After reporting directly to a board and serving on several boards myself, I have quite a few opinions about the board of directors’ roles and responsibilities and where most nonprofits go wrong.
What I’ve learned is this: Most boards are filled with well-intentioned people who genuinely want to give back. But most of those same people haven’t been trained and don’t fully understand their legal and/or governance role.
Good People, Unclear Roles
When board of directors roles and responsibilities aren’t clearly defined, boards tend to default to one of two extremes: stay too hands-off and disengaged or get too involved in day-to-day operations. Neither works and everyone is frustrated.
The Onboarding Gap
One of the biggest issues I see is a lack of onboarding. They might get a board manual (more than often, they don’t), they don’t know how they should contribute, and they have no idea what success looks like. So when things are unclear, people do what they do — they guess.
What Strong Boards Actually Have
Strong boards don’t happen by accident. They are built. Organizations that function well with their boards usually have:
- Clear bylaws that reflect how they actually operate
- Defined board of directors roles and responsibilities
- Policies and procedures that remove confusion
- Open communication between the executive director and the board
Everyone understands:
- What the board is responsible for
- What the executive director is responsible for
- How they work together
Where Coaching Comes In
This is where executive and board coaching can make a real difference. Through my consulting work, I partner with executive directors and/or boards to strengthen their organizations’ structure.
That work often includes, in partnership with the board:
- Reviewing and updating bylaws
- Drafting or refining policies and procedures
- Clarifying board of directors roles and responsibilities
- Defining what the executive director needs from the board to be successful (and vice versa).
The Bottom Line
Most boards are not ineffective because people don’t care. They struggle because people don’t have the clarity, structure, or support they need to do the job well. And that can be fixed.
If you’re an executive director who feels like your board could be more engaged, more aligned, or simply more helpful, it may be time to take a closer look at how your board is set up. Schedule a brief consult call to talk about how coaching could help your organization.
About mkw+co
mkw+co is a boutique consulting firm specializing in strategy, marketing, education, and coaching for nonprofits. I help organizations build stronger leadership structures, including more effective boards of directors.