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Who Should Sit on Which Board Committee and Why



This summer, a Camp Director and I discussed ways to strengthen the camp's Board. He noticed that the most engaged Board members where sitting on high functioning Board committees.

Was it just a coincidence?   

Unlikely.  
 
A national survey of volunteers sitting on nonprofit Boards showed that the highest levels of satisfaction from Board service comes from working on defined projects that have clear end goals or noticeable impact and pull on volunteers’ unique skills and abilities.

Thus, matching a Board member to a committee based on their skills, and then providing that committee with a clear mandate and tasks will lead to happier, more engaged Board members.

Recently I found a resource published by BoardSource which can help with this process. It is an easy to use 6-page report to help you decide how to place Board members onto which committees for five essential committees, complete with helpful worksheets.

Bottom Line: As you look for ways to improve your Board, start first with your Governance Committee. Recruit, orient, and empower these wonderful volunteers to use their skills and passions and your Board will thrive. 

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Written by Julia Riseman. Julia is a Mentor with JCamp 180. Julia leads Data2Donors, a program to advance Alumni Outreach, improve camp databases, and raise more major gifts, and Fundraising Fundamentals. Julia has also sparked the creation of many JCamp 180 programs and offerings, including this blog.

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Who we are: JCamp 180 is a program of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation (HGF). Our goal is to significantly enhance the long-term effectiveness of nonprofit Jewish camps in North America. To meet this goal, we provide affiliated Jewish camps with consulting services, annual conferences, shared resources, professional development, and matching grant opportunities. Find more at www.jcamp180.org.