Performance assessments often raise anxiety and even fear. Many people associate them with judgment, bias,
and the need to defend one’s actions. However, without appropriate monitoring and feedback, it is difficult to
evaluate whether your board is meeting goals and embracing recommended practices. This is where a board self-
assessment becomes an important tool. In fact, BoardSource recommends that your board should be engaging in a comprehensive governance self-assessment every two to three years.
Here are six signs indicating that it may be time for your board to assess its performance (and there are more!)
Assessments provide an opportunity for boards to identify areas in need of improvement and then create and implement board development plans to address their weaknesses. While some boards choose to engage in board assessment every year, BoardSource recommends doing so every two to three years. This allows more time between assessments for boards to implement their board development plans. Looking at the differences between assessments from different years is a great way to track your improvement in specific areas.
Leading with Intent: 2017 National Index of Nonprofit Board Practices shows that discernable differences in
performance exist between boards that assessed their performance in the past two years and those that assess less
frequently, reinforcing the importance of regular reflection on performance.
Download the field at the beginning of the page for the full report.