27 Sep How to Foster a Collaborative Nonprofit Board Team
A nonprofit board that is collaborative can be beneficial for your nonprofit, regardless of whether it’s new struggling, or simply looking to make an impact. This type of partnership enables nonprofits to have a stronger voice by gaining support to their cause and gaining new audience. This type of partnership lets nonprofits work with experts in fields that they might not have much experience in. It also allows them to form stronger relationships with each other and to learn from other experts.
Start by identifying the reasons that your company needs to establish a collaborative board. This will help you determine the types of partnerships that are appropriate and what the desired objectives of your collaborations should be. This will allow you to establish guidelines and expectations for the team. You might, for example create group agreements to set clear standards on how the team communicates and collaborates during board meetings. You can then reinforce these guidelines with frequent check-ins, and celebrate achievements, such as when a team member displays the agreed upon behaviors.
A collaborative nonprofit board team must also be aware of the strengths and weaknesses of each trustee. This can be achieved through an intelligent recruitment process as well as by conducting regular reviews of the board as in its entirety. These results can be used to mentor new members, or put them in committees where they will have the chance to thrive. You should also encourage the board to take part in collaborative projects so that they become familiar with the project and feel at ease working in a team.