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Board Composition Matrix

Introduction

BoardOnTrack recommends that each board committee has members with certain skills and experiences.  The list below indicates the skills and experience we recommend.  Items that have an asterisk (*) are skills or experiences we believe are absolutely necessary for that committee; items without an asterisk are "nice to have" or the need for them is dependent on each school's particular situation.  Please note that in most situations, BoardOnTrack recommends four standing committees (Governance, Finance, Development, and Academic Excellence). In addition, most boards need task forces for a CEO Evaluation and Support, Facilities, and Human Resources/Personnel.

Skills/Expertise Analysis

Complete the chart below for your board.  When considering where your board will choose to add skills or expertise, make sure to keep in mind the term limits of current trustees.  Succession planning to fill key skills well in advance of needs is one of the most important things a board can do.

Non-Board Committee Members are committee members who do not serve on the board.  Many schools have found it is helpful to have non-board members serving on committees to round out the skills they need, spread out the workload, and provide a pipeline for future board members.

 

Current Board Members

Current Non-Board Committee Members

Non-Board Committee Members to Add in 2013–14

Board Members to Add in 2013–14

Non-Board Committee Members to Add in 2014–15

Board Members to Add in 2014–15

Non-Board Committee Members to Add in 2015–16

Board Members to Add in
2015–16

Finance

CFO*

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Accounting*

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Financial policies and controls*

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Investing

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Governance

Legal*

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Prior Governance Experience*

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Strength in cultivating new trustees

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Academic Excellence

Strong analytical skills*

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Experience managing for results

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Note: Members of the Academic Excellence Committee need not have a deep background in education. The role of the committee is to monitor results and ask the CEO smart questions that help them to think through their data and their responses to the data. Over time, The High Bar has found that board members who have strong analytical skills and are dedicated to the mission often make the best Academic Excellence Committee members, regardless of limited background in education.

Skills/Expertise Analysis

 

Current Board Members

Current Non-Board Committee Members

Non-Board Committee Members to Add in 2013–14

Board Members to Add in 2013–14

Non-Board Committee Members to Add in 2014–15

Board Members to Add in 2014–15

Non-Board Committee Members to Add in 2015–16

Board Members to Add in
2015–16

Development

Individual donor cultivation experience*

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PR and Marketing*

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Event planning

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Facilities

Construction/ project management*

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Real estate finance*

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Real estate law

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total number of board members:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BoardOnTrack recommends that: (1) Each committee be chaired by a full board member (2) a board have enough members to have 2–3 board members on each committee (3) trustees only serve on one committee (4) the Chair should not serve on a committee.  For most boards, this requires between 11 and 13 board members.

Demographic Analysis

In addition to having the key skills and experiences, high performing boards generally have previous governance experience, are diverse in terms of age and ethnicity, and have members who live in the city/community that the school serves. Use this information to inform your plans for board expansion.

Name

Previous Board Experience

Total Number of Boards Served

Age

Ethnicity

Live in same city as school

Complete Board Service in 2013–14

Complete Board Service in 2014–15

Complete Board Service in 2015–16

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Qualities Analysis

In addition to having the key skills and experiences, high performing boards outline key qualities they are looking for in trustees. Below collect data on your current board.  Then, track which board members will complete their terms in the coming three years.  Use this information to inform your plans for board expansion.

 

Name

Excel at Group Process

Startup Temperament

Problem Solving Skills

Other You Want to Add

Other You Want to Add

Complete Board Service in 2013–14

Complete Board Service in 2014–15

Complete Board Service in 2015–16

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


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