Using Advisory Committees

Often when Resolve is working with Not for profit boards they say that they are considering creating advisory boards or advisory committees of one kind or another. At the same time, other boards are asking for advice from us on how to disband troublesome or obsolete advisory committees. Here are some guidelines for advisory committees from Blue Avocado (a not for profit network based in the US), as well as a sample letter inviting an individual to join such a group:

The board of directors of a nonprofit organisation is its legal, governing body. In contrast, an advisory committee does not have any formal legal responsibilities. Rather, an advisory board is convened by the organisation to give advice and support.

Probably the most common experience nonprofits have with advisory committees is that they invite people successfully onto such a committee, and then fail to have that committee accomplish much of anything. So it’s worth a few minutes to consider the options for doing it right, and even whether to do it at all.

There are three common types of nonprofit advisory committees, illustrated in the following examples:

• Fundraising: Organisation W wants to invite prospective donors onto some kind of official body, but it doesn’t think these individuals would be good board members. In some cases the individuals probably don’t have the time or interest, and others are not seen as being appropriate (for a variety of reasons) for the board. By creating an advisory committee, W hopes to engage donors in a little advice-giving and a lot of donating and fundraising.
• Programmatic: Organisation X, in contrast, has a board comprised mostly of board members who see their role as primarily one of fundraising and governing the business and fiduciary aspects of the organisation. But most of the board members are not well connected to the low-income client population, nor are they experts in Environmental Advocacy — the work of the organisation. As a result, X convened an advisory committee composed of environmental experts, scientists and the like. The advisory committee meets four times a year to give input, to react to ideas from staff, and to make suggestions. Several staff and board members attend each meeting.  Typical programmatic committees include Audit, Finance, and Compliance.
• Letterhead: Organisation Y wants to use the names of prestigious friends on its letterhead but doesn’t expect or demand any other involvement. The “Advisory Council” exists only as a heading under which these names can be listed; it’s helpful to Y and it’s easy for individuals to lend their names as supporters to a nonprofit they admire and like.

Guidelines for having advisory boards

1. Develop a written description of the responsibilities, activities, and limits on authority of the advisory committee (its brief), and share this description with prospective members.
2. Distinguish between the role of the governing board of directors and the advisory committee. For example, a board of directors hires the executive director of the organisation; an advisory committee may draw up a suggested list of qualifications for the board. A board of directors can direct staff to take certain actions; an advisory committee can suggest actions to staff and can be angry if its suggestions aren’t taken, but an advisory committee can’t compel staff to act. An easy way to communicate this distinction is not to use the term “board” for the advisory group; instead use “committee” or “council.”
3. Have a board member chair the advisory committee to ensure there is a strong link back to the board and to minimise the committee straying from its brief.
4. If the main purpose of the advisory committee is fundraising, consider a different name such as “Friends of X” or “Community Leadership Council.” If you don’t have volunteer leaders who will take responsibility for organizing and driving this group, delay creating it until you have found such leaders.
5. Don’t establish an advisory committee if you cannot commit the time and thought to getting results from the group, and to making the experience meaningful and rewarding for members. Too many organisations have erred by creating advisory committee where members felt ignored, or as if they were being asked for donations in the disguise of being asked to advise.
6. Don’t be afraid to disband an advisory committee that isn’t achieving what it was established to accomplish. Consider instead asking members to be “Advisors” or a “Council of Advisors,” both terms that give a mutual sense of affiliation without implying group meetings.

Sample invitation to join an advisory committee

Dear ___________,

We would like to invite you to join the Advisory Committee of WXYZ. This committee consists of thoughtful community leaders who meet three times per year to advise the WXYZ board of directors and staff. We admire the work you have done with children in the SW neighbourhood of our city, and we would be very grateful to have your thinking as we go forward.

The responsibilities of Advisory Committee members are to:

• Attend three meetings per year, each held on a weekday from 8:00 am to 9:45 am
• Contribute your expertise and thinking to the current and future work of WXYZ
• Be available for four to five telephone calls each year from staff seeking advice
• Allow WXYZ to publish your name as a member of the Advisory Committee

In return, WXYZ promises you:

• A delicious breakfast three times a year and meetings that start and end on time
• A complimentary membership during your term on the Advisory Committee
• An appreciation of your time and a commitment not to abuse your time or your generosity
• Advisory Committee terms are for two years.

Enclosed is a roster of current Advisory Committee members, and a schedule of meetings for the coming year.

One of us will be calling you within the next few days to answer your questions and to give you a personal invitation to join the council. Thank you, and we look forward to talking with you.

Signed, Chair of the Board of Directors and the Executive Director