May 20
We had the unique pleasure of interviewing notable people in the nonprofit sector, including those whom serve on boards, to help our new web-based collaboration tool Board Management. Board Management is a new and easy-to-use platform for information that will help nonprofits run more effectively and help boards to better communicate with each other.
In order for us to ensure a great tool for our nonprofit friends, we interviewed many that would be regular users of our online software. We had the pleasure of interviewing the Executive Director of Florida Gulf Coast University Alumni Association, Kimberly Wallace. Florida Gulf Coast University Alumni Association has one mission and that is “Engaging graduates in a lifelong allegiance with FGCU and fellow alumni, cultivating opportunities for personal and professional growth after graduation, celebrating pride in the principles and achievements of FGCU and its graduates, inspiring individual investment in the university’s future.” We hope other alumni associations can use the following information that Kimberly provided as helpful tips for their current and future alumni association endeavors.
The individuals that choose to serve on boards do so because they want to contribute their expertise, collaborate with peers, and give back to the community. (nonprofitanswerguide.org) We asked Kimberly “What role do you feel a board plays in the underlying organization?” Her response to this question was that “For our organization, our board is our advocates. They are the ones who help us reach our alumni and remind them of why it is important to stay involved with the University.” It’s said that the best board members want to use their talents to make a difference. A board’s makeup should change as the institution’s goals and objectives change, it is important to actively promote board involvement within the University.
Also, Kimberly left us with one valuable tip about the associations “best practices”, “My biggest piece of advice is to have a strong set of bylaws that the organization can work off of and to attract board members that provide feedback and ideas.” Many nonprofit organizations’ think they can do away with bylaws by tossing them out the window. For a nonprofit that actively uses its bylaws, the bylaws can be an important framework.
Need to get in contact with the Florida Gulf Coast Alumni Association? Contact them today!