The Annual NFP Board Wellbeing Survey, conducted by the Institute of Community Directors Australia, gives voice to the experiences of over 570 not for profit board members across Australia. Board member wellbeing is critical because stressed or disengaged directors can affect organisational sustainability, and the effectiveness of the services NFPs deliver to the community.
Messages from the data include:
- Wellbeing is widely valued yet inconsistently supported over and above compliance requirements
- Many boards are struggling but some boards report no stress
- Culture and leadership shape the wellbeing of board members
- There is a policy gap when it comes to wellbeing, but there is also appetite for changing that
- Responses to wellbeing challenges must be tailored to individual organisations, to reflect the breadth of the sector.
The data reveals how governance structures that help to determine workload, compliance and culture directly affect board members’ willingness to stay involved, and describes clear pathways for change.
This sector-leading survey is specific to community board members rather than staff. The board members surveyed come from diverse organisational types and sectors, so the survey provides a broad snapshot of governance and wellbeing across Australia’s NFP landscape.
To view the ICDA report in full, click here.