CHAPTER SESSION: Your Board is NOT Your Chapter

When you are passionate about your organization, it can be easy to accidently overlook the needs of other members of your organization. This is especially true for board members, because you are creating the goals and action items that your chapter is working toward. Because of this high level of involvement, board members may create programs around their personal and professional passions, not realizing that the majority of other members may not share the interest. This session will demonstrate how to make your chapter sustainable beyond your term as a nonprofit board member, while giving you a sense of pride in the work that was achieved.

In order to address how to balance your work as a volunteer with your passions for your profession, the speaker will address the areas of the chapter sustainability pyramid. The sustainability pyramid shows you how you can create a sustainable chapter by building upon each of the following areas:

• Your organizational mission and values
• Strategic planning
  
• Member Communications
  
• Community and Member Involvement
  
• Pride and Publicity
  
• Volunteers for Leadership
  
• Recruitment and Retention
  

While each level of the pyramid is important, a large portion of time during the session will be spent understanding the strategic planning component, and how it filters into all of the areas above it. This phase asks you to assess your member needs, and develop an action plan to meet the goals you create to meet those needs. This also will ask your board to consider the financial limitations, in addition to the return on investment among your members.

During strategic planning, the chapter will also determine who on the board will be responsible to ensure each goal is met. This will allow the chapter to match responsibilities up with specific roles, as well as specific interests of the volunteer. It also helps to hold everyone accountable for the work they have agreed to do.

There will also be an opportunity for attendees to share their personal recommendations on how they have managed to enjoy their experience as a volunteer chapter leader, while also meeting their professional goals and honoring their professional passions.