Design onboarding process so that it ‘informs, inspires and initiates’ new members

Abstract

Research suggests that most nonprofit organizations struggle with bringing their new board members up to speed quickly and effectively through a solid onboarding process. In fact, some studies show that as much as a quarter of board members don't have a solid understanding of their organization's mission or strategy—the most basic starting point for good governance and decision-making. Experts say that's due to another survey findings—just about half of nonprofits have any formal onboarding process in place at all for new members—and many of those that do report poor results.