All-Volunteer Boards: Is it Time to Hire an Executive Director?

When the Friends of Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge (FONWR) gathered with refuge staff for a joint strategic planning process eight years ago, Refuge Manager Jason Lewis was very clear about what the refuge needed most from its nonprofit support group. His primary goal was self-sufficiency, which to him meant the Friends would have to run their own store in the refuge's visitor center - and conduct their own events and programs - without relying on his staff. As an all-volunteer organization, they sometimes struggled to keep up with the workload and had become too dependent on the staff of the agency they were there to assist. To become self-sufficient, the board would have to hire an executive director to run programs and take care of operations. (Click here to read my article about burnout at all-volunteer organizations.)

I loved this group and its mission so much that after completing a small contract as a planning and board development consultant, I accepted an invitation to join the board of directors. We worked hard to assess our finances and research our fundraising potential if led by professional staff. We developed a position description and personnel policies. We negotiated with agency staff about who would be responsible for what. It took about two years to achieve our goal, and it was not particularly smooth, but in the end the results cannot be denied. Unrestricted revenue more than doubled in the first year after Executive Director Aimee Arent was hired and it has continued to grow.

In the years since my involvement with FONWR, I have engaged dozens of all-volunteer nonprofit boards in conversations about how to know when it is time to hire staff, whether a paid position could be sustained, how the organization would change, and how to prepare the way. After assessing their needs, some groups decide to remain all-volunteer while some determine that part-time administrative support is sufficient. But others do as FONWR did and set a strategic goal to hire an executive director to lead their growth and help them achieve their mission.

The process of deciding whether to hire an executive director takes place in the boardroom.?Board members must set aside time to engage in a thoughtful, thorough, and honest conversation about how they are doing as an organization and whether they are able to achieve their mission if they remain all-volunteer.

The following questions are a good place to start the board's discussions:

1. What is our vision of the future? What do our customers and stakeholders really need from us? Can we provide what they need as an all-volunteer organization?
2. What is our annual unrestricted income and what is our potential for growing it? Do we have any cash reserves that could be invested in hiring an executive director?
3. Do we have board members who are able to bring in sufficient resources to support a staff position for a year or two? Will board members assist with fundraising after hiring an executive director?
4. How would we need to change as a board? Do we have board members in place who can guide us as we become an employer? Are we willing to focus on our governance and fundraising responsibilities and leave program and administrative tasks to paid staff?
5. How long can we realistically sustain what we are doing now? Are we able to find newcomers to replace those of us who are running programs or are we struggling to find others to step up and help?

Jason's second priority for the Friends group back in 2013 was land acquisition: the creation of a revolving fund so that when a suitable parcel of land became available within the refuge's boundaries, the Friends could move quickly to buy it and then either donate it to the refuge or sell it to the US Fish and Wildlife Service. This was established as a ten-year vision, and achieved in year six. (Pictured at right are Aimee and Jason exploring a new parcel together.)?The FONWR Annual Report for 2020 indicates that during the pandemic year they provided more than $100,000 in direct support to the refuge, including building kiosks, purchasing a tractor, funding interns, and providing lawn and garden maintenance. This extraordinary team was recognized recently by the Public Lands Alliance with a Partnership Award. Watch their three minute acceptance video here.

The decision to hire staff or remain all volunteer is a strategic one, having to do with how best to achieve a group's goals. Anyone wishing to talk about their unique needs are always welcome to set up a meeting with me at www.calendly.com/CathyTheBoardDoctor.?I am always happy to listen and point you in the right direction if I can.