Investing in Your Organization: Recruitment & Orientation of Boards of Directors Cathy Taylor, Executive Director November 2, 2006

Presentation Outline The Big Picture  Who are Canada’s Volunteers? Board Member Recruitment  Challenges  Opportunities Board of Directors Orientation  Strategies Canadian Code for Volunteer Involvement

A Snapshot of Canada’s Volunteers 45% of Canadians aged 15 and over volunteered for charitable and nonprofit organizations Average of 168 hours, annually Volunteered 2 billion volunteer hours Equivalent to over 1 million full-time jobs Source: Canada Survey on Giving, Volunteering & Participating, 2004, Statistics Canada

Who volunteers in Canada? Most likely Canadians to volunteer:  Youth  Those with high levels of household income and education  Those who have school aged children present in the household  Those who are religiously active

Types of Organizations where Canadians Volunteer

What do Volunteers Do?

Problems Relating to Volunteers

Issues Increasing dependence on volunteers Longer term volunteers are harder to find; “harder to find volunteers than to fundraise” Changing population and labour pool dynamics

Issues “Much comes from the few” Professionalism of volunteer management; staff turnover Risk Management Mandatory Volunteering

Board Recruitment: Challenges Fewer Volunteers More Competition More Risk Diversification Succession Planning

“Much comes from the few” The number of Canadians who volunteer is decreasing Those who do volunteer, give more hours The importance of time as a barrier to volunteering has increased Job skill motivation is now one of the top reasons people volunteer

More Competition, Fewer Resources According to Statistics Canada, more than 80,000 charities are registered Roughly double are the number of not-for- profit organizations without charitable status Fewer resources means increased need to fundraise; fewer government funding programs; more competition for dollars

A Risky “Business” More litigious society Increased awareness and education around risk management Financial and vicarious liability Due diligence on behalf of board members Privacy legislation and freedom of information requirements

It’s Your Turn Who are your board members? Gender, age, education level, employment status. Compare to provincial profile. What are the opportunities for recruitment? What motivates your board members? Analyze and use to retain and recognize. Matching skills to tasks: are you meeting board’s needs and your agency’s needs?

What does this mean for Board Recruitment? Need to reach out to diverse communities Need to link volunteer motivation with volunteer opportunities Need to remove barriers to volunteering Be realistic about your board’s time and your organization’s needs Board members are volunteers

In a motivated environment volunteers need … To know what to do To know how to do it To be able to do it And to agree to the task

Systematic Approach

Preparing to Recruit Know your stuff  Believe in and support your organization’s mission  Consider the changing needs of your organization  Develop your recruitment message  Identify “who” and “how” you will recruit  Know your gaps and define your priorities  Create position descriptions with clear expectations  Clearly define roles of board and staff based on your board’s governance model

Board Leadership Board Governance or Board Development Committee  Board recruitment, training, evaluation and recognition is year-long organizational priority  Leads to improved board performance  Discuss the role of staff: E.D./CEO as resource

Board Governance Committee  Responsibilities could include: Creation of governance policies and procedures Recruiting and nominating suitable board members Providing orientation and training programs for board members Evaluating and recognizing the performance of individual board members and the board as a whole Create and implement a board development plan!

Identifying your Board Needs Board Profile  This is a needs assessment of your leadership  Identify your existing board representation and look for gaps (sample tool provided)  Have a conversation about these gaps and your organization’s priorities at the board table  This becomes your SELECTION CRITERIA; think about they key qualities that you are seeking  Strategize on where to find the talent you need to fill those gaps  Clearly TARGET those skills and representations you need  Finally, brainstorm names of prospective board members that meet your most critical selection criteria

Diversification A broad diversity of interest and experience will have a very positive effect on the agency but is a difficult thing to accomplish Rule of thumb: no more than 30% of any one type of board member e.g. profession, type of business, personal background, etc. Focus on diversity within your organization at every level and draw board members up (e.g. staff, office volunteers, committees, etc.) This will result in a stronger affinity for your organization and less appearance of tokenism

Board Position Descriptions Create effective written position descriptions Define your expectations prior to recruitment Example: responsibilities, term of office, time commitment, benefits, evaluation measures, financial commitment, etc.

Position Design Theory: Overview Board members want to take ownership of tasks and to experience the satisfaction of successful completion of work assignments Board members have the right to know what is expected of them Board members will likely contribute more if they see how their role fits into the larger picture Board members are increasingly concerned about the appropriate use of their time

Position Design Theory: 5 Step Process Review the mandate or mission of the organization Look at how various functions/tasks are carried out to achieve the mission Consider current and potential board members and establish the skills that will be needed to perform the tasks Identify and describe position descriptions Match board members to jobs or assignments

Board Recruitment Recruitment Package  Personal letter of invitation  Mission statement, goals & objectives  Board member position description  Financial statement (s)  Current list of staff and board members  Board application form  Sample board agenda  Strategic Plan  Brief History of the organization

Just Ask! #1 Reason people volunteered: they were personally asked Know where to find suitable candidates that meet your priorities and needs What motivations of this person can we appeal to in our recruitment efforts? (self-help, job enhancement, socialization, learning new skills, leadership testing, giving back to the community, etc.)

Recruitment Strategies  Committee members; current volunteers in other capacities – “look from within” – some suggest 10% of board members come through this type of succession planning  “Retirees” from other boards or commissions  Energetic or new people to community or business  Host a “board prospect review committee” to brainstorm, based on your identified priorities  Call for nominations  Community search; advertising  List of past contacts

Other sources of board members Churches, places of worship Educational institutions Public sector leaders New Canadians, newcomers to the community Professional associations and unions Service clubs Former clients or partners Local corporations (small, medium, large) Seniors’ centres; retiree associations Those who aren’t involved in your organization but should be; or those critical of your organization Local newsletters or targeted consumer publications Volunteer Centres in your jurisdiction

Brainstorm… Write down a board recruitment message that worked/might work for your organization Write down three target places or organizations where you have either been successful or think would be appropriate to recruit board members

Selection Process Initial meeting Information package Attend a board meeting Interview Selection “Choose for attitude, train for skill”

Board Matchmaking Be selective Interview prospective candidates before they are nominated; informational interview works both ways!  What are there skills?  What are they interested in?  Why do they want to become involved?  Can they meet the requirements of the position description?  What do they want to know? Invite them to attend an existing board meeting as a guest

Continuous Improvement… Did you meet your target areas? Why or why not? Ask for feedback of new members  Was the recruitment message enticing?  Was it accurate?  What information or processes would have helped them make their decision to join the board? Conduct board exit interviews for leaving members – did they get what they signed up for? Keep recruitment materials current and frequently revise position descriptions

Avoid… “warm body” method Generally, do not ask board members to replace themselves: this will not meet your selection criteria and does not lead to greater diversity a group of like-minded individuals with share professions, skills or background

On Volunteer Retention We cannot afford, as a society, to burn out our volunteers. As organizations we need to focus our energies, not only on recruitment, but on retention. To retain volunteers we need to: Recognize their value and communicate it regularly Understand their motivation and how it changes over time Make sure the volunteer position adequately reflects why they want to volunteer

Remember… “To be resilient, your board must be diverse.” (Kenneth McCrory, 2004) “Recruitment is a constant, year-round process of keeping your organization’s name and its available volunteer opportunities in front of people.” (Susan Ellis The Volunteer Recruitment Book)

Board Orientation Ongoing efforts that should continue until board members end their term on the board Options:  Individual meetings with staff or board members  Group sessions  Workshops or seminars  Mentor with seasoned board members  Board manual or binder

Board Orientation Be clear about expectations – time, role Focus on programs, services and governance Key areas:  vision & planning  Finance  human resources  organizational operations  community relations

Board Orientation Can take place over several days or weeks Upon completion of orientation, new members should be aware of what is expected of them:  At board meetings and in preparation for board meetings  Between board meetings  On committees

Orientation is just the beginning! Training should be viewed as an ongoing effort that is both a requirement and a benefit of being a board member Integrate training into board meetings & other activities  Plan an annual board retreat  Include a relevant article when sending board agencies and members  Provide subscriptions to relevant publications  Budget for annual board training

Canadian Code for Volunteer Involvement - Overview A framework for your organization to start discussing the role that volunteers play in helping achieve your mission  Values for Volunteer Involvement  Guiding Principles for Volunteer Involvement  Organization Standards for Volunteer Involvement

Canadian Code for Volunteer Involvement: Values Volunteer Involvement is vital to a just and democratic society Volunteer Involvement strengthens communities Volunteer involvement mutually benefits both the volunteer and the organization Volunteer involvement is based on relationships

Canadian Code for Volunteer Involvement: Organization Standards Board and management acknowledge and support vital role of volunteers in achieving organization’s mission Policies and procedures provide a framework that defines and supports the involvement of volunteers A qualified person is designated to be responsible for the volunteer program A screening process is clearly communicated and consistently delivered Volunteer assignments address the purpose of the organization and involve volunteers in meaningful ways that reflect their various abilities, needs and backgrounds.

Canadian Code for Volunteer Involvement: Organization Standards Volunteer recruitment and selection reaches out to diverse sources of volunteers. Volunteers receive an orientation to the organization and its policies and procedures, and receive training for volunteer assignments Volunteers receive appropriate levels of supervision according to their task and are given regular opportunities to receive and give feedback Volunteer are welcomed and treated as valuable and integral members of the organization’s human resources The contributions of volunteers are regularly acknowledged with formal and informal recognition methods

Resources Volunteer Canada: Canada Volunteerism Initiative - Ontario: Imagine Canada: