3/00 - HOW DOES YOUR BOARD MEASURE UP?

HOW DOES YOUR BOARD MEASURE UP?

Want a quick and simple way to identify areas of strength and weakness on your board? The charts below are useful in helping all types of boards evaluate their heath and functionality. Answering the questions on the chart and adding up your score will give you an opportunity to assess how you are doing. You might find opportunities for improvement and using the chart may put you on the path to a new and improved board of directors.

Boards change when the board members themselves identify a need to do so. This chart is a guide by which your board can decide for itself what changes, if any, are needed. More real progress results when board members can see for themselves how they measure up than when they are told what to do by the cooperative's manager, regulatory agency or an outside consultant.

Remember, each co-op is different. There is no magic formula for a high-functioning board, and you do not necessarily have serious problems, if your board is not structured or organized in the same way as the items on this chart suggest. Nevertheless, the chart can help your board identify areas that it agrees need attention, development and/or reorganization. The scoring gives you a way to compare how you are doing with what might be considered ideal. On the other hand, if your score is low but you believe that the way your board is functioning works for you and gets the job done, then look again, and consider whether you are depending too heavily on one or two people to do all the work and make all the decisions.

USING THE CHART

Following is a tried and true method:

Schedule a board meeting at which you can spend at least a couple of hours working on the chart, or make it one part of a longer board retreat.
Distribute a copy of the chart to each board member to fill our individually so everyone has the opportunity to express their opinion about the strengths and weaknesses of the board.
Use the group's combined responses as a guide for the areas it most wants to work on first. If more than a couple of areas seem deficient, choose the top two or three that can be the focus of the board's attention for the next six months. As an example, if a category has a low score, such as "The Board at Work," you may consider giving that category your earliest attention and focus on your day-to-day functioning as a board.

There will always be things that need improvement, and you will make more progress biting off smaller rather than larger pieces at one time. Your board can decide for itself what needs to change.

TIPS FOR A GOOD BOARD

Here are a few other thoughts about developing a strong and well-functioning board of directors:

Remember that board members are volunteers with busy lives apart from the time they serve on the board. Progress may be slow, but as long as it is steady, change will happen.
The work of improving the board is not the sole responsibility of the cooperative's manager. The president, or another board member who is able to lead the process of improvement, is key to the success of any effort to strengthen the board. A process that is initiated and led by staff is less likely to be successful. If you use a consultant, use that person as a facilitator, but not as a decision maker for you.
The work of developing a board is ongoing for the life of a cooperative. Though you will face different challenges at different stages, there is never a point at which you will have a "perfect" board. Like relationships, like families, like communities, the board is always evolving and changing. With luck, the challenges will not overwhelm or discourage you, but provide keys to new ways of moving forward.

So try out, do not take yourselves too seriously and know that you are in the work for the long haul.

Click here for quick print version.

How is Your Board Doing?

Rate your board using the following scale:
0 - No, this doesn't exist on our board.
1 - We're working on it.
2 - Yes, we're in great shape on this item.

RATING 1.____ 2.____ 3.____ 4.____ 5.____ 6.____ 7.____ 8.____	SELECTION AND COMPOSITION 1. A majority of the board members are vitally interested in the success of the cooperative. 2. The board is representative of its constituency with regard to ethnic background, class, gender, and sexual orientation. 3. There is a balance of new and experienced board members to guarantee both continuity and new thinking. 4. Board members are able to understand, or are willing to learn, the basics of issues that relate to successfully operating a housing co-op. 5. There is a limit to the number of consecutive terms a board member can serve. (No life terms!) 6. The cooperative develops future board members through the use of volunteers on committees. 7. The cooperative encourages the identification of potential board members for the future. 8. New board members are recruited and selected using a thorough review process, and by providing relevant background and information about the candidates to the membership at large.
SUBTOTAL	______
9.____ 10.____ 11.____ 12.____ 13.____	ORIENTATION AND TRAINING 9. There is a statement of agreement out lining the duties, responsibilities, and roles of board members that all board members sign. 10. Board members understand their legal responsibilities, requirements, and liability. 11. The cooperative provides an orientation for new board members. 12. The cooperative supplies a board manual to all board members that includes, but is not limited to, descriptions of current programs, a list of board members, budget and funding information, bylaws, personnel policies, and minutes over the past 6 to 12 months. 13. The cooperative makes training opportunities available for board members to increase skills related to their board responsibilities.
SUBTOTAL	______
14.____ 15.____ 16.____ 17.____ 18.____ 19.____ 20.____ 21.____	STRUCTURE AND ORGANIZATION 14. The board has a simple, concise set of bylaws that describes the duties of board members and officers; and the procedures by which the board conducts its business. 15. The board has a mechanism (such as an assigned officer) for handling matters that must be addressed between meetings. 16. The board has a mechanism for providing leadership and coordinating the ongoing work of the board and its committees. 17. The cooperative has active committees (e.g. finance, membership, activities, communications/newsletter, and maintenance) with specific responsibilities. 18. Board-approved committee assignments are reviewed and evaluated periodically. 19. Working relations between the board, board president, and management are strong and productive. 20. Board and staff members are clear about their respective responsibilities. 21. Relations between the staff and board are characterized by mutual respect and good rapport.
SUBTOTAL	______
22. ____ 23.____ 24.____ 25.____ 26.____ 27.____ 28.____ 29.____ 30.____ 31.____ 32.____ 33.____ 34.____ 35.____	THE BOARD AT WORK 22. There are regularly scheduled board meetings. 23. Meetings begin and end on time per an agreed upon schedule. 24. There is adequate preparation and distribution of material, including agendas, study documents, etc., in advance of board meetings. 25. Minutes of the board and committee meetings are written and circulated in a timely manner. 26. Board meetings are characterized by open discussion, general participation, active thinking together, and decision making. 27. Board members deal primarily with policy formulation; program, financial, and long range planning; financial review; and evaluating the condition and progress of the cooperative. 28. Committees are active and complete assigned tasks in a timely manner and short-term/ad hoc committees are disbanded upon completion of task. 29. The board is aware of matters of community, state, and national concern to the cooperative. 30. Individual board members accept and carry out assignments within the area of their talents and expertise. 31. Board members follow through on their commitments in a timely manner. 32. Board members understand conflict of interest, disclose conflicts voluntarily, and do not try to influence decisions for personal benefit. 33. All board members are familiar with the financial condition of the cooperative, and there is a process in place that calls for regular financial reporting and accountability to the board. 34. The board conducts an annual review of itself and its work. 35. New leadership is emerging consistently from the board and its committees.
SUBTOTAL	______
TOTAL	______

ADD UP YOUR TOTAL SCORE:
Scoring the Chart If your score is:
60-70: You are in great shape. You have a healthy board with good working relationships. Consider sharing some of your secrets with the rest of us! You realize that developing an effective board is a lifelong process.
48-59: You are on the way to a strong, effective board. Pay attention to your weak spots and involve the entire board in developing solutions.
31-47: You have lots of room for improvement. The board needs to prioritize areas to work on-both in the short and long term-set priorities, make a plan, and work the plan!
Under 30: You are probably experiencing problems already. Now is the time to devote serious attention to strengthening the structure, composition, and functioning of the board. If not, your programs, and ultimately the entire cooperative, will suffer.

This article originally appeared in the Grassroots Fundraising Journal, Vol. 17, No. 4 published by Chardon Press, P.O. Box 864, Inverness CA 94937, www.chardonpress.com. Minor adaptations to the article and chart were made to gear it toward cooperatives. You are welcome to copy or reprint this article for your board, but please credit the Grassroots Fundraising Journal.