At Your Service: Panel offers insights into effective nonprofit board activity

Jordan Gibson believes nonprofits should have term limits for board members.

Talking Points

Several officials who have experience either working or volunteering in the nonprofit industry share tips regarding board service.

• “My experience is most people don’t quit nonprofit boards because they’re overworked. They’ll quit because they’re underutilized. So, we need to engage board members quickly, aligning with their expertise and their passion.” —Dan Prater, Forvis Mazars
• “That’s part of it is just really engaging them, not just at your board meeting – having them lead those committees, lead those subcommittees from your board.” —Laura Farmer, CASA of Southwest Missouri
• “Knowing what the expectations are and whether that’s financial support, whether that’s meeting attendance, whether it’s subcommittee, leadership, whatever it is, and that also includes terms.” —Jill Reynolds, Commerce Trust
• “It’s recognizing what intent you want to have and what you can bring to the table.” —Jordan Gibson, The Vecino Group

 Providing transparent communication, balancing fiduciary responsibilities and navigating capital campaigns were among topics covered at a recent nonprofit conference discussion that centered around effective board service.

People considering service on a nonprofit board of directors should follow their passions and interests regarding such an undertaking, officials said during a panel discussion at the 13th annual Drury Nonprofit Leadership Conference. Dan Prater, senior managing consultant at Forvis Mazars LLP, said those who do should be aware of the core responsibilities of being a board member, which includes setting a clear path forward for the organization from a 30,000-foot level. Strategic planning, mission, vision, values and guided behaviors are among the paths to be considered. 

“Obviously, boards have fiduciary or legal responsibilities, and if you’re on a board, you’re a legal officer of the organization, which means you have to follow the law – you have to know the law,” Prater said, adding the board and organization leader need to assure there are clear policies and procedures. “As an overseer, if something is going on and you don’t actually take action, that in itself does not follow the law.”

Prater used a football analogy involving the Kansas City Chiefs as an example. He said the board serves as a coach on the sidelines, such as Chiefs head coach Andy Reid, while the CEO or organization leader is the quarterback, such as Patrick Mahomes. 

“Now, there were times where COVID hit or there’s an unexpected absence of the director; you have to step in,” he said. “But other than that, the board always stands on the sidelines. They never get involved in the play.”

Prater was joined on the panel by Laura Farmer, executive director of Court Appointed Special Advocates of Southwest Missouri, and Diane Drollinger, CEO of Network for Strong Communities. Holly Beadle, director of philanthropic services at Community Foundation of the Ozarks, served as moderator. 

When it comes to board members balancing their fiduciary duties and responsibilities with the organization, it can a challenge, said Drollinger, who leads the St. Louis-based capacity-building organization for nonprofits. It opened a Springfield satellite office in 2022.

“I’ve worked with probably hundreds of boards, and I haven’t ever run into a board that said, ‘Wow, we’re dying to fundraise or ‘Wow, let’s take on the fiscal sustainability of this organization.’ In fact, many board members aren’t even told that that’s part of their gig when they come onto a board. But it is,” she said, noting the board’s responsibility also is to do whatever is necessary to get the organization’s mission out into the community. 

Get connected
Farmer, who’s led CASA of Southwest Missouri for seven years, said there’s an educational component that organizations should provide for their board members. Some may never have read a balance sheet or don’t understand what it means and how it impacts the organization in the short or long term. Connecting them with the financial programmatic and fundraising pieces is important at CASA, which provides advocacy services to around 500 foster children. 

“We have a board orientation where we provide our board members with not only the structure of the organization and how things work, but then talking points about our programs – why our program is so important so that they can go out into the community and be ambassadors,” she said. 

Farmer said she doesn’t use a board matrix to determine who is best to serve in the organization. 

“What is most important to me in recruitment of a board member is No. 1, that they have a heart for the mission that we’re doing,” she said. “Not everyone is interested in children’s services. Not everyone is specifically interested in services that deal with foster care.”

Many nonprofit directors wear a lot of hats, Farmer said, noting it becomes important for boards to have individuals with diverse skills, such as human resources, accounting and legal experience. 

“Really figure out what areas you need because my strengths can’t lie in all areas,” she said. “I really do rely on my board members as experts in their various roles. Then it just strengthens our organization as a whole.”

The nonprofit pool in Springfield is deep. Cause IQ, a company that researches nonprofits, notes the nonprofit number in the Springfield metropolitan statistical area at roughly 3,245. 

 Finding a fit
While not part of the conference panel, both Jill Reynolds and Jordan Gibson are no strangers to nonprofit board service. Reynolds, senior vice president with Commerce Trust, and Gibson, mission ambassador with The Vecino Group, have accrued over a decade each of volunteer activity with nonprofits. 

“I’ve just really tried to be selective and find ones that I thought were a really good fit,” Reynolds said of the six years she served on the board at CFO and eight years at Ozarks Food Harvest. “If you just go in and you don’t have really a passion for the mission, then I don’t think it’s a good fit for the human or for the organization.”

Gibson began volunteering at Habitat for Humanity of Springfield, Missouri Inc. a decade ago and is in her fifth year of serving on its board. She’s currently the past president after serving a one-year term as president that ended in July. She also serves as vice president of the Harmony House Young Professionals Board, which was formed earlier this year.

Those considering board service need to be self-reflective, Gibson said.

“They should be asking themselves, what impact do I want to have? What can I offer? And can I commit to that?” she said. “It’s being willing to sacrifice of your time or your resources knowing that you can give those up because others need it more.”

Reynolds served two terms on the CFO board and last year rolled off the Ozarks Food Harvest board, which has no term limits. She and Gibson favor organizations having term limits to keep the board fresh and allow others to become involved.

“Right now, I have the capacity where I can dedicate that time,” Gibson said. “But in five years from now, if I’m still locked in this role, in this endless term, I may not be the best version of myself. I may not be the right person to advocate for someone. If anything, I’m hindering the opportunity to make an impact.”

At CASA, the nonprofit’s board aided in the nonprofit’s $3.7 million capital campaign, which ended last year with funds going toward its new headquarters at the intersection of Glenstone Avenue and Chestnut Expressway, as well as its adjacent CASA Kids’ Clubhouse. For Farmer, clear communication with the board was a key during the campaign. She recommends nonprofit leaders be active listeners and engage those willing to help the organization improve.

“If I am going to ask my executive committee a question, I need to be open to their response and to the solutions that they are bringing to the table,” she said. “Because my goodness, they have expertise in a lot of different areas, and they may be coming up with a much better solution than I would’ve ever thought of.”