Are You Board Yet?

Are you board yet?  Tell me about your board and how that select group of people represents the area and or population your nonprofit serves? I like to ask this question because astute funders need to know how much consideration you’ve given to addressing this matter. It’s obvious to prioritize race, nationality, and gender, yet complementing diversity with various other demographic measurements shows considerable depth and forethought in your selection for these important roles. If you truly want to address the needs of the community, then let your board and committee members reflect the community and population you serve.

I believe that special consideration should be given to the different age groups. All age groups must be represented. While years of experience are important, so are the ideas offered by younger adults, as they have been raised in a world of social media and are keenly aware of current trends. Their approach to raising awareness of social needs, or how to engage new supporters, extends well beyond golf tournaments and gala fundraising models. Additionally, these emerging leaders will play a crucial role in your organization’s succession planning.  Attrition, term limits, and aging out present real concerns/anxiety for the current leadership of a nonprofit.

An observation:  An individual’s sweet spot in developing meaningful, personal & business relationships is plus or minus 10 years of a person’s age. Someone who is 30 connects more easily with someone 20 to 40 years of age as they are, have been, or will be going through many of the same life challenges. The same applies to people who are 40, 50, 60…. As these age metrics overlap, an added layer of diversity works into the tapestry of your board; moreover, its cohesiveness.

In summary, allow the benefit of experience to complement the youth in your board, and take full advantage of today’s newest leaders and the skills they offer, as they will be the future of your organization.

About the Author:

John Bennett
SVP Non-Profit Banking and Business Development