IN State Conference December 2018 Planning-Oversight-Resources What a Good Board Does And How to Help Them Do It! IN State Conference December 2018

Primary Duties of Board and Board Members AS WE GO THROUGH, THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU’RE DOING WELL, INDIVIDUALLY AND COLLECTIVELY, AND AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT

PLANNING and VISION Real Duties One Why do we exist? Where are we headed? What big picture things are we adding or subtracting?

Draw the distinction between: ENDS- organizational purposes. Changes that happen to people OUTSIDE the organization & MEANS- Other organizational issues, how to get to ends. Board doesn’t produce the ENDS, but DOES define them. Board helps with WHAT not HOW

What Does the Board Need to Plan Well? Information on past performance Any prior commitments? What HFHI and other affiliates are doing Income projections Any must or must NOT dos Community direction and priorities Partnership with affiliate staff

Where does that info come from? ED and staff Board planning committee Board education committee Ad-hoc group set up just to research those questions US Support Center of HFHI

A Plan is Pretty USELESS if You don’t check on it’s progress Quarterly checks at committee and board level Make adjustments Tracking chart or dashboard is helpful…..

PROVIDE OVERSIGHT REAL Duties Two Financial controls Financial review Program review Are we meeting the plan we laid out in duty #1???? One thing can’t be delegated- raising and managing money

Oversight Includes: Policy formation and review. Have a schedule to review periodically. Include by-laws. Enforced financial checks and balances Getting program and $ reports THEN: LETTING THE STAFF OR COMMITTEE WORK!!!

Key Financial Questions Do we have a budget? How are we doing on plan/cash flow? How dependent are we on biggest funding source? What is delinquency rate? How profitable is our store? Do we leverage assets? INSIST on reports-hire if necessary Some committees will go away over time as staff take over those functions

KEY PROGRAM QUESTIONS Are we functioning within our mission? Are we doing our plan? What should we add, start? What should we stop doing?

What does the board need to do oversight well? Financial reports on time ALL the information Policy book Record of past agreements Metrics and/or dashboard

Something like this….

PROVIDE RESOURCES REAL Duties EVERYONE is on fund-raising The board has the vision The board has to fund it, too! People are resources, too It’s the board’s job to replace and improve itself Board sets the mission, has to pay for it as well.

Real Duties RAISE MONEY Board Source says members: Make a contribution Establish fund-raising policies Make connections Volunteer to help out Select board members and staff members who can raise $$$$ Also know about present funding, where it’s coming from, have some idea of how the affiliate works and what funds are for.

At Your Affiliate: Be a leader in fund-raising events Participate in thanking major donors Refer at least 2-5 people/orgs to ED Bring friends to dedications, build days, ceremonies Use your networks Find board and committee folks

What does the board need to provide resources well? Clear expectations Coaching Practice Systems for referral Success stories Idea of what people are needed Way to plug new folks in Recognition

If it were me: I would put your board expectations, including fund-raising, in writing for new members. I would track performance on a monthly basis. I would create systems to make referrals easy. Start with easy wins….

Ladder of Effectiveness Personal: Face to Face Personal letter or telephone call Personalized letter/email Telephone solicitation Impersonal letter/direct mail Impersonal telephone call/phone-a-thon Fundraising benefit/Special Event Door to Door Media/Advertising

Adding New Board Members Identify Cultivate Ask Orient INVOLVE Educate Evaluate- don’t keep dead wood Cycle Off

What Boards Should Expect from EDs- Positive attitude about mission Open, timely communication Identify key issues No surprises Information for decisions Communicate with whole board Particularly true in fund-raising. Boards need to know what is it costing to raise a dollar. What are our parameters for success.

What EDs Should Expect from Board: Govern more, manage less Timely, clear decisions Do homework Find money and leaders Speak with one voice when decisions are made

COMMITTEES- A Few Words About They are commonly misunderstood at affiliates

Committees Can be Board Committees Operating, Functional Committees Advisory Ad Hoc

Board Committees: Are the ONLY ones that do board work, need board members Executive Personnel Finance Planning Board Recruitment and Education

Operating Committees Serve as EXTRA staff Should report through staff not board channels Family selection, support, fund-raising, construction etc. committees are operating committees Do not have to be board members or have board chairs

Consider Time Limited, Ad Hoc Committees For special events, special projects, research etc. Allows people to serve on a project, for a short time Good place to recruit future leaders

Executive Committee should NEVER, EVER have power To change mission or plan To change budget To make structural change to organization To hire and fire ED on own

Many Affiliates Have Poor Board Meetings… Don’t: Just hear reports Just listen to ED Just sit there Just rubber stamp Waste time of busy people Do: Ask about finances Find meaty, important issues for board to discuss Have board talk, not sit Use reports

Let’s Hear Your Stories What’s working for your affiliate? What did you try that didn’t quite make it? What advice would you give?

Ideas “borrowed” from: Fund-Raising Fitness. A Board Source Toolkit for Board Fund-Raising Involving Your Board in Fund Development by Simone Joyoux Board Source Nonprofit Certificate Training Doing Good Better by Stoesz and Raber

Feel free to contact Mark Eul Capacity Build Organizational Consultant, HFHI Board Source Certificate Holder 417-291-7654 meul@habitat.org