Boosting Board Attendance

By Bill J. Harrison

“Where is everybody?” the executive director moaned when she entered

the room to find only two of her 12 board members present. As the

guest speaker, I was also dismayed at the turnout. After fifteen

minutes of uncomfortable waiting, the meeting was adjourned.

“What happened to your board members?” I asked later.

“I don’t know. They knew there was a meeting tonight. I’m so fed up

with these people, I wish I could fire all of them!”

“Were they sent notices of the meeting?” I asked.

“Of course, every month we send a memo of the scheduled meeting.”

“Were they called and reminded of the meeting and its importance?”

With a frustrated sigh she said, “They know how important our meetings

are. They’re board members; they’re supposed to attend.”

This organization is heading for trouble. The executive director forgot

a fundamental aspect of nonprofit management: Volunteer board members

are not employees. They are not bound by salary, performance

evaluations, and benefits packages. Volunteer board members must be constantly

motivated, encouraged, and reminded of assigned responsibilities to keep them on track.

Apart from hiring board members and paying them an annual salary,

there are no guaranteed ways to assure volunteer board members will

regularly attend their scheduled meetings. However, to increase your

chances for a quorum at future meetings, there are a number of methods

you can employ.

Written Reminders – Follow-up Calls

At least two weeks before your board meeting, each member should be

mailed information on the upcoming meeting. The outside envelope

should have a red stamped notice declaring XYZ ORGANIZATION BOARD

MEETING NOTICE. Most printing shops can produce these stamps for less

than $10.

The specifics of the meeting should be concise. List times, dates,

location, and detailed information about the goals and objectives of

the meeting. Additional information critical to the meeting, such

as financial statements, committee reports, and programs to be

discussed and acted upon, should be included with the meeting notice.

A week before the board meeting the executive director should follow

up the meeting notice with a call to each member. Speak directly to

the board member, not to spouses, assistants, or secretaries. During

this conversation you can pitch programs, generate enthusiasm, and

build a stronger rapport.

A Strong Chair

Your board chair can help make calls to board members. This person

should be encouraged to spend productive time communicating with

other members before meetings. A call or visit from the chair will

often persuade errant members to attend meetings.

Goals, Enthusiasm, And Motivation

The best meeting notices in the world, coupled with persistent

follow-up calls, aren’t going to assure attendance if your meetings

lack direction or are dull. Pump some life into your meetings with

exciting guest speakers, energetic presentations, and dynamic goals.

Volunteers, especially board members, want to be “where the action

is,” not on the listening end of a lifeless stream of inane reports.

Remember, you don’t lose volunteers from overwork; you lose them from

boredom. This is particularly true for volunteer board members.

Don’t forget refreshments. Hungry, thirsty board members are less

likely to concentrate on the business at hand. They also may not

attend your next meeting because coffee or snacks weren’t available.

Active Committees

Your board should have several committees, each with assigned tasks

that require action between scheduled meetings.

Develop a written job description that addresses responsibilities,

fundraising duties, committee assignments, and whatever else you

feel is important, including attendance.

It’s the board chair’s and executive director’s roles to encourage

members of these committees to attend meetings and report on

accomplishments and failures. The agenda for your board meeting

should include reports from each active committee.

Recruiting the Right Members

You can beg, bribe, and even threaten some board members, and they

will still only attend sporadically. This causes frustration for the

executive director and for other board members.

It could be that the person recruited isn’t right for the job. Don’t

pick members on the basis of their names, wealth, or political clout,

unless that’s all you want from them.

Active, productive board members should be evaluated on the basis of

their support for the mission of the organization, past accomplishments,

understanding of the community, and their willingness to serve.

fundraising duties, committee assignments, and whatever else you feel

is important, including attendance. Board members must attend meetings.

Dismissing Board Members

Finally, there’s the board member who ignores your repeated attempts

at contact, won’t return calls, and doesn’t show up at meetings.

How do you get this person motivated to take an active role? You don’t.

They obviously aren’t right for the job. This person is either too

busy, uninterested, or didn’t support your efforts in the first place.

What do you do? Fire them!

Your organization should have written policies addressing board

responsibilities and duties. Somewhere in those policies there should be a

statement that says, “Three unexcused absences in a one year period is

grounds for dismissal.”

If you choose to exercise this dismissal policy, do it professionally.

As in any personnel action, the executive director should document all

pertinent information, such as meetings missed without excuses,

attempts at contact by mail and phone, dates information was sent to

the member, and the dates of any personal contacts.

The chair and the executive director should present this information

to the board. A motion should be made to dismiss the member, and a

vote taken. Notice of the board’s action is sent to the member by

mail.

Time is too short and money too tight to be wasted on individuals

who have no intention of serving your organization. You’ll be much

better off if you replace them with motivated, productive members

who will proudly attend meetings and help carry out the mission of

your organization.