Nonprofits need to do more with less. On a positive note, staff tends to wear many hats and perform many functions while managing volunteers. On a negative note, disputes over salaries, hiring, grievances, and other personnel issues among both staff and volunteers can escalate beyond the executive director to the board of directors.
Board reactions vary. Some insist on approving every staff hire and every salary, while others leave personnel issues to the executive director. Some take an active role in addressing complaints about volunteer behavior or complaints from volunteers, while others leave it all to staff. To navigate potential personnel perils, consider instituting some of these steps:
- Follow the principle that the board as a whole governs the organization, while individual board members can be helpful advisors to staff. The executive director is responsible for disseminating and implementing personnel policies and procedures. Policies are reviewed as appropriate by the board.
- The board sets salary ranges, taking into account whether the ranges are in line with the organization’s values, if appropriate differences exist among positions and departments, if compensation is in line with similar nonprofits, and if compensation supports the ability to recruit qualified staff.
- The board establishes a board-staff Human Resources committee that works on matters relating to paid staff, including skill sets, diversity, layoffs, and compliance with local, state, and federal laws. However, the executive staff sets the individual salaries and benefits, advised by members of the HR committee, who protect the organization against favoritism. The HR committee can develop plans and strategies for deploying volunteers.
- Grievances can be filed through the HR committee or, in the case of an unresolved complaint with the executive director, filed with the board chair.
- Complaints such as improper use of funds, sexual harassment, and other potential organization-wide problems, can be brought to the attention of the board chair, who can decide whether or not the full board needs to review them.
Establishing guidelines regarding board member and staff responsibilities can strengthen your organization by providing clear areas of authority, reducing miscommunication, and creating channels to resolve problems before they fester. This can let you, the staff, and the volunteers spend less time on personnel dilemmas and more time achieving goals.
To learn more about how our firm can serve your nonprofit organization, don’t hesitate to contact Kathy Corcoran at (302) 254-8240.
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