Need some input from readers on ‘How to Create Accountability and Urgency’ with board members

Hello DonorDreams blog readers!

This is part two in a five part series that I started yesterday with a post titled “Need some input from readers on ‘How to Set Expectations’ with board members.”

As you know if you read the first post in this series, I’m currently working on writing an eBook on the topic of “How to Engage Board Volunteers.” My plan is to divide the eBook down into the following sections:

• Setting Expectations
• Accountability & Urgency
• Planning
• Mission-focus
• Organizational Best Practices

Within these sections, I want to provide samples and explanations of tools and practices that successful non-profit leaders use to keep their board volunteers engaged.*

The following set of tools are ones I’ve identified as being effective in helping with “accountability & urgency:”

• Board assessment (overall)
• Individual board member assessments (self-assessments & committee led assessment of individuals)
• Dashboards
• Scorecards
• Board member individual engagement plans
• Conflict of Interest policy
• Ethics policy
• Goals (e.g. fundraising, organizational key performance indicators, etc)
• Action item log
• Committee work plans
• GRPI
• RASI

In addition to using all of the aforementioned tools, I’ve used online services to help with project management and predictive performance.

What other tools have you used to clearly communicate ideas such as:

• Is a board member doing what they said they’d do
• Is a volunteer working “within the boundaries drawn by the board“
• Is the organization succeeding
• Are board members doing what needs to be done

Please take a minute out of your busy schedule to provide some feedback. Your suggestions on additional tools is also greatly appreciated.

Here’s to your health!

Erik Anderson
Founder & President, The Healthy Non-Profit LLC
www.thehealthynonprofit.com 
erik@thehealthynonprofit.com
http://twitter.com/#!/eanderson847
http://www.facebook.com/eanderson847
http://www.linkedin.com/in/erikanderson847

*Note: I would be extremely grateful if you would share your best organization’s resources for possible inclusion as a sample in my eBook. If you are concerned about organizational privacy/confidentiality, I am more than willing to redact your organization’s name from whatever documents you provide if that is what you desire.