Success Stories

Building and Managing an Effective Advisory Committee

In the last issue of Literacy Links, my article “Energizing Your Advisory Committee Meeting” focused on planning, structuring and running an effective Advisory Committee meeting. But an effective Advisory Committee (AC) does not just begin with a well-run meeting. Program Directors must first build a committee of outstanding community members and program stakeholders “to review the activities of, and make recommendations to, the fiscal agent in planning, developing, and evaluating the adult education program.” Source: The provisions of this section 89.28 adopted to be effective September 1, 1996, 21 TexReg 5690.

During his presentation at the Texas Association for Literacy and Adult Education (TALAE) in January 2005, Dr. Richard A. Griffin emphasized the importance of recruiting capable committee members, providing them with the training and information needed to serve effectively, and clearly communicating the program’s expectations of their service.

A strong AC has members who, individually, have expertise and abilities that will contribute to the functioning of the committee as a whole. A strong candidate for the AC also has personal connections with strategic segments of the community that the program serves. What are some of the characteristics that program directors must keep in mind when recruiting AC members?

Every member of the committee must be an avid supporter of Adult Education. It’s always good to have respected community members who love to let everyone know about the important work being done in your adult education program. It is also important to have both creative thinkers who help energize the committee and team players who can come together to complete tasks and reach decisions. And committee members must be willing to learn the laws, regulations, and performance expectations that guide your program. Lastly, it is important to have at least one AC member from your local Workforce Board to facilitate cooperative educational efforts.

The recruitment of AC members is often the responsibility of the program director. However, some programs have a standing committee called the Governance Committee that assists the program director with recruitment. This is more often the case in programs that operate through a Board of Directors and are funded from multiple sources including local charity organizations and the literacy program’s own fundraising efforts. The “flip side” of recruiting members is rotating members off the Board or AC. It is good to have a term limit policy in place so that “long term” members do not become ineffective and so that new skills can be brought in.

Once someone agrees to serve on the AC, a critical phase in the relationship between program director, new committee member, and the AC begins. Induction and orientation of new members is crucial to their future productivity and commitment to the program.

During induction, new members need to tour the facility and meet the staff. The program director should clarify the purpose and obligations of the AC and relate any special expectations of AC members. Then, new members must learn the program policies and procedures as well as the current membership of the AC. New members will need to understand past performance measures and the current budget. Finally, the program director should reveal any critical issues currently facing the program.

The greatest tool for induction and orientation is a comprehensive AC Operating Procedures Handbook. Although it can be a major effort to produce, an Operating Procedures Handbook can ensure that, even though members join the committee at different times, each member has been given the same information. It is the “Textbook” for new members and the “Handbook” for experienced members of the AC. New members can refer to the handbook for answers to most questions, and the director can rest easier knowing that all committee members have the same information.

Operating Procedures Handbooks should include:

• Meeting dates and times
• Member roles and responsibilities
• A profile of program services
• Performance measures
• Communication and input processes
• Committee assignments
• Advisory Committee Annual Evaluation

For a more detailed list of items to include in Board Handbooks, go to the “Board Essentials” page of Board-Source.org.

The ability to communicate quickly with the members of your board or committee is essential. Email can speed up message distribution and keep costs down. Announcements, program news, and meeting reminders will keep AC members knowledgeable and involved. After a meeting, email is a great way to distribute the meeting minutes for review and revision.

I wrote in my last article (Literacy Links, May 2005) that meeting agendas and readings should go out to committee members 5 to 10 days before the meeting. Email this information unless it is impossible to do so. Also, an email list can facilitate member participation in the discussion of program issues and other committee activities between regularly scheduled meetings. Be sure to have members use the “Reply to All” distribution method so that no one is “out of the loop.”

Sources used in this article and available through TCALL:

The Board Building Cycle: Nine Steps to Finding, Recruiting, and Engaging Nonprofit Board Members. Sandra R. Hughes, Berit M. Lakey, and Marla J. Bobowick. Washington, DC: Board-Source, 2000. This is an excellent Board Management resource.

Meeting the Challenge: An Orientation to Nonprofit Board Service. Washington, DC: BoardSource, 1998. The 35-minute video with 16 page user guide features interviews with board members, chief executives, and experts in the field of board governance as they share their experiences and insights into nonprofit board service.

The PowerPoint presentation How to Conduct an Advisory Committee Meeting at the Local, Regional, or State Level (January 2005) by Dr. Richard A. Griffin, consultant, and Joanie Rethlake, State Director of Adult Education and Family Literacy, is available on the TCALL Web site.

...for those who do fundraising
Fearless Fundraising for Nonprofit Boards, Revised Edition. Worth George. Washington, DC: BoardSource, 2003. Written for the individual board member, this book presents ways to motivate and empower board members so they wholeheartedly involve themselves in fundraising activities.