Board Engagement

Here you’ll find resources that can help your organization better engage your board of directors from recruitment to retirement.

Today’s arts and other not-for-profit sector Boards have enormous responsibilities. To fulfil those responsibilities, volunteer Board members, who for the most part lead very busy lives, need to feel actively engaged and attached to the organizations they govern.

We've compiled a series of articles, reports and resources for you and your board to explore. Click any of the links below, or access a roll-up of all the resources in one easy-to-print document. Click here to access the document:  Engaging your Board Effectively (PDF).

Recruitment: Building Boards That Work

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  Inspired Recruitment 

  “Developing A Board Recruitment Process”, Wild Apricot.

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  Diversity in Governance 

  A Toolkit for Inclusion on Non-profit Boards, Ann Decter (editor), Maytree Foundation, 2007.

Orientation: Starting off Right

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  Board Building: Recruiting and Developing Effective Board Members for Not-for-Profit Organizations 

  The Muttart Foundation and Alberta Community Development, Revised Edition, 1997.

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  Board Member Work Plan 

  Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra and Chamber Choir, Sample Yearly Work Plan, 2005/2006 Season.

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  How Effective are Your Board Members? 

  By Simone Joyaux, SOFII, April 22 2014.

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  Values in Your Organization 

  By Simone Joyaux, Nonprofit Quarterly September 11, 2015.

Meaningful Conversations: Effective Meetings

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  Engaging Your Board 

  Jeannette Archer Simons, Non-profit Resource Network, 2008.

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  Problem Boards or Board Problem? 

  By William P Ryan, Richard P. Chait, and Barbara E. Taylor, Non-profit Quarterly, Summer 2013.

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  Succession Planning 

  Canadian Federation of Friends of Museums/ Fédération canadien des amies des musées, au courant Winter 2012 newsletter, Pg 3-4.

Risk Management: Not Risk Avoidance

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  Hidden in Plain Sight: Understanding Nonprofit Capital Structure 

  By Clara Miller, 2003.

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  Sustainability: A Board’s Special Responsibility 

  By Jeanne Bell, Jan Masaoka and Steve Zimmerman, Adapted from Non-profit Sustainability, published on Blue Avocado, Oct 5 2012.

Other Resources

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  BoardSource 

  National U.S. organization providing resources to strengthen non-profit boards.

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  BoardConnect 

  Australian source of resources and useful fact sheets to support arts and non- profit boards

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  Creative Trust 

  A blog on building strong and sustainable arts organizations, with frequent posts on arts boards and board issues