Building a Collaborative Nonprofit Board Team
Collaboration is crucial for nonprofit boards to be effective. They work together with committee members and staff to help the nonprofit’s mission. However, often the board’s own ethos can either encourage or inhibit their collaboration potential.
One CEO of a nonprofit told me about a joint board of directors that was plagued by infighting and conflicts of interest, as well as mistrust. The board’s executive director brought in a consultant assist in getting the group back on foot. She asked the board chair to hold open discussions with the group. The chair reluctantly agreed.
The consultant found that the chair was a favorite and had a close relationship with a particular subset of the team. She also noticed that the chair was unable effectively communicate, and didn’t understand how to create trust within the group.
Boards can help encourage the development of a strong collaborative culture by making sure that new and existing board members are prepared for it. When you are bringing on new board members, make sure that they are prepared to work in a collaborative environment by introducing them to other board members and permitting them to work with organizational staff in small groups before the first board meeting. This will help them get familiar with the organization, its leadership and help them build beneficial connections. Create resources that encourage collaboration among members, such an online portal for board members. This allows board members to engage with each other between meetings. In addition, arranging an annual retreat for the board or other gatherings could foster camaraderie as well as foster a spirit of collaboration.