3 Signs Your Newly Formed Nonprofit’s Board is in Trouble

      1.  Your board members are unable to share your nonprofit's mission and vision without reading notes. 

      Collectively, board members are responsible for providing strategic leadership to a nonprofit organization. Individually, they are responsible for personally supporting the organization, engaging prospective supporters, and acting as ambassadors to help elevate the organization’s reputation in the community. To successfully accomplish these individual responsibilities, each board member should be keenly aware and personally committed to the organization’s mission and vision and be able to explain the organization’s strategies to achieve its mission. Board member recruitment should center on the mission and vision.  Until a board member can express in his/her own words the mission and vision and why the board members connects with them, they are not fully ready to fulfill the role and responsibilities of a board member.

2.      Your board members are all close friends or family members of the founder. 

      When starting a nonprofit, it’s natural to seek board members within your immediate circle. Though there are exceptions, in most cases, friends and family who agree to serve on the board are not properly recruited and decide to do so with the mindset of doing a favor. My experience has taught me that boards comprised of family and/or friends of the founder are occupied by well-meaning people whose support and engagement is limited and in some cases nonexistent. Because these board members agree without fully understanding their responsibilities, they give little or no support financially; do little or no fundraising to support the organization; and attend board meetings  only as a formality and leave the decision making to the founder.  Unless you have founded a family foundation, your close friends and family are better suited to serve as program/project volunteers and donors. Should you choose to recruit close friends or family to serve on your nonprofit board, recruit them the same way you would an associate who has the professional or technical skills your board needs. Schedule a meeting with the family/friend specifically to discuss your interest in having them serve on your board. During the meeting, discuss your organization’s mission and vision (purpose if your mission and vision statements haven’t been formalized), and any goals for the next six months to a year. Provide your family/friend with a written copy of your Member-At-Large board member job description and answer any questions or concerns they may have. If your family or friend has any hesitations, give them the courtesy of an out.

3.     Your board members want to be paid. 

      Though large nonprofit organizations such as hospitals may compensate their board members, new organizations should limit compensating board members to reimbursement for reasonable and necessary costs related to your nonprofit’s business.  After you, your board members should be the organization’s first donors. Your goal is 100% of your board members financially supporting your organization.

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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