If you head a board of directors for a nonprofit, one of your number-one challenges is recruiting and retaining good board members.
The prized community leaders you target for recruitment may want to help but fear that the work will overwhelm their schedule. And current board members may be heading for the door faster than you can replace them.
One answer to securing — and holding onto — the experience and skills you need to keep your nonprofit operating at a high level is to look to your board committees.
Promoting committee work as an integral part of the board of directors can help your board operate more efficiently by spreading out responsibilities.
At Ernst Wintter & Associates LLP, we understand the importance of organizational design and how well-defined committees can benefit an organization. We recommend reviewing your board’s use of committees to enhance overall efficiency and attract and keep board members.
What Is a Board Committee?
A board committee is a small group that works on behalf of a nonprofit’s board of directors with a specific purpose. These groups manage all the work a board of directors must carry out to support the nonprofit’s efforts, providing guidance and advising on best practices for sound decision-making.
It’s important to note that committees need not be composed only of board members. Members can also include staffers or volunteers.
Boards of directors should have two types of committees: standing committees, which are essentially permanent, and ad hoc committees, which are convened for specific purposes and later disbanded.
Benefits of Board Committees
Organizing a committee structure that best fits your organization’s mission can maximize your board’s effectiveness. By recognizing the important role committees play in aiding the goals of the board, you can raise their stature, encouraging more participation.
Casting a wider net for committee participation can bring in diverse perspectives. That mix of ideas and experience can fuel creative strategies that allow your board to tackle problems and take advantage of various opportunities.
What Purposes Do Board Committees Serve?
Your board of directors is faced with a diverse array of goals, duties, and challenges. Committees present an opportunity to break those big issues into more manageable parts that can be targeted by members interested in and experienced with the subject at hand.
Committees can provide your board with the following:
- Focused skills and talents
- A chance to focus on strategy
- Research and recommendations to consider
By clearly defining the roles of committees and their members, you can unburden the board of certain tasks and concerns about them getting done. This streamlining effect can also be an inviting signal to current and potential board members to get more involved.
Which Board Committees Should You Have?
The committees you set up will depend on the nature of your nonprofit, the work you need to accomplish, and the size of your board. Ideally, no board member should sit on more than one committee. If you have 16 board members, for example, consider creating no more than four committees.
Each committee should have a clear set of objectives and responsibilities. Here are a few types of committees to consider implementing:
- Executive
- Governance and nominating
- Fundraising
- Finance
- Communications
- Audit
Recruiting and assigning members to committees that match their skills and experience can provide them with interesting challenges and improve the quantity and quality of the work the board does.
Find a Team to Support Your Mission
Board committees can make your organization more efficient and boost the efficacy of your board of directors. Ernst Wintter & Associates LLP can assist by confirming that your nonprofit is running as well as it can. If you’re in need of audit services, contact us today.