By Rachel Sams, Lead Consultant and Editor, Nonprofit Risk Management Center

Have you ever sat through a boring board presentation about risk management—complete with endless slides, spreadsheets, and metrics—and thought, “There has to be a better way?” 

The good news: You’re right! 

But we can’t tell you exactly how to do it.  

We think that’s even better news! The beauty of risk management is that your nonprofit can and should customize anything and everything, including your board and committee risk presentations. While we can’t say exactly what will work for you, we can share some principles that will help you keep board risk presentations meaningful and manageable. That will give you more time to spend on the details of exactly what to include—or what we like to call “the fun stuff.” 

Know Your Audience and What They Need 

When it’s time to draft your briefing, ground yourself in an understanding of what the board’s risk management role is—and is not. 

Nonprofit staff teams have primary responsibility for risk identification, action planning, and keeping the board apprised of the team’s approach and progress addressing top risks. 

The board’s ideal role in risk management is to: 

• ensure the organization has enough resources to manage risk well 

• consider whether the organization is taking enough risk to achieve its mission, and 

• bring board members’ diverse perspectives to the discussion about concerning developments and risks (possibilities) on the horizon. 

NOTE: If you need an additional refresher on how to forge a great risk management partnership with your board, see our article on that in this issue. 

Remember that board meetings tend to run on tight schedules. Also consider that while you may have some risk management experts on your board, most board members likely don’t have that expertise.  

Do yourself and your board a favor and give yourself plenty of time to draft your board briefing. Start well before it’s due. This will allow you time to experiment with what to include and change course if you need to. 

The Nitty-Gritty: Crafting Your Presentation 

You’ve grounded yourself in who your audience is and reminded yourself of the board’s (or committee’s) risk role. Great job! But now…you still have to draft a PowerPoint, or some other presentation format. What the heck do you put in it? Here are some guidelines to help you make that decision. 

Understand what your board seeks in a risk briefing. Have you ever asked board members what they most want to know about your risk management efforts? If not, now’s the time! Use their answers to shape your presentation. 

Stick to the 30,000-foot view. Remember that your team members are the operational experts, while your board focuses on strategy. Give your board a high-level sense of major risks and how you’re building resilience. Don’t load your presentation with details and minutia.  

Have your risk discussion with fresh minds. Schedule your risk conversation early in the meeting, before boredom and other commitments can sneak in.  

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