--- title: "The 5 Ps of Onboarding New Board Members" id: "61487" type: "post" slug: "onboarding-new-board-members" published_at: "2022-01-11T21:00:25+00:00" modified_at: "2026-07-11T18:09:05+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2022/01/11/onboarding-new-board-members/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2022/01/11/onboarding-new-board-members.md" excerpt: "Here’s a cheat sheet of the essentials to set new members up for success and maximize their contribution to advancing your organization’s mission." taxonomy_category: - "Governance" taxonomy_post_tag: - "Associations Now" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_role: - "Association CEO / Executive Director" - "Director" - "Executive Team" - "VP" taxonomy_persona: - "Association Professionals" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » The 5 Ps of Onboarding New Board Members Part of the Deep Dive[Forward](https://associationsnow.com/deep-dives/all-aboard-the-ceos-board-management-toolkit/) Bringing on new board members to your association is exciting—new energy, new ideas, new experience and knowledge. But how can you onboard new members quickly, consistently and make it beneficial, both for them and the organization? “Proper onboarding not only engages that new board member, but also integrates them with the existing members,” says Cristine Carpluk, vice president of customer experience at OnBoard, a maker of board management technology. “They probably have a good amount of expertise, but what does that mean to the board? And what is their responsibility when they walk into that boardroom?” Before new board members report for service, here’s a top hits list to help you ensure a smooth and successful experience—the five Ps of onboarding. ### No. 1: Purpose It’s important to orient new board members about the association’s mission and ground them in how they can help deliver on its purpose. “It’s really getting everyone in alignment, getting everyone educated, and creating bonds between new board members and existing board members,” Carpluk says. “And to really understand what the goals of the organization are and how the new members can be effective in their roles.” ### No. 2: Present, Past and Future It’s also valuable to set the stage for where the association is now, where it came from and where it wants to go—and the missions tied to those journeys. That might include sharing past meeting minutes; current and past financials; information on strengths and weaknesses; potential threats as well as opportunities; and underlying strategic plans. “That’s where the whole digital transformation is super important for boards, especially right now with every board typically being remote because of COVID-19,” Carpluk says. “Having a board management solution can provide all members with a central repository where they can access all those materials, whether it’s historical information, board meeting minutes, financials, who the people are, bylaws and committee charters.” New members have a responsibility here too, she points out, to make sure they read through all the materials so they’re ready to be an engaged and effective addition to your board. [ASAE Staff](https://associationsnow.com/author/asae-staff/) [More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/asae-staff/) Tags: [#Associations Now](https://associationsnow.com/tag/associations-now/) **Stay Informed** [Subscribe to our free newsletter](https://associationsnow.com/newsletter/) , *Associations Now Daily News*, to find out what’s happening in the association world every business day. ## More in this Deep Dive - [Build a Board DEI Strategy to Strengthen Leadership](https://associationsnow.com/2022/01/11/build-a-board-dei-strategy-to-strengthen-leadership/) - [What It Takes to Run a Great Hybrid Board Meeting](https://associationsnow.com/2022/01/11/what-it-takes-to-run-a-great-hybrid-board-meeting/) - [The Advantages—and Realities—of a Board Election Overhaul](https://associationsnow.com/2022/01/11/the-advantages-and-realities-of-a-board-election-overhaul/) - [Should You Change Your Strategic Plan?](https://associationsnow.com/2022/01/11/should-you-change-your-strategic-plan/) - [Maintain a Healthy Board Culture in Divisive Times](https://associationsnow.com/2022/01/11/maintain-a-healthy-board-culture-in-divisive-times/) - [Successful Board Relations for Newly Minted CEOs](https://associationsnow.com/2022/01/11/successful-board-relations-for-newly-minted-ceos/) [View the full Deep Dive →](https://associationsnow.com/deep-dives/all-aboard-the-ceos-board-management-toolkit/) ## You Might Like - [VideoSmarter Board Management for Associations: An OnBoard ShowcaseJuly 24, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/07/24/smarter-board-management-for-associations-an-onboard-showcase/) - [TemplateMembers onlyMember Onboarding ToolkitNovember 5, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/11/05/member-onboarding-toolkit/) - [PodcastAssociations NOW Presents: Leading Together-Strengthening the Board-CSO PartnershipDecember 18, 2025](https://associationsnow.com/2025/12/18/associations-now-presents-leading-together-strengthening-the-board-cso-partnership/) - [PodcastAssociations Now Presents: Beyond the Tech Stack: How AI Is Changing the Association PlaybookOctober 29, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/10/29/associations-now-presents-beyond-the-tech-stack-how-ai-is-changing-the-association-playbook/) ## Comments **Comments are for ASAE members.** [Learn more about comments on this site.](https://associationsnow.com/comments/) [Log in](https://associationsnow.com/login?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fassociationsnow.com%2F2022%2F01%2F11%2Fonboarding-new-board-members%2F%23comments) to your member account or [join ASAE](https://my.asaecenter.org/select-a-membership-type/) !