Are you encountering concerns about the effectiveness of your nonprofit board? When it’s hard to get through meetings and many board members are disengaging from fundraising efforts, you need to step in with practical steps to guide the team. Whether you are moving the nonprofit in a new direction or transitioning through a change in leadership, it might be time to do a board self-assessment to evaluate the effectiveness of your organization.
The best way to solve problems is to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the team by asking for board member input.
Board Self-Assessment for Nonprofits (BSA)
Consider scheduling BoardSource’s Board Self-Assessment (BSA) to identify current concerns and lay the foundation for priorities in the future. Not only is it necessary to set priorities for organizational development, but you need to be proactive in motivating board members to improve overall performance.
I partner with BoardSource, the nationally recognized leader in nonprofit board governance, to deliver the BSA, which covers the policies and practices of the board, as well as nine areas of responsibility:
- Strategy
- Funding and public image
- Mission
- Financial oversight
- Program oversight
- Board composition
- Board Meetings
- Board structure
- CEO oversight
Through a digital format, we simplify the process of collecting information from board members.
Structure of the BSA Questionnaire
This easy, online process takes the hassle out of conducting and participating in an assessment and will provide you and the board leadership with a detailed roadmap with which to move forward. We ask all board members, including the chief executive, to assess the performance of the board by answering a series of questions. These questions are organized using 4 main categories, with 10 subsections:
- The People: Board Composition, Structure, and Meetings
- The Culture: Leadership Culture and Dynamics
- The Work: Board Leadership Responsibilities
- The Impact: Perceptions of the Board’s Impact on Organizational Performance
Confidentiality – Individual answers will be kept confidential and are submitted directly to BoardSource. Only aggregate answers are shared with your board via a summary report which I will personally deliver and interpret for the board.
This strategy offers an ideal opportunity to re-engage your board and breathe new possibilities into the organization. Having a strong, involved board sets the foundation to guide the future of your nonprofit. If you’d like to learn more, reach out to our expert team here at Mirenda & Associates to discuss available services and to see samples of the survey.
