Being a successful nonprofit organization has never been an easy task. Unfortunately, it is more difficult than ever to be a successful nonprofit thanks to the quick pace of changes in our modern world, higher stakes than ever before, rapid technological advances, added pressures to keep up with all of the venues being used to get the word out, and many other facets. To find success, much is required on the part of the organization. To learn more about four keys to success for nonprofits, visit here.
When it comes to your board of directors, the challenges they face are no different. The modern board faces constantly evolving challenges with multiple issues competing for its attention in a limited period of time. With so many factors influencing nonprofits and such limited time for boards to meet, how can you help your board maximize the use of their board meeting time?
Structuring Board Meetings: Have a Central Focus
As directors of your nonprofit, it all begins with careful planning of the agenda to secure adequate time for the issues you most want to focus on. As we’ve discussed over the past few weeks, if you don’t know what to focus on at your nonprofit, this can be costly and detrimental to success. If it is unclear where to put emphasis and energy, you will likely need to change your focus from day-to-day operations to people and your mission in order to ensure success. Be sure your priorities, goals, and focus are defined and prioritized first and foremost. Once you know what to focus on during the meeting, start it with the strategic issues of priority for that year, ensuring there is time for quality discussion. Routine matters can be slotted in later.
Ways to Engage the Board of Directors during Meetings and Other Venues of Involvement
In addition to the idea of using traditional board meeting discussions and forums during board meetings, site visits and specialized briefings help to draw all the key strands of the agenda together to support strategic decision-making and gain a better understanding of what goes on at the organization. After these visits and briefings, a next step is to look at trends, call out the impact of technology, and use this body of evidence to influence and inform where the organization anticipates and desires to go moving forward. However, it is also important to provide an opportunity for unstructured discussion– a free flow of information with you as the chief executive or director before the demands of the agenda take over. This also provides an opportunity to hear about and benefit from board members’ wide-ranging experience and expertise.
As Beck and Company Certified Public Accountants and Business Advisors, we understand all that goes into being successful as a nonprofit and how much work goes into being intentional in helping your board members along this same path. For this reason, we are here to help. You can allow yourself to focus on your mission and being the liaison between the organization and board if you have less to focus on in terms of the financial side of daily operations. We would be happy to assist you with your auditing, accounting, and overall financial needs. Visit here for more information on the variety of nonprofit services we offer including CFO, controllership, and accounting services.
Contact us here at Beck and Company CPAs so we can equip you as nonprofit directors to equip your board of directors while easing the burdens of financial responsibilities by helping with them. We look forward to being part of your success as a nonprofit!