Summary

A recent study of board effectiveness* found that nonprofit board members who were motivated by an emotional attachment to their organizations were more likely to to make larger financial contributions, donate more hours to the organization, have better attendance at meetings, and serve on more committees. Yet, most nonprofits give little attention to how they can deepen this sense of attachment to the organization, and many board members are simply expected to contribute more time and money without any additional incentives to do so.

The Background

Let's see how building emotional attachments can work in practice. At the annual strategic planning meeting of Education Unlimited (a nonprofit that provides mentoring opportunities to low-income children), executive director, David Owings, organized a board dinner the night before the retreat. During the dinner, board members were invited to talk about what attracted them to the organization, how being involved enriched their lives, and what they felt they had contributed to the organization during their tenure.

The Solution

At the end of the retreat, a number of board members commented on how critical this dinner conversation was to the discussions that took place the following day. Many reported feeling a deeper sense of connection to the organization and to each other, which made it easier for them to talk about difficult and divisive issues during the retreat. Others felt that this initial session had enabled them to coalesce as a dynamic and cohesive group.

Lessons Learned

This example illustrates that finding time for board members to get to know each other is just as important as time spent on setting direction and performing oversight. Even when time is in short supply, it is a good idea to set aside a few moments at the end of each board meeting to discuss what went well at the meeting, and what could be done better the next time. As board members are given more freedom to make suggestions for improvement, they will feel more ownership in the organization, and feel that they are valued. This inevitably results in greater contributions of time and money to the organization. *See Commitment and Performance of Nonprofit Board Members by Jennifer Preston and William Brown, Journal of Nonprofit Management & Leadership, vol 15. no. 2, Winter 2004.