Strengthen Boards by focusing on one of the biggest challenges facing nonprofit leadershipโrecruiting and retaining strong board members. The prized community leaders you target may want to contribute but worry the time commitment will overwhelm their schedule. Meanwhile, existing members may be stepping down faster than you can replace them.
One solution to securingโand keepingโthe experience and skills your organization needs is to make strategic use of board committees.
Promoting committee work as a vital part of the board structure helps distribute responsibilities more effectively, allowing your board to operate with greater efficiency and less burnout.
At Ernst Wintter & Associates LLP, we understand how important sound organizational design is for nonprofit success. Well-defined committees can play a key role in strengthening board performance and engagement. We recommend evaluating your current use of committees to improve board function and appeal to both new and existing members.
What Is a Board Committee?
A board committee is a small group that works on behalf of a nonprofitโs board of directors with a specific purpose. These groups manage all the work a board of directors must carry out to support the nonprofitโs efforts, providing guidance and advising on best practices for sound decision-making.
Itโs important to note that committees need not be composed only of board members. Members can also include staffers or volunteers.
Boards of directors should have two types of committees: standing committees, which are essentially permanent, and ad hoc committees, which are convened for specific purposes and later disbanded.
Benefits of Board Committees – Strengthen Boards
Organizing a committee structure that best fits your organizationโs mission can maximize your boardโs effectiveness. By recognizing the important role committees play in aiding the goals of the board, you can raise their stature, encouraging more participation.
Casting a wider net for committee participation can bring in diverse perspectives. That mix of ideas and experience can fuel creative strategies that allow your board to tackle problems and take advantage of various opportunities.
What Purposes Do Board Committees Serve?
Your board of directors is faced with a diverse array of goals, duties, and challenges. Committees present an opportunity to break those big issues into more manageable parts that can be targeted by members interested in and experienced with the subject at hand.
Committees can provide your board with the following:
- Focused skills and talents
- A chance to focus on strategy
- Research and recommendations to consider
By clearly defining the roles of committees and their members, you can unburden the board of certain tasks and concerns about them getting done. This streamlining effect can also be an inviting signal to current and potential board members to get more involved.
Which Board Committees Should You Have?
The committees you set up will depend on the nature of your nonprofit, the work you need to accomplish, and the size of your board. Ideally, no board member should sit on more than one committee. If you have 16 board members, for example, consider creating no more than four committees.
Each committee should have a clear set of objectives and responsibilities. Here are a few types of committees to consider implementing:
- Executive
- Governance and nominating
- Fundraising
- Finance
- Communications
- Audit
Recruiting and assigning members to committees that match their skills and experience can provide them with interesting challenges and improve the quantity and quality of the work the board does.
Find a Team to Support Your Mission
Board committees can make your organization more efficient and boost the efficacy of your board of directors. Ernst Wintter & Associates LLP can assist by confirming that your nonprofit is running as well as it can. If youโre in need of audit services, contact us today.
