Nonprofit Board Self-Assessment: The Who, What, When, Where, and Why of Board Self-Assessments

The best-run directories take time to reflect. They think not only about their past successes, but also about how they can improve their relationship with staff, their donors, and each other. Well-run boards aren’t afraid to ask the hard questions of themselves and continually improve.

Who is responsible for making sure a board self-evaluates?

The Board Development Committee is responsible for making sure the board is self-assessing. Give this article to the chair of the Board Development Committee and ask him or her to consider ways to engage the board in a self-assessment process.

What is a board self-assessment?

A board self-assessment may focus on one or both of two areas: (1) the quality of the board’s work as a whole and/or (2) the quality of individual contribution as a board member. Whole-board evaluations could include these topics: ability to focus on the organization’s mission, committee effectiveness, board-staff relationships, quality of meetings, retreat effectiveness, financial health, strength of organizational policy , achievement of objectives and suggestions for improvement. If you want to assess the contribution of each individual, your evaluation questions might include the following: degree of knowledge about the organization’s finances, operations, or personnel, reaction to meetings and committees, areas in which expectations are falling short, suggestions for improvements.

There are several self-assessment methods. One way is to have a general discussion about how the board is doing, what it is doing well, and where some improvements could help. This discussion could help unravel some issues that could be further explored in one of two second steps: (1) one-on-one interviews with individual board members or (2) a board survey or questionnaire (which can be anonymous or name optional). ).

When is the best time to do a board evaluation?

Boards that excel conduct self-assessments annually. This provides you with feedback on the positive changes that have been made in the last year while soliciting ideas on where improvement is still needed. The best time to do a board evaluation is in the middle of the year. At that point, you are not a group with many new members nor are you racing to complete your end-of-year goals. Instead, the middle of the year is a good time to reflect on how things are going and where improvements could help the organization and the board.

Where is the board self-assessment survey conducted?

When your board of directors discusses and evaluates its own progress, you may want to select a different location than where your meetings normally take place. This change in meeting location can help signal to members that you want them to take a different perspective on their roles, plans, and activities. If you are conducting a survey or questionnaire, it is essential to give board members time to reflect on the questions and their responses. It’s a good idea to email or mail the questionnaires ahead of time and give board members a few days to think about the questions and their answers. Your responses can be emailed or mailed to a specific member of the Board Development Committee, or you can ask board members to bring the questionnaire to the next board meeting. Depending on the technical sophistication of the board members, you can use an online survey tool.

Why is it essential to conduct a board self-assessment?

Expecting the entire board to participate in an annual self-assessment is good practice for well-managed boards. This practice demonstrates that each team member is an integral part of the whole and that everyone should participate in self-analysis. Annual surveys allow board members to provide feedback on the work they are doing and the work of the group, and give the board a way to measure their own progress over time as they seek to improve the governance of their board and the support they provide to the non-profit organization they lead.