What is the best way to prepare yourself for Board roles?

Executives who want to make the transition to corporate director often need advice on how best to set up and prepare for their board journey. The first step is to understand your role on a board, which I outlined in my previous post here.

Once you have an understanding of your role, begin your Board journey by leading and serving on Not-for-Profit Boards. Getting Involved in Your Community by serving on a Not-for-Profit is a great way to give back and to meet other community business leaders.

Lastly, there are different types of Not-for-Profit boards, so you must do your due diligence to make sure the Not-for-Profit Board is the right fit for you.

Is the Not-For-Profit the Right Fit For You?

1) Are you passionate about the cause/organization, how can you make a difference?

2) Is it a fund-raising board? Are you expected to fund-raise and/or donate your own funds to the organization?

3) What committee on the Board would you bring the most value/contributions to?

4) What is the term of the Board position, and is it renewable?

5) What type of Board orientation is available to new board members and ongoing education?

6) What is the NPO’s financial situation, are they a going-concern?

7) What type of government/private donor funding do they rely on?

8) What type of governance structure do they have? Make sure to ask about the by-laws, committee structures, corporate calendar of meetings and work plans for the committees.

9) Have you met with the CEO or Executive Director of the organization, and do you understand what their challenges/opportunities are and the vision/values of the organization?

10) Have you met with other current Board members and past Board members?

Asking yourself these top 10 questions before joining a Not-for-Profit Board will help you determine if it is the right fit for you.

Enjoy your Board journey!

If you are interested in Getting Board-ready, please sign up for Women Get On Board workshops: http://womengetonboard.ca/workshops/

The purpose of the Getting Board-ready workshop series is to help women gain insights and learn about the skills they need to prepare for board opportunities. These half-day workshops will be facilitated by Corporate Directors, governance and search experts who will provide practical experience to empower women with tools to enhance confidence and courage to lead and serve on boards.