I need your help. This last year we grew a wonderful board, all be it small. They are all talented and passionate people. When they started, we had them all sworn in and signed an oath. Now, all positions are becoming very inactive. The positions are President and Vice President of the Blue Ocean Network Hub, Social Media manager, and Director of the Youth Ambassador Program. (Not including myself and the co-founder) Myself, the Co-founder and the Social Media Manager are still highly involved but the others a slowly pulling back. One because of relocation, one on a research trip - but will be back in town in August, and one tied up with work so much will have very little time to help. These are all volunteer positions. Is this normal? How do I bring in board members and keep them actively involved even though they are on volunteer positions? The work they have done has been wonderful but we are on the verge of getting over a hill. Can someone advise me if this is normal or should I restructure my board?
Founder and CEO, Marine Conservation Network
I am a marine conservationist / biologist whose passion for the ocean has been since I was young. I have been involved in tagging and releasing juvenile great whites and rescued stranded sea lions. Now, I am building a Young Ambassadors Program for individuals who are looking to create their own path for marine conservation.
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Thanks for sharing your work challenge Kimberly. I've worked primarily with advisors (also on a volunteer basis) which is different than the situation you describe where you are dependent on your board members to regularly fulfil certain tasks/commitments, correct?
For this reason, let me invite some other Founders and CEOs to respond to this @Fred Nelson , @Stella Diamant , @Adam Barlow , @Estrela Matilde , @Michael Cunningham ,@Elizabeth Silleck La Rue, Esq. and @Oliver Dauert
Thanks for the tag @Thirza Loffeld. I have found Board member involvement to be highly variable, and influenced by the following factors: 1. The degree to which people are busy with work that provides for their livelihoods (as it sounds like some of your members are); 2. The degree to which people feel/believe that being actively involved will add benefit to their core businesses, their social networks, or other things they value; 3. Their degree of passion for the actual work that is done by the organization and whether they are able to be involved in it. While you have no control over #1, you may be able to re-engage them through 2 & 3. It's also important to be clear about time and energy commitments with prospective Board members up front.
sounds like either it is a governance issue - in which case you could consider refreshing your board and/or changing board agreement and/or changing board members,
or it is a volunteer management situation, in which case i would suggest getting reducing expectations on what they can deliver, recruiting more volunteers, see what benefits would drive hoped for actions