Pop Quiz

POP QUIZ: Our Board’s Performance—20 Self-Assessment Questions

Select the answer that best describes your board.

Board Structure & Process

1.  We have adopted a well-crafted mission, created a compelling vision, established complementing strategic goals, and our Executive Director has created plans and defined metrics to achieve goals.

  1. We need to make significant changes
  2. We need to make minor changes
  3. We need to discuss possible changes
  4. We are doing well, no changes needed
  5. We are excelling in this area

2.  We operate with defined roles and expectations for the Chair, the Executive Director, the Board, individual Board members and Committees. 

  1. We need to make significant changes
  2. We need to make minor changes
  3. We need to discuss possible changes
  4. We are doing well, no changes needed
  5. We are excelling in this area

3.  Our board membership is of appropriate size, well balanced and diverse, reflecting a defined board profile, adhering to specified term limit policy.

  1. We need to make significant changes
  2. We need to make minor changes
  3. We need to discuss possible changes
  4. We are doing well, no changes needed
  5. We are excelling in this area

Executive Leadership

4.  Our board works diligently to support, encourage and hold accountable our Executive Director with appropriate compensation and regular evaluation.

  1. We need to make significant changes
  2. We need to make minor changes
  3. We need to discuss possible changes
  4. We are doing well, no changes needed
  5. We are excelling in this area

5.  We annually elect/re-elect our Board Chair, selecting an individual who is willing to serve and able to manage the work of the Board effectively. 

  1. We need to make significant changes
  2. We need to make minor changes
  3. We need to discuss possible changes
  4. We are doing well, no changes needed
  5. We are excelling in this area

6. Our Board Chair and our Executive Director work together well, the chair manages the Board, the Executive Director manages the Organization. 

  1. We need to make significant changes
  2. We need to make minor changes
  3. We need to discuss possible changes
  4. We are doing well, no changes needed
  5. We are excelling in this area

Board Committees

7.  Our Board has organized itself around committees that speak “to the Board” not “for the Board”.  These committees have defined scope and responsibility and where appropriate, non-directors are invited to serve as a resource on committees.

  1. We need to make significant changes
  2. We need to make minor changes
  3. We need to discuss possible changes
  4. We are doing well, no changes needed
  5. We are excelling in this area

8.  Our Board takes its fiduciary responsibility seriously, we have a separate Audit Committee with members from the Board and outside the Board; we also conduct periodic external audits to ascertain organizational and board health (e.g., financial, board, personnel, development).

  1. We need to make significant changes
  2. We need to make minor changes
  3. We need to discuss possible changes
  4. We are doing well, no changes needed
  5. We are excelling in this area

Board Meetings

9.  Our Board Chair works well with our Executive Director and their staff to create worthwhile and effective meetings.

  1. We need to make significant changes
  2. We need to make minor changes
  3. We need to discuss possible changes
  4. We are doing well, no changes needed
  5. We are excelling in this area

10.  Board members receive appropriate material prior to each meeting; Board members arrive prepared and engaged.

  1. We need to make significant changes
  2. We need to make minor changes
  3. We need to discuss possible changes
  4. We are doing well, no changes needed
  5. We are excelling in this area

11.  We hold longer, less frequent meetings with more in-depth forward-looking discussion, rather than frequent short meetings focused on current operation. 

  1. We need to make significant changes
  2. We need to make minor changes
  3. We need to discuss possible changes
  4. We are doing well, no changes needed
  5. We are excelling in this area

12.  Our meetings include two regular executive sessions, one without the Executive Director, one with the Executive Director.

  1. We need to make significant changes
  2. We need to make minor changes
  3. We need to discuss possible changes
  4. We are doing well, no changes needed
  5. We are excelling in this area

Board Policy

13.  Our Board governs and guides the organization by establishing and maintaining policies focused on sustained mission fulfillment.  Those policies are contained in 15-20 page Board Policy Manual.

  1. We need to make significant changes
  2. We need to make minor changes
  3. We need to discuss possible changes
  4. We are doing well, no changes needed
  5. We are excelling in this area

14.  Our Board Policy Manual contains our mission, values, vision and strategic goals; it also outlines our governance structure, our expectations of our leaders and committees and how we conduct regular and special meetings.

  1. We need to make significant changes
  2. We need to make minor changes
  3. We need to discuss possible changes
  4. We are doing well, no changes needed
  5. We are excelling in this area

15.  Our Board members understand that our Board speaks as one; individual members do not speak for the board outside the meetings.

  1. We need to make significant changes
  2. We need to make minor changes
  3. We need to discuss possible changes
  4. We are doing well, no changes needed
  5. We are excelling in this area

Strategic Planning & Budget Planning

16.  At regular intervals we conduct a Board retreat focused on strategic planning and/or Board development.

  1. We need to make significant changes
  2. We need to make minor changes
  3. We need to discuss possible changes
  4. We are doing well, no changes needed
  5. We are excelling in this area

17.  Our meetings focus on the future.  We monitor strategic goal progress, hold discussions and create budgets linked to resourcing programs and supporting initiatives that will achieve these goals. 

  1. We need to make significant changes
  2. We need to make minor changes
  3. We need to discuss possible changes
  4. We are doing well, no changes needed
  5. We are excelling in this area

Fundraising

18.  Each year, each Board member makes a financial contribution to the organization giving us 100% annual Board participation.

  1. We need to make significant changes
  2. We need to make minor changes
  3. We need to discuss possible changes
  4. We are doing well, no changes needed
  5. We are excelling in this area

Board Development & Membership

19.  Our Board delegates significant responsibility to the Board Development Committee, expecting the committee to continuously update Board Policy and provide information and continuing education in boardsmanship. 

  1. We need to make significant changes
  2. We need to make minor changes
  3. We need to discuss possible changes
  4. We are doing well, no changes needed
  5. We are excelling in this area

20.  Our Board Development Committee is charged with maintaining a working board profile of members, identifying, recruiting and training new members in service of the organization’s moral owners and clients. 

  1. We need to make significant changes
  2. We need to make minor changes
  3. We need to discuss possible changes
  4. We are doing well, no changes needed
  5. We are excelling in this area

Total the Score

Board Assessment Total _______

90 Excellent
80 Good
70 Fair
60 Needs Improvement

Want to conduct a Board Effectiveness Audit or survey your Board?

Let’s talk: david@alexanderresourcestrategies.com

208-570-3226

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