LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT: BOARD DEVELOPMENT

The Filling Station

The Filling Station, evolving to meet the unmet needs of Jones County residents in nutrition, education, and connection, strived for effective shared leadership among its staff and board, facing uncertainty on the optimal approach.

Results

  • Identified clear board priorities
  • Trained the board in effective board governance
  • Created and implemented a new board member orientation program, with a special emphasis on community members joining the board who had no prior nonprofit board experience
  • Trained board members on ways to extend their advocacy for the organization outside of the board room as community ambassadors of The Filling Station
  • Led the board through a reflection on and a better understanding of their mission, vision, and purpose statements, and how those statements guided their roles as board members
  • Led a discussion on the dangers of “mission creep” for a strong and effective organization operating in an area with high need and increasing demand for its resources and services

Approach

The Filling Station is experiencing significant growth in programming and increasing demand for its services. With a new cohort of community members joining the Board, leaders decided the timing was right to create a new board member orientation process as well as implement a board training that equipped new and current board members with the tools necessary to support and advocate for a growing and thriving local nonprofit.

Armstrong McGuire began by conducting a thorough organizational assessment to determine an objective baseline for where the organization is today and where it needs to head in the future. Through the review of materials and financials, as well as one-on-one interviews with community stakeholders and funders, a client focus group, and a broad community survey, the firm was able to tailor a board orientation and training that 1) oriented members to the roles and responsibilities of a nonprofit Board of Directors and 2) equipped Board members to better understand their roles as ambassadors for the organization outside of the board room and in their day-to-day community interactions

Our expertise in these fields led us to success.

Execution

Board members were presented with examples on ways to support the current leadership and advocate for community support and funding. Given the organization’s location in a rural county, special attention was given to 1) training board members who may have had no previous nonprofit board experience and 2) assisting in ways to identify and nurture the next generation of nonprofit leaders in the sparsely populated region.

We literally experienced a transformation in how we see our important work in our community. Todd Brantley is gifted to lead a large group of leaders and create an environment to seek common ground
Mary Ann LeRay
Executive Director

Unlock Your Potential

Does your board need training, coaching or simply a facilitated conversation to better position your organization for shared leadership between the board and staff? Is it time to update your board member expectations or create an orientation program?

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