Let's Talk About Term Limits, Part 1
Cathy Allen
The Board Doctor, LLC - Helping Nonprofit Boards Get Better Specializing in Small Organizations | Trainer | Mentor | Advisor
"We can't find anyone who wants to serve on the board."
"Mary is a major donor. We're afraid she won't give if she's not on the board."
"Our team is working together well. Why would we break it up?"
In my years working with nonprofit boards of directors, I've heard all kinds of objections to implementing term limits. The mere mention of the subject genuinely irritates many board members I've met. At the same time, it's not really controversial among people like me who study best practices in governance: every board should limit the number of years a person can serve as a board member or officer. No exceptions.
So why the disconnect? In my experience - mostly with very small, unstaffed organizations - it can take years for a person to get up to speed with a new group. Boards with big budgets and professional staff tend to have orientations, access to documents, and ongoing training. This is often not the case for smaller groups in which board members run programs and day to day operations. There's little time left for governance, and as a result institutional knowledge is not systematically passed along to newcomers. Those with a long-standing investment in the organization therefore fear a new cast of characters will mess things up.
Every proponent of term limits, whether board, staff or consultant, has run into this resistance. So, how can we make our case to those who don't want to relinquish their board seat? Here are my top five arguments:
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A few years ago I agreed to join a nonprofit board. Prior to my first meeting, they amended their bylaws to do away with term limits. "We have a great treasurer," they said, "we don't want to lose her." At my second meeting I was presented with a draft budget I didn't understand. With no time left for questions, I made a short statement explaining my decision to abstain from voting on it and asked for an orientation to the budget and financials. The treasurer, very widely respected in the community, angrily asserted she didn't have time to conduct such a training for the other rookies and me. Didn't have time for a board colleague with a demonstrated interest in learning. No wonder they'd eliminated term limits. The treasurer had made herself indispensable. There would never be a qualified successor.
In Part 2, I will spell out some strategies for implementing (or reimplementing) term limits. Until then, if you have any questions or would like to talk your situation through, please don't hesitate to contact me at [email protected] or set up a call or video chat at https://calendly.com/cathytheboarddoctor/free-consultation
I build mission critical strategies, Communities of Practice and boards for nonprofits.
2 年This is true Cathy Allen. I'd be curious to know in lieu of term limits, do you think a SWOT analysis would also help? It's a non-subjective, anonymous approach. It could definitely provide consensus on an issue like that and has the potential for being swiftly addressed - particularly if provisions for conflict resolution (ie removing a board member) are defined in the bylaws? What do you think?