This Friday will be a first for me. I will be attending the Bridging Gala as a non-Board member. Bridging is a local non-profit that provides free furniture and household good to families going through transitions out of homelessness and poverty. I was fortunate to serve on Bridging’s Board for 9 years. At the end of last year, I completed my third and final three year Board term.
When I received the invitation to attend the annual gala, it started me thinking.
- What should be expected of past non-profit Board members?
- What should I expect as a past non-profit Board member?
Honestly, I have limited information to go on. I have only served on two non-profit Boards – Bridging and I am no honored to be serving on Finnegan’s Community Fund. Maybe most non-profits have developed processes for addressing this. If they have, it doesn’t seem to be well documented. I tried to find some information on this topic. I found some information on “Honorary Board members” and committee membership ideas. However, most of the information available is about building, attracting, training and retaining Board members.
I believe this is an overlooked opportunity for non-profit organizations. In hindsight, my recommendation is rather simple. When they are transitioning off of the Board, ask each Board member how they would like to stay involved.
Each person’s situation is unique. Trying to apply a process or one-size-fits-all approach will have limited success. Honoring some and not doing anything with others is a mistake. Treat them each like a key stakeholder. By treating them as a key stakeholder, the organization could benefit for years to come. Boundaries need to be established. They no longer serve on the Board. However, there are probably many easy and simple options to stay involved and/or connected. Some may not have an interest in staying involved, but you never know unless you ask.
In my final year with Bridging, we changed our annual meeting to include Board Alumni. We found this to be a great way to reconnect with past Board members and update them on Bridging. This was definitely a step in the right direction.
What have you seen done with past non-profit Board members? What suggestions do you have?
