The Foraker Group

Here is a list of tools that can help you determine whether or not you are taking care of the people – both board and staff – in your organization.

• A board development standing committee that meets regularly and focuses on strategic recruitment and retention based on the core purpose, core values and goals of the organization.
• A board recruitment matrix that is specific to your organization and rooted in core values and strategic goals and that’s driving the organization into the future. This matrix should include more than just skills and demographics.
• An articulated values-based process for hiring, firing, and evaluating every staff member.
• Written job descriptions for board members, board officers, and existing committees that are used for both recruitment and retention. These documents are likely to be expanded definitions of job descriptions that exist in the organization’s bylaws.
• Written job descriptions for staff that contain an opening section that includes a clear connection to the organization’s core purpose and values.

Do you have other tools that you use to assess the people who represent your organization?

–Dennis

Dennis McMillian is President of The Foraker Group, a capacity building organization based in Alaska, and the author of Focus on Sustainability: A Nonprofit’s Journey.