Many of you know that I have run a Women’s Retreat for the past several years and it has focused on women coaches. In the past few years, women leaders from business, athletic administration and coaches have attended and the diversity has added much to the program.

I also was brought in my Indiana Swimming and hosted a mini-retreat for over 40 coaches from all over the state. It was a great experience.

Please contact me if you are interested in discussing bringing this program to your area. I would also be willing to do some work with local and regional boards in the areas of leadership and governance.

Contact me at rose@rosesnyder.com to discuss booking a program today!

We continue to hear that there is much greater scrutiny given to nonprofits and 501(c) (3) organizations in particular by the IRS. Many organizations may be in jeorpardy of losing their status.

The updated IRS 990 form contains a great deal of new information and can serve as a guideline as to which requirements are necessary for your nonprofit.

I would also suggest that organizations become members of Board Source and checkout the Independent Sector web site for more information. Here are those web sites for your convenience.

www.boardsource.org

http://independentsector.org/

I will be hosting a Nonprofit Best Practices Summit in 2011. Send an email to rose@rosesnyder if you are interested in receiving more information.

Turn your Nominating Committee into a Governance Committee
By Rose Snyder

Note from Rose: I’m surprised to see that many nonprofits still don’t have a Governance Committee. I’m hoping that after reading this brief article, all boards understand the role of this important committee and take the necessary steps to create a Governance Committee.

I thought it might be fun to do this article in Q and A format. For more detailed information about the Governance Committee, consider ordering the Governance Committee booklet from Board Source at www.boardsource.org

What is a Governance Committee?

The Governance Committee is sort of the like the quality control department in an organization. They are ultimately responsible for the quality of the board. This important committee of the board reviews and makes recommendations to enhance and improve the effectiveness of the board and overall governance.

Isn’t this just a new fancy name for the good old Nominating Committee?

Yes and no. The Governance Committee certainly has the responsibility of nominating qualified candidates for the board, but the role of the committee is much more than just this important job.

How so?
Well, the GC (short for governance committee) has an ongoing role for educating the board members both new and veterans in the areas of governance best practices. Most GCs conduct board orientations annually for both new and returning board members as well as help keep the board current with regards to governance changes and best practices.

What other responsibilities does the Governance Committee have?

In a nutshell, the GC is responsible for
- Board roles and Responsibilities
- Board composition
-  Board Knowledge
-  Board Effectiveness
-  Board Leadership

Let’s look at each one of these areas and give you an overview of what that responsibility entails.

Board Roles and Responsibilities:

The GC should review and update the board job descriptions and assist the board in determining primary focus for the board for the next year. This focus should be based on the strategic plan. The board should also set priorities and governance goals each year. (This is different than organizational goals) and should be set based on recommendations from the governance committee.

Board Composition
The composition of the board is usually clearly stated in the organization’s bylaws. The GC should review the bylaws annually and make sure that what is in the bylaws is reflected in the structure and composition of the board. Even more than compliance with the bylaws, the GC should consider and assess whether the board structure is meeting the current and future needs of the organization. Perhaps it is time to include independent directors, or enhance the diversity of your board.

Nominating responsibilities would come in this area as well. Most important is to identify first the needs of the board and the organization and then recruit qualified candidates that meet these needs. The short description for the nomination process is: identify, qualify, vet, nominate. (This might be a good discussion for a future article, but we don’t have the time to go into detail here.)

Board Knowledge
The GC would conduct an annual board orientation as well as create an ongoing program to ensure that the board remains current in governance requirements and nonprofit best practices.  This function could also be called “Board Development.”  Board development and team building can also be included in the annual board retreat.

Board Effectiveness
This area represents the most important and one of the most neglected areas of board governance. Most boards do not take the opportunity to assess their performance. The GC committee should initiate a board assessment process. During the club education program, clubs are given a packet that includes a mini-board self assessment. This could be a good start. Also, you can go to www.rosesnyder.com and download the Nonprofit Best Practices Report Card and use this tool to do an review of your board and organization.

Board Leadership
Many of you may have heard the term succession planning before; usually in reference to the CEO or board president. It is time for boards to consider creating a plan for the long term leadership development for the board. This would include looking 3-5 years down the road and consider what it will take to lead the organization into the future. Then, taking steps to ensure that there is consistent and steady leadership that support the strategic direction. Also, boards must have quality people in the wings that can step in to fill a term for someone who has had to leave their post prematurely.  This requires having some sort of leadership development training for potential committee and future board candidates so they are prepared to step in when needed.
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In conclusion, I hope your board has a better understanding of the role of this important committee. The Governance Committee can change your organization for the better by ensuring quality leadership and creating a more effective governing board. I hope to see you at a future Club Education Seminar!

Reference: The Governance Committee. www.boardsource.org Fred Miller, The Chatham Group, Inc.
About Rose: Rose Snyder is a governance consulting expert who has worked in the Olympic family for over 20 years. Her expertise in nonprofit best practices helps grass roots clubs to national governing bodies improve organizational effectiveness in a team based approach. Rose has conducted the Club Education Seminars for U.S. Figure Skating since 2002. You can find out more about rose at www.rosesnyder.com

This year promised to be the best retreat yet! Don’t miss out, register today!

We had a record crown of nearly 60 people who belong to the organization but work in the area of learning and leadership development for various organizations in the metro Denver and Boulder area of Colorado.

No matter what group I present to, there always seems to be a swimming connection. During one of the exercises, one of the ladies and I began to chat and she says, “Oh, I helpled start a swim club back in the 70′s in North Carolina.” I said, “Really, which one?” She says, “Mecklenburg Aquatic Club.” Of course, I nearly died and told her my connection with swimming and updated her on the fact that MAC is now a center of excellence and recognized as one of the top clubs in the country!

What a small world.

Well, I really enjoyed my time with the organizational development people. I explained that I do what they do for the Olympic sports. We focused our time on team building and how to create a process for better decision-making. It was a great group and a great experience!

I would suggest that all boards spend at least one meeting per year to assess their own performance and to review and update their goals for the upcoming year. Boards who assess performance and set “board” goals are more proactive and achieve more annually as a result.

Great job USAT!

Now in its fourth year, this retreat draws top speakers and attendees to share an action-packed conference, dedicated to support the participant’s personal and professional growth. This program draws some of the nation’s most accomplished women, and provides a unique opportunity to brainstorm together. Don’t be fooled by the “coaching” in the title. Business women and sport administrators have all benefited from this incredible program.

Why should organizations send someone to the Women in Coaching Retreat?
“You get a better person back.”

Why should YOU come to the Women’s Retreat?
“You’ll change in ways you never knew you could.”
It’s no secret that successful businesses are made up of people who are professionally and personally satisfied.
- These people are pro-active, motivated, engaged and invigorated.
- They come to work renewed, refreshed, relaxed and ready.
- They think differently, make smart decisions, and produce results.
- They are experienced professionals and have unique life experiences.

Retreat participants see a return on investment that cannot be measured in dollars alone. Women return to work more motivated, more self-directed, more engaged, and will have increased their network of business contacts by networking with top coaches and business women from all over the country.
Participants engage in professional development workshops that build communication skills, determine best “coaching” styles and hone goal setting and visioning skills. All participants create a personal and professional development plan and grow in ways that can’t be duplicated in other more traditional educational programs.

“The Retreat experience will enhance your life and career with a focus on personal and professional development.”
The cost: The Retreat fee is an all inclusive package at $695. This fee includes retreat registration, room and board, and all your food. You are responsible for your travel to and from Colorado Springs. Budget about $1000 for this once in a lifetime experience; you will be glad you did. To hold your spot, let us know you plan to attend. Send an email to Rose at rose@rosesnyder.com. We will send you an application and request a deposit to hold your place. Space is limited.

2010 Site: La Foret Conference and Retreat Center. http://laforet.org/ Retreat dates: April 9-11, 2010!

Please forward pass along thiis business case to those you will may benefit from this program. Don’t hesitate to contact Rose for more information.

I recently read an article that described this difference. Communications is a part of an overall marketing strategy. “Communications makes marketing tactics tangible.” http://karlynmorissette.karlyn.me/2008/12/back-to-basics-marketing-versus-communications/
When I read this article it reminded me that during my tenure at both USA Swimming and U.S. Figure Skating, I was constantly involved in marketing programs and services for both of these national governing bodies. At U.S. Figure Skating, I created the popular National Skating Week; (now National Skating Month) in an effort to grow skating across America. With a little marketing and communications, we were able to produce the first increase in regular membership in years while introducing thousands to the sport as either a recreational activity or the beginning of an athletic endeavor.
The most important part of program development is knowing your target audience—and determining what their needs are. Next, create a program or service that meets those needs. This is the point where marketing comes into play.
Here’s are Karlyn Morissette simplified version of the steps of marketing:

1. Set goals: What are you trying to achieve? When you set goals, you are planning what success looks like. One of the keys to setting goals is that you also need to make sure they are measurable, which comes in later in the marketing process.
2. Plan your communications: Now that you know what you want to achieve, how are you going to achieve it? This is the part where you research your audience (wants, needs, demographics, etc) and plan the strategy for communicating with them (message, medium, tone, etc)
3. Execute your communications: This is the communicating part! This is where you’re creating and sending your emails, designing and mailing your viewbooks, holding your events, and so on and so forth.
4. Assess your results: Did you meet your goals? What can you do better next time? This is the step I most often see communicators overlooking. They just move right on to the next project.

An easy way to figure out the needs of your clients or members is to ask. Conduct a needs assessment survey. Many local colleges and universities have marketing departments that can provide this type of service at a reasonable fee.