Subcommittees are composed of small groups of nonprofit board members tasked with researching or completing a specific project.
A nonprofit board can have standing committees, meaning they are always in existence, or ad hoc ones, meaning they are formed as needed and then dissolved. Whatever their form, common nonprofit board subcommittees include:
- Strategic Planning Committee – Responsible for creating the organization’s 3- or 5-year strategic plan and updating the rest of the board about its progress.
- Fundraising Committee – Responsible for identifying potential donors
- Finance Committee – In many cases, only a treasurer is needed, but if finances are complicated, an entire committee might be useful
- Special Event Committee – Responsible for overseeing the organization’s special event
- Hiring Committee – Responsible for advertising, interviewing, and making recommendations regarding new executive directors
- Membership Committee – Responsible for recruiting new board members or associate members to the organization
Often, subcommittees are best when small – with about three sitting members who have an interest and expertise in the specific area they are addressing. However, for committees that require quite a bit of legwork, such as fundraising or a special event, it can be useful to have as many members as are interested in joining.
Remember that a subcommittee should make the board’s tasks easier and actions faster. Committee members can meet more often, do more “homework” and then report back to the board at large with findings and recommendations, or with results. However, having unnecessary subcommittees can bog down the process, so use them with discretion.
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