Board member onboarding is a critical part of a nonprofit’s fundraising and management efforts. Far too often, nonprofits don’t take this seriously enough – and they end up with a less efficient board. In this article, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know about onboarding new board members, including how you should structure your orientation packet and what you need to include.
![The Guide to Onboarding New Board Members [+Sample Orientation Packet Structure]](https://donorbox.org/nonprofit-blog/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/The-Guide-to-Onboarding-New-Board-Members.png)
Onboarding new board members is an exciting step for any nonprofit. New board members bring new ideas, connections, and energy to your organization – but getting them up to speed on everything your organization does is crucial.
Nonprofits should establish an onboarding system to address all stages of their board members’ involvement. Providing updated material and resources to your board ensures their success. In this article, we explain why it’s crucial to hit the right note with your board onboarding and provide best practices to help you develop a system that works best for your needs.
Nonprofits are often independent organizations, but that doesn’t mean their responsibility is to themselves alone. Nonprofits are legally responsible to the communities they serve. Unlike most businesses, nonprofits are responsible for two customers, those who receive their services and those who donate to the organization.
Nonprofits must keep this in mind when training and assessing their board of directors. When you meet with new and potential board members, it’s critical to discuss why they want to be on the board. You must also explain right away what expectations are for your board members and what role they must play.
For a nonprofit, board members hold leadership positions, but that doesn’t mean managerial. A nonprofit board should oversee the activities, programs, and outreach of the organization. In some cases, they also hire individuals to run daily activities. If a nonprofit does not explain this distinction, your board can quickly stray from its purpose and endanger the organization.
Board member onboarding is continuous. From your first meeting with a new board member to their last board meeting, you must have a process in place to strengthen relationships and enhance their skills.
The minute you invite someone to join your board, you should provide them with your organization’s mission, vision, and values statements. Board members should also have access to your nonprofit’s bylaws, strategic plans, financial reports, and past board minutes.
Those with little or no history in the organization should also be given other relevant background information on the nonprofit before their first meeting.
Before the new board member’s first meeting, you should also provide a board manual that gives an overview of the board’s roles and responsibilities and includes other materials like:
Encourage all members to review this manual regularly.
Check out this article to learn about the 10 key responsibilities of nonprofit board members.
Introducing new board members to the public ensures transparency and accountability. It also helps the community and new board members understand their roles and responsibilities. A public introduction gives board members authority to speak about the organization to donors and increases their effectiveness.
An orientation session is an excellent way to introduce new members to the staff and the board. It also starts these relationships off on the right foot. When new board members start attending board meetings, you can develop these relationships by providing a mentor and connecting members with key staff and donors to help them achieve their goals.
During their time on the board, you should encourage member participation in events, networking activities, and donor outreach whenever possible.
Training and development activities for your board of directors should not be limited to the board manual. Take every opportunity to enhance board members’ skills and knowledge with workshops, seminars, webinars, and conferences.
Pro tip: You can find local and national conferences on governance, fundraising, strategic planning, legal compliance, and more that will help increase your board’s effectiveness. Check out this article on the 14 Nonprofit Conferences You Can’t Afford to Miss.
Every board member should be a member of at least one committee. It’s best to assign members to committees that fit their skill set and give clear expectations on what you need them to achieve. Committee assignments should include a list of committee responsibilities, meeting schedules, and reporting requirements.
Another crucial part of board member onboarding is feedback. Establish a system to receive feedback from them on their experiences. Provide your board with updates on the nonprofit’s progress, challenges, and successes to keep them interested and passionate about the organization. Encourage their input, suggestions, and participation and regularly check in to assess their experience and find concerns and areas for improvement. Use your board members’ feedback to update board training material.
A board member orientation packet should provide members with a comprehensive overview of the nonprofit and help them understand their role within the organization. Content will vary depending on the nonprofit, but the following structure is an excellent starting point for most organizations.
For each section, we’ll list some items you should consider including.
Nonprofit board members will be your fiercest advocates. Their passion for your organization should be cultivated and appreciated from the beginning. A warm welcome message from the board chairperson or executive director will start a solid relationship, express your appreciation, and set the tone for your involvement.
This section should be tailored to the individual and include expectations for their board position and the organization as a whole. Every new board member should receive the following:
Onboarding new board members is a vital process for nonprofits. By hitting the right note from the start, nonprofits can set clear expectations, establish transparency, and build strong relationships with their board members.
After reading this article, you should be ready to implement these practices and tailor them to your specific needs. Our Nonprofit Blog has several tips and resources to help you get the most out of your board. Subscribe to our newsletter to receive a curated list of blog content in your inbox every month!
Kristine Ensor is a freelance writer with over a decade of experience working with local and international nonprofits. As a nonprofit professional she has specialized in fundraising, marketing, event planning, volunteer management, and board development.
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Kristine Ensor