Written by Allison Howe

You joined the board because you believe heartily in the mission of your nonprofit. But it is getting harder and harder to get to those meetings. Too many responsibilities with the kids. Or the elderly parents. Or work.  Also, there are so many meetings and you think, “What am I really contributing?”  Perhaps you have nothing new to say after serving 20 years on a board with no term limits and the other board members do not want to hear, “We tried that already.”  Maybe you are a founder and find others are getting frustrated balancing your feelings with what needs to happen to move the organization forward.

It is often difficult to acknowledge that maybe you are no longer a good fit for a board. You owe it to yourself and to the nonprofit you are serving–and the people or cause that nonprofit is serving–to know when it is time to “say goodbye.”

Here are some actual examples of indicators that I have seen:

  • You do not attend board meetings and/or committee meetings.
  • You are never able to attend the biggest events/galas of the year held by the nonprofit.
  • You feel extremely stressed out by board meetings and do not see a way forward.
  • You are concerned that the organization is putting you personally at legal risk. (If you can help make it better – do not quit – they need you more than ever!)
  • You have no new ideas to contribute.  (This is a hard one.  I know that we want to have historical knowledge on the board but at some point, that is outweighed by bringing in new thoughts and ideas. You can resign from the board and still support the organization.
  • You have been on the board for too many years. How many years is too many? What about 10+? Can you really continue to have new ideas after 10 years of serving? Can you really bring in new supporters of the cause? 

Now what?  Well, you are a volunteer. Of course, we prefer to have board members leave at the end of their term.  But if you are experiencing the above, you probably are not a strong board member and the organization will be ok without you.  This does not mean that you are a bad person or even that you do not care about the cause.  

First, speak to the Board Chair, or the Governance Committee Chair to let them know your concerns. Give them space to let you know that it is ok if you step off.  Also give them space to convince you to stay as long as something will change.

If you decide to resign, do it kindly and with dignity. I can guarantee you will run into the board members you are with again and there is no need to burn bridges. Believe me, they also have mixed feelings about seeing you leave.

And once you have stepped off? It is a nice gesture to continue to support the organization, including continuing to make donations. 

Have you had the experience of knowing it was time to step off a board? Please share in the comments!