Twokin Consulting: Strategies to onboard a new nonprofit Board member

“They said yes!” You are excited that an individual you have been recruiting to join your Board of Directors just said yes. To ensure their success, Twokin Consulting suggests the following strategies for helping onboard them:

• Clearly communicate your organization's mission, values, and goals.

• Provide a comprehensive orientation that includes an overview of your organization's history, programs, finances, and governance structure.

• Introduce the new board member to key staff members, volunteers, and other board members.

• Assign a mentor or buddy to the new board member to provide guidance and answer any questions.

• Provide opportunities for the new board member to actively participate in meetings and events.

• Continuously communicate with the new board member and provide regular updates on your organization's activities and progress.

• Encourage the new board member to participate in professional development opportunities.

• Provide access to important documents and resources.

• Set clear expectations for the new board member's role and responsibilities.

• Recognize and appreciate the new board member's contributions to your organization.

A strategy Twokin Consulting has effectively used is to host an orientation session for the Board member (the night before or the morning of their first Board meeting) in which the organization staff present an overview of the key functional areas of the organization and recent changes/improvements.

Twokin Consulting specializes in helping supporting colleges, universities, and nonprofit organizations in brainstorming strategies and ideas for improving operations.