Small shop's success: Leadership makes a real difference. (Conference Coverage).

While volunteerism and fundraising are important to the success of any organization, the guidance and involvement from strong leadership is key for small shops. Taking the time to recruit quality board members and to develop a strong board can really pay.

"The most important thing is board leadership," said Charlotte Rhodes, senior director of development for Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.

One of the first factors an organization should consider when developing its leadership board is size. Rhodes finds the optimum board size to be 20 to 25 members. A carefully picked team should undertake the task of creating the board.

"A board development team or nominating committee must consist of at least an executive director or CEO, a board chair, a chief development officer and three to four very high profile board members," Rhodes told the Association of Fundraising Professionals' 38th Conference on Fundraising held earlier this year.

Once the board development team is in place, organizations should take the following steps to build the remainder of the board:

* Access organization heads to develop a strategy to recruit for the organization's needs.

* Develop board position profiles or identify qualified candidates.

* Make a case statement for recruitment.

* Research candidate sources.

* Develop a network for these sources.

* Contact and meet candidates.

* Conduct evaluations and selections.

Organizations should follow the same process when seeking to fill vacant positions on an existing board. Rhodes believes that one of the mistakes organizations often make is having an image of a board member that excludes potentially excellent candidates. "My charge to you is to find a whole new audience of people to be your board members rather than going to the same people everyone else in your community goes to," Rhodes said.

She suggested that single men, minority groups, people living in rural areas, handicapped, elders and blue-collar workers can make incredible board members or volunteers. Organizations should also always look to friends, colleagues and associates, members and patrons, donors and contributors and continuously build on their file of research sources.

In terms of the financial welfare of the organization, nonprofits need to attract board members who will lead by example. They should consider an individual's ability to contribute during the board's screening process. Rhode's strongly believes that development teams must inquire about the candidate's "fundraising aptitude," meaning is he or she willing to make contributions, contribute service, help raise money and access people and corporations with money.

"I do not know how you can raise the dollars that you need to raise and go into a major gifts donor-centered campaign if your board members have not made that commitment," Rhodes said. She went as far as to say that board members should be required to give.

Once the board is selected, organizations need to make the effort to support its ability to lead. To get what they need from their board members, organizations. should have standard operating policies that clearly define the expectations for board members. Creating interesting board meetings and conducting annual .board evaluations are also imperative.

It is important to continually nurture the relationship between board members and between the board and the organization. After a long career of working with many nonprofit boards, Rhodes has defined many strategies that can be utilized to ensure success.

She encouraged organizations to create short member profiles for each person on the board for members get to know one another. Each member should also be provided with business cards.

"I would also encourage you to establish a board reference notebook for each board member," instructed Rhodes. She also suggested developing a "board of directors readiness audit," a survey that reveals how successful the organization is in engaging and educating its board members.

Nonprofit executives should also take the time for personal interaction with board members on an individual basis. "The best way to engage a board member in leadership giving with you is through one-on-one meetings," she says. This should take place annually.

Executives and staff members should give the same kind of attention with volunteers and donors. Organizations need to become externally rather than internally focused. In terms of development, staff members can increase performance with a more active approach.

"The new trend is staff-driven. Where we used to always rely on volunteers, we find that now in most major organizations, volunteers are relying more on staff; not for us to be behind the scenes but for us to put the front foot forward in asking for major gifts."

Dana Blank is a reporter for the Denver News Bureau.