I was sitting at the bagel shop for lunch yesterday and watched a number of Seniors from the local high school assembled for a quick lunch. The energy in the room was palpable. This was their final week as high school students and they were about to graduate to the next chapter of their lives. The conversation was energetic. It made me consider the following: how can students get so invested in their graduation and accomplishments and yet nonprofit board members typically roll off a board in an exhausted heap?

Sandra Hughes, a master nonprofit consultant and trainer with BoardSource once recommended that you ‘whack them and plaque them’ in celebration of a board member’s service. I agree that a great recognition event and meaningful memento is a vital ingredient to feeling appreciated. When this step is forgotten or done poorly it can leave a lasting impression, even if unintended. I once received a customized pottery plate with my name misspelled. I had served the organization as Board Chair for four years so it was an humorous but awkward final farewell.

How do you allow board members to reach a crescendo instead of falling off a cliff during their final weeks on the board? A couple ideas:

• Personal Goals: Give a new board member a blank piece of paper somewhere early in their tenure. Have them write down some key accomplishments and goals they wish to fulfill while serving the organization. Track this at least two to three times a year and recognize the appropriate successes in front of the board and staff. This gives great insight into what is personally motivating to each board member.
• Be flexible: Far too often we hold term limits as the mandatory finish line. Sometimes board members come with a specific talent that they fulfill on behalf of the organization and then they are ready to be released to another project. We keep individual board member’s locked-up in a bizarre volunteer agreement. If a board member is ready to go, it may be best for the organization to celebrate them at their zenith. No reason everyone has to run the same distance on behalf of the nonprofit, sometimes sprinters bring great results despite our marathon mentality.
• Communicate: Either prior to their service or after completing a period as a board member, many individuals miss the ‘insider’ information that comes from being in the boardroom. No all of it is appropriate to share with your potential and past board members but I have found a couple well crafted releases of information can do a tremendous amount to keep individuals close to the enterprise.
• Strategic Planning: A great planning process provides one of the richest opportunities to engage the broader community. Focus groups, online surveys, task forces, interviews, research, etc. There are many possible fields of engagement and nothing is more rewarding than being asked for advice.
  

Can you envision your organization with board members who celebrate their final month of board service with the same enthusiasm as a high school senior? A genuine feeling of accomplishment and participation. A small bit of trepidation about playing a new role. Imagine seeing a board member walking around in a t-shirt declaring their graduation and accomplishments from your nonprofit organization?