Nonprofit Leader Wins Over New Trustees With Private Meetings

Nonprofit executives spend a lot of time and money on books, seminars, and consultants to figure out how

to keep board members happy and engaged with their organization. But sometimes all it takes is a little communication.

When Linda Bonow become executive director of the Ronald McDonald House, in Rochester, Minn., 15 years ago, she began meeting privately with each new board member during his or her first year of service. The one-on-one interviews were so valuable in cementing the relationship between the charity and its board members, she says, that she eventually made them part of the organization’s policy.

Now, six months after joining the charity’s board, each trustee meets with Ms. Bonow to discuss the mission of the Ronald McDonald House, his or her board service, and operations at the charity, which houses up to 42 families of children receiving medical treatment at the nearby Mayo Clinic. Ms. Bonow regards the meetings as an opportunity for board members to offer new ideas and other fresh perspectives on the charity’s work, share any concerns they might have, and ask questions.

The meetings are one reason the organization’s trustees always serve out their terms and, in most cases, end up staying on the board for the maximum time, which is three two-year terms, says Ms. Bonow. And more than 80 percent of the charity’s former trustees continue donating money to the organization for several years after their terms end.

“So often you meet with board members at orientation and there is a lot of new information,” she says. “They need some experience, and then it is a good time for a dialogue. I want to talk with them when they are new, but also when their feet are just wet.”

Ms. Bonow says the meetings not only give her the assurance that a board member understands the charity’s mission, but in some cases have also yielded valuable information. For instance, a board member’s talent or interest may not be what Ms. Bonow expected. Making prompt changes to align the person’s abilities with his or her board duties makes a big difference in what the volunteer gets out of the experience and what the organization gets out of the volunteer, she says.

That was the case with F. Mike Tuohy, the retired owner of a furniture-manufacturing company. He recalls Ms. Bonow coming to visit him at his office five years ago, several months after he joined the board. Though he had been recruited to work with the finance committee, he says, he told Ms. Bonow at the meeting that his real interest — and expertise — was in managing facilities.

Ms. Bonow immediately found a way to involve Mr. Tuohy in the care and upkeep of Ronald McDonald House, and he has stuck with the charity, serving on its board for almost six years, with plans to spend his final year as president. “Why take people and retrain them?” he says. “Especially at my age, you want to do what you are good at.”

Like most Ronald McDonald House board members, Mr. Tuohy serves on several nonprofit and other boards, estimating he has been on close to 20. He believes so strongly in the six-month meetings, Mr. Tuohy says, he now recommends the practice to all the other organizations where he serves as a trustee.