book is solely based on the personal experience and opinions of the author and the individuals and companies she has interviewed and quoted in this book.
The purpose of this book is to educate and entertain. No ethical judgment has been made or implied toward any individual or organization.
If you (or your organization) find yourself a party in any legal action concerning board activities or improprieties, please seek legal advice.
This book is essentially a “Do’s and Don’ts” of being on a board of directors in the non-profit and not-for-profit sector. It is intended to be a valuable resource to anyone who presently sits on a non-profit board, who may be considering taking on a board position (running for election), or who has been asked to fill a vacant board position.
It is not intended to help you establish a new board. For that, you need to consult a lawyer and establish the new board in accordance with the laws of incorporation in the jurisdiction in which you live or under which the new board will operate. Industry Canada can also help you with resources. For a terrific free online publication intended to help non-profit organizations and associations operate more effectively and efficiently, visit www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/cilp-pdci.nsf/eng/cl00689.html (accessed December 2, 2009).
I have written Before You Say Yes … because, having spent more than twenty-five years sitting on boards of various natures in varying capacities (from a community hall, to trade unions, “women in business” associations, and boards specific to the writing and publishing arena), I believe I have the insight necessary to demystify board obligations and governance in a clear, succinct style without any legalese to confuse the prospective or new director.
This book will teach you how to deal with difficult board members and staff, and what to find out before you say yes and accept the challenge of a new board position or renew a term on a board on which you currently serve. It will help you identify red lights within the organizational structure, within yourself, and even within the fellow directors on the board you may be joining. It will help you identify your own strengths and learn to respect the strengths of your fellow directors.
I am a firm believer in volunteerism and stepping forward to get the job done. Without volunteerism, society would be at a standstill.
Just be sure you have the answers to the important questions posed in this book, and then, if you are satisfied that the decision is right for you, say Yes! — with enthusiasm, commitment, and contentment.
It’s flattering to be asked, and it can be loads of fun, and certainly very rewarding in a variety of ways, but before you say yes to joining a board of directors, there are many things you must consider, and much you should know.
Is this board right for you? Will volunteering on this board challenge you and enable you to grow? Will it indulge your passions? Will it be easy for you to keep your personal loyalties in check? Is there any possible conflict of interest for you to consider? These are all questions we will discuss in this chapter.
Only You Can Decide
Knowing when to say yes to an invitation to join a board is crucial. You need to make sure that you are joining the board that is right for you. There are many types of non-profit boards and they will appeal to different individuals with specific talents, interests, and needs.
Does your interest lie in education? Or perhaps sports, the arts, healthcare, social services, or Native issues? There are boards in all of these sectors that will incorporate these preferences.
“It’s really important to find a board that best feeds your passion,” says Gregg Hanson, a philanthropist and former CEO of Wawanesa Mutual Insurance Company who spends a good chunk of his time serving on various boards in both the corporate and non-profit sectors. Hanson currently serves on three major corporate boards in Manitoba, and is also chair of the United Way’s 2010 fundraising campaign and former chair of the Winnipeg Foundation. He offers some valuable advice to prospective directors. “What really excites you?” asks Hanson. “If you do what your passion is, and spend just one hour a week volunteering in that field, collectively, we could really change the world.” Hanson goes on to say that if you’re not passionate about an issue, don’t bother agreeing to serve a board that predominantly deals with it. It will be a waste of your time, create unnecessary frustrations for you, and not be much fun.
The experiences of seasoned board members have proven that the people who become the most fulfilled by board activities are those who have passion for the work they are involved in, and can ignite that passion in others. This enthusiasm becomes infectious and ultimately is a tremendous benefit to any organization. Choosing the right board is a very personal decision. Don’t let the interests or concerns of others influence you.
“Even though my daughter is an Olympian, I am not passionate about sports. So any board with a focus on sports would not work for me,” says Hanson. “And even though I love animals, I am much more concerned about social services for people. So sitting on the board of the Humane Society (SPCA) would be far better suited to someone else who is more passionate about animals.”
It’s important to choose a board that is compatible with your interests. It is also important to choose one that is in line with your abilities.
Nathalie Kleinschmit, a director with Global’Ease training and consulting services for non-governmental organizations, has worked with many boards: “It’s best not to ask people to do something as a volunteer that resembles their job because then it’s too much like work,” she says. “But yet, you must capitalize on their strengths and not assign them a task that is foreign to their nature. You want to help them grow.”
This is sound advice. It’s quite a balancing act to ensure that the volunteer task you are choosing or being asked to accept is challenging, but not beyond the reach of your abilities. Thankfully there are a myriad of boards for us to choose from. The key is to find the right home for your passion, skills, and enthusiasm. With the right fit, there’s no limit to what you can accomplish.
All for One and One for All
It’s a catchy phrase, and it really applies here. When you agree to sit on a board, you are acting as a representative of that organization, collective, or association. This means that the interests, needs, and goals of that umbrella organization must come before your own as well as those of the smaller organization or association that may have sponsored your candidacy as a director on a larger board.
It’s important to understand the transformation of a passionate individual, with unique needs and perhaps a limited scope of vision, to one who is an unbiased, ethical, and visionary director. This metamorphosis is an important and necessary component of the successful operations of any board.
I spent six years, from 2003 to 2009, serving as a director with Access Copyright, The Canadian Copyright Licensing Agency, established in 1988 as a collective of publishers and creators of intellectual property and visual arts. That was an interesting board to work on due to the fact that the board had eighteen members, each of whom had his or her own background and bias to contend with. This rather unique and complex board was comprised of representatives of large publishers, small publishers, trade-book publishers, educational publishers of textbooks and learned journals,
