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15 Smart And Effective Ways To Onboard New Nonprofit Board Members

Forbes Nonprofit Council

An effective onboarding process is crucial for new nonprofit board members. During this time, new members will dive deep into the history and mission of the organization, as well as learn more about other board members and the importance of the work they accomplish.

Communicating these key items correctly helps ensure new board members remain engaged and align with the values of other members. To create a smooth onboarding process, 15 Forbes Nonprofit Council members shared their best tips below.

Photos courtesy of the individual members.

1. Focus On The Existing Board First

Onboarding new board members begins with assimilating them into a professional, well-informed and engaged board. Success begins with recruiting the right person for your organization based on current needs, mission connection, consistent orientation and by ensuring they understand their commitment and your expectations. Failure is imminent when the existing board isn't healthy, prepared or inclusive. - Bev Wenzel, The ROCK Center for Youth Development and Discover You

2. Allow New Members To Observe

New board members can offer objective insight that could be game-changing for your organization. Invite new board members to spend a day observing how you and your team bring your mission to life by immersing them in operational culture, effectiveness and challenges. Then schedule a follow-up meeting where they review their observations with you. Embrace the opportunity for a new perspective! - Jessica Hall, American Eagle Foundation


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3. Have Two-Way Communication

Onboarding has to be a two-way interaction. After recruitment when we have the person best placed to serve the organization, we often begin to bombard them with information. Having done this sets the tone for our future engagement with them. If we maintain effective dialogue with our board members, we may be surprised at the plethora of ways they can support the organization we might otherwise miss. - Shane Ryan, Avast Foundation

4. Mentor New Members

Onboarding is multidimensional, not a one-and-done task. After covering the basics of board responsibilities, assign a tenured board member to mentor the incoming board member. Show them firsthand how programs operate and let them speak to a beneficiary of program services. Share organizational data to frame decision making. The goal is to create a great ambassador for your organization. - Lynda Schueler, Housing Forward

5. Think Of Onboarding As A Project

Onboarding should be thought of as a project rather than a single activity. We begin by providing an email full of links to programs and history. We follow that with one-hour program presentations, always ensuring that a more tenured board member is also present. I then meet with each individual prior to the board meeting to consider the agenda and to answer their questions individually. - Tammy McLeod, Flinn Foundation

6. Make Their Membership Meaningful

Start with asking them how you can make their upcoming board service meaningful for them. The most engaged board members are passionate and see clearly how their time, talent and treasure connect with and further your mission. After that, ensure you keep them engaged through a mix of general updates, learning opportunities and personalized connections. - Patricia McIlreavy, Center for Disaster Philanthropy

7. Involve Multiple Board Members

The most effective way to onboard new board members is to have multiple people involved in the onboarding process who can provide a wide view of the organization's vision, mission, operations and core values. New members should have a complete view of the community they will serve in order to provide better value. - Pablo Listingart, ComIT

8. Ensure They Know These Three Things

There are three critical components: the story of the organization (make sure they understand the emotional moments, successes, joys, wins, etc), the language of the organization (equip them with the language of who you are and how they will communicate to others) and finally, a clear understanding of the problems we solve as an organization so they can offer the solution to others. - Bill High, The Signatry

9. Give Knowledge In Segments

Don't overwhelm them! Deep knowledge of your organization's structures, processes, policies and culture is crucial for their success as board members, so give this knowledge to them in parts/segments. Give them time to digest, react, ask questions and share observations. Otherwise, you run the risk of them forgetting everything they’re heard! Treat them gently. - Magdalena Nowicka Mook, ICF (International Coaching Federation)

10. Place Emphasis On The Board's Mission

During onboarding, new board members should be exposed to the mission, vision, values and history of the organization to provide a means of lasting connection. Serving on a nonprofit board should be just as much of a calling for each board member as for employees. Board members can't effectively advise on the direction of the nonprofit if they aren't immersed in its mission. - Albert L. Reyes, Buckner International

11. Distribute Information Across Multiple Platforms

Sharing information on multiple platforms is effective. We use Zoom for the first session. And with Zoom, we didn't have calls longer than 90-minutes for the sake of short attention spans. We follow up with a PowerPoint written version. We then met for lunch or coffee to walk through or ask questions. As CEO, I send monthly updates to the Board of Directors using consistent language and framework from the onboarding session. - Nancy Padberg, Catholic Education Arizona

12. Share The Mission With New Members

It all comes down to mentorship. Any new potential board member should meet with existing members and make sure their goals are aligned. In addition to having a formal new board member induction program, it is important to assign a mentor. This will help demonstrate the culture of your organization from day one and give them a chance to help it thrive. - Jose Luis Castro, Vital Strategies

13. Partner New Members With Existing Members

Effective onboarding is key to having an engaged board where everyone is contributing their valuable expertise early on with a full understanding of the organization and their role in terms of governance. It is not a simple one-and-done training exercise. A successful method to fast-track the engagement of new directors is to partner them with someone who is a long-standing member as a mentor. - Jaime Boldt, Globe Theatre

14. Have An Engaging Presentation

A well-thought-out board orientation at a set time, once a year for new members works well. I include a mixture of history, organizational data and financials over lunch, as well as storytelling through tours and advice on what makes an effective board member. My board members appreciate the time they get to spend together learning more about the organization and networking with each other. - Kimberly Lewis, Goodwill Industries of East Texas, Inc.

15. Host Tours Or On-Site Visits

My best advice for an effective onboarding process starts with hosting a tour. In healthcare, the first impressions made by our patients could begin with a phone call or walk-in service. Our board members represent our hospitals and facilities, so I like to host meetings on-site preceded by a tour of our campus. This is where our culture is demonstrated—through the eyes of our staff and patients. - Martha Mather, UOFL HEALTH - PEACE HOSPITAL

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