The Myth About Board Members

Board members are an integral part of any organization, especially a nonprofit. While they help make strategic decisions and influence the direction of the organization, they are often over-looked when it comes to driving focus and efficiency.

We met up with Dottie Schindlinger, VP of e-Governance for BoardEffect, to discuss the perception of board members and technology, and how a reputation for not being tech-savvy leaves them wanting more. Are you one of the many thinking, ‘How would we convince our board to use an online tool? Many of them are older and aren’t tech-friendly.’

‍Dottie shares, “Your board members’ age is not a good benchmark to determine whether e-governance will be a successful venture for your board. In a survey of nonprofit boards conducted by BoardEffect, there was no correlation between a board’s likeliness to use technology and the average age of its members.”

Research shows that adults ages 50+ are very active online, and that over 70% of Americans ages 50-64 use the internet—and this is the age range of almost half of all U.S. nonprofit board members. In addition, 50% of this age group own laptops, while 40% regularly use mobile devices to access the internet, a number that grows every year.*

‍Regardless of your board members’ average age, their readiness for e-governance depends more on their perceived need for improvement, a desire for greater efficiency, and their willingness to try a new way of working.*Pew Research