Board Self-Assessment Tool

A strong, vibrant board of directors is a clear indicator of a healthy organization. Yet even the best organizations need a periodic check-up to ensure that they cannot just survive but will really thrive in today’s environment. To check your board’s vital signs, or to put in place practices and strategies for a healthy and energized board, the best place to start is with a board self-assessment.

To help Maine nonprofits maximize the potential of their boards, Jeff Wahlstrom, of Starboard Leadership Consulting, in partnership with MANP, developed an on-line board self-assessment tool that offers organizations an easy and practical way to assess their boards’ strengths and weaknesses.  First developed in 2005, the board self-assessment tool was recently updated with input from 25 nonprofit leaders.  In addition, MANP and Starboard Leadership Consulting are offering those who are considering board self-assessment a free PDF guide: “Is Your Board Ready for Self-assessment?”

Four-Tiered Approach:

1. Assess Readiness – Download “Is Your Board Ready for Self-assessment?” for Free.
Available to all nonprofits for free, this document helps boards of directors decide whether or not they are ready for an in-depth assessment and what they should consider before beginning the process.

2. Complete Assessment- Online Board Self-Assessment Tool
The board self-assessment is an online tool that quickly and easily provides your board members with an opportunity to provide input on how they are doing in living-up to the key responsibilities of the board.

With this on-line diagnostic tool, board members can fill-out the assessment quickly, easily and anonymously from their own computers. Providing them with the survey is as simple as sending an e-mail, and, when everyone has completed the survey, getting them the results is just as easy too. The data is presented in easy to analyze bar-graphs that quickly show where there is disagreement in responses and where you need to focus your attention in your work with the board.

This online tool is available to members of MANP for $100; non-member organizations pay $250.  If you have any questions, or would like to order this self-assessment tool, please contact Annie Sutton by email asutton@nonprofitmaine.org or call 871-1885.

3. Interpret Your Results
To help you interpret the results and develop a clear set of recommendations for your board, MANP has partnered with Starboard Leadership Consulting to offer you a thorough analysis of your self-assessment results, a clear set of recommendations, and the guidance you need to develop a clear action plan for better governance. This “Interpretive Report” is an invaluable guide for translating the self-assessment responses into an action plan for your board.

If you decide to purchase the “Interpretive Report,” a Starboard consultant will contact you to get further background and information before reviewing your board’s survey results, item by item. The analysis will identify strengths and weaknesses, where your board members may be in disagreement (and how to handle that), as well as observations based upon reviewing the self-assessment results of other organizations. From there, in each section of the self-assessment, you will get a clear set of concrete recommendations, grounded in best practices, for your board to implement. This is not a “one size fits all” report. It is individually prepared for your organization with its own set of unique recommendations.

The “Interpretive Report” and the Board Self-Assessment Tool can be purchased together for $600 for members of MANP and $1,000 for non-member organizations.  If you have questions, or would like to order the “Interpretive Report” and the Board Self-Assessment Tool, please contact Annie Sutton by e-mail: asutton@nonprofitmaine.org or call 871-1885.

4.  Additional Consulting Services
Experience has shown that those organizations that get the maximum value from the board self-assessment process are those that actively engage their boards along the way.  We encourage you to consider reviewing the results of the Board Self-Assessment Tool with your board in a retreat or extended meeting(s).  Organizations often find tremendous value in having a board governance consultant assist them in planning for and facilitating such a meeting and in supporting the development of a “governance agenda” to guide the ongoing work of the board. 

MANP can recommend individual consulting services for boards of directors seeking assistance with the self-assessment process.  Please contact Annie Sutton by e-mail: asutton@nonprofitmaine.org or call 871-1885.

Frequently Asked Questions

• How can a board self-assessment help my board?

• What roles and responsibilities of the board are included in the assessment?

• Why should I use MANP’s tools when assessing my board?
  
  

How can a board self-assessment help my board?

In today’s environment, non-profits are under more and more pressure to demonstrate that they are meeting the highest ethical, fiscal, and governance standards. While some see this as a distraction, others are responding by examining their practices and putting in place “best practices” that will help them to demonstrate to the community their commitment to excellence.

Even the very best boards realize that, on a periodic basis, a self-assessment can help to identify where there is room for improvement and help the organization chart a course to even greater success.

We believe that the board self-assessment process can help the board to develop more engaging meetings, get re-focused on the issues that really matter, and make board service a joy and not a chore. The end result is not only a stronger board but a much stronger organization.

What roles and responsibilities of the board are included in the assessment?

Every non-profit board has some basic roles and responsibilities to fill in governing the organization. The board self-assessment is designed to make your board members aware of their roles and reinforce their responsibilities in each of the following areas:

• Setting and keeping the focus on the mission
• Charting a clear strategic direction and assessing progress
• Monitoring the organization’s services and programs
• Providing financial oversight
• Actively engaging in resource development
• Communication and community relations
• Supporting and evaluating the executive director
• Providing appropriate support to the staff
• Demonstrating best practices in board governance
• Strategically selecting, recruiting and orienting new board members

Why should I use MANP’s tools when assessing my board?

Most people join a board because they care about the mission and have a strong desire to make a difference. Too often, however, their board experience comes up short of their expectations, and it is not long before they become frustrated or disengaged. The result is that the organization misses an opportunity to maximize the talents and resources energized and engaged board members could bring to their efforts.

The Board Self-Assessment Tool is easy to fill-out on-line, so it is perfect for busy board members who don’t have time for paper surveys or interviews. The results are easy to access on-line and will provide your board with the information they need to have a focused discussion about how they work as a board and what they can do to improve their effectiveness. Best of all, rather than hearing about board governance from the staff or an outside source, with the Board Self-Assessment Tool you hear the voice of the board loud and clear and learn about the issues that really matter to them. And because the board is hearing from and responding to its own members, there is a real investment in the results and in responding to the concerns voiced there.