Join our Nonprofit Good News-Letter
You can do this!
As noted in my last post, many nonprofit boards have work to do to improve their governance and oversight roles. The good news is that competence gaps are a fixable problem. Boards are made up of volunteers, and no one comes in knowing everything. Every board has learning curves. With the right strategies, nonprofit leaders and boards can assess their weaknesses and deliberately close those gaps. Here are some actionable strategies to build a more capable, resilient board:
Regular board evaluations, including both self-assessments and peer evaluations, help to identify blind spots. Many boards also benefit from an external facilitator conducting a governance review. The assessment results should be discussed openly and turned into a short improvement plan. Treat board development as an ongoing process, not a one-time event. Results should inform concrete improvement plans and be revisited annually.
A board skills matrix can identify gaps in areas such as finance, fundraising, legal expertise, technology, and lived experience. List the key skills and experiences that your organization needs at the board level, such as financial oversight, fundraising, legal, program domain knowledge, HR, technology, etc., as well as demographic diversity and lived experience relevant to your mission. Then map your current board against these needs to spot gaps. Use this analysis to drive recruitment: craft competency-based board member job descriptions that specify the gaps you’re looking to fill. Recruitment should be intentional and aligned with organizational needs and diversity goals.
Substantial onboarding, mentoring, and ongoing learning should be standard. Too many organizations bring new board members on with little more than a handshake and a binder of bylaws. Instead, institute a thorough board orientation and continuous learning program. Brief learning segments at board meetings and external training opportunities can steadily build competence.
Boards often shy away from evaluating themselves or holding each other accountable for fear of awkwardness. But a competent board can police itself constructively. Clear expectations, annual evaluations, and constructive intervention when performance lapses are essential. Boards function best when accountability and mutual support coexist.
Board development should align with strategic priorities and be treated as a governance risk within risk management frameworks. For instance, if your nonprofit is embarking on a digital transformation, does your board have technology expertise? If not, part of your strategy should be acquiring or developing that expertise through recruitment or training. Skill gaps should be tracked and addressed proactively.
Nonprofit leaders don’t have to solve board competence challenges alone. There is a wealth of resources and support available. Programs like the Standards for Excellence® provide practical governance benchmarks. Many funders support capacity-building investments, recognizing that board competence strengthens long-term resilience. (Full disclosure: I wrote the educational packets for the Standards' risk management and ethics sections, and I served as the President of the national Standards Council for a number of years. I am a vocal supporter of these governance materials.)
Board competence is both a threat and an opportunity. When boards invest in knowledge, skills, and self-awareness, organizations benefit from better strategy, stronger oversight, and improved risk management. Ignoring competence gaps invites crisis, while addressing them builds resilience.
In my work with nonprofits, I emphasize a candid, supportive approach that treats board development as a shared responsibility. Tools such as Lean Strategic Planning, application of best practices like the Standards for Excellence, and the Foundations for Growth framework help boards identify and close competence gaps before they become threats.
Recognizing board competence as a core governance risk is the first step. Taking deliberate action transforms that risk into a source of strength. With sustained attention and commitment, your board can evolve into a capable, confident governing body prepared to lead through both stability and disruption.