A strong and effective board is essential to the success of a nonprofit organization. Boards must be fully informed, understand well the mission of the organization and be knowledgeable about how management intends to achieve the agreed-upon objectives. Weak or uninformed nonprofit board of directors cannot provide proper oversight and support.
NESC consultants engage in nonprofit board development by working with our clients on all aspects of strengthening a nonprofit board. This includes analyzing the existing talents and industries represented by current members and suggesting additional talents that would strengthen the board. We also work with boards to help them become more strategic in their thinking and support, as opposed to interfering with the day-to-day operations of the organization.
NESC consultants frequently conduct board retreats in connection with developing strategic plans, or reviewing existing strategic plans, to ensure that board development is in sync with the goals of the organization and that everyone -- board, management and staff -- knows where the organization is headed and supports the action plan to achieve success.
Where necessary, NESC's Executive Search team can undertake recruitment for new board members.
- For a social services agency in Connecticut, NESC assessed current practices and then recommended ways its board could better focus on objectives and longer-term planning. NESC then conducted a board retreat to work with management to set priorities for the organization.
- For a Brooklyn nonprofit, the NESC team identified weaknesses in the board structure and then suggested how these could be addressed by recruiting new board members with specific strengths, such as fundraising and public relations.
- For a Washington, DC-based educational advocacy group, NESC consultants helped the organization review its initial five-year strategic plan and then guided it in setting priorities for the next five years.
- NESC's work with the Executive Board for the Advisory Council of a governmental agency resulted in a 288% improvement in key measures of board effectiveness over a 10-month period. The overall result was that the board could focus on more strategic issues that faced the agency in delivering its services and thereby directly increase benefits to the clients.
- For the Long Island affiliate of a national social services organization, the NESC team addressed a number of challenges relating to the board structure and mission.
- For a Westchester institute for chamber music and instrumental training whose Board was in need of a well-defined role, NESC consultants worked with staff and board members to establish a board development plan. Board Retreat & Meeting
