Organizations thrive on outside perspectives: Sometimes it takes the participation of somebody who isn’t in your association’s bubble to see where your challenges are. The entire consultant industry is built on this notion, and though just about everybody can share a story where that outside perspective was ill-informed or even tin-eared, the process generally helps organizations avoid insularity and identify blind spots.

But this thinking often doesn’t apply to governance. Boards are generally made up of people within an association’s industry, and typically long-tenured members. There are good reasons for that kind of leadership pipeline and industry expertise, but broader perspective-taking isn’t usually baked into board structures.

An article in the Stanford Social Innovation Review suggests one way of addressing that problem: A nonprofit board fellows program (NBFP), in which business-school students partner with nonprofits, serving as nonvoting board members. The board gets some pro bono assistance on governance tasks, and students get some real-time schooling in governance.

The authors of the piece, business scholars David Finegold and Ben Marshall, mainly focus on the benefits for the students and schools, which are substantial: “training in governance (both nonprofit-specific and general); exposure to board culture; and the development of transferable skills like effective communication.” But the organizations get something out of it too: “nonprofit partners are grateful for the chance to develop emerging leaders and to have capable people deliver fresh perspectives and strategically important work that the organization otherwise lacks the resources to pursue,” they write.

It may be that your association doesn’t have trouble staffing the kinds of projects that a NBFP would provide assistance with pro bono; the concept is certainly a more obvious fit for charitable nonprofits, which need more organizational assistance and a pipeline of outside business leaders to serve on their boards down the line.

But associations might still consider how a governance fellowship might work in terms of their own needs. Associations often have particular skills gaps that it has a hard time filling at the board level; they may want to connect with younger aspiring leaders and newer trends in management; they may want to spread the word about their industry; and they may simply want the kind of perspective that an outsider can provide.

Associations might also want to look at rising leaders among its membership for consideration as fellows. It gives participants an opportunity to “road test” what board service is like, from orientation to strategy-setting to decision-making. Serving as a board fellow also helps promote governance best practices through the organizational pipeline, and builds a mentorship element into board service. 

Different associations will have different levels of tolerance for how much it can support nonvoting “at large” fellows. (And the bylaws may put further restrictions on such a plan.) But ultimately what all associations want are effective and engaged boards, and an outside perspective can help with that. As Brian Peckrill, an NBFP supporter quoted in the SSIR article notes, programs work best when everyone “practice[s] appreciative inquiry. Most leadership development occurs when our fellows get to know their nonprofits and the clients they serve, experience the real challenges these stakeholders face, and are forced to re-examine their assumptions.” And a clear look at challenges and assumptions is something all associations want, no matter who’s sitting at the boardroom table.