It is commonly said that behind every strong nonprofit organization, you will find a strong board of directors. Why? Because the strength of the organization as a whole is a reflection of how well the board operates in its governance function. Virtually every list of best practices for nonprofit boards today includes an annual board self-assessment to allow board members to study their own behavior and lay the groundwork for self-improvement. Also included as a best practice, is an annual performance evaluation of the executive director/CEO conducted by board members. Participation in performance evaluations is a fundamental responsibility of all board members.
At Tweed-Weber, we conduct nonprofit board self-assessments and nonprofit executive director/CEO evaluations. Each one is a turnkey process implemented by Tweed-Weber that takes the work off the plate of board chairs and/or executive directors, so they can focus on the core work and mission of the organization. Tweed-Weber recently conducted board assessments for three local nonprofit organizations. In this edition of Know More. Do More., we share, in Q&A style, feedback from the following nonprofit leaders:
Nonprofit
Leader
|
Function
|
Organization
|
Board of
Directors
Self-Assessment |
CEO/Executive
Director
Performance Evaluation |
Nancy
Yocom
|
Board Chair
|
Berks Encore
|
X
|
X
|
Tammy White
|
President
|
United
Way of Berks County
|
X
|
X
|
Tim Daley
|
Executive
Director
|
Habitat
for Humanity of Berks County
|
X
|
Begin Q&A…
As a board chair, why did you feel it was important to conduct a board assessment and/or a CEO/executive director evaluation?
Nancy Yocom: A board evaluation measures a board’s ability to effectively govern and to work together to fulfill the organization’s mission and vision. Identification of strengths and weaknesses gives the board chair and the executive director the needed knowledge to improve and amend practices and strategies, engage the entire board, and create a healthy and energized board.
Tammy White: The CEO evaluation provides a snapshot of how the board feels I’m doing as a leader of the organization. That is extremely important to me, so I can meet the expectations of the board. The board assessment helps me understand how the board feels about our operations and how United Way is performing in the community against our mission.
Tim Daley: I think board evaluations represent that special time to look much deeper into the organization and those who are responsible for its success. At the executive director level, much professionalism is required and expected. Many objectives are resting with that position. In order for the board of directors to take a comprehensive look at their executive director, they need a professional tool to articulate their responses to questions asked about their executive director’s performance. Many boards have diverse members and would need a professional organization to filter information so that all members can understand the results.
Why is it important to have a formal review process of the CEO/executive director that involves the full board?
Nancy Yocom: The performance of a nonprofit’s executive director is critical to the organization’s mission. The executive director directly influences the organization’s success and financial health. It is incumbent on the board of directors to set standards and objectively and fairly evaluate the performance of its executive director. Well-established performance goals are important, so the entire board and its executive director are in agreement. Because each director has a different experience, all members must participate in the ED’s performance evaluation.
Tammy White: It provided an opportunity for me to get first-hand feedback from the board in terms of my performance. It lets me see where the board thinks I’m performing well, but more important, where there are opportunities for improvement. It is essential to involve the board in this evaluation because it is my responsibility to meet the expectations of each and every board member.
Tim Daley: I think an executive director can feel a sense of respect that a formal, comprehensive process is being used by the board to evaluate their performance, no matter the results. It takes away any ambiguity to the responses when it’s a formal, structured process. Knowing that certain criteria were being examined helped to compartmentalize the answers for better understanding.
What benefit(s) did Tweed-Weber’s board assessments provide for you?
Nancy Yocom: Tweed-Weber provided an online survey for all board members to participate in a board self-assessment and the executive director’s evaluation. The surveys were a great way for all board members to provide confidential responses. The staff at Tweed-Weber assessed the board responses and provided valuable, meaningful, unbiased data. The data gave us a snapshot of the health of the board, and a tool to effectively assess the ED’s performance. Through the board assessment, we learned our board meetings needed to be more strategic, forward thinking, and that all board meetings should contain an educational component. Because of the assessment, I believe our directors’ board experience and the way our board provides leadership has improved. The ED’s performance evaluation provided specific goals for improvement and a benchmark for further evaluations.
Tammy White: It provided an opportunity for United Way as an organization to know where there are opportunities to strengthen board engagement and involvement, and what we need to do to make board members feel stronger in participation and oversight.
Tim Daley: Besides letting me know in very clear terms how I am performing, the evaluation was telling of board members. Certain answers indicated that some members are no longer part of a team, but rather isolated by their responses, even though individual names were not included. It’s a good tool to get everyone on the same page again.
What advice would you have for other nonprofits that have never conducted board assessments before?
Nancy Yocom: Conducting a board self-assessment can feel a bit daunting, but a board assessment gives all board members a voice. The assessment helps the board to improve its own work. It allows board members to better understand their roles and responsibilities, and how they can fulfill their obligations more effectively. The process can develop the board’s team building skills, provide structure for problem solving, and increase accountability within the organization.
Tammy White: There is absolute value in both the board self-assessment process and the performance evaluation. To be a strong nonprofit organization, you must take a step back and hear the voices of your board members, so the organization can be the best it can be. As President, it is my job to manage board needs and expectations, and it most certainly is my responsibility to do all that I can to excel in my position. Board assessments are invaluable in helping me do both. But the important thing is not just doing it and then walking away. You have to grow from lessons learned.
Tim Daley: I would advise executive directors to embrace a formal, independent evaluation as an opportunity to create a win-win situation. It gives the executive director a great tool to guide their professional development, and the board can express their thoughts with full knowledge that the independent evaluator will appropriately reduce the information in a professional manner.
End Q&A
In order to support all board members, whether new to the role or more seasoned in the responsibilities of the position, it is essential to provide a vehicle for gathering their feedback. They need to feel a sense of belonging to the organization and an ongoing contribution to its mission and success.
It’s always a pleasure to work with nonprofit leaders like those highlighted in this article that have a strong belief in proactively engaging board members. For them, it’s not just a best practice, but a routine part of how their nonprofit organizations operate. All of us at Tweed-Weber genuinely appreciate the opportunity to serve the nonprofit community.
We invite you to learn more about the nonprofit board self-assessment and the nonprofit CEO/executive director performance evaluation provided by Tweed-Weber. We can show you how a structured board engagement process can support the mission of your organization. You will Know More, so you can Do More. Call us toll-free at 1-800-999-6615, email us at mail@tweedweber.com and/or visit us on the web at www.tweedweber.com. Also, be sure to follow us on LinkedIn (Tweed-Weber, Inc.) and Twitter (@TweedWeber).
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