The Importance of Board Member Onboarding for Volunteer Boards
Every time a governing board gains a new member, a new board is formed. Board makeup, chemistry and expertise change with each new member — so to keep a board cohesive and effective, special attention must be paid to new members.
Cohesion is a key trait of effective volunteer boards. Members of effective boards understand that their decision-making power lies not in individuals, but in the whole board working together. To achieve cohesion, every board member must be committed to the goals and vision of their organization. They must have access to the same information, know the history of the organization, and understand their respective roles — as well as the roles of the CEO and staff.
Getting New Board Members Up to Speed
Bringing a new board member up to speed on organizational processes should be a priority for the other members and the CEO. Understanding the culture and climate of the board and its work is vital, so new members should familiarize themselves with the organization’s mission and purpose.
They must also know about how the board and the organization do business. This includes a basic understanding of accounting and regulatory mandates, conflict of interest rules, bylaws and charters, and other legal requirements.
Nonprofit board members, for the most part, are volunteers who come from many different backgrounds and professions. Most have limited experience serving on other boards and may need help understanding the complexities of nonprofit governance. Even those who have been board members in other capacities don’t know the ins and outs of their new organization.
However, the onboarding of new members is an area that clearly needs improvement. In a survey of nonprofit board members, Heidrick & Struggles found that a little over half of the organizations surveyed had an onboarding process for new directors. Fewer than half said that their organization’s onboarding experience properly prepared them to perform well in their roles. The survey also revealed that about 20% of board members did not meet with the CEO, and 36% did not meet with the senior leadership of the organization.
Without robust and timely onboarding, new board members and trustees will not be able to provide solid leadership and oversight to their organizations. Rebecca Sutherns, founder and principal consultant of Sage Solutions, told Charity Village, “You don’t want it to take a year for a board member to develop enough comfort and confidence to speak at the board table. You want them to be able to hit the ground running and contribute quickly.”
New board member orientation and onboarding can be hit or miss for organizations, she continued. “I’ve seen boards that have good processes in place for orientation and others that do nothing. On the whole, most boards do something but don’t generally do it particularly well.”
Download the Board Effectiveness Checklist to identify areas of improvement and apply best practices for a more effective, productive and successful board.
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Don’t Skimp on Onboarding and Training for New Board Members
Serving on nonprofit and association boards is more complicated than ever before — and as those boards shrink in size, there’s more pressure on the remaining members. In fact, the average board size has dropped by more than 20 percent in the last two decades, according to Leading with Intent: A National Index of Nonprofit Board Practices. It notes that as nonprofit boards shrink, each board member’s impact grows.
Strong governance skills are needed in the nonprofit arena more than ever. Without thorough and ongoing training, new board members may not be able to build the skills and knowledge they need to govern effectively. They could easily become disengaged, making them more seat-warmers than governing partners. Or, they could become disenchanted and resign, causing board churn. This benefits no one.
Board churn is just one result of inadequate or nonexistent onboarding. Board training can also protect boards and organizations from liability. New members need to know the board and organization’s conflict of interest policies and when it may be appropriate to abstain or recuse themselves from voting on a particular issue.
Understanding their fiduciary responsibility to the organization is another key part of onboarding. Providing financial information — such as recent audits, budget documents, and bank statements with the appropriate context and explanation — is crucial to helping new board members make responsible and informed decisions about the organization’s finances.
If the board is an elected body or oversees public money, new board members will need to become familiar with open meetings laws, including those that pertain to emails and texting.
Technology for Better Onboarding
Good onboarding is a process, not a one-time event. With the right tools, you can create and customize orientation and onboarding experiences that help new members build confidence while acclimating them to the board’s culture.
Today, many board meetings are virtual or hybrid events. Training on the use of board management platforms is key to the onboarding process. Board orientation can also be held online through your board management software, where new board members can securely access essential information about the organization. That information should include the organization chart, bylaws and charters, and CEO and board reporting relationship.
Board management software also offers convenient access to compliance and regulatory information, including the organization’s diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices; cybersecurity precautions; as well as information on key supporters, donors and funders.
Tips for Onboarding of New Board Members
A deep understanding of the organization will take time, and it’s important not to overwhelm board members with too much information at once. Magdalena Nowicka Mook of the International Coaching Federation said in a Forbes blog, “Give them time to digest, react, ask questions and share observations. Otherwise, you run the risk of them forgetting everything they’ve heard! Treat them gently.”
A well-thought-out onboarding process considers the level and types of information the new board member needs. Jeb Banner, CEO of Boardable, recommends starting with high-level information. “Then provide them with more detailed committee reports and other information to fill in any gaps where they want to dig deeper,” he says.
Board technology makes it possible for new members to learn at their own pace and schedule. Videos and reading materials accommodate different learning styles.
The human element in onboarding is essential, as well. Consider establishing a formal mentoring relationship between an experienced board colleague and a new member. The mentor can answer questions and help the new board member acclimate to their new duties and responsibilities. This relationship can take place long-distance through video chats and other forms of communication.
A platform like BoardEffect can help make new board member orientation and onboarding easy and efficient. BoardEffect is designed specifically for nonprofit organizations and can support you in helping your new board members to feel informed and supported. Training resources can be saved to the platform and securely accessed by new board members.
BoardEffect’s document library is a valuable resource that supports onboarding. Easily create, store and share documents, handbooks, policies, and training videos. BoardEffect also provides board members with secure access to materials and collaboration tools. Our software provides easy access to documents with keyword search, as well as tools to assist in task tracking, decision making, and document signing all within the BoardEffect platform.
