The Importance of Ongoing Board and Staff Training
The world changed pretty drastically in 2020. First we had the arrival of the coronavirus pandemic and then we had protests for racial justice across the United States. Those two things have altered the landscape of employee relations and the level of awareness and sensitivity that leaders must have.
Diversity awareness and sensitivity training has always been important for nonprofits, especially those serving diverse populations. But it’s even more critical now as topics like institutional bias and systemic race are being talked about much more openly, and in some cases, those conversations are happening when employees haven’t talked in person in months due to office closures and furloughs.
We recommend that organizations consider diversity training for their board and all employees before staff members return to the office and regular programming resumes. With sometimes heated debate occurring around the topic of racial justice right now, being proactive with training can help reduce the risk of discrimination claims or tension among team members.
Training shouldn’t merely focus on legal risk, but also on historical context and appropriate language. You need someone who can explain the history and context of these important issues and how they still impact people today. The training should look at the broader picture of identifying ways to make your employees or volunteers feel safer in your building and community. For example, if your nonprofit is located in an office building with an armed security guard stationed in the lobby, it’s important to understand how that might feel unwelcoming to some visitors to your office and could impact their overall willingness to utilize the services you offer.
While diversity training is a critical topic right now, it’s just one part of the ongoing training your organization should have for the board, employees, and even volunteers. Other important training topics include board governance, legal obligations of the board, and policies and procedures.
If you are following best practices, about one third of your board will turn over each year. This prevents burnout and founder’s syndrome, and it widens your organization’s circle of influence. As new members join your board, they may not have experience in nonprofit governance. An annual board training helps get everyone on the same page and prevents personality conflicts due to lack of understanding.
“An annual board training helps get everyone on the same page and prevents personality conflicts due to lack of understanding.”
Board training instills confidence in a new board member who may not understand exactly what their role requires. It alerts them to the ins and outs of legal obligations regarding paperwork they need to file and helps them understand the important difference between advertisement and sponsorship. Training is not designed to ensure board members remember every detail of the rules or policies, but rather it gives them a framework to understand the questions they should be asking and where to find the answers. It helps them understand when they should contact an attorney to ensure they are complying with all relevant laws and filing the correct forms.
Your staff also needs ongoing training to help them perform their jobs better and with less conflict. Staff members may not turn over as frequently as board members, so training sessions may not need to occur annually, but it’s important to schedule trainings anytime policies or procedures are changing or when new staff members join the team.
Rather than just handing new employees an employee handbook to read, take the time to have someone teach them how your organization runs. Give them direction on rules and procedures, as well as a framework of who to turn to when questions and problems arise. Knowing the structure and where to turn with questions gives your employees the freedom to focus on the job they were hired to do.
If your organization is struggling with staff not following policies or procedures, that’s also a good time to schedule some training. Failure to follow policy creates risk and makes your organization less effective. A refresher training on policies and procedures helps get everyone on the same page and provides opportunity to learn and grow together.
Training for both your board and staff is an important part of running a nonprofit efficiently and effectively, but especially following the disruptions of coronavirus and racial justice protests or anything similar that might happen in the future. As leaders of nonprofits, we must create an open, inclusive environment for everyone our organization interacts with and understand the legal risks if we don’t properly train our board and our employees.
