Impact Collaborative provides two types of services for nonprofit boards. For organizations wanting to improve board performance, we work with current board members to increase their understanding of the role of a board and their knowledge about good governance. We also work with executive directors to help them utilize board members more effectively. For organizations wanting to increase the size of their boards and/or develop a different board mix, we help analyze the strengths and gaps of the current board and then assist the organization in developing an effective recruitment process.

Services for Current Boards
We begin our work with current board members by doing a board self-evaluation. We also speak with the board chair and executive director to get their views about the current governance structure.

Once these assessments are complete and we are clear that board members are willing and available to participate in board development, we design a board development program that accommodates our client's needs and resources. Generally this program includes some combination of written materials and board development workshops or retreats. A typical workshop or retreat could include:

• relationship-building exercises
• presentation of educational materials followed by discussion
• analysis of board assessment results
• discussion of current by-laws and desired modifications
• presentations by members of other nonprofit boards, followed by questions
• presentation of a nonprofit board case, followed by discussion
• discussion about desired changes to the current governance process, including the formation of new or additional board committees
• decisions about action steps that will improve the governance process

We also work one-on-one with executive directors and board chairs to help them set clearer expectations for board members, improve their communications with the board and increase the effectiveness of board meetings. We help EDs and board chairs to better understand their respective roles and work more effectively as a team.

Services for Organizations That Want to Grow or Change Their Boards
For organizations that want to grow or change their boards, we meet with the executive director, board chair and/or the board's nominating or governance committee to understand the strengths and gaps of the current board. In some instances, we work with the entire board to develop this understanding. We then help the organization to:

• verbalize its reasons for adding additional board members
• determine the characteristics of people it wants to recruit as new board members
• create clear and explicit expectations for potential board members
• develop a list of potential board members, taking into account the organization's diversity goals
• develop a process for recruiting new board members, including appropriate questions to ask potential candidates during the recruitment phase
• understand and communicate the benefits to potential board members for serving on the board
• develop a standardized method for sharing information about potential candidates with the entire board.
• develop a process by which nominees are discussed and then voted on as new board members. (This process must be in accord with the requirements of the organization's by-laws.)
  

BACK TO SERVICES