Investing in Your Organization:

Recruitment & Orientation of

Boards of Directors

Cathy Taylor, Executive Director

November 2, 2006

Presentation Outline

The Big Picture Who are Canada’s Volunteers?

Board Member Recruitment Challenges Opportunities

Board of Directors Orientation Strategies

Canadian Code for Volunteer Involvement

A Snapshot of Canada’s Volunteers

45% of Canadians aged 15 and over volunteered for charitable and nonprofit organizations

Average of 168 hours, annually

Volunteered 2 billion volunteer hours

Equivalent to over 1 million full-time jobs

Source: Canada Survey on Giving, Volunteering & Participating, 2004, Statistics Canada

Who volunteers in Canada?

Most likely Canadians to volunteer: Youth Those with high levels of household income and

education Those who have school aged children present

in the household Those who are religiously active

Types of Organizations where Canadians Volunteer

2%

3%

3%

4%

4%

6%

4%

16%

11%

17%

18%

0% 5% 10% 15% 20%

Unions, business, prof. assoc.

Hospitals

Environment

Law, advocacy, and politics

Arts and culture

Development and housing

Health

Religion

Education and research

Social services

Sports and recreation

What do Volunteers Do?

4%

4%

6%

6%

6%

9%

10%

12%

13%

15%

0% 4% 8% 12% 16%

Maintenance or repair

Collecting, serving or delivering food

Coaching, refereeing or officiating

Providing health care or support

Counselling or providing advice

Office work

Fundraising

Sitting on a committee or board

Teaching or mentoring

Organizing or supervising events

Problems Relating to Volunteers

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

Difficultyrecruiting

the types ofvolunteers

needed

Difficultyobtaining

boardmembers

Difficultyretaining

volunteers

Difficultyproviding

training forvolunteers

Lack of paidstaff to

recruit ormanage

volunteers

Difficultyproviding

training forboard

members

57%49%

34%41%

48%

34%

Issues

Increasing dependence on volunteersLonger term volunteers are harder to find;

“harder to find volunteers than to fundraise”

Changing population and labour pool dynamics

Issues

“Much comes from the few”Professionalism of volunteer management;

staff turnoverRisk ManagementMandatory Volunteering

Board Recruitment: Challenges

Fewer VolunteersMore CompetitionMore RiskDiversificationSuccession Planning

“Much comes from the few”

The number of Canadians who volunteer is decreasing

Those who do volunteer, give more hoursThe importance of time as a barrier to

volunteering has increasedJob skill motivation is now one of the top

reasons people volunteer

More Competition, Fewer Resources

According to Statistics Canada, more than 80,000 charities are registered

Roughly double are the number of not-for-profit organizations without charitable status

Fewer resources means increased need to fundraise; fewer government funding programs; more competition for dollars

A Risky “Business”

More litigious societyIncreased awareness and education

around risk managementFinancial and vicarious liabilityDue diligence on behalf of board membersPrivacy legislation and freedom of

information requirements

It’s Your Turn

Who are your board members? Gender, age, education level, employment status. Compare to provincial profile. What are the opportunities for recruitment?

What motivates your board members? Analyze and use to retain and recognize.

Matching skills to tasks: are you meeting board’s needs and your agency’s needs?

What does this mean for Board Recruitment?

Need to reach out to diverse communitiesNeed to link volunteer motivation with

volunteer opportunitiesNeed to remove barriers to volunteeringBe realistic about your board’s time and

your organization’s needsBoard members are volunteers

In a motivated environment volunteers need …

To know what to doTo know how to do itTo be able to do itAnd to agree to the task

Systematic Approach

Preparing to Recruit

Know your stuff Believe in and support your organization’s mission Consider the changing needs of your organization Develop your recruitment message Identify “who” and “how” you will recruit Know your gaps and define your priorities Create position descriptions with clear expectations Clearly define roles of board and staff based on your

board’s governance model

Board Leadership

Board Governance or Board Development Committee Board recruitment, training, evaluation and

recognition is year-long organizational priority Leads to improved board performance Discuss the role of staff: E.D./CEO as resource

Board Governance Committee

Responsibilities could include: Creation of governance policies and procedures Recruiting and nominating suitable board members Providing orientation and training programs for board

members Evaluating and recognizing the performance of individual

board members and the board as a whole Create and implement a board development plan!

Identifying your Board Needs

Board Profile This is a needs assessment of your leadership Identify your existing board representation and look for gaps

(sample tool provided) Have a conversation about these gaps and your organization’s

priorities at the board table This becomes your SELECTION CRITERIA; think about they

key qualities that you are seeking Strategize on where to find the talent you need to fill those gaps Clearly TARGET those skills and representations you need Finally, brainstorm names of prospective board members that

meet your most critical selection criteria

Diversification

A broad diversity of interest and experience will have a very positive effect on the agency but is a difficult thing to accomplish

Rule of thumb: no more than 30% of any one type of board member e.g. profession, type of business, personal background, etc.

Focus on diversity within your organization at every level and draw board members up (e.g. staff, office volunteers, committees, etc.) This will result in a stronger affinity for your organization and less appearance of tokenism

Board Position Descriptions

Create effective written position descriptions

Define your expectations prior to recruitment

Example: responsibilities, term of office, time commitment, benefits, evaluation measures, financial commitment, etc.

Position Design Theory:Overview

Board members want to take ownership of tasks and to experience the satisfaction of successful completion of work assignments

Board members have the right to know what is expected of them

Board members will likely contribute more if they see how their role fits into the larger picture

Board members are increasingly concerned about the appropriate use of their time

Position Design Theory:5 Step Process

Review the mandate or mission of the organization

Look at how various functions/tasks are carried out to achieve the mission

Consider current and potential board members and establish the skills that will be needed to perform the tasks

Identify and describe position descriptions Match board members to jobs or assignments

Board Recruitment

Recruitment Package Personal letter of invitation Mission statement, goals & objectives Board member position description Financial statement (s) Current list of staff and board members Board application form Sample board agenda Strategic Plan Brief History of the organization

Just Ask!

#1 Reason people volunteered: they were personally asked

Know where to find suitable candidates that meet your priorities and needs

What motivations of this person can we appeal to in our recruitment efforts? (self-help, job enhancement, socialization, learning new skills, leadership testing, giving back to the community, etc.)

Recruitment Strategies

Committee members; current volunteers in other capacities – “look from within” – some suggest 10% of board members come through this type of succession planning

“Retirees” from other boards or commissions Energetic or new people to community or business Host a “board prospect review committee” to brainstorm,

based on your identified priorities Call for nominations Community search; advertising List of past contacts

Other sources of board members

Churches, places of worship Educational institutions Public sector leaders New Canadians, newcomers to the community Professional associations and unions Service clubs Former clients or partners Local corporations (small, medium, large) Seniors’ centres; retiree associations Those who aren’t involved in your organization but should be; or

those critical of your organization Local newsletters or targeted consumer publications Volunteer Centres in your jurisdiction

Brainstorm…

Write down a board recruitment message that worked/might work for your organization

Write down three target places or organizations where you have either been successful or think would be appropriate to recruit board members

Selection Process

Initial meetingInformation packageAttend a board meetingInterviewSelection

“Choose for attitude, train for skill”

Board Matchmaking

Be selective Interview prospective candidates before they are

nominated; informational interview works both ways! What are there skills? What are they interested in? Why do they want to become involved? Can they meet the requirements of the position

description? What do they want to know?

Invite them to attend an existing board meeting as a guest

Continuous Improvement…

Did you meet your target areas? Why or why not?

Ask for feedback of new members Was the recruitment message enticing? Was it accurate? What information or processes would have helped them

make their decision to join the board? Conduct board exit interviews for leaving

members – did they get what they signed up for? Keep recruitment materials current and

frequently revise position descriptions

Avoid…

“warm body” methodGenerally, do not ask board members to

replace themselves: this will not meet your selection criteria and does not lead to greater diversity

a group of like-minded individuals with share professions, skills or background

On Volunteer Retention

We cannot afford, as a society, to burn out our volunteers. As organizations we need to focus our energies, not only on recruitment, but on retention.

To retain volunteers we need to: Recognize their value and communicate it regularly Understand their motivation and how it changes over

time Make sure the volunteer position adequately reflects why

they want to volunteer

Remember…

“To be resilient, your board must be diverse.” (Kenneth McCrory, 2004)

“Recruitment is a constant, year-round process of keeping your organization’s name and its available volunteer opportunities in front of people.”(Susan Ellis The Volunteer Recruitment Book)

Board Orientation

Ongoing efforts that should continue until board members end their term on the board

Options: Individual meetings with staff or board members Group sessions Workshops or seminars Mentor with seasoned board members Board manual or binder

Board Orientation

Be clear about expectations – time, roleFocus on programs, services and

governanceKey areas:

vision & planning Finance human resources organizational operations community relations

Board Orientation

Can take place over several days or weeks

Upon completion of orientation, new members should be aware of what is expected of them: At board meetings and in preparation for board

meetings Between board meetings On committees

Orientation is just the beginning!

Training should be viewed as an ongoing effort that is both a requirement and a benefit of being a board member

Integrate training into board meetings & other activities Plan an annual board retreat Include a relevant article when sending board agencies

and members Provide subscriptions to relevant publications Budget for annual board training

Canadian Code for Volunteer Involvement - Overview

A framework for your organization to start discussing the role that volunteers play in helping achieve your mission Values for Volunteer Involvement Guiding Principles for Volunteer Involvement Organization Standards for Volunteer

Involvement

Canadian Code for Volunteer Involvement: Values

Volunteer Involvement is vital to a just and democratic society

Volunteer Involvement strengthens communities

Volunteer involvement mutually benefits both the volunteer and the organization

Volunteer involvement is based on relationships

Canadian Code for Volunteer Involvement: Organization Standards Board and management acknowledge and support vital

role of volunteers in achieving organization’s mission Policies and procedures provide a framework that

defines and supports the involvement of volunteers A qualified person is designated to be responsible for the

volunteer program A screening process is clearly communicated and

consistently delivered Volunteer assignments address the purpose of the

organization and involve volunteers in meaningful ways that reflect their various abilities, needs and backgrounds.

Canadian Code for Volunteer Involvement: Organization Standards Volunteer recruitment and selection reaches out to

diverse sources of volunteers. Volunteers receive an orientation to the organization and

its policies and procedures, and receive training for volunteer assignments

Volunteers receive appropriate levels of supervision according to their task and are given regular opportunities to receive and give feedback

Volunteer are welcomed and treated as valuable and integral members of the organization’s human resources

The contributions of volunteers are regularly acknowledged with formal and informal recognition methods

Resources

Volunteer Canada: www.volunteer.on.caCanada Volunteerism Initiative - Ontario:

www.volunteer.caImagine Canada: www.imaginecanada.ca;

www.nonprofitscan.ca; www.givingandvolunteering.ca