Making Your Board Retreat Rejuvenating and Productive
Posted by Jill Johnson on August 07, 2024
A board retreat, while potentially an added expense for a tight budget, offers valuable benefits for a nonprofit organization. It provides board members with the opportunity to focus on key issues without the usual work and personal distractions, fostering clear, strategic thinking and collaboration.
Planning the Retreat
Before scheduling a retreat, ensure all board members are aligned on its purpose and goals. Carefully manage logistics based on your objectives, whether it's a half-day in a local venue or a full weekend at a more remote location. Aim to minimize interruptions from regular duties to maximize the retreat's effectiveness.
Create a detailed agenda with a clear desired outcome. For instance, if the goal is to develop a five-year strategic plan, include time for reviewing your organization’s history, competitive landscape, brainstorming sessions, and breaks to ensure engagement and productivity.
Key Topics for Discussion
To maximize the retreat's impact, select relevant and pressing topics, such as:
- Engaging a Younger Donor Base: Assess current strategies to attract younger supporters and evaluate your social media utilization.
- Valuing Employees: Discuss strategies for staff retention, including salary, benefits, and workplace flexibility, while ensuring meaningful work and career development opportunities.
- Managing Organizational Risk: Identify and evaluate major risks, whether related to donors, investments, or volunteers, and explore effective risk-management practices.
- Financial Reporting: Determine what additional financial information board members need and discuss how to interpret financial statements.
- Program Evaluation: Review and assess your programs, deciding which to expand, modify, or discontinue based on performance benchmarks.
Develop an Action Plan
Conclude the retreat by summarizing all decisions and commitments, and create an actionable plan to implement them. Distribute this plan to board members and incorporate action items into future board agendas. If you need assistance with financial or accounting information for the retreat, contact us.
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Jill is an expert working with health care and human service organizations including hospitals, nursing homes, diagnostic and treatment centers, mental health service providers, and medical practices. She also works with real estate and nonprofit organizations in the areas of auditing, Single Audit, HUD projects, information returns, and financial reporting. Jill is integral to our Health Care and Nonprofit services groups managing our larger hospital and human service organization clients. She is a past Regional Executive for the Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA) Region 2; she also is a past President of the Western New York Chapter.