Called to Serve: Creating and Nurturing the Effective Volunteer Board

by Max DePree

Called to Serve is for people with questions about creating and maintaining a successful nonprofit board. How can the board of a nonprofit organization work best? Now that I'm on such a board, what should I do? How can we find the best trustees? How should I think about my work for nonprofits? What kind of relationship between a board and the staff will work best? How can we organize and develop the service of busy, committed people?

Internationally renowned CEO and best-selling author Max De Pree packs his many years of experience on nonprofit boards into these short letters directed to busy folks active in nonprofit life. Brief, clear, and -- above all -- useful, Called to Serve notes the marks of an effective board, lays out the proper work of boards, gives choices for structuring a nonprofit board, and covers the roles and relationships of board chairpersons, trustees, and presidents.

Today there are more than 1.5 million nonprofit organizations in America, with 109 million people working in this important sector of society. In spite of this surprising fact, very little training exists for this kind of service. Called to Serve is valuable not only because it fills this need but also because it comes from the pen of one of America's most experienced and respected business leaders.

Genres: Leadership, Reference

Paperback

First published July 1, 2001

About the author

Max De Pree was an American businessman and writer. A son of D. J. De Pree, founder of Herman Miller office furniture company, he and his brother Hugh De Pree assumed leadership of the company in the early 1960s, with Hugh becoming CEO and president in 1962. Max succeeded his brother Hugh as CEO in 1980 and served in that capacity till 1987; he was a member of the company's Board of Directors until 1995. His book Leadership is an Art has sold more than 800,000 copies. In 1992, De Pree was inducted into the Junior Achievement's U.S. Business Hall of Fame. He was involved with the Max De Pree Center for Leadership at Fuller Theological Seminary (established in 1996 as the De Pree Center) since its establishment. He died at his home in Holland, Michigan in 2017.

Reviews

[Jeff Turnbough · Rating 2 out of 5]

Simple stuff

This is for someone who hasn’t had experience working on boards, and even then it is simple, common sense advice. Some may like the format of the book while others will not. That is, it is based on writing notes or letters to someone to give them advice.

[Peter Krol · Rating 2 out of 5]

Short, yet elementary. Great if you've never been on a board before and don't know what a board does.

[Eric · Rating 5 out of 5]

At our inception as the Board of the Co:Here Foundation in 2012, our forward-thinking Chair (Michael) invited us all to his home, prepared us dinner, and presented each of us with this book. It's short, concise and impactful. Written by the founder of HermannMiller, the high-end US office furniture designer/manufacturer. Read it.

[Ronald J. Pauleus · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this read.

“Never forget that non-profit work, like no other endeavor, engages our choice, our hearts, and our spirits.”

[Chris Motz · Rating 1 out of 5]

“I hope that you haven’t found my ramblings tedious or too detailed.”

I felt like I just read a book of under-developed ramblings. I didn’t disagree with much per-say, but, I did not learn much.

[Christin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a series of letters with advice about how to run a nonprofit board. It has wise general advice that is applicable to boards of all types of nonprofits.

[Raffi · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a short book for board members. The author doesn't delve into the details of a functioning board, but hovers over the high level concepts and the why and how a board can work seamlessly.

[Reid · Rating 4 out of 5]

Max De Pree instructs a friend about the nature of non-profit boards.

In order to remember the content, I outline the book below.

THE MARKS OF AN EFFECTIVE BOARD
-has a mission statement
-nurtures strong personal relationships
-stays in touch in touch with its world
-does very good planning
-gives itself competent and inspirational leadership
-works seriously at the growth, needs, and potential of its membership
-provides to the institution WISDOM, WEALTH, WORK, and WITNESS
-is intimate with its responsibilities
-decides what it will measure and does it
-plans for time reflection
-says 'thanks'

THE WORK OF THE BOARD

THE DESIGN OF THE BOARD STRUCTURE

THE ROLE OF THE CHAIRPERSON

WHAT DOES A TRUSTEE PROMISE?
-faithfulness and commitment to the organization and what it stands for
-decide what to promise
-establish strong covenantal relationships
-establish pertinent and compassionate ways to measure what matters
-some personal guidelines: don't try to manage, separate self from issues

A CHAIRPERSON'S GUIDE
-build community
-design the agenda
-use the bell curve
-be a good communicator
-practice hospitality
-hold the group accountable

LIVING WITH TENSIONS

WHAT THE BOARD OWES THE PRESIDENT
-mandate
-trust
-space
-care


As I read this book, what impressed me was how much intentional effort is required for all concerned to have a successful enterprise.

[Bethany · Rating 4 out of 5]

Highly practical, this book is a quick read but really dense. It is written conversationally, from a mentor to his mentee, and discusses the formation, role, and responsibilities of a nonprofit board. De Pree aims to inspire, not bore, boards, and encourages his mentee to select, challenge, and inspire good people to serve well.

Recommended to anyone who works with nonprofit boards in any capacity.

[Mark Isaak · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is written for non-profit organizations large enough that the board and the officers serve clearly separate functions, which does not apply to my own involvement. Still, I found one or two bits of useful advice, and the book is pleasantly short.

[Ashley Jacobson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked how short and to the point this book was. If you are a part of or are running a committee/ board for a non-profit, this book is helpful with providing some points to help make the committee better.if you are looking for something that digs deep... It's not this book.

[Sundi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Helpful and insightful.

[Julie]

Board leadership essentials

This book was written as a series of letters giving a concise summary of the essentials for board members. A good reminder of what good leaders do.