Volunteering on a nonprofit board can provide valuable skill building and networking opportunities. If you’re considering joining a nonprofit board, or currently serve on a board, you’ll want to attend this session. Karmen has over 20 years of experience working with nonprofits and will share actionable insights on how to be the very best board member you can and what to expect in return for your service to a nonprofit. You’ll find the rewards of board volunteer service quite unique and valuable, and perhaps just the career boost you’ve been looking for. Learn how to apply your professional strengths to board roles and how to use your newly acquired skills to advance your career. Presented by Karmen Lemke, Director – Wisconsin Public Service Foundation & Manager – Community Relations and Contributions, Wisconsin Public Service Corporation

1. The Match Game:
Ensuring Fit as a Nonprofit Board Member
Karmen Lemke
Manager - Community Relations/Contributions

2. 2
Today’s topics
 My background/experience
 Basic responsibilities of a Nonprofit Board
 Common Board shortcomings
 Board Building Cycle – identify, cultivate, recruit, orient, engage,
educate, rotate, evaluate and celebrate
 Intentional Board Recruitment– Salvation Army and others want
you!
 Before you commit – do your homework – is this the right match
for you?
 Resources available

3. 3
A Family of Companies
Electric
Generation and
Distribution
Electric
Transmission
60% ownership
Natural Gas Distribution

4. 4
Serving the Region’s Energy Needs
WEC Energy Group
We Energies
Michigan Gas Utilities Corporation
Minnesota Energy Resources Corporation
North Shore Gas Company
The Peoples Gas Light and Coke Company
Wisconsin Public Service Corporation
 4.4 million customers
 8,377 employees + 3,401 contractors
 More than 70,000 miles of electric lines
 More than 44,000 miles of natural gas lines
 Power plant capacity – 8,803 MW

5. 5
Local Commitment
 Wisconsin Public Service is an integral part of
the communities we serve through reliable
service, active civic involvement and charitable
giving.

6. 6
Our Framework for Corporate Citizenship

7. 7

8. 8
My first “community” service…
Mom and I
Brownie Girl Scout Daughter #2, Mom, and I
today

9. 9
Meet the whole family…

10. 10
One of my first board experiences

11. 11
17 years is a long time to serve on a board

12. 12
Professional Connections
Bay Area Community Council

13. 13
Community Connections
Daughter #3

14. 14
Personal Connections

15. 15
Nonprofit Boards By The Numbers
 7.4 - Average number of board meetings a year
 3.4 - Average number of hours for each board meeting
 3 - Average length, in years, of a board member’s term
 16.1- Number of people on an average nonprofit board
 3% - Share of nonprofits that pay board members an honorarium
 26% - Nonprofits that reimburse board members for travel/meetings
 70% - Nonprofits that require a personal contribution from board
members
 86% - Share of board members over the age of 40
 2 - Average number of boards on which board members serve
 82% - % of all board members who are Caucasian
Source: Board Source Nonprofit Governance Index

16. 16
Trends in Board Development
1. Boards are smaller.
2. Board meetings are shorter and there are fewer of them.
3. There is an increased reliance on technology.
4. Board members are learning the difference between
governance and support
5. Board members focus on impact and results.
6. Recruitment is harder.
7. The pressure to fundraise is growing.
8. Composition: From personal connections to strategic diversity.

17. 17
Trends in Board Development (Continued)
9. Focus on impact and results, not reports.
10. Clarity about risk management issues.
11. Orientation/Training: From informal to formal.
12. Education: Mission related, learn about the issue, understand the
organization’s customers.
13. Evaluation/Assessment: Accountability at all levels.

18. 18
Primary Board Responsibilities
 Establish Strategic Direction
 Determine mission and purpose
 Ensure effective planning
 Ensure the Necessary Resources
 Ensure adequate financial resources
 Select the chief executive
 Build a competent board
 Enhance the organization’s public standing
 Provide Oversight
 Monitor and strengthen programs and services
 Protect assets and provide financial oversight
 Ensure legal and ethical integrity
 Support and evaluate
62nd annual CP
Telethon

19. 19
Common Board Shortcomings
 Veering off the mission
 Complacency
 Misguided motivations
 Multiple voices
 Micromanaging
 Limitless terms
 No self-assessment/lack of self-improvement
 Knotted purse strings

20. 20
Questions to Ask When Invited to Serve
 Why me, and why now?
 Could I first join a committee?
 What skills and talents are needed? If they can't tell you...
 How many open board seats need to be filled? Why are the seats
open?
 How are the terms laid out?
 What are the term limits? The most common is 2 terms, 6-years in
total, if term limits are enforced.
 How often do people step down before their term is up, and why?
 What is expected of a board member as far as time, talent,
treasure, contacts?

21. 21
Questions to Ask When Invited to Serve
(Continued)
 How can I benefit by being involved? This is NOT a bad question.
 In what areas does the board get bogged down in and/or what
issues do they have trouble addressing?
 Do the executive director and/or founder serve as a voting member
of the board?
 Do 100% of the directors make an annual contribution? What is the
expected amount?
 Does the board conduct an evaluation of their overall and individual
performance?

22. 22
What’s In It For You?
 Meet new people – even your next boss
 Community awareness and connections
 Intrinsic motivation – want to give back
in a meaningful way and aligns with your
skill set
 Learn a new skill – try something new
 Gain formal leadership experience
 Be apart of solving critical community
issues
 Build the capacity of organizations that
are impacting lives
 Have fun!
Literacy Green Bay
Annual Literacy Bee event

23. 23
Tips to becoming the best
board member you can:
 Get to know the organization
 Know your responsibilities as a board member
 Avoid a conflict of interest
 Support the board’s final choices
 Maintain confidentiality
 Don’t be a board hopper
 Be open-minded
 Learn how to read the organization’s financial statements
 Be prepared to participate in board meetings
 Take advantage of training and development opportunities

24. 24
Is Nonprofit Board Service Right for YOU???
 What type of experience is most fulfilling for you?
 How much time are you willing to put into board work?
 Are you willing to collaborate with others on a regular basis or
would you prefer to work alone?
 Do you have the willingness and the ability to assist a nonprofit
organization with fund development?
 Are you willing to be an enthusiastic advocate for an organization
and its mission and encourage others to get involved?
 Are you committed to sharing your time and talent to help make the
world a better place?

25. 25
What Is Next For You?
 You may not be asked – so don’t wait.
 Find your passion.
 Make a connection.
 Start small – committee vs. board
 If feeling like an outsider – change it!
 Don’t have time? Then what?
 Can’t afford the financial commitment?
Remember time and talent counts, too!
 Talk to your boss/company – make it a
development goal in 2016

26. 26
Time to Make a Connection!
 Introduce yourself to someone you don’t know
 Share a Board or Committee experience
 What are you passionate about?

27. 27
Resources
 Leadership Green Bay
 United Way Impact Councils
 Enterprising Nonprofits May 17 in Appleton
 Volunteer Center of Brown County
 BoardSource.org
 www.volunteergb.org.

28. 28
Questions?
Questions?

29. 29
Thank you!
Karmen Lemke
Wisconsin Public Service Corp.
kmlemke@wisconsinpublicservice.com
920-433-1433