All good things come to an end eventually, and great board members are no exception. When the time comes for these organizational leaders to transition, it’s important to have a clear offboarding plan in place.
Directors leave a board for a variety of reasons. For starters, board terms don’t last forever, so the exit could be a natural part of the board member’s life cycle. It could also be related to some sort of unforeseen, life-changing circumstance. Whatever the reason, a thorough offboarding process helps the nonprofit smoothly transition the person, honor them for their service, and tie up any loose ends.
Below, we will outline best practices for handling board member transitions. However, it should also be noted that sometimes board members are asked to step down due to some sort of difficult situation. While some of the practices listed below would apply to that situation as well, there are nuanced differences that we will not emphasize in this post. You can read this blog post to learn more about addressing challenging board members.
Follow Bylaws Closely
Every organization should have clear protocol documented in their bylaws for onboarding and offboarding board members.
Bylaws give you specific rules to follow. They’ll outline the process and help you have a consistent procedure for every board member. Following the bylaws closely is essential to having a smooth transition. The bylaws are also a legal document, so failing to adhere to the documented protocol could lead to legal challenges down the road.
If your organization doesn’t have this protocol in place, it’s important to get that remedied as soon as possible. The Foundation Group, a leading provider of formation and compliance services for nonprofits, explains that organizations in these circumstances should amend the document to include provision “before any further action is taken.” Likewise, they caution that “your bylaws should also contain provisions for how to make such amendments, so make sure you follow that process accurately, as well.”
Plan an Exit Interview
Evaluation of the board itself is one of the many responsibilities held by a nonprofit board. Exit interviews provide a great opportunity for remaining board members to receive feedback from those on their way out.
Nancy Droesch and Susan S. Stepleton, longtime nonprofit leaders and board members of Council of Accreditation, say that exit interviews can particularly help with gaining unbiased feedback. “Not only do these board members know intimately how the board functions,” the writers explain, “they no longer will have to put in the work to fix perceived weaknesses.”
The duo points out that exit interviews are most successful “with the right prompts.” Nonprofits need to ask questions that spur on good feedback. The process shouldn’t just be about going through a checklist. Rather, it should create space for the interviewee to thoughtfully engage with questions and provide meaningful responses.
Questions that prompt this kind of insight will focus on experiences and stories. They’ll be open-ended, enabling the interviewee to reflect on their time on the board. Here are a few specific examples:
How would you describe your experience serving on board?
In your own words, can you describe the culture of the board?
What were the board’s strengths and weaknesses?
Did you feel adequately prepared and trained for your responsibilities? If not, how could the board have done a better job?
What would you tell an incoming board member to help them succeed?
Are there any general suggestions you have for improving the board’s function?
Although each organization will want to find questions that relate to their particular board, having a few general questions like these can help your team get started. Nonprofitnext also has a more comprehensive list of questions worth considering.
In addition, they point out the importance of having a clear internal structure for the exit interview, claiming that “the Board Chair should decide who and how the exit interview is handled.” The specifics of that process will vary depending on the organization, but all should have some sort of process in place for when the time comes.
Honor the Board Member
Board members dedicate a lot of their time, energy, and resources to the organization during their tenure. Officially recognizing their efforts when they leave is a great way to show them that the organization appreciates all the work they put in, and there are a few ways to do this.
Honoring a board member can be as simple as acknowledging their exit and thanking them in a newsletter or on the nonprofit’s website. This public display of appreciation also lets your donors and other supporters know about the transition.
This example from the National Foundation for Ectodermal Dysplasias gives a good foundation for what a public post could look like. The blog includes the following information for each exiting board member:
Name and brief bio
Role on the board
Specific or unique contributions
Thank you message that includes their length of time served on the board
Other ideas may include hosting a small dinner or gathering in their honor, inviting other board members or specific donors. The organization can also offer a small gift as a token of gratitude.
For particularly outstanding board members, organizations may consider adding an honorary title or special status, though we recommend offering this sparingly. Boardsource explains that overusing these honors causes them to lose their importance. “Retiring board members should not automatically be given particular honors or positions; such titles should be earned,” they write. Having set criteria and a determined process can help ensure “an impartial selection process” that is fair and “reduces hurt feelings” of other board members.
Consider Ways the Person Can Stay Connected
Just because someone is transitioning off the board doesn’t mean they have to cut ties with the organization as a whole. In fact, their intimate knowledge of the mission and their experience makes them a valuable asset long after their term ends. Because of this, the offboarding process should include ideas for how that person can stay involved.
Dr. Cynder Sinclair, a nonprofit coach with over 30 years of experience, shows that most board members want to stay involved in some fashion. It’s not like the years of passion and dedication just go away with a title change. Those things still run within them, and organizations can try these ideas to keep them connected:
Inviting them to join committees
Communicating through newsletters and emails
Starting a separate communication channel exclusively for former board members
Hosting special gatherings with former board members
The other practices mentioned above become even more valuable when you consider how they will help you establish a relationship with the former board member in their new role. Exit interviews can include questions about how they would like to stay involved, and publicly honoring them reminds them that the organization cares about them as people, not just as board members. These simple steps can go a long way in fostering relationships with these people who Dr. Sinclair calls “hidden jewels” of your nonprofit.
Secure Any Sensitive Information and Materials
Board members often have access to sensitive information. Whether it’s in the form of printed documents, software login, or anything else, it’s important that your organization secures any material that might jeopardize the integrity of the organization. This can save the board member and your organization from potential legal issues at some point.
Keep detailed records of all the information board members have access to. This could be part of the onboarding process that benefits offboarding. Your organization can create a checklist that accounts for each item that needs to be returned or which passwords need to change.
Closing Thoughts
Developing a smooth offboarding process will make it easier to transition directors from your board. Your organization’s bylaws should outline a clear path for moving these leaders out of the organization in the most efficient way possible.
The steps we outlined above do not necessarily pertain to those who are removed from the board under challenging circumstances. Such a process requires some additional considerations, but following these practices will help you smoothly offboard directors whose roles have come to a natural end.