board chair, members, & chief exec.
to assess growth & progress in their roles

8. POTENTIAL (cont.)
• Reinvigorate individual board members to
take responsibility as part of the team
• Reinforce that the board takes its work
seriously & models good governance

9. WHEN
• Varies with organization
• Suggested:
– Brief evaluation annually
– Extensive every 2-4 years

10. WHO
•
•
•
•
Governance committee
Ad hoc committee
Outside consultant
Board chair and the membership in
partnership

11. LEVELS
• Organizational – extent to which the
organization has met its stated goals &
objectives & how well it performed in the
process
• Programmatic – efficiency and outcomes
of various or individual programs
• Board – how well the board as a whole is
functioning and understanding its role

12. LEVELS (cont.)
• Individual Board Member – how well each
member is fulfilling his job description
• Board Chair – is the chair a good leader
and facilitator?
• Chief Executive – how well is the chief
executive fulfilling their job description and
assisting the organization to their annual
goals?

13. LEVELS (cont.)
• Levels can be coordinated, mixed, or only
certain ones performed, according to
needs and structure of the organization

14. ORGANIZATIONAL EVALUATION
• One method – dashboard reporting
– Attached to meeting agenda
– 1-2 pages –
graphs, charts, tables, columns, limited text
• Showing progress toward goals & objectives
– Indicators to monitor:
•
•
•
•
Finances
Programs
Quality control
Human resources

15. ORGANIZATIONAL EVALUATION (cont.)
– Benefits of dashboard reports:
•
•
•
•
•
Supports planning
Identifies performance drivers
Prioritizes information
Identifies problems early
Increases efficiency
*ORGANIZATIONAL
EVALUATION EXERCISE
– 15 minutes

16. PROGRAM EVALUATION
• Provides accountability to funders
• Takes subjectivity out of justifying the
organization’s existence
• 2 components
– Outcomes measurement
• How a program is working – its results
– Performance measurement
• The inputs & outputs of a program
• Quality & effectiveness of the program
implementation

17. PROGRAM EVALUATION (cont.)
• Based on qualitative & quantitative data
• Methods
– Surveys, interviews, focus groups, pre- &
post-tests, observations, assessments of
products from program participation

18. BOARD SELF-ASSESSMENT
• How well is the board meeting its
responsibilities?
– Examine:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Composition
Identification & recruiting of new members
Relationship w/ constituents/stakeholders
Relationship w/ chief executive
Does committee structure work?
Are meetings well run?

19. BOARD SELF-ASSESSMENT (cont.)
• Questions:
– Is board clear about its roles &
responsibilities?
– Members familiar and in support of mission?
Is mission appropriate for organization in 2-4
years?
– Has board engaged in setting a strategic
direction? Is there a vision of the strategic
evolvement of the organization over the next
3-5 years?

20. BOARD SELF-ASSESSMENT (cont.)
• Questions (cont.)
– Is board knowledgeable about the programs? Is
there effective processes for tracking program
performance?
– Does board understand the finances & resource
strategy? Do all members participate in any
fundraising?
– Does budget reflect priorities of strategic or
annual plan? Are financial controls in place? Are
there established investment & risk management
policies?

21. BOARD SELF-ASSESSMENT (cont.)
• Benefits:
– Moving from micromanaging organization’s
work & directing focus on governance
– More engaged & higher-performing board
– Developing team-building skills & better
problem-solving structure
– Showing stakeholders board members take
responsibility seriously
– Improved board-staff relations

22. BOARD SELF-ASSESSMENT (cont.)
• Benefits (cont.):
– Clarification of division of labor
– Identification of board structures needing
improvement
– Development of an action plan

23. BOARD SELF-ASSESSMENT (cont.)
• When:
– Every 2-3 years
– Exploring roles & responsibilities
– Identifying gaps in performance
– Discovering problems
– Developing plans for the future

24. BOARD SELF-ASSESSMENT (cont.)
• When (cont.):
– Critical points:
• In early stages of the organization’s life, especially
when hiring the 1st staff
• There is confusion about which responsibilities
belong to the board and which to the staff
• During changes of leadership on the board or of
chief executive
• When doing strategic planning

25. BOARD SELF-ASSESSMENT (cont.)
• Techniques:
– Mini or complete assessment
• Easy to complete surveys
• Anonymous responses to encourage candid
comments
• Compiled in report to board
• Sample from The Handbook of Nonprofit
Governance
• Culminate w/ extended board session or retreat to
discuss & identify action steps
– Regular board training

26. BOARD SELF-ASSESSMENT (cont.)
• Techniques (cont.):
– External Audit
• Engage expert in governance
• Review articles of incorporation or establishing
resolution, bylaws, observe board & committee
meetings; interview officers, board
members, former board members, & chief
executive
• Written/oral report to board and chief executive
• BoardSource provides online and custom
evaluations
– www.boardsource.org

27. BOARD SELF-ASSESSMENT (cont.)
• Techniques (cont.):
– Evaluating board meetings
• 10-15 minute item on each agenda for discussion
– “Ideas for Improving the Board”
• Feedback form or round of comments at end of
each meeting
– 2 questions:
» “The thing I most liked about this meeting was…”
» “One thing that could have improved this meeting
was…”

28. BOARD SELF-ASSESSMENT (cont.)
• Techniques (cont.):
– Evaluating board meetings (cont.)
• Items to address:
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Dealt w/ issues of substance & strategic importance?
Run efficiently?
Used board member’s time wisely?
Well organized?
Background materials available in advance?
Begin & end on time?
Everyone’s voice heard or did a few dominate?
Issues were discussed & debated?
Was something achieved? *Board Meeting Evaluation Exercise
– 2 minutes

29. BOARD SELF-ASSESSMENT (cont.)
• Outcomes of a good board assessment:
– Measure progress
– Identify areas needing improvement
– Establish goals for the future
– Remind members of their responsibilities
– Reshape operations
– Build trust, facilitate communication
– Identify strategic planning initiatives

30. BOARD SELF-ASSESSMENT (cont.)
• Outcomes of a good board assessment (cont.):
– Improvements in monitoring program
effectiveness
– Enhanced board meetings & more effective use
of committees
– Improvements in process of reviewing chief
executive’s performance
– Strategies for more intentional board recruitment
– Establishment of a governance committee & and
a more thoughtful nomination process
*Full Board Evaluation
Exercise – 8 minutes

31. BOARD MEMBER EVALUATION
• Two methods
– Self-assessment
• Based on the board member job description or the
individual section of a board assessment
instrument
• Sample from The Handbook of Nonprofit
Governance

32. BOARD MEMBER EVALUATION (cont.)
• Two methods (cont.)
– Peer evaluation
• A brief anonymous survey – each board member
rates others on items such as:
–
–
–
–
–
–
Attendance
Preparation
Follow-through on assignments
Quality of participation in discussion
Interactions w/ other board members
Interactions w/ staff
• Results tallied & shared privately w/ each board
member
* Board Member Self-Evaluation Exercise – 15 minutes

33. BOARD CHAIR EVALUATION
• Benefits:
– Clearer view of the position & its requirements
– Clarifies the work of the chair & where
improvement is desired
– Helps prevent informal mumbling & private
discussions about the chair

34. BOARD CHAIR EVALUATION (cont.)
• Focus:
– Facilitation skills
– Relationships & interactions w/ board
members
– Use of board work structures
– Use of governance practices

35. BOARD CHAIR EVALUATION (cont.)
• Handled by fellow board members (never
the chief executive)
• Anonymous survey
• Communicated directly to chair in private
discussion

36. CHIEF EXECUTIVE EVALUATION
• Job description
– Must be clear, unambiguous
– Basis for evaluation and measurement
• Expectations
– Annual expectations should be listed to
identify priorities and projected
accomplishments

37. CHIEF EXECUTIVE EVALUATION (cont.)
• When
– End of fiscal year
• What to evaluate
–
–
–
–
–
–
Success in meeting organization’s overall goals
Strategic alignment w/ board’s directives
Accomplishment of management objectives
Programmatic & fundraising achievements
Fiscal management
Relationship w/ board, staff, community

38. CHIEF EXECUTIVE EVALUATION (cont.)
• Process
– Organized by board chair
– Should fit the culture of the organization
– Should enhance working relationship between
board & chief executive
– Determine which instruments to use, who should
be involved, how results will be communicated
– 2 components
• Self-evaluation
• Board member questionnaire
– Comments compiled, tabulated

39. CHIEF EXECUTIVE EVALUATION (cont.)
• Written report
– Shared privately with chief executive
• Placed in personnel file
– Provided to entire board