We often discuss topics related to fundraising, branding, and culture. While these are all important areas of discussion, there is another critical topic we must focus on as nonprofit leaders. This topic is board governance. Today’s guest, Erik Hanberg, shares how nonprofits can effectively approach board recruitment and development.
Rob’s guest, Erik Hanberg, is a consultant who works with nonprofits in board governance and fundraising. He is also the author of various books, one of which is called, The Little Book of Boards: A Board Member’s Handbook for Small (and Very Small) Nonprofits.
Erik believes many nonprofits need to pivot their recruiting process for their boards because the typical process is inefficient. He lists the steps involved in the process, including how to find potential members, how long the process should take, and the most important traits they should look for in a board member. Erik understands that not all board members can be high achievers. He believes that as long as they establish a strong system based on rules and culture, having lower-level members on the board is fine. He also shares how a nonprofit should approach a situation where a toxic member must be let go. Erik believes it is essential to start training new members before their first meeting with the board, and what the onboarding process should look like. Finally, he explains why he is in favor of term limits, and why he does not advocate for specific job duties for members.
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