Nonprofit Performance 360 Magazine Vol 4 No 4

to get a more personal connection with the work of the organization, and also provide excellent opportunities for board members to socialize in an informal setting. Another foundational principle in growing an impact-driven board is integrated into term limits. The term-limit power spiral, as I call it, is a key component to increasing the impact of nonprofit boards. A lack of term limits is always a red flag for helping spot an underperforming nonprofit board. Term limits are essential for acquiring new leadership and energy for boards. Term limits should also be used to intentionally remove the dead weight of inactive or non- engaged board members. Those same term limits are what allow the term-limit power spiral. Every occasion that a board member must step off the board at the end of their term is an opportunity for that vacant position to be filled with a candidate who is even more qualified. Such a practice creates an upward power spiral that ensures the nonprofit board should be constantly growing in both quality and impact. That, in turn, creates an ever-larger community footprint and the potential to attract even more qualified candidates to serve on the board. team and gets along with other members of the team.This helps in building bonding between the team members and instills a sense of ownership that helps in meeting giving goals. • Good leadership. A good leader is one who not only has a vision, but is also willing to listen to his/her team members for opinions and solutions. Trust between volunteers, employees, and leadership is important. • Incentives. Hard work of team members needs to be recognized. Recognition boosts morale and creates ownership which drives giving dollars. C redible – Trust is the backbone of credibility. Do what you say you’ll do, when you say you’ll do it. Be consistent in your promises. Be transparent when communicating with sponsors. Build that relationship by creating a bubble of trust. Olivo , continued from page 25

The qualitative growth of the board encourages the growth of the nonprofit’s impact,which in turn attracts more influential board members, which again increases the organization’s impact. This is the term-limit power spiral. New Board Member Orientation Packet Every board member should have a board packet or notebook which includes the organization’s basic documents. New board members need to receive their packet as part of their board orientation and have the executive director, board chair, or their board mentor go through the contents with them. Every nonprofit board’s packet will be different, but there are numerous types of information that should be included. They include (but are not limited to) the following: • Charter documents • Board organization and membership • By-laws and policies • Strategic plan • Financial management, policies and procedures • Financial records • Fundraising plans and reports • Community and public relations efforts • Program descriptions • Staff organization and data • Personnel policies Empower team members to do their jobs and create a synergistic environment. All of these contribute to the trust relationship and customer experience. E xpected – Deliver what is expected.This doesn’t stop with the metrics. It involves meeting ALL of the sponsor’s expectations. • Did you make them feel valued? • Did you treat them like they are important? • Did you anticipate their needs for giving? • Did you make it easy for them to engage? • Did you show that you care? • Did they feel loved? It may sound simple enough, but charities rarely find it easy to take sponsor experience from strategy to execution. Many of them focus on the wrong experience dimensions or implement them in the wrong combination.

There are any number of documents which may be included under each of these general headings. The point is that every new board member should be provided all the basic necessary documents to become as knowledgeable as possible from day one of joining the board. An informed board member is far more likely to be an engaged board member. No nonprofit should be satisfied with an underperforming board. The answer to such a board is to transform it into an impact- driven board of engaged leaders, all working together to further the vision and mission of the organization. Growing an impact-driven board takes intentionality, and both time and effort, but the rewards will pay huge dividends far into the future of the organization. Ray Buchanan, United Methodist minister, author, and former Marine, founded Rise Against Hunger (formerly Stop Hunger Now), an international hunger relief organization that distributes food and life-changing aid to the world’s most vulnerable, mobilizing the necessary resources to end hunger by 2030 through the collaboration of volunteers and organizations. Ray teaches in the Nonprofit Leadership Program at Lynchburg College in Lynchburg, Virginia, and is active with several local and international nonprofit boards. www.riseagainsthunger.org A well-considered approach is critical. As a nonprofit business owner, if there are expectations that you cannot meet, it’s time to look at where you can get the help you need, whether through strategic partnering, training, or some other way to increase the value of your organization to compete for those donor dollars. Danna Olivo, the “Business Birthing Specialist,” is a Business Growth Strategist and CEO of MarketAtomy, LLC. Her passion is working with small first-stage entrepreneurs to ensure that they start out on the right foot and stay on the path to financial freedom through understanding the intricacies involved in starting and running a successful business, keeping her clients accountable and on track to fulfilling their success goals. She is a public speaker and author of MarketAtomy: What To Expect When Expecting A Business and #1 Amazon Best Sellers Success From The Heart and

Journey To The Stage . www.marketatomy.com

SynerVision Leadership .org I 41