|
| Submitted by
Kelley Barrett on
02/15/2001 |
When one is selecting board
members I recommend a few things:
1. Make sure that you select people for your board that are
caring and compassionate. 2. Make sure you pick people who are
hard workers and people who are willing to roll up their sleeves
and work. There is nothing worse than having a board of
individuals who only show up for the board meeting or who faint
when you ask them to pitch in or raise funds or in kind
donations.
3. Board members need to be willing to commit to participating
in a strategic planning process on an annual basis. I have found
that many boards balk at this because they do not understand why
the vision, mission and values of the organization need to be
revisited annually and they find the work tedious. It is
critical to the health of your organization that your board be
willing to take a few days each year to examine the various
climates and social changes that come with running a non
profit.. An examination of the financial, political, social,
local and national trends is critical to your organizations
success.
4. Board members should also be people who have a clear
understanding of your organization and who are willing to "sell"
your organization because they are proud of their involvement.
Our organization learned the hard way a few years back that it
is a good idea to invite potential board members to attend at
least three meetings and participate in a campaign BEFORE voting
them into membership. This way the board gets an opportunity to
get to know the candidate and the candidate gets an opportunity
to see what they are getting themselves into.
|
|
| Submitted by
Robert Egger on
04/10/2002 |
| posted 1/6/2002 10:51:26 AM
Good morning Ralph....long time. I would suggest that you reach
out with an offer they can't refuse. In other words, ensure that
their is something in it for them. If it's a local foodservice
company, it may be tax breaks for donating, less trash they have
to pay to have hauled away or company morale. If it's a local
hotel, maybe its future employees. If it's a local big-whig,
maybe it's press or a leadership opportunity aboard a highly
visible project. In other words, this is like any
business...everyone needs to "get paid" to participate, it's
just establishing the currency. |
|
| Submitted by
Linda Vogler, CCSC on 04/10/2002 |
posted 1/8/2002 1:16:13 PM:
I'm not too sure if I think getting one on one advise in the
beginning is such a bad thing. When you start to recruit for the
Operatering Board, then you want to be sure they are committed
to specific meeting times. I do agree with Robert, that you get
more attention when folks see that an agency can b e about give
and take and they are not tossing time and money into a black
hole. I suggest that you get some press, bug and bug the media
and on a slow news day they'll do a story. I'll bet this will
serve as a call to action from folks who have an interest in
what you are trying to do and then you'll have more confidence
about committment. Good Luck |
|
| Submitted by
Jane Tally on 04/10/2002 |
posted 1/25/2002 5:28:55 PM:
Ralph, where are you as far as starting a training program? Are
you in the planning stage? Do you already have a Board of
Directors? Have you started your 501c3 process? The type of
people you need are different at different times in the process.
I would get their commitment for a period of time to meet on a
fairly regular basis such as once a month. Then they can decide
if they want to be part of your team fo a longer commitment.
Many of us would be willing to give you advice so you have a
more concrete plan to take to your community supporters to get
them commited. These programs are really not a hard sell!! They
are such a WIN, WIN situation. Frankly, I would start with a
small group and get them to help you bring more people on board
as you progress. I am very big on business plans to give people
a better picture of what you are trying to do. One on one's are
good, but you need community support and concensus to be
successful. You can't do it by yourself. The more people you get
committed to your success the better off you will be and the
less work on you alone. |
|
| Submitted by
Robert Egger on
10/18/2000 |
| This is key. Many opt for the
"who will get us the dough" board, and this is smart, but you
should also consider attracting those who will be willing to
work with you "to build the kitchen." We opted for the
chefs/business people who could help us secure the food,
equipment and trucks that we needed to get off the ground. I
suggest that you connect with your local restaurant and hotel
associations, as they are probably the best source of food,
jobs, and equipment. Now for the fun part. You will need someone
who can help with the $$$. In many communities, the big players
have been gobbled up, leaving new comers like you looking on in
envy. Think ahead, particularly now, when that geek you sit next
to on the a.m. bus could turn out to be the next Bill Gates. Get
out in the community and let people know what your planning.
Write a letter to the editor or get a local columnist to write
about your program. Let them know you're looking for people who
can help you build. Think outside the box. Look for that
corporation/local business leader that never gets asked. For
example, you might find that the President of the local
appliance superstore has been dying to serve, yet he or she is
never asked. If they can donate a stove or a frig and get credit
or board membership. They may also be willing to make your
kitchen the "charity of choice" at the check-out isle. In every
case look for people who can lead you to other people. Whether
its in the kitchen or in the Board room, it's about leveraging
your assets. |
|
| Submitted by
Jane KCCK on 10/22/2001 |
| I believe where you are in the
life cycle of your organization, denotes the structure of your
board. In the early stages or infancy of the organization, you
need to find board members that can shore up weaknesses of the
organization, like Linda said, she needs financial support. When
you are just starting toward your 501c3, you will need legal
support. You also need people who can introduce you and your
organization to the community, both funders/resources and
possible recruits/jobs. Your board of directors should represent
your mission and vision. These people need to be able to commit
a significant portion of time to help you get up and running
smoothly. After you have proven to be a well run organization
and in control from the staff level, the board should change to
being more strategic and policy driven and less hands-on. You
will always need your influencers, but they may be able to move
to an advisory council that rarely meets, but is available for
advice, introductions, fundraising, etc. One important factor is
board members must be willing to be a financial donor, no matter
how large or small the donation. This is very important when you
go to funders to have 100% of the board as contributors. A good
mix of your community is also important. Your board should be
diverse and represent the people you serve as well as the
community at large. It is also admirable to have representation
from your student/graduates. A strong board can make an
organization. |
|
| Submitted by
linda vogler on 12/14/2000 |
We have gone from an almost
non-board board to one that is too involved and now we're going
back to a board that is less involved. This is so critical and
can be so difficult. I urge people to really put some thought
into who you ask and be careful not pick "centers of influence"
who are just window dressing and not work horses.
You need a good cross of business and food service types. For
me, personally, I am so weak in the financial areas, I need a
financial person who has time and is non-judgemental about my
numbers knowledge. This needs for me to be someone who can do
the financial report at board meetings. We also have a police
officer on the board. At the last graduation, he could not
attend, but sent two officers, which I appreciated. He will help
us get students from the work release program at the sheriff’s
office. We have an executive chef of a country club, someone
from the local public radio station, business types, an
executive trainer, a caterer, a lawyer, a dietician, a director
of a tutoring program.
I suggest that people research other non-profits and see what
seems to be working, and talk with the director and find out how
they recruit board members. The best members are the ones who
need to think about the commitment before saying yes, they
usually stay involved, if they say yes right away, then expect
them to be "knife and forkers" (just show up for the receptions
and so forth) or photo-oppers(there whenever the cameras are
rolling, but can't make meetings.) |
