Nonprofit Board Chairs are Heroes.

These brave individuals – busy leaders in their own right – voluntarily agree to step into one of the two primary leadership roles in a nonprofit organization. Working side-by-side with the Executive Director, Board Chairs take on significantly more responsibility for the organization than their peer board members. As a result, they shoulder a disproportionate share of the leadership burden — investing more time, energy, and emotional labor while also facing greater personal and professional risk.

How do nonprofits typically prepare these courageous leaders to step into the Board Chair role? In most instances, they don’t. We essentially ask them to figure it out for themselves, likely modeling the board leadership style on their predecessor.

Because of this training gap, two years ago Cause Strategy Partners began to convene a group of Board Chairs within our BoardLead Nonprofit Network on a quarterly basis. As word has spread, the group has grown exponentially each quarter. It has become a valuable resource for both new and experienced Board Chairs, providing them with the opportunity to strengthen their board leadership through a peer learning approach.

According to BoardSource, the average Board Chair term is around two years. This, of course, means that every other year a board member is stepping into the office charged with shepherding, leading, and guiding the work of the board.

I wanted to provide guidance for these soon-to-be-heroes, answering the question, “How can I prepare to become the Board Chair of my nonprofit organization’s board?” To do this, I developed a list of actions one might take to prepare for the role. Next, I surveyed our network of BoardLead Board Chairs, asking them to select up to six actions from the list that they viewed as “most important” in preparing to step into the Board Chair role.

Five Key Actions to Prepare to Become the Next Board Chair

1. Meet regularly with the Executive Director

If you can only do one thing, this one is at the top of the list. Fully 75% of responding Board Chairs suggest beginning regular one-on-one meetings with the Executive Director. In my view, the Board Chair and Executive Director should meet at least once a month to build rapport and trust, keep the lines of communication open, make plans, and ensure alignment.

2. Study the bylaws and other governance policies

Put this in the category of boring but important. As the Board Chair, it is incumbent upon you to ensure that the bylaws of the organization are carefully followed. Other officers (e.g. the Board Secretary) might share in this responsibility, but as the incoming Board Chair, you need to be very familiar with how the organization’s governance structure is defined. 68% of our Board Chair respondents included “studying the organization’s bylaws and other governance policies” as a top six priority.

3. Evaluate the committee structure and leadership

45% of our respondents encourage incoming board chairs to study the organization's committee structure and the effectiveness of the committee chairs. Most organizational bylaws assign the Board Chair the responsibility of appointing committee chairs to guide the areas of oversight that are within committee purview. After a careful assessment, many newly elected Board Chairs appoint new committee leadership in order to infuse fresh energy and enhanced effectiveness into the work of the board.

4. Learn from the experience of other board chairs

40% of survey respondents urge incoming Board Chairs to connect with those who have held the office in order to “gain insight and advice” as they prepare to step into the top role. Cause Strategy Partners’ quarterly Board Chair Roundtable is valuable to the chairpersons leading our BoardLead partner organizations in large part because it is a space for peer learning. Each session we provide 10 to 15 minutes of training content, with the balance of time spent in breakout groups, asking every Board Chair to be both a student and a teacher – sharing and learning best practices in board oversight. Make the time to learn from veteran Board Chairs who have much wisdom to offer.

5. Develop your personal platform

I urge incoming Board Chairs to develop a vision or personal platform of what they’d like to accomplish during their tenure. 40% of our survey respondents listed this as a top six priority, as well. At the very least, select three specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals that you want to see accomplished before your term ends. Share these goals with the Executive Director and your fellow board members. Use them as a north star during your leadership tenure. Oftentimes these goals will pertain to board structure or governance effectiveness. Perhaps one or more will relate to organizational growth or scale. You choose – but have the end in sight as you step into the role.

Reasonable Minds Can Differ

There were three actions on the survey that I expected to receive far more prioritization from our Board Chairs. Based on my experience, I would prioritize these three steps for incoming board leaders, but not everyone agrees. Given the circumstances of your organization, where would you rank them in importance?

• Meet individually with each board member (just 25% ranked as a top six action)

• Meet individually with key funders (8%)

• Meaningfully increase your annual financial contribution (5%)

Where You Probably Don’t Need to Use Time

Your time is valuable. As you prepare to step into the Board Chair role, we found alignment on actions that our Board Chairs viewed as much less of a priority. Here are three of those areas (with the percentage who identified the action as a top six priority in parentheses).

• Prepare your talking points to represent the organization in public forums (10%)

• Study Robert’s Rules of Order (18%)

• Meet with the staff as a whole (18%)

Of course, every organization’s situation is different. In some circumstances, there might be no more urgent need than to meet with the staff, particularly on the heels of a difficult Executive Director departure, for example. Ultimately, you are best positioned to identify how to optimally invest your time in preparing for effective board leadership.

Other Ways to Prepare

The “middle of the pack” preparatory actions from our survey are shared below. Again, you are best positioned to build your onboarding plan in order to start strong in leadership as the next Board Chair, so here are more to choose from.

• Receive training on how to be an effective Board Chair (35% ranked as a top six action)

• Study the practice of effective meeting facilitation (35%)

• Closely review the financial position of the organization (35%)

• Study the strategic plan (33%)

• Receive training on effective governance (33%)

• Study the legal and fiduciary duties of the board (20%)

Build Your Game Plan

Every Board Chair journey is different — influenced by the organization’s current needs, the board’s culture, the Executive Director’s leadership style, and your own strengths, experience, and availability. That’s why it’s essential to create a personal preparation plan that’s right-sized for you. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to becoming a great Board Chair. The key is to be intentional, reflective, and proactive in your planning.

Start by reviewing the list of 18 actions shared above and identify those that resonate most with your upcoming role. Which steps align with the realities of your organization? Where do you feel most confident? Where might you need to grow? Even committing to just a few focused actions can dramatically boost your confidence and effectiveness as you take the reins.

Your leadership will shape the board’s culture, strengthen the partnership with your Executive Director, and influence the organization’s future. The time to prepare is now — and you don’t have to do it alone. Feel free to be in touch if Cause Strategy Partners can be of support: www.causestrategypartners.com.