Planning for Enhanced Leadership with a Future Governance Task Force
Cathy Card Sterling, Vice President

In today’s competitive environment for nonprofits, creating a Board that can achieve the strategic goals of your organization is imperative; actively assisting with fundraising is the number one way in which Board members should contribute to a nonprofit’s success.

Organizations in start-up mode or in transition to a more ambitious level of existence have an ideal opportunity to frame how their Boards should look. Several of Schultz & Williams’ clients in the Washington, D.C. area are employing a Future Governance Task Force – more than just your average nominating committee – to ensure that they have the right leadership for bold new directions. Here are some best practices for developing and leveraging such a planning group:

• Infuse new ideas from new people. The Future Governance Task Force should include the most important core of individuals who are already within your organization’s leadership, but it should also include people outside your organization. These can be stakeholders in the community – business leaders, elected officials, heads of partner organizations, or anyone else with insight into your organization’s future directions.

• Review people, programs and policy. The Task Force should:
• Review a Board composition matrix to determine whether there is adequate representation of individuals by professional field, demographic characteristics, or other criteria that are relevant to your organization.
• Recommend new people to fill in gaps in the matrix.
• Outline a Board orientation program and ongoing Board engagement activities.
• Review the organization’s Bylaws to identify areas for amendment dealing with issues such as Board committees, term limits, and definition of the roles of Emeritus Board members.

• Have a little class. Literally. The Task Force should play a role in initial recruitment of Board candidates that meet the organization’s criteria and needs. Ideally, they will focus their efforts on a small group of potential members who can join as a cohort committed to effecting change together. Particularly in the case of a Board that is struggling or has few clear leaders, in order to raise the caliber of a Board, strong new people need to see others like themselves around the Board room.

In practice, having a Future Governance Task Force also alleviates some of the burden for identifying future leaders off of the organization’s President or CEO. The Task Force makes recommendations, not decisions, so the Board and senior staff have the final say.

This effort has the added benefit of expanding the concentric circles of potential leaders and donors. Often Task Force members can identify new prospects for Board and major giving.

Successful organizations are always carried forward on the shoulders of committed and capable leaders. A Future Governance Task Force is a way to elevate the work of Board nominations to ensure positive outcomes.

Schultz & Williams is a national consulting firm based in Philadelphia; providing management, fundraising and marketing consulting for nonprofit organizations, along with full-service direct marketing, database and creative/production services.