Difficult Nonprofit Board? 5 Ways to Evoke Full Cooperation

There’s a popular sentiment shared by many fundraisers:

Managing a nonprofit board is a lot like herding cats.

In other words, it can feel like a completely frustrating and unmanageable task.

If you’re frustrated with your board as a whole, with individual board members, or their inability to fundraise, you’re not alone. Many nonprofit leaders feel frustrated by their board members (both individually and collectively).

Of course, the entire board works better when all board members are working effectively. So, let’s explore how you can evoke the full cooperation of each member of your board.

It’s important to approach stubborn board members individually and privately. In other words, it’s never a good idea to confront a board member or have a difficult discussion in a public forum. That will only make matters worse.

5 Strategies to Facilitate Full Board Member Cooperation

If a difficult board member’s bad behavior is ignored, it may get worse or spread to others. Therefore, it’s best to nip it in the bud and take action sooner than later.

With that in mind, here are five strategies to help move board members from inaction (or even destructive behavior) to cooperation and collaboration.

1. Put yourself in their shoes

Ask yourself why an individual board member might be difficult? Are they insecure about their position on the board or wealth relative to others? Could they be having problems at home or at work? Maybe they’re going through a divorce or dealing with a difficult health diagnosis.

You never know what’s going on with someone or why they’re being difficult until you ask. Assume that they’re in pain or lonely. This will help you respond from a place of compassion rather than annoyance.

2. Ask open-ended questions

Sometimes one outspoken, opinionated board member can derail a conversation or meeting because no one else wants to object or raise issues in front of the group.

Take time to speak with difficult board members prior to each meeting to discuss any issues or questions they might have about items on the agenda in advance of each meeting. Really listen to their concerns and do your best to answer any questions they may have. This may diffuse whatever comes up at the meeting, as you will have already addressed key concerns.

3. Invite participation

Although you may want to steer clear of your challenging board members with every fiber of your being, drawing them close may help in the long run. Strive to guide board members to more constructive interaction by saying something like:

You know what would be really helpful… ?

4. Set appropriate expectations

Are the expectations for board members unclear? Maybe they believe they are supposed to “micromanage” to fulfill their role. Maybe they’ve never served on a nonprofit board before and think their role is to raise objections or pinch pennies.

Invite them to lunch to share what you expect of board members and what would be most helpful to staff and their other colleagues on the board. Ask how your expectations meet or conflict with their understanding of the role.

5. Make them an ally

In advance of big and small decisions, call individual board members to brainstorm issues or topics. If you come to a consensus, ask if they would be an ally at the next meeting by vocally supporting the issue at hand.

When All Else Fails, Cut Ties

If you get to a point where you’ve tried a number of these strategies without success, it’s time to ask the difficult board member to step down from the board. Of course, you’ll need support and agreement from the Board President / Chair.

And if you do open up the position to someone new who can better serve your organization, keep in mind that every new board member should be made aware of your expectations right from the start.

Use a Board Member Expectation Form

A board member expectation form will help your nonprofit’s board members understand what’s fully expected of them — and that will make things easier for everyone in the long run.

You’ll want to include committees they will serve on, specific dollar amount they will give, which fundraising activities they will participate in, etc.

Use this sample board member expectation form as a guide to create a form for your own organization.