Thought Leadership

Nonprofit Pro, August 1, 2019 5 Pro Tips to Building the Nonprofit Board of the Future (continued)

weighs in on property development and acquisition decisions or more honorary, requiring a meeting or two per year and some outreach to key contacts. This ensures that the candidates understand what will be expected of them in terms of time, expertise and resources. The level of demand should never be underplayed or overplayed. We strive to never let our board meetings be “boring.” In addition to the tasks at hand for every board—reviewing minutes, the financials, business-at-hand and other key decisions—we provide our board with up-to-the-minute presentations on everything from social media to the latest in fintech. We encourage our board members to contribute to our ongoing thought leadership efforts by proposing speakers for events and topics for surveys and other owned content we produce. Every member of our board contributes in ways beyond their job description, and we firmly believe most board members want to do that if given the opportunity. And the board of the future will be given opportunities we can’t even imagine yet, which is why it pays to invest well in your board today.

of skills including financial, investment and policy expertise to digital, marketing and education. The exercise is aimed at finding candidates that fill any “gaps” and those who over-qualify in key needed areas. Just like ideas in Congress, which thrive when there is bi- partisan support, your board will work best with a combination of mindsets, instead of a cookie-cutter lineup. You want an open- minded board that is not too set in their ways, a combination of “gray hair” and experience with fresh thinking folks who aren’t afraid to shake things up. Carla Howard, strategic change consultant, offers, “I’ve seen well-established conservative boards reject ideas that don’t fit with their thinking and traditions. As in any venture these days, a certain amount of disruption paves the road to transformation and grown.” 5. How Can You Keep a Board Engaged and Forward-Thinking? First, decide at the outset if your board is an actual working board with discrete duties and responsibilities, such as the board of The NHP Foundation, a provider of affordable housing, which