While gratitude is best expressed year-round, this time of year serves as a gentle reminder to thank those who have been meaningful in our lives. For those serving on nonprofit boards, you may wish to thank your nonprofit’s leadership. Nonprofit leaders carry tremendous responsibility on their shoulders, and often serve as the keepers of the flame that is the organization’s mission. If you are a nonprofit board member and you are wondering how you can express gratitude to your organization’s leadership this year, below are just a few important suggestions.
Be Present
What many board members may not realize about nonprofit leadership is that it can be incredibly lonely or isolating at times. This loneliness is compounded when board members disappear or disengage for periods of time. Nonprofit leaders want to know they have a partner in the proverbial boat with them, rowing in unison towards a common destination. board members can demonstrate their commitment to the mission and respect for the organization’s leadership by showing up, both physically at meetings and emotionally through their engagement.
Own Your Lane of Success
In order for an organization to thrive, everyone must understand and embrace their unique role, what I refer to as your lane of success. For board members, this means embracing three critical responsibilities: setting strategic direction, providing meaningful oversight and ensuring adequate resources for the mission. Tangible actions such as ensuring the organization has an effective strategic plan in place or opening doors for the organization’s leadership in fundraising go a long way towards the ultimate success of the organization. Board members display gratitude for their nonprofit leadership when they own these roles while also respecting the unique lane of success for nonprofit staff leaders.
Provide Meaningful Support
Meaningful support from board members may come in a variety of forms, and a savvy, thoughtful board member will have a keen sense of what is most needed and valued by the leadership of the organization. Meaningful support means ensuring that nonprofit leaders are compensated fairly for the tremendous talent and value they bring to the mission. It also means ensuring that opportunities and resources exist for professional development or coaching, as all leaders strive to continuously hone their skills and gifts. Board members can display gratitude towards nonprofit leaders by establishing a culture of equitable compensation and embracing learning and development.
Embrace Complexity
The vast majority of nonprofits address challenges that are extremely complex, systemic, and have existed for generations. Often, the “right” program or course of action may be difficult to discern, or at the very least nuanced in its creation or implementation. Nonprofit leaders routinely express that they value board members who are willing to ask challenging or probing questions, but at the same time demonstrate a willingness to listen to learn when the answers may not be short or simple. One piece of advice board members may consider is to be willing to ask short questions and listen to long answers. Embracing the complexity of the mission demonstrates to nonprofit leaders that board members understand the challenges before them as well as the skill which it will take to address them.
Nonprofits thrive when there is a healthy relationship and partnership between its staff and board leaders. As board members reflect on how they might actively demonstrate gratitude towards their organization’s leadership, the actions above represent tangible ways in which they can strengthen those bonds and enhance the culture of the organization.
