When organizing your non-profit board retreat, consider board members’ time and help them make the most of it by picking the right non-profit board retreat topic to discuss. The quickest way to do this is to pick an overarching theme or central topic for discussion. This way, board members can focus on your chosen topic to help ensure they get the most out of the meeting and spend most of their time on something they may not usually get the chance to discuss.

To avoid board members talking about the most recent events and challenges, your topic needs to be meaningful and thorough but also span broad enough to allow room for creative solutions. Board members should leave the retreat with solid suggestions on how to better improve your non-profit. Look for tips on choosing a topic below.

Risk Management. What are the biggest risks facing your non-profit? And what are their sources — for example, a limited donor base, an eroding endowment, volatile financial investments, an insufficient number of volunteers, or lawsuit threats? Determine whether risks are properly monitored by particular individuals in your organization. Are there ways to mitigate them, such as with insurance or an enterprise risk management program?

Financial Reporting. What financial information would your board members like to see that they don’t currently receive? How would they use that information? Are there accessible and inexpensive technology tools that could improve financial reporting if you used them? Consider including a session on how to read non-profit financial statements.

Program Optimization. Constituent needs change over time, so your non-profit should continually monitor the use and outcomes of your programs, as well as the funding and staff resources dedicated to them. Which programs should you create, grow, or discontinue? How can you better benchmark program performance and evaluate results?

Employee Satisfaction. What can the board do to promote employee morale when many staffers may be facing multiple pain points at work and home? Consider compensation and traditional benefits as well as perks such as working remotely and a casual dress code. Factor in promotions and the path available to management positions. Also, how well does your organization communicate with staffers?

Attracting New Donors. Is your non-profit doing all it can to add new supporters to the fold — a move that can help ensure its sustainability? Explore what fundraising techniques and recruiting methods work best. Should your non-profit put more emphasis on, for instance, social media appeals, corporate engagement, or participation in events such as Giving Tuesday?

Be sure to notify board members of your topic (or let them choose one) well in advance of the retreat to give them a chance to think about and research it. They should have enough time to learn how peer organizations are tackling similar issues or what financial professionals advise. Contact us for more suggestions when coming up with your non-profit board retreat topic based on your non-profit’s specific challenges.