Fiduciary responsibility. Governance and oversight. Ensuring effective operations. Promotion of organization. Overseeing mission accomplishment. Philanthropic support. Setting strategic vision. Is your board…on board?

My guess is that most of your boards excel at many of these areas. We are fortunate to have wonderful, dedicated volunteers committed to ensuring the success of our organizations. However, what happens when mission creep occurs within the organization? Several times, I’ve observed executive directors, development directors, and board members voice a completely different set of priorities for the organization. Recently, I encountered a challenging situation where a few board members from a great organization, who were invited to solicit major gifts from their peers, felt uncomfortable making these asks. They were unknowingly on the verge of undermining the major gift fundraising necessary for achieving campaign success.  It’s not uncommon for very successful, wealthy individuals who have built businesses or led large organizations to become quite timid when it comes to asking a peer for a gift to support their organization. Very few have received training in major gift fundraising or in making such asks. In this situation, the Executive Director collaborated with a respected key board member who understood the necessity of advancing the major gift fundraising initiative, and they devised a plan. They offered to relieve the uncomfortable volunteers of the fundraising responsibilities and delegated the major gift asks to the staff. This enabled them to proceed as planned, even though it meant the peer-to-peer asks would not take place. By engaging in open conversations about the significance of the major gift efforts, sharing their contacts, outlining the intended asks, and collectively agreeing to adhere to the originally scheduled timeline, the organization was able to maintain momentum toward a successful campaign, and the original peer solicitors felt relieved to be spared from asking for gifts. 

Boards are vital to our work; in fact, we couldn’t do this without them. However, not all board members excel in every aspect of non-profit work. It’s acceptable, as the leader of an organization, to step in if strategic missteps are about to occur. Setting the strategic vision for the organization is everyone’s duty, and the board must fully embrace the organization’s vision to support and enhance its success. Strategic visioning must be a collaborative effort between the chair, the executive committee, and the staff leaders of the organization. Remember, though, that this isn’t the board’s full-time job, so it’s our responsibility as nonprofit leaders to provide consistent and regular reminders throughout their service to ensure that the board and the organization’s leaders remain aligned on the vision and mission. Regular briefings, site visits, and access to key staff can keep board members informed. Ensure to continuously encourage open dialogue about the organization’s long-term goals, emerging challenges, and the evolving needs of the community you serve, both with potential new members and as a reminder to current members. Philanthropic expectations should also be very clear to everyone involved, so the most important priorities receive the necessary financial support. 

Most organizations could not be successful without the involvement of these key volunteers. As non-profit leaders, you are the content experts in your organization. Board members’ contributions and their diverse expertise are needed now more than ever, but they almost always look to the Executive Director, the Development Director, and other key staff members to help them articulate the vision and mission of the organization. Don’t hesitate to provide this for them and manage up when needed. Do this consistently, do this positively, and most importantly, do this often, even with your most engaged members.