Non-Profit Board Chair - Am I Ready?

I’ve been asked to Chair our non-profit’s board, but I’m not sure I’m ready. What should I do?

Chairing a nonprofit board is an excellent way to develop leadership skills, however this new responsibility also affects people in your personal life – your family, friends, and colleagues – due to the personal time commitment required. A Chair typically spends double the number of hours a year that a regular board member spends on board work.

A personal reflection will help you decide whether or not committing to a non-profit board chair role is right for you at this time. Questions to ask yourself are:

1. What does the nonprofit expect from me?

2. What do I expect from the nonprofit?

3. What do I expect form myself?

4. How will my family, friends, and work be affected?

5. What do I need to do to maintain my physical and mental health considering my new role?

All experienced Chairs know that your spouse needs to agree to the role as much as you do. Have an honest discussion with your family about the time commitment required. Most spouses are supportive, but everyone has limits to what that means. Are there any circumstances that may arise where your family would want you to step away from the role.

A Board Chair does not need to be an expert in everything because the board is a team, but you should identify which areas are your greatest strengths and weaknesses, and consider how those align with the nonprofit’s needs. Selection of a Vice-Chair can be a good time to create a balanced set of skills and attributes.

Strengths to consider are passion and interest, networking skills, leadership abilities, commitment to mission, program area expertise, subject matter expertise (marketing, law, fundraising, program evaluation, accounting) community contacts, wealth, time, and integrity.