We’ve spent the last 15 or so months conducting the majority of our work virtually.  Whether it was teaching our children, fulfilling the responsibilities of our jobs, or staying connected to family and friends, “Zoom” became a verb entrenched into our vernacular. 

For most nonprofit organizations, meetings of their Boards of Directors also shifted to a virtual format.  While perhaps initially a short-term solution to ensure the organization was able to continue to meet the needs of the communities they serve, there’s been a rising comfort level with this format and even a convenience to being able to conduct meetings virtually.

As life begins to slowly (or perhaps, not slowly) return to normal, here are some strategies to ensure a smooth transition.

1. Return To In-Person Format

For those organizations in an area of the world where vaccination rates are high and cases are low, return immediately to conducting meetings in person and communicate the expectation to your board and committee members.  Adhere to social distancing protocols and ask that those not vaccinated (and perhaps even those that are) stay masked during the meeting.  The most successful meetings are those conducted in-person and it’s important that we return to that format, even if it takes a few meetings to ‘ramp up’ where you have Zoom and in-person options.  If organizations are expecting their staff and volunteers to return, how can the Board not do the same?

2. Refresh the Basics

Most, if not all, Boards would benefit from an in-depth review and progress update about your organization’s strategic plan.  Since March of 2020, most Boards have been solely focused on responding to crises and anticipating short-term needs.  That’s understandable given the climate we were in.  However, as we move forward, taking a moment to remind the Board of the long-term vision and direction of the organization is a smart move.  Could this be the right time to re-evaluate the strategic plan? Are there new opportunities or a changing landscape for your services?

3. Address Bad Behavior Immediately

The last year and a half have been strange for many people when it comes to meeting etiquette and protocol.  The ability to jump from one meeting to another whether across town or across the world has become standard practice.  Wearing pajama pants and a buttoned-down Brooks Brothers dress shirt was also an acceptable practice.  But now that we’re returning to in-person, it’s important to refresh expectations and address issues right away.  It was hard for “Board Bullies” to bully others via Zoom (although, not impossible!), so prepare to encounter that and other poor behaviors.

4. Perform A Risk Assessment

There’s no denying that there will be lessons learned from the Covid-19 pandemic on a global scale.  Take this opportunity, as a Board, to perform a review of how your organization handled this crisis.  Is it time to think about creating or bolstering your rainy-day fund, is your insurance adequate, was your leadership successful?  While global pandemics are a once-in-a-career situation (hopefully) it does provide a unique opportunity to empower your organization to prepare for a future, albeit less severe, crisis.

5. Think About Recruitment

For some people, a by-product of Covid has been the decision to curtail their volunteer activities and to take more time for themselves.  The result of that decision may mean that Directors resign from your Board.  Governance committees and Executive Directors need to be prepared to recruit new board members and committee members.  While this could be a challenge, it could also present an exciting opportunity to reshape your board and strengthen your governance practices.

6. Take a Deep Breath

Regardless of how you, your leadership, or your organization fared during the last year and a half, everyone deserves the opportunity to refresh, reboot, and grieve.  Compassion fatigue is very different than burnout.  Take time to assess if you or your team is dealing with compassion fatigue and take steps to manage that reality.  As many nonprofit organizations exist to help others, many of your staff may be dealing with this and other forms of mental health challenges.  Take some time to help your teams help themselves. 

Ultimately, if your organization survived and\or thrived during the last fifteen months, there is a great deal to be proud of.  There is no “playbook” for how to handle an international, global health crisis, let alone one that would tell you how to manage a nonprofit organization through a global health crisis.  Your organization was able to manage through unprecedented time and continue to meet the needs of the people in your community.  Congratulations.

About the Author

Michael J. Buckley, CFRE is a career fundraising professional and Founder and Managing Partner of The Killoe Group. His firm assists nonprofit organizations increase revenue, exposure and capacity through smart, data driven, successive decisions and effective planning. Mike’s experience and passion for the profession of fundraising have made him a sought-after speaker, consultant and presenter. The Killoe Group’s broad experiences include annual campaign audits and management, capital campaign leadership, feasibility studies, interim program leadership, board governance, strategic planning and capacity building.