by Neil Ranu, LAPCS Governance Director
Many charter school boards use the summer as a time to hold their annual board retreats.
With school out of session, boards have the time and space to reflect on the year that passed and plan for the year ahead.
The key to a productive retreat is planning. Be intentional. Know what you want your school and your board to get out of the retreat.
Nonprofit expert, Joan Garry, offers five tips and a sample agenda for designing board retreats that are valuable, memorable, and actionable:
The “WHY” is clear and strategic.
Each board member feels a sense of ownership of the success of the retreat.
The work must come to life at the retreat.
The staff must authentically engage and value the input and insights of the board members.
The board should leave feeling a real sense of camaraderie with fellow board members.
Additional guidance on successful retreats can also be found at NonprofitPro and Bloomerang.
Remember, board members and staff are setting aside one or two days to attend your board retreat. You must make it worthwhile.
We are here to help. The Top Shelf can help design and facilitate your next board retreat. Contact us to begin preparing now.