Consulting

A board assessment provides the self-reflection boards need to evaluate their effectiveness, celebrate their strengths, and address any board development opportunities. We can help you assess your board and act on the results by:

• recommending an assessment tool
• designing and/or recommending an assessment approach
• conducting the assessment
• analyzing the assessment results
• getting alignment on strengths and areas of development based on the results of the assessment
• facilitating the prioritization of board development opportunities and the building of action plans to address them
• recommending changes to your articles of incorporation, bylaws and/or board policies to ensure consistency with board practices

Nonprofit boards need individual board members with the community connections, qualities, personal style, and expertise to accomplish their work and need an effective structure, including committees, to leverage what individual board members bring.  We can help you compose and structure your board by:

• recommending approach to determine ideal and current board composition
• partnering with board and staff to implement board composition approach
• recommending board recruiting strategies to address board composition gaps
• getting board and staff alignment on the key responsibilities and qualifications of board members
  
• creating a board member job description and/or search profile
• assessing current board committee structure and recommending changes to increase effectiveness of board committees
• partnering with board and staff to implement changes to board committees
• creating board committee charters, board committee chair role description(s), and/or officer role descriptions

A high-impact strategic plan is owned by the organization’s key stakeholders; guides decision making, programming and activities; and is monitored and updated regularly to stay relevant.  We can help you develop and implement your strategic plan by:

• using a proven strategic planning approach
• preparing you to engage a successful strategic planning effort
• designing and conducting research to understand your internal and external context
• analyzing and summarizing information about your context
• assessing the effectiveness of existing strategic plan elements – e.g., mission, vision, values
• designing and facilitating a strategic planning retreat with board and staff members
• drafting and finalizing your strategic plan with your input
• making recommendations to keep your strategic plan relevant and up-to-date
• partnering with you to implement recommendations

High-performing nonprofit CEOs and Executive Directors (EDs) understand what the board expects, have confidence that they are being paid competitively, are well-equipped to perform their role, and have a strong partnership with the board. We can help your board provide its chief executive with the support he/she needs by:

• getting board and staff alignment on the key responsibilities and qualifications of the CEO/ED job
• creating a CEO/ED job description and/or search profile
• recommending a CEO/ED performance review and goal setting approach
• gathering and summarizing individual board member feedback
  
• preparing Board Chair for performance discussion with CEO/ED
• recommending a CEO/ED compensation review approach
• researching and recommending salary surveys or other information sources for comparable CEO/ED compensation data
  
• gathering and analyzing benchmark CEO/ED compensation data from salary surveys
• partnering with board committee to develop compensation recommendation for full board
• assessing current compensation elements and designing new compensation elements – e.g., design a CEO/ED bonus or incentive

A board retreat provides the board with the time and space to focus on long-term, strategic issues that may not receive adequate attention in regular board meetings. We can help you have a highly successful board retreat by:

• clarifying what you want to accomplish in your retreat
• designing activities and discussions to accomplish your objectives
• facilitating your retreat so active participation is encouraged from everyone
• evaluating the success of your retreat
• making recommendations to continue the work from your retreat to keep your momentum going

Effective onboarding of new board members starts with an orientation session early in their tenure, continues with ongoing support, and results in board members who are able to contribute to the organization much more quickly and with more confidence. We can help you effectively onboard your new board members by:

• clarifying expected outcomes for onboarding approach
• gathering feedback from board and staff on existing onboarding approach and materials
• assessing and recommending enhancements to existing onboarding approach and materials
• designing new onboarding approach and materials
• facilitating orientation session with new and/or existing board members
• partnering with board and staff to implement recommended onboarding enhancements or new onboarding design