It is crucial to eliminate the "dead weight" from any Board.  Members who are not productive set a bad example for other members, and certainly for new members of the Board. 

 

The planning process can be used very effectively for changing a Board’s composition.  An effective analysis will show that Board’s of arts organizations must be supportive, engaged and generous.   Analyze the Boards of the most effective arts organizations and you will be able to demonstrate how a "good" Board functions.

 

Then, make one of your strategies a focus on improving the strength of your Board, delineating clearly what would determine if a Board member were truly helpful or not (e.g., what annual gift is required, how many meetings must they attend, must they serve on a committee, must they subscribe).

 

After the Board approves the entire plan, you now have the ammunition you need to work with your Board Chair and the Chair of your Nominating Committee to evaluate each Board member and to suggest to the unhelpful members that the plan indicates that it would be helpful if they would vacate their place for someone who can be more helpful at this time.