Building Stronger, More Aligned Boards
When does it make sense to work on Board development?
Whether your nonprofit has a new Board of Directors and needs board orientation, or whether there has been a turnover of board members, and your organization can benefit from a bylaws review, or whether you feel your board performancecan be greater than it is, Cincinnatus can help improve overall board effectiveness.
All of us have held board leadership roles and are currently active on nonprofit boards, ranging from local to national in scope. Our board development services include:
- Board assessments
- Board evaluation
- Board meeting facilitation
- Board team building
- Board counsel
- Board leadership coaching
Why should a Board of Directors participate in a board assessment?
A Board of Directors is a team. But it’s an imperfect team. There are large periods of time between “team” meetings, and little, if any, communication among “team” members between meetings. Board best practices include periodic evaluation of board performance to determine how effective they are not only in governing their organizations, but also how they function as a team.
When should our Board of Directors use an outside facilitator?
Groups of all types benefit from an independent facilitator when dealing with critically important or thorny issues—such as strategic planning, a restructuring of the board (or the organization), issues of board dynamics, or an overhaul of the organization’s bylaws. Using an independent facilitator allows board leadership to fully participate in the discussion without worrying about or influencing the outcome through one’s own facilitation.
We have a new Board of Directors. What services does Cincinnatus provide to help us be effective out of the gate?
We have a service called Board Boot Camp, in which we guide new boards through an initial assessment, an overview of board best practices, role clarification, and an board evaluation plan.
1041 GRAND AVENUE, PMB 229 - SAINT PAUL, MN 55105 - 612.331.9007 - [email protected]
