How to Build a Collaborative Nonprofit Board Team
A solid board team that is able to work together is essential for nonprofit organizations to achieve their mission. Collaboration can be a struggle for many boards. This article outlines some key suggestions for building and fostering a productive nonprofit collaborative board.
Be clear with new members about their responsibilities and roles. It is vital to clearly define the roles of each partner in the relationship and clear any confusion. This will ensure that the members actively take part in board meetings, are prepared for discussions and fully endorse the organization’s vision and goals. It is also crucial to clearly communicate the financial expectations of prospective and existing members. This will stimulate a lively discussion and will help in managing expectations.
Nonprofits have limited resources, staff, and expertise to accomplish all that they would like to achieve. Collaboration with other nonprofits allows them to reach a greater audience and have a greater impact. However, they should carefully consider the projects they choose to collaborate on and make sure that all parties benefit. This will help to achieve positive results and create win-win situations.
In the case above, Family Focus & CYC were able to leverage their resources to provide more services. Both organizations were https://fireboardroom.com/how-can-we-make-our-online-board-meetings-more-effective/ able to expand their reach and aid more families without having to increase their budgets. This also allowed CYC to send new clients to Family Focus and vice versa. This collaborative relationship resulted in an increase in the number of families that were served and a larger social impact than either organization could have achieved on its own.