How to Have Your Best Board Meeting Ever! Nonprofit Leadership Institute March 1, 2010 Facilitator Moderator Inspiring excellence in community leadership Michael Kumer Executive Director, Nonprofit Leadership Institute Allison Jones Nonprofit Leadership Institute
Don’t like working on your own? Are you lonely? Don’t like working on your own? Hate making decisions? Then call a MEETING!!! You can… SEE people DRAW flowcharts FEEL important FORM subcommittees IMPRESS your colleagues MAKE meaningless recommendations ALL on COMPANY TIME!!! MEETINGS… The practical alternative to work
Board Meetings or B-O-R-E-D Meetings?
What are Meetings For? Decision Making!!!
What Drives the Agenda? Vision Mission Plan
Two Weeks Before the Meeting… Request recommendations from the board (place only items of critical importance on the Agenda) Request one page summaries of all committee reports, Executive Director reports, minutes, etc.
One Week Before the Meeting… Forward the Agenda (and all reports)
Zero-based Aural Reports (in the Meeting) But what about fiduciary oversight?
What is the Consent Agenda?
Minutes Focused on Decisions and Accountability What? Who? When?
One Week Following the Meeting (or Sooner!)… Forward the minutes (1-2 pages)
Devote part of each meeting to ongoing education (governance best practices and/or something about the organization Robert’s Rules or Roberta’s Rules Evaluate the meeting; use the results to improve future meetings Location, attendance, seating and scheduling
Resources Nonprofit Leadership Institute www.duq.edu/nli 412.396.6231 Ten Quick Ways to Improve Board Meetings http://www.compasspoint.org/boardcafe/details.php?id=16 Consent Agendas http://www.boardsource.org/Knowledge.asp?ID=3.70