You Can't Fire Board Members!
Or Can You? Holding The Board
Accountable Is Your Job And Theirs

By Barbara Hershfelt
Vice President
Midwest Region

“You can’t fire a volunteer board member,” exclaimed an executive director the other day. She was lamenting the fact that some of her board members weren’t doing a very good job. I seem to hear that a lot lately and my first response is always the same: Do the board members understand their responsibilities and what is expected of them? Yes. But is the board holding everyone accountable?

Organizations are comfortable setting very high performance standards for staff, but then do not hold the board to the same high standards. This disconnect between staff and board members can have a negative effect on the organization. As nonprofit professionals, it is our job to set high expectations for everyone in the organization, including the volunteers. If we don’t, we are doing a disservice not only to the nonprofit, but to the mission, the clients and the long-term organizational success.

People volunteer for many reasons: To give back to the community; because they believe in the mission; to build social connections; and to learn new skills, or perhaps to use their workplace skills in another arena. They have all joined the nonprofit board to make a positive impact with their time and efforts. While volunteers come with their personal goals and expectations, it is up to the nonprofits to leverage their enthusiasm and help them be successful in their work.

Leadership needs to provide board members with information, including the organization overview, vision, goals, success measures, and a detailed explanation of how the dollars raised will impact the mission. Simply providing this to new board members in the initial orientation is not enough. Periodic updates are critical to engage and reenergize board members. Additionally, board members need defined roles and responsibilities. The expectations should include fundraising and fiduciary responsibilities, and an attendance policy for board and committee meetings, to mention a few. Nonprofit leadership needs to spend time with the board educating, training and setting goals.

Don’t be afraid to set high expectations for the board at large, as well as individual board members. It is incumbent upon the board to evaluate the performance of the members and provide feedback. Well-run boards participate in an annual evaluation and apply their findings to improve their work. The president of the board (or the executive committee) must ultimately uphold the standards of the board’s performance and hold the individual board members accountable to their commitments. Does this mean firing a volunteer board member? Perhaps. If tough actions are needed to set the course for the best possible organization, then we owe it the mission to make the necessary changes and get volunteers that are truly committed to the organization’s vision and goals.