“I didn’t sign up for this!”

“I didn’t sign up for this!” is a statement no volunteer, especially a nonprofit board member, should utter. But, it happens and happens often because far too many nonprofits neither recruit nor onboard their board members properly.

When it comes to a lack of action among board members, the focus is typically on fundraising. But let’s focus on performing their special duties. For example, who sends out the board meeting announcements, tracks attendance, and takes the board meeting minutes at your nonprofit?  Most Bylaws state it is the Board Secretary. Yet, at many organizations, the staff performs these duties.  

Now, you might be thinking, “What’s wrong with the staff doing it?” Well, a lot.

 For starters, having the staff perform the Board Secretary’s duties is a violation of the Bylaws. Additionally, it devalues the role and experience of the volunteer elected to serve as the Board Secretary. Further, it is a slippery slope when Board’s decide “minor exceptions” to the Bylaws are acceptable. These exceptions leave the Board and the organization vulnerable. Blue Avocado points out in its Bylaws Checklist, someone could claim that you are in violation of your own bylaws. And Ellis Carter in her CharityLawyer blog reminds us, “Officers and directors of nonprofit corporations who ignore the nonprofit’s articles of incorporation and bylaws are setting themselves up to be on the losing side of a lawsuit that could hold them personally liable for the consequences.”

Annually nonprofit boards have their members revisit and sign the Conflict of Interest Policy, but many only review the board member roles and responsibilities at the time of recruitment. For many others, a formal review the board member roles and responsibilities actually never takes place. Thus, board members can legitimately say, “I didn’t sign up for this!” It’s very difficult to hold a volunteer accountable for performing duties they never agreed to perform. To avoid any discrepancies with board duties, boards include a review of the Bylaws and Board members position descriptions, both officers and members at large, to the annual meeting agenda. Each board member should review and sign their position description. TIP: The Board Secretary should maintain these and all documents signed by the board.  

Michelle Nusum-Smith, an experienced nonprofit leader, consultant, coach and trainer, is a self-proclaimed “Do-gooder who helps do-gooders to do good.” Michelle is the owner and principal consultant at The Word Woman LLC, a nonprofit consulting company. She has nearly 20 years nonprofit experience, including program development, financial management, fundraising (including grantwriting and individual donor cultivation), human resource management, marketing and public relations, board relations, and event planning.

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