Working from Within: Your Board of Directors

A Case Study of the ECHN Community Healthcare

Foundation

Sondra Lintelmann-DellaripaPhilanthropy Performance Management, Inc.

sondrad@att.net860-575-5132

Board Development Case Study

Outline history of ECHN Community Healthcare Foundation Board of Trustees

Share detail on Audit/Assessment and outcomes

Tactical steps in delivering audit results and engaging board in next steps

Universal truths in successful Board Development

• ECHN is a network healthcare system comprised of two hospitals, a long term care and short term rehab facility, a women's wellness center, a free standing cancer services center, and numerous MOB delivering radiology, primary and specialty care.

•The ECHN Community Healthcare Foundation is a separate 501c3 from the ECHN system.

ECHN, Inc.

Manchester Memorial Hospital

Rockville General Hospital

ECHN EldercareServices, Inc.

d/b/aWoodlake at

Tolland

ECHN WellnessServices. Inc.

d/b/aWomen’s Center

for Wellness

ECHN HealthServices, Inc.

ECHNEnterprises,

Inc.

ECHN Community Healthcare

Foundation, Inc.

ECHN Structure

• The Foundation was formed to remove liability from the corporate organization and to coordinate the planning of philanthropy, while ensuring the donor’s funds are used toward the programs or facilities of the donor’s choice.

• Consolidated In August of 2000, after the merger of Manchester Memorial Hospital and Rockville General Hospital

• Today, the Foundation’s responsibilities include:• annual giving• major gifts• planned giving• grants• events• on occasion capital campaigns.

•The Foundation is also responsible for coordinating the fundraising efforts among the affiliates and within specific departments in order to prevent duplicate solicitations and to manage the cultivation, solicitation and stewardship of all donors.

The ECHN Community Healthcare Foundation

ECHN Foundation BoardHistory

Manchester Memorial Hospital’s Development Fund was a separate 501(c) 3 entity from the hospital. Its Board was responsible for overseeing the raising of funds to support the capital and programmatic and service needs of Manchester Memorial Hospital.

At Rockville General Hospital, the Development and Public Relations Committee of the Board served as the fundraising and community relations arm for Rockville General Hospital, Woodlake at Tolland and the Women’s Center for Wellness.

After merger, Board development:• Unclear vision• Lacked role/responsibility definition• Factions focused on mutually exclusive goals• Micromanaging• Lacked new perspectives

ECHN Foundation AuditIn 2005 an Audit and Assessment was performed by Donovan, Slone and

Guthrie.Highlight findings, specific to Board:

“ The Foundation Board and committee members are dedicated to ECHN, but Board members and committee members primarily view their role as oversight of Foundation staff and not as active solicitors on behalf of the Foundation.”

“The Foundation Board is inconsistent in solicitation, improperly structured, confused in regards to role in philanthropy, and overlaps with the Operating Board. Board members are inconsistently involved outside of formal board meetings and the Planned Giving Committee. Foundation Board membership is not viewed as prestigious as the Operating Board.”

“There is minimal cross-over of Foundation Board on operating board nominating and finance and investment committees; there is little communication about philanthropy at ECHN Board meetings.”

ECHN Foundation Audit Recommendations

Recommendations from the Audit/Assessment:

• Require more accountability of Board members (some trustees indicate they do not feel accountable for goal achievement and others state they are willing to solicit, yet not all calls being made; staff and volunteer leadership needs to be precise in stating expectations).• Implement Board self-evaluation process based on clearly articulated roles and responsibilities with annual review and follow up with each Board member by the Vice President of Development. • Review Section 3.3 Election and Term, in Foundation bylaws, to reflect current years or be changed to be more generic with regard to the three groups of Trustees. • Review the identification and nomination process to broaden the scope of potential Trustee candidates.

Philanthropy Summit 2006

May 10, 2006, 5:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.AGENDADinner………………………………………………………………………………………5:30 - 6:00 p.m.

Reception and Welcome …………………………………………………………………6:00 - 6:30 p.m.

Welcome (H. Fitts, ECHNCHF) •Importance of Philanthropy to ECHN ( P. Karl, ECHN)•Intro to the Planning Process (S. Dellaripa, ECHNCHF)

Overview/Report on Findings (David R. Slone, FAHP, Donovan Slone & Guthrie) 6:30 – 7:15 p.m.•Strategic Philanthropy•Program Findings•Philanthropy Strategic Platform

Breakout Groups (All)……………………………………………………………………..7:15 – 8:00 p.m.•Mission, Vision, Values•Strategic Imperatives•Facilitators/Inhibitors to Plan Achievement

Report Out/Discussion (All)……………………………………………………………….8:15 - 8:45 p.m.

Summary, Next Steps and Closing Remarks (Slone/Dellaripa)………………………8:45 – 9:00 p.m.

Summit follow up

Agreement on summit outcomes document by Trustee group at post

Summit meeting

Development of Board Assessment Task Force *

Development of Board subcommittees

Annual Fund Corporate Relations Planned Giving Major Gifts Physician Leadership

Partnership with Board Chairman, bi monthly

Personal one on ones

Education/Training Formal Sessions Informal

• VP Reports• Between Boards• Articles

Highlight Board Member role fulfillment at meetings

Board Assessment Task ForceMission of the Board Assessment Task Force

To create and steward a process to develop an effective board that is conscious of its own role and responsibilities, motivated by mission of the organization, willing and able to actively participate in board leadership, and qualified to guide the organization toward progress.

Charge-Ensure effective board processes, structures and roles, including board evaluation and retreat planning. Identifies needed board member skills, suggests potential members to the Foundation Board for placement into the ECHN Trustees Governance Committee nomination process and orients new members.

Board Assessment Objectives-Analyze current board strengths against this matrix and identify gaps of opportunities for growth.Design a cultivation plan for identifying new board member prospects for nomination to the governance committee.Develop an orientation process for new board members and ongoing training requirements for sitting board members.Write a set of board development policies, for recommendation to the Foundation board for adoption.Develop a board evaluation model for Foundation board use in self evaluation.

BATF Syllabus

September 7IntroductionReview Task Force Mission and ChargeReview of syllabus of Task Force for next 6 meetingsMatrix reviewAssess matrix outcomes against mission of FoundationDetermine key qualifications needed to fill gaps in current Board makeup

September 21Review and revise recommended Board Member Job DescriptionsReview Best Practices in Board Member recruitmentDefine Recruitment process

October 5Board Orientation ProgramOutline Orientation Components Define Orientation Process Define ongoing training requirements

October 19Review Board Orientation Program components/TimelineStandard materials and Key contactsReview best practices in mentor programsDefine mentor program for ECHN Foundation Board

November 2 Review and revise recommended Board

Development Policy for adoptionNovember 16

Review best practices in Board Evaluation ModelsCompose ECHN Foundation Board Evaluation Program

November 30Final review of items to be presented

Gap Analysis and Recruitment Plan

Job Descriptions Orientation and Ongoing Training Program

Board Development Policy Evaluation Model

Universal truths

We cannot change people. People have to want to change themselves.

• Three things need to be present:• A clear vision of the current and future state, with benefits • The change has to be more personally beneficial than their current state of being• They have to feel secure and supported, confident in your ability to

assist

• Bring Board into the process, do not alienate, dictate or preach• Identify needs• Extract their vision• Stay close and keep communication open and frequent• Process is most important – building relationship. Product will follow.

Summary

• Establish a benchmark/baseline through an independent Audit/Assessment

• Allow/expect Board leadership role in process

• Partner with Board Chair for close team effort

• Establish agreed upon role/responsibility documents

• Provide for meaningful participation of Board members in NPO mission

• Share/Communicate frequently