If you’re reading this, you have likely worked with nonprofit board members in some capacity - perhaps as a coach, a nonprofit staff member or executive, a funder, or even as a board member yourself. Having the right board members engaged in useful ways can prove critical to the success of an organization, support its leadership to navigate challenges and transitions, to prioritize goals and to pivot when necessary.

Yet high levels of board engagement - where board members go above and beyond - can be difficult for many executive directors to foster. As members of Leadership Learning Community’s board, we saw our 2018 retreat as an opportunity to reshape our board culture. LLC grounds leadership for social change in shared responsibility that arises out of trusting relationships, authenticity, and generosity. With four new members and a new Board Chair transitioning in over the past 18 months, it was the perfect opportunity to intentionally build a board culture that leaned further into LLC’s values and approaches.