Basic Board Development
There are two rules of thumb when it comes to creating an effective nonprofit board:

Rule #1: A good board is one that is what it needs to be.

Rule #2: Form follows function.

To help nonprofit board members decide what they need to be, Impact Strategies facilitates a process of board-building "from the inside-out."  The board is built in the following steps:

• Clarification of the core governance functions
  
  
• Identification of other areas that require board oversight
  
  
• Identification of functional areas within that may require professional guidance

Once identified, these functions are situated within an appropriate committee structure, with specific roles and responsibilities defined for each committee.

Advanced Board Development
For boards that are well organized but suffer from lack of board member engagement, Impact Strategies offers a series of training sessions based on the Governance as Leadership* framework.  Board members are led through a series of activities designed to model the various modes of thinking required for effective board leadership.  The capstone activity is a review of the existing strategic plan through the various governance lenses.

Interpersonal and Group Dynamics
Work groups of all types function better when attention is paid to how members communicate and interact.  To help a board reach its full potential, individual coaching and group training is available in key areas such as:

• Conflict Management
• Leadership Development
• Team Building
• Change Management
• Interpersonal Communication

*Governance as Leadership, Chait, Ryan, and Taylor (2005)