Board training, mentoring and strategic planning
The success of a non-profit is closely tied to the effectiveness of its volunteer board of directors. Strong boards lead highly successful organizations. Weak boards struggle to keep underperforming organizations from failing. Bill Hoffman and Associates (BH&A) helps boards of directors gain the skills needed to set and achieve high measurable goals.
- Training and Mentoring
BH&A provides in-depth training and mentoring to ensure all board members understand their roles. BH&A’s work includes board performance assessments, which provides a benchmark for areas of improvement, and identifies opportunities for increased engagements.
- Strategic Planning
Bill has facilitated dozens of strategic planning sessions with boards large and small. His inclusive approach involves the key stakeholders so that they have the ability to provide meaningful input in the final product. The hallmark of these strategic planning sessions is a series of measurable outcomes which the organization can use and measure its success against. This includes goals for staff and board and a mechanism to assure that the plan is continuously used in order to move the organization forward.
National Nonprofit Industry Certification Programs
National certifications afford a national association the opportunity to codify training and recognize those who excel in the field. Certified leaders offer another level of professionalism and raise the level of performance for all in the field.
BH&A has experience in developing national certification programs from the ground up. This includes engaging experts in the respective fields, identifying core areas of instruction, key competencies to be communicated and confirmed, and delivering curriculum.
Terrell ISD Excellence Foundation had a committed and talented board of directors with a vision of how they could provide an impact. With no plan, they were underperforming. BH&A facilitated a strategic plan which included annual goals. Additionally, metrics were determined to monitor progress as well as tactical steps towards success. In the first year of implementing the plan, revenues increased 400%. Terrell asked BH&A to return during their next planning cycle to develop a new plan.
The Consortium of Florida Education Foundations had an annual planning process and a history of growth in established areas. However, with BH&A’s assistance, they developed a series of metrics and a goals dashboard which was used to expand its impact and communicate to board and members the progress towards goals.
Bill has a remarkable ability to bring out the best in both organizations and individuals, guiding them to realize their full potential and think strategically while remaining focused on clearly defined objectives.
Bill Hoffman brought a wealth of experience to our annual board retreat. His fresh prospective and easy-going manner encouraged frank discussions which resulted in board members who were more willing to discuss innovative ideas in planning for future growth.
My board was reluctant to hire a consultant saying they hesitated to divert dollars that could go to programs to hire a consultant to tell us something that is within our power to discover on our own. After attending a strategic planning with Bill, even the most skeptical member, (the current board president), walked away saying that the foundation received great value for our investment in Bill’s services. In reality Bill helped us to discover our power as a board and place us on a path this year with a concise and executable plan. Thanks, Bill.