Board Orientation

In planning your orientation, keep in mind that the experience levels of your Board members will vary greatly. Some will have served on previous Boards – some will have not.

What do the members of your Board need to know in order to do their job as best they can? A Board orientation is the perfect tool to thoughtfully provide them with the precise information they need on their role in the organization. Because of the close working relationship between the Board and management, the Executive Director has a vested interest in assembling a top-notch orientation for new members, and sometimes the entire Board. An orientation can bring everyone up to date on the work of the board and organization.

Orientation should occur well in advance of the first Board meeting for any new members. This sort of meeting can be as short as 2-4 hours, or as long as a two day special retreat (often in conjunction with a planning session).

WHAT TO INCLUDE

Remember – in planning your orientation, keep in mind that the experience levels of your Board members will vary greatly. Some will have served on previous Boards – some will have not. Levels of interest and expertise will also differ. Still, activities for all Board orientations include:

• A visit and tour of the organization’s offices. Ideally, the tour is led by the Executive Director, with an experienced Board member and any relevant staff members also attending.
• A meeting with the Board Chairperson, Executive Director, and new Board members. The purpose of the meeting is to set the standard for conduct and achievement required from Board members, as well as highlighting the potential of the organization that the Board is endeavouring to help it achieve.
• A review of the board's role, structure and process, which matters are currently under consideration, and the affairs of the organization as a whole.
• A clear sense of the Board members’ place in the history of the organization. Review development as well as interim and long term goals, using a historic scan. Have new Board members present themselves and their interests – what they hope to offer the Board, and what they hope to gain as Board members.
• Review the mission, vision and values of the organization.
• Outline roles and responsibilities of staff – and contrast those with the roles and responsibilities of the Board. This is an excellent opportunity to address the potentially difficult issues surrounding overlapping or unclear lines of responsibility.
• Ensure the board members are aware of the funding partnerships for the organization – especially if they are important to the organization’s survival.
• Assign a mentor - a senior member of the Board is assigned to tutor a new member in the operations of the Board
• Provide information on organizational policies and procedures, as well as any monitoring processes used by the board.

BOARD HANDBOOK

A Board Handbook should be assembled and provided to all members of the Board (even your veterans) that they can use as a quick reference on a number of topics. If you have a formal orientation every year with new and old members of the Board, walking the members through the content of this handbook can serve as an easy agenda for your orientation. A typical handbook would include:

• Constitution or articles of incorporation
• Mission, vision and values statements for the organization
• Strategic plan
• Bylaws
• Description of organization’s programs
• Annual schedule or plan of work for the Board (including dates and locations of meetings)
• Board roster (including name, telephone, fax and email addresses)
• List of committees (with statement of purpose for each)
• Board policies – and a review of the policy monitoring.
• Board member roles
• Organizational chart
• Current budget
• Copies of Board minutes for the previous year (particularly important for new members of the Board)
• Most recent annual report
• List of staff and major responsibilities
• Copies of any publications

BOARD EDUCATION

Board education is highly important to a functioning board, either during an annual board retreat or throughout the year as part of board meetings. The objective of education sessions should be to keep board members up-to-date on emerging issues, such as new laws, regulations, and governance practices.

Content for Board Orientation was reprinted with permission in 1999 by SaskCulture as part of the SaskCulture Handbook for Cultural Organizations. Updated March 2014