It is the duty of every member of the board to make sure that the board is functioning well to lead the organization through change towards success. As a good practice, board members should schedule self-evaluation at least once every year. Access this board self-evaluation questionnaire and let it guide you through the self-evaluation process.
Take a look at our other resources curated for social impact organizations here.
Read the questionnaire below if you cannot access the above.
Individual Self-Reflection
Please share your current experiences as a board member.
- What do you see as your role in the organization?
- How are you spending your time on the work you do for the organization?
- What are your goals for your current involvement?
- How much time are you currently spending on the organization each month?
- What are some areas you feel you can contribute the most and would like to get more involved in the future?
- What do you think have been your organization’s biggest challenges in the last few months? Have these challenges been addressed? Did you proactively contribute to finding solutions to the challenges?
- Do you feel you are encouraged to proactively seek ways to contribute?
Board Evaluation and Reflection
How is the board doing as a whole?
- What do you think are the key strengths of the board?
- Is the board capitalizing on these strengths?
- What are the main weaknesses?
- How is the organization addressing these weaknesses?
- Do you feel like individuals on the board are able to voice dissenting opinions?
- Other board-related thoughts or comments?
A range of aspects for consideration: • Analysis of the Board’s structure and composition• Board recruitment process• Diversity of membership• Board induction and orientation• Board members’ knowledge of their roles and responsibilities and selection, support and training of the Chair• Commitment of Board members to the work of the Board and the organization• Tenure and independence of individual Board members• Board policies and processes including efficiency of Board meetings and decision making processes• Relationships between Board members and the capacity to address conflict constructively• Frequency and quality of information flows and presentations it receives• Board’s commitment and practice of regular reviews, including reviews of individual Directors • Frequency of Board meetings and attendance at meetings • Decision-making processes of the Board.
Board Self-Evaluation Questionnaire
