Golensky recently released results of her study, Board Governance: Perceptions and Practices, in which she examined the link between motivation and performance in board membership. Chief executive officers (CEOs) and corresponding board members of 86 Kent County nonprofit organizations participated in the study.
Golensky said her initial findings supported earlier studies ¿ that belief in the work or mission of a nonprofit organization is the leading reason for serving on its board. Her study went on, however, to explore the relationship between board members' motives for serving and their perception of their responsibilities.
Those who joined the board because they believed in the work or mission of the organization, or because they felt they had talents or skills to contribute, were the most likely to be really active board members. There was a significant relationship there, she noted.
On the other hand, those who joined a nonprofit board for career or personal development, out of obligation or an overall sense of civic duty, or to repay a debt, were much less inclined to take an active role, Golensky said.
If they're not committed to the work, they're not going to be as effective, she said.
Golensky's surveys and subsequent interviews also identified a disparity between what board members and CEOs think are the biggest challenges facing nonprofits. While board members ranked funding concerns as No. 1, CEOs thought clarification of board roles as the top challenge, with funding relegated to No. 4.
The executives seem to be much more concerned about the problem of having a board that is meddling or micromanaging, or that is totally uninvolved, Golensky said.
Other findings of the study, which was conducted over the past year, include:
- Diversity of the board was mentioned as a goal by many respondents; however, the typical trustee is a white male professional or manager between the ages of 41 and 50.
- Most respondents said they were approached to serve on the board by other members, often by a personal friend, thus tending unwittingly to perpetuate a homogeneous board.
- Attendance at meetings was seen as a concern, with only 30 percent of board members reporting 100 percent attendance in the past year, but training to increase board involvement was not viewed as a high priority.
Board-governance conference to follow on March 23, 2001
Golensky plans to offer recommendations on issues raised in the study at a conference on board-governance, slated for March 23 at the DeVos Center on GVSU's Pew Grand Rapids Campus. About 200 representatives from local nonprofits are expected to attend. Details will be announced at a later date. She is also designing a multi-session board training program to be offered through the School of Social Work's Continuing Education program.
One of my hopes was that through this study I might be able to provide both board members and CEOs with some ideas to help them make their boards more active and effective, Golensky said.
Golensky calls West Michigan fertile ground for her studies in volunteerism and nonprofit governance.
This area is phenomenal in just the sheer number of nonprofits and the involvement, Golensky said. People really care about the nonprofit community here. There's a lot of support for it.
The 86 agencies participating in the study were culled from the database of GVSU's Johnson Center for Philanthropy and represent a cross section of area nonprofits, excluding schools and churches. Half of respondents were from health and human services agencies, roughly one-third from public and societal-benefit groups (such as neighborhood associations, chambers of commerce), and the remainder from arts and cultural organizations. Altogether, 558 surveys were returned, with follow-up interviews conducted with 58 individuals.
