VOICES CARRY CHILD ADVOCACY CENTER
GOVERNANCE ESSENTIALS FOR SUCCESS
JUNE 29, 2016
Emily Davis, MNM
President, Emily Davis Consulting
Senior Governance Consultant, BoardSource
MOTIVATIONAL VALUES
“What motivates me
to serve on the
Voices Carry Board of
Directors?”
60 seconds or less
Name
Motivational
Value
Challenge or
Outcome
HI!
A LITTLE ABOUT YOU…
AGREEMENTS & PARKING LOT
AGENDA
Setting the Stage 12:00 – 12:30
Governance Essentials 12:30 – 1:30
Break 1:30 – 1:45
Ensuring Financial Resources 1:45 – 2:30
Ensuring Human Resources 2:30 – 3:30
Closing 3:30 – 4:00
Why did
you join?
What
hesitations
did you
have?
Why would
you leave?
Why do
you stay?
BASIC BOARD RESPONSIBILITIES
Determine mission & purpose
Select the chief executive
Support & evaluate the CEO
Ensure effective planning
Monitor & strengthen programs &
services
Ensure adequate financial
resources
Protect assets & provide financial
oversight
Build a competent board
Ensure legal & ethical integrity
Enhance the organizations good
public standing
*BoardSource
OUTSTANDING (4)
GOOD (3)
FAIR (2)
POOR (1)
ACTIVITY
How does the board as
a whole perform the 10
responsibilities listed?
Rate the board as a
whole on a
scale from 1 – 4.
*BoardSource*BoardSource
NPO VS CORPORATE BOARD
NONPROFIT CORPORATE
Board Legally required Required only for publicly-traded companies
Compensation Volunteer Paid
Voting Exec. Dir. ex-officio CEO voting member
Strategic Planning Shared: Exec. Dir. & Board CEO-led
Clients/Constituents Stakeholders Shareholders
Human Resources Staff, Volunteers, Donors Employees, Clients
Committee
Requirements
No federal-level requirement for an audit
committee; some state-level
requirements
Audit committee required by Sarbanes-Oxley
Act
Cash Frequent restrictions on use Generally, limited restricted use
Funding
Individuals
Corporations
Foundations
Government
Events
Social enterprise
Service clubs
Service or Product
Bottom Line Impact, People, Financial Financial
ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES
Set Organizational
Direction
Provide Oversight
Ensure Necessary
Resources
*BoardSource
Set Organizational
Direction
*BoardSource
STRATEGIC PLANNING
Strategic Priorities
Goals
Objectives
Tactics
• Process, not a document
• Three-year road map
• Input from board, staff, &
stakeholders
• Narrative, resources, &
implementation tools
ARE WE READY?
ORG STABILITY EXISTING PLAN PLAN STRATEGIES TIMING
FUNDING
BOARD & STAFF
COMMITMENT
FACILITATION
*BoardSource
WHAT IS THE PROCESS?
DISCOVERY
Document review
Organizational
assessment
Stakeholder input
Situational analysis
RETREAT
Board education
Priorities
discussion
SWOT
Misc. activities
DOCUMENTATION
Plan narrative
Drafts revised
Implementation
dashboard
Appendices
IMPLEMENTATION
Plan highlights
Dashboard
Champions
Review quarterly,
reports
Update annually
Technical
assistance
WHO CONDUCTS PLANNING?
Objective perspective
Time to commit and compile info
Serve as “bad guy”
Expert
Keeps focus on priorities
Costs $
Board/staff resistance
Less money
Understand org best
Can get bogged down in
details
More subjective
Time accountability
Self-Facilitated
Consultant
ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES
Set Organizational
Direction
Provide Oversight
*BoardSource
GATHER
INFORMATION
BOARD ASSESSMENT
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
COMMITTEES
MEETINGS
ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS
What is our capacity?
What does success look like?
What matters the most to us?
How does this serve our mission?
How does it fit our strategic goals?
How might this be a challenge for us?
Why is this important right now?
Why should we consider other options?
Why is this relevant to our stakeholders?
*BoardSource
BOARD & ED ENGAGEMENT*
OBSERVATION LEADERSHIP
ATTENDANCE MICROMANAGEMENT
E
D
E
N
G
A
G
E
M
E
N
T
BOARD ENGAGEMENT
*BoardSource*BoardSource
WHO LEADS?
BOARD
[With ED	support]
EXEC
DIR
[With	Board	advice]
BOTH
[50/50	Split]
*BoardSource
SHARED LEADERSHIP
BOARD LEADS
SHARED
LEADERSHIP
ED LEADS
Strategic
Plan
Funding
Strategies
Evaluation
Board
Meeting
Prep
Policy
Questions
Staff Hiring &
Oversight
Develops,
Implements, &
Oversees
Programs
Chief
Fundraiser
Operations
Reporting
Create &
Review
Policy
ED Hiring &
Oversight
Connections
to Funding
Financial
Due
Diligence
Board
Recruitment
& Retention
*BoardSource
OPERATIONS IN
ALTITUDE
Do you need to
change your
altitude?
QUICK BREAK!
ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES
Set Organizational
Direction
Provide Oversight
Ensure Necessary
Resources
*BoardSource
ENSURE HUMAN & FINANCIAL RESOURCES
CEO
Board Members
Supporters
Policies
Planning
Board Giving
Prospecting
Cultivation
Stewardship
*BoardSource*BoardSource
HATS WE WEAR
Legal AmbassadorVolunteer
Connections
Resources
Communications
Duty of Care
Duty of Loyalty
Duty of Obedience
Board works for staff
Avoid micromanagement
*BoardSource*BoardSource
WHAT DOES IT MEAN?
FUNDRAISING
PLAN & STAFF
MISSION MOMENT
What is a Voices Carry mission
moment?
THE F WORD!
FUNDRAISING CULTURE ASSESSMENT
*BoardSource
WHAT IS FUNDRAISING?
• Investment in a mission
• Improves capacity for impact and
change
• Build relationships – “Friend”raising
• Not begging for money
• People are not ATMs
FUND DEVELOPMENT
Diversity
is key
Individuals
Membership
Special
events
Foundation
grants
Government
grants
Corporate
sponsorship
Earned
income
Service clubs
FUNDRAISING BY THE NUMBERS*
*Giving USA 2014
DONORS & GIVING
BEQUESTS/
PLANNED GIFTS
MAJOR GIFTS
Capital campaigns
Endowment campaigns
Special events
ANNUAL GIVING
Annual campaigns
Special events
Direct mail
Online giving
Membership programs
ONSITE/FIRST TIME GIFTS
Newsletters
Volunteerism
Social media
Peer-to-peer giving
New gifts
Annual donors
Midsize donors
Major donors
Planned
giving
FUNDRAISING PROCESS
PROSPECTING Identification Preparation
CULTIVATION
Build the
Relationship
Engage the
Donor
Ask for the Gift
STEWARDSHIP Recognition Reporting Communicating Engagement
WHERE DO YOU LAND?
Prospecting Cultivation Stewardship
What takes the most time in fundraising?
FUNDRAISING BY TIME
Involve &
Engage
Donors
25%
Identification
of Prospects
20%Educate &
Cultivate
25%
Ask for Gifts
5%
Thanks &
Recognize
25%
Yes,	but	
not	that	
much
No
3 POSSIBLE OUTCOMES
YES!!
FEARLESS FUNDRAISING:
A BOARD MEMBER
CHECKLIST!
Fundraising opportunities
and responsibilities for
board members
Be honest. Be realistic.
Take a risk!
FUNDRAISING ROLES
EXECUTIVE
DIRECTOR
Chief Fundraiser
Media Spokesperson
Fundraising Planning
Board & Staff Liaison
DEVELOPMENT
STAFF
Fundraising Strategy
Moves Management
Identify/
Communicate Needs
BOARD OF
DIRECTORS
Connect to
Funding
Make Gifts
Policies
DEVELOPMENT
COMMITTEE
Board & Staff
Liaison
Staff support on
specific
efforts/campaigns
*BoardSource
100% BOARD GIVING
Board Giving
Commitment
Open
Ended
Flexible
Specific
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80% 68% 74%
46%
Board Participation in Giving
*BoardSource
QUESTIONS?
Great board member
retention begins with
a great recruitment
process!
RECRUITMENT
Identify
Cultivate
Recruit
Orient
Involve
Educate
Evaluate
Rotate
CELEBRATE!
*BoardSource*BoardSource
WHO LEADS?
STEP BY STEP
Evaluation Expectations
REVIEW BOARD JOB DESCRIPTIONS
MEMBERS AT LARGE
PRESIDENT/CHAIR
VICE PRESIDENT/CHAIR
SECRETARY
TREASURER
STEP BY STEP
Evaluation Expectations Application Outreach
WHERE DO YOU FIND CANDIDATES?
STEP BY STEP
Evaluation Expectations Application Outreach
Vetting Selection Debrief
CANDIDATE EXPERIENCE
RETENTION & ENGAGEMENT
BOARD & COMMITTEE TYPES
BOARDS
• Governing
• Advisory
• Emeritus
• Honorary
COMMITTEES
• Governance
• Finance
• Fund development
• Program
• Marketing
ONBOARDING
ORIENTATION BOARD BUDDIES
Hello.
My name is…
WHAT MAKES ‘EM TICK
•Always YES
•Wants to help
everyone &
everything
•Caution!
OVER-COMMITTED
•Needs lots to
stay engaged
•Don’t let
them sit
around
BUSY, BUSY, BUSY
•Verbal &
print
•Use titles &
acknowledg
ment
LIKES RECOGNITION
•Stays focused & on track
•Great for events
•May get discouraged by
others’ lack of support
ORGANIZER
• Lots of ideas for
improvement
• Pair with an Organizer
to keep things moving
CREATIVE
*Abigail Harmon
INVEST IN LEARNING
TRAINING &
EDUCATION
NETWORKS &
ASSOCIATIONS
PRACTICE
LEADERSHIP
BOARD ENGAGEMENT PLANS
• What do you want to include?
• How will you create them?
• How do you hold yourselves
accountable?
• What challenges lie ahead?
• What does success look like?
• Board participation
• Committee participation
• Event participation
• Individual giving
• Fundraising activities
• Ambassadorship
• Resources have and need
MEETINGS:
None of us is as
dumb as all of us
BOARD MEETING TIPS
Governance
Board reports
Strategic
priorities/goals
Mission moments
Ask questions
Avoid
micromanagement
Facilitation
Consent agendas
Shared
responsibilities
Giving accountability
Follow up
Participants
Guests, Staff
ED
Board members
Honor time
MEETING PREPARATION
IT’S NOT ABOUT YOU
How does this serve the mission?
Does it fit our strategic goals?
What’s our capacity?
What does success look like?
Keep it high level!
OFF BOARDING
Succession planning
Honorary/ Emeritus/
Advisory Committee
Board buddy
Recognition
PICTURE YOUR LEGACY
Select a card that answers
the question:
“What is the legacy you
want to leave on the Voices
Carry board?”
TAKE AWAY & COMMITMENT
Emily Davis, MNM
President, Emily Davis Consulting
Senior Governance Consultant, BoardSource
(720) 515-0581
emily@emilydavisconsulting.com
emilydavisconsulting.com

Governance Essentials for Success