Name of Source:
Alliance for Nonprofit Management
A national survey conducted by BoardEffect® and the Alliance for Nonprofit Management, revealed interesting facts about some of the challenges nonprofits face in fulfilling their mission, as well as the methods they use to facilitate board communication.The survey, which polled over 190 Alliance members, representing almost 20% of the membership, demonstrated that staff spends a considerable amount of time performing administrative tasks (such as preparing board documents), which can distract the organization from focusing on its mission. Seven in ten organizations reported that the chore of preparing board documents requires two to five staff members. Six in ten admit that it requires at least 10 staff hours a month and about one out of every five organizations spend more than 20 hours each month.The research also demonstrated that board communication in nonprofits is facilitated by various methods. Although phone calls and emails are still the most popular communication tools, the survey shows that more nonprofits are also using board portals, websites, and other online tools with increasing frequency.Annually, the average nonprofit reaches out to the board with:
- One-to-one phone calls: 2,083 times
- Email: 1,684
- Face-to face meetings: 1,095
- Board portal: 844
- Public website: 719
- Mailings: 704
Nonprofits increasingly use board portals over other more traditional methods because of the security and efficiency they offer. Indeed, board portals built expressly for nonprofit e-governance include security measures that give nonprofit staff and board members the confidence that sensitive documents are stored and shared securely.Overall, the survey reflects a growing realization among nonprofits that e-governance isn’t just one tool or process, but a new and comprehensive approach to increasing efficiency, transparency and board engagement. E-governance, enabled by board portals and other processes, should empower nonprofits to use their precious staff and financial resources efficiently, maintain mission focus and – ultimately – better serve their communities.
