Building a Better Board
A Q & A with Anne Wallestad
SAMANTHA CART GALE FORCE IMAGES
A foundation of any kind is only as strong as the leadership behind it . According to Anne Wallestad , president and CEO of BoardSource , a globally recognized nonprofit focused on strengthening nonprofit leadership at the highest level , building a diverse , dynamic board of directors is one of the best ways to create overall organizational success . Here , Wallestad helps define what makes a strong , engaged board for foundations of every size and focus .
WVE : What makes a strong and effective grantmaking foundation board ?
AW : It ’ s not any one thing but , instead , a combination of people , practices and culture . Boards need to have individuals who bring the expertise and perspective needed to partner with staff on strategy . They need practices that support thoughtful and intentional oversight , and they need to cultivate a culture that enables them to proactively and productively address challenges , hold disagreements and share power in a way that builds collective engagement and shared accountability .
WVE : What expertise and talents should be recruited to serve on a foundation board ?
AW : The board needs to include board members who are well-positioned to do the board ' s work , which includes its roles in strategy , oversight and ensuring resources . At BoardSource , we believe that is not just about professional expertise and skills but also about perspective and understanding of the issues the foundation is seeking to address . Boards need to be populated to ensure that the board ’ s decision-making and prioritization are informed by the life experiences and perspectives relevant to the work the organization is doing . Only this ensures they are making good , grounded decisions that will be trusted by those they seek to serve and support .
WVE : How should a foundation board lead with equity — including rural , economic , racial and gender equity — to best serve its community ?
AW : There is no one set path for establishing and realizing a commitment to equity . However , I think it starts with a conversation about what equity means in the context of the foundation ’ s work . Sometimes , it can be helpful to look at community data about the current state of things — to what extent equity does or does not exist currently . That can be a starting point for board-level thinking about the foundation ’ s role in achieving greater equity and what that will require from the foundation and its board to achieve .
WVE : How should a foundation navigate its legal duties and any conflicts of interest , especially in rural communities where people volunteer for many local organizations ?
AW : Conflicts of interest are natural , and overlapping engagement across the organizational ecosystem isn ’ t necessarily bad and can actually be quite helpful . That ’ s why , from Board- Source ’ s perspective , it ’ s less about avoiding conflicts of interest and more about managing them effectively . This means having a thoughtful and regular practice of disclosing potential conflicts of interest , having a rigorous and independent process for reviewing potential conflicts of interest and committing to appropriate management of conflicts when they could impact or appear to impact the board ’ s decision-making .
WVE : What are missteps or mistakes a foundation board should avoid ?
AW : There are a lot of ways foundation boards can make mistakes — they are a group of humans . I think what I ’ d offer instead is advice to individual board members and that is to maintain a sense of humility and curiosity about everything you do as a board member . If you are open and curious with yourself , your board colleagues , your chief executive and the larger staff team and bring a sense of humility to all you do , you will recover from the mistakes you may make with more grace and less harm . •
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WEST VIRGINIA EXECUTIVE