The purpose of this form is to evaluate overall effectiveness of the meeting process. Please rank the following items on a scale of 1-5 where a “1” does not meet your expectations and a “5” exceeds your expectations. This examination will demonstrate where changes can be made to increase productivity.

Looking for a good instrument for assessing your board's effectiveness? Consider this board self-assessment tool developed by The Alliance for Board Effectiveness.

ECFA’s Standard 6 calls for members to avoid conflicts of interest. Conflicts can be avoided most easily when the organization has a stated conflict of interest policy and annually canvasses the Board of Directors and key administrative personnel to document potential conflicts. Attached are several sample copies of conflict of interest policies and questionnaires. ECFA does not endorse any particular document. We are providing these samples to help you develop the documents appropriate for your ministry.

Are you an ‘owner-board’ or a ‘steward-board’? A great deal of time and resources are being invested these days helping non-profit boards be more effective. There are a growing number of books, seminars, webinars, training programs, online resources and assessment tools available to boards seeking to better serve the organizations they hold in trust. I am part of a consortium of experienced consultants that focus specifically on board effectiveness, and our numbers are increasing.

It’s the annual board meeting when either due to someone retiring from the board or term-limiting off that the board members are scratching their heads for they have no one in mind to replace the existing board member. There are several things to do. First, do an inventory of the giftedness that might be lacking on the board, i.e., diversity, legal, advancement, pastoral, etc. Then specifically recruit to fill in any such “holes.”

To build better boards, CEOs, lead directors, and board members themselves can work to: Create a climate of trust and candor. If you’re CEO, share important and difficult information with directors in time for them to digest it—not the night before a meeting. If you’re a member, insist on receiving adequate information. To discourage members from creating back channels to line managers in pursuit of political agendas, give them access to company personnel and sites—then trust them not to meddle in day-to-day operations.