E.D. Notes for the Field: Getting the Most from your Board

Each month when I sit down to write this blog, hoping to offer some useful advice for nonprofit executive directors, I start by doing two things. First, I reflect on what my colleagues and I are hearing from clients, looking for the common themes the sector is struggling with today. Next, I reflect on my own tenure as a nonprofit E.D. That was a long time ago, but it was a formative experience (I was just 27 when I was hired). I’m always amazed by how the issues I struggled with as a young leader remain at the center of concern for today’s nonprofit E.D.s.

Of course, much has changed since I left my organization to found La Piana Consulting in 1998. The biggest tech news of that year was either the launch of the iMac, or the founding of Google. Nonprofit leaders are also more sophisticated today, with many more people coming into their roles with specific management training, either an M.B.A. or even a specific advanced degree such as the M.N.A. (Master of Nonprofit Administration). And of course the biggest difference between 2025 and, well, everything that came before, is the onslaught of boundless corruption, shameless intimidation, and incipient totalitarianism we are confronted with today.

Nonetheless, one of the perennial issues E.D.s continue to raise over the decades is how to maximize the value of their board. And for good reason. Whether you lead a grassroots group with a small community board or a behemoth performing arts organization with fifty, sixty or more wealthy and powerful board members, your conception of the board, its role and potential, is critical to your success.

I’m going to go out on a limb and guess that you wish you had more resources – more money, more people, and more time – because your work is so demanding. Am I right? So, how does your board contribute to, or distract from, your available resources?

Let’s start with development. Many organizations solicit donations from their boards, but are you leveraging those board donors to bring in their networks? Have you trained them in fundraising, asked them to invite a few friends over for drinks or dinner so you can describe your organization’s important work, or solicited the names of other community leaders to see if they have any connection to your board members? When it comes to fundraising, a governing board is more than an ATM, it is a force multiplier, a resource that can greatly expand your fundraising reach.

We all understand the danger inherent in blurring the line between board and staff roles. “The board governs while the staff manages” is a useful rubric, and board member meddling in operations can be a serious problem. However, board members can and often do take on specific roles that might otherwise be unavailable to you or cost serious money. A board member who is a realtor can help you vet a new office space, an insurance agent can advise on where to find the best and most affordable coverage, an HR professional can review your employee handbook, and that board member who knows everyone in town can open new doors. This is just a small sample of the ways I have seen board members perform “real work.” It can be a total win-win. You get free expert help while bringing the board members closer to the organization. At the same time, the board member gets the satisfaction of having contributed something concrete to the mission.

Bottom line:

don’t be afraid to ask board members to do real work outside the board room.

Just remind everyone that “The board only exists when it is in session.” By this, I mean that individual board members have no authority when acting on their own. Anything they do outside of a board or committee meeting (or specific follow up work delegated to them by the board), they do as a volunteer. And, like any volunteer, they answer to the staff overseeing the work they perform.

I used this model quite successfully in my nonprofit days without a problem with overstepping boundaries. Quite the opposite. Board members acting as volunteers got to know my team, deepening their appreciation for our work, while always respecting their voluntary role. The flip side of this concern is the potential for staff to see these interactions as an opportunity to complain about management. Again, this can be managed through clarity. Both board and staff members should be instructed to use the organization’s approved grievance process, not a board member’s ear, for serious concerns. Again, in my sixteen years as an E.D., I never had a problem with this.

Do you know about The Four W’s of Board Membership: Work, Wisdom, Wallet, and Wallop.

• Work As I have described, board members can offer many practical forms of assistance, with the additional benefit of bringing them closer to the organization.
• Wisdom How many times have you wished for another perspective before making a significant decision? Board members bring intelligence, insight, and experience. Use it!
• Wallet This of course refers to board donations. The money is important but so too is the donor’s greater connection to the mission, enabling them to help raise money from others.
• Wallop The board and its members can exert political influence. It might be a connection to the city council, the governor, or even someone in Congress. Map those relationships.

In these extremely perilous times, don’t forget your board’s active helping role. The best boards are actors not audience in the drama of the organization’s life. E.D. concerns for board overreach are almost always manageable with good planning and clear communication. Don’t leave behind the great resource that is your board. Engage!