Our nonprofit bylaws have a clause that says no two family members can serve on the board at the same time. However, I am currently president and my mom is a major donor. I want her to know where her money is going, and I think she offers value to the organization. I am not sure how others would feel. Is there a way for her to serve on board at this time?
The simplest way to make your mom eligible to serve on the board would be to change the bylaws. I am not a big fan of bylaw provisions included simply to protect an organization against itself, like anti-nepotism rules or term limits. I would rather allow the organization to consider each situation on its own merits, but I realize that many don’t want to have to discuss difficult issues that could hurt people’s feelings and prefer the safety of having the bylaws already say “no.” If you do change the bylaws, you still have to get her elected. There would be no reason to change the bylaws if she wouldn’t have enough votes to serve.
But you don’t need your mom on the board to let her know where her money is going or to get her advice. You could treat her like major donors are regularly treated by other nonprofits, with lavish attention and periodic reports, or even tours, to show exactly how her money is making a difference.
To get her advice, you could treat her as the chair of your one-person advisory committee any time you are on the phone or sharing a meal together, without having to schedule a meeting or plan an agenda. You could also set up a real advisory committee including your mom and others who discuss issues with your board periodically. Her advice might carry more weight when others hear it for themselves directly from her than if you merely tell the board what your mom suggests. Of course, if she is in the room with others, it would be harder to muzzle her crazy ideas, as every child wants to do with a parent at least some of the time. Which brings us full circle: are you sure you want your mom on the board?
Add new comment