by Adele Gregory

Created on: February 28, 2009

For many small non-profit organizations, the criterion for board membership is, sadly, "who you can get". Those with the luxury of choice often seek members from relevant professions such as social workers, doctors or the police. Unfortunately, both can lead to a committee which looks good on paper but doesn't function effectively as a board. The best board members aren't those who just support the organization's mission but who also take their own participation in it seriously.

How much work directors need to do depends on the size and age of the organization. In a small agency with no paid employees, board members and workers are one and the same. In large well-established organizations with a team of paid staff, there is less of a direct workload and more of a supportive, upper management role. Yet there are key qualities common to good directors regardless of their personal expertise or the nature of the organization.

Commitment

Very little can be accomplished by a room full of empty chairs and a fistful of apologies. One of the problems with strategic choices is that they draft in individuals who could be extremely helpful - if they had the time. But they frequently don't. It doesn't matter how strongly board members believe in the cause if they can't attend meetings or complete work they've volunteered to do. Board members also need be available and accessible for extra-ordinary work when required.

Responsibility

The best board members realize why non-profit bodies are structured in certain ways and respect the need for accountability. Good board members familiarize themselves with the roles and responsibilities of a director, funding requirements, charity laws and the organization's remit and constitution. They accept that the proverbial buck stops with them and it is they who must ensure that the organization as a whole acts honestly and responsibly.

Decisiveness

Even long-established and well-run non-profits can hit a rough patch or be faced with a troublesome dilemma. Board members shouldn't get so involved in day-to-day affairs that they undermine the authority of paid staff. But when leadership from the board is needed, its members should be able make and hand down clear decisions without undo delay.

Vision

Directors who can see the bigger picture, recognize the organization's potential and think about the road ahead can give direction in the fullest sense of the word. These directors are not simply "reactive" i.e. only responding to issues as they arise. They think about how individual situations fit in the broader scheme of things and can steer the ship because they know where it's going.

Integrity

It's impossible to ask about and you won't know how sound it is until it's put to the test. Yet integrity is one of the most crucial qualities a director should have as it's the board who must resolve the toughest ethical dilemmas and take some of the hardest decisions. Conflicts of interest must be spotted and curtailed, errant staff may need to be disciplined or even dismissed and external advisors can try to manipulate the organization for their own ends. Many non-profit organizations have been brought down by directors who choose to look the other way when unpleasant confrontations appear on the horizon.

Non-profit organizations rely more on the personal characters of their directors than businesses because there is no financial incentive. The directors who bring the most to the job are those who support what the organization is trying to achieve because they believe it needs to be done, and who give the work their all because they know it comes with the territory.

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