Clear Expectations and Tools Pave the Way to Board Engagement

In an earlier post, Susanne Norgard, executive director of The Community Foundation of Mendocino County (where I serve as board president), mentioned that no board member “walks into a community foundation fully understanding what we do and the impact we can make.” She’s right: Learning about the community foundation takes time. But once board members have a high level of knowledge about the organization, they can be better engaged in helping it grow and fulfilling its mission.

Being able to talk knowledgeably and comfortably about the community foundation is especially critical because part of being a good board member is being a capable ambassador. It’s one thing to say, “I’m on the board of the community foundation,” but when somebody responds, “Tell me what that is,” we can face a big challenge.

That’s why it is important for community foundations to make time to educate board members. The next (even more important) step is to set expectations for every board member. For us in Mendocino County, creating a strategic plan has been one of the most important ways to increase our board’s engagement. The discipline of developing a strategic plan brought everyone together—and it clarified the role we need to play to help the community foundation grow.

For example, our board members are expected to make the community foundation part of their conversations every day. When I open my portfolio, the foundation business cards are on top, before my own business cards. I use social media to talk about the foundation and the grants we’ve made. I have a pile of foundation brochures on my desk.

It’s critical that all of our board members have tools. In fact, going without these materials is like being a baseball player without a mitt. We need tools to bring credibility to our introduction of the community foundation and we need stories to help spark conversations about the ways that donors benefit from our organizations. These things really make the community foundation part of my daily thought process.

In Mendocino County, we’re pretty clear on the role of our board. Where we’ve stumbled in the past has been with execution—especially with holding board members accountable to fulfill their roles. It’s a struggle, and I know it isn’t one we’re having alone.

If you’re facing similar challenges, and looking for practical ways to help increase board engagement at your community foundation, register for the Council’s upcoming webinar, On Board: Engaging the Full Potential of Community Foundation Directors. The webinar is based on the resources recently made available from The James Irvine Foundation as part of its popular Community Foundations Series. If you want, use the space below to share any comments or questions, and we can use them in the webinar.

You can also learn along with me and other community foundation practitioners and consultants who created the Community Foundations Series at a pre-Fall Conference event, Growing Faster and Smarter: Applying Lessons from the Irvine Community Foundations Series, on September 9 in New Orleans. In addition to board engagement, this workshop will also explore how younger, smaller community foundations are succeeding with marketing, staffing, financial sustainability, and community leadership.

Jim Mayfield is board president at The Community Foundation of Mendocino County.