Retreating Forward: The Benefits of Retreats for Non-Profit Boards

In April the board of directors of the Saskatchewan Arts Alliance gathered in Saskatoon for our annual retreat. The agenda for the weekend included, among other things, a discussion about finances and the initial work to revise policies regarding reserve funds for the organization. However, as part of the retreat we also had the opportunity to participate in a sweat-lodge ceremony led by Elder Joseph Naytowhow. For many of us, including me, it was a new experience, and it was incredible – out of respect for the importance of the ceremony I won’t detail any specifics, but suffice it to say, if you are privileged to be invited to participate in a sweat-lodge ceremony I strongly encourage you to take part.

Although I don’t want to talk about specifics, I do want to highlight some of the benefits of the ceremony. One thing I found salutary about participating in the sweat-lodge ceremony as part of the board retreat is that it had the effect of having everyone coming together to commit to a common purpose. While I think this intention is implicit in any board retreat, in this case that intention was enhanced. An open group-discussion the next day about what we experienced and what we took away from participating also helped highlight this and bridged the gap between the sweat-lodge ceremony and the later policy discussion.

Another benefit of the sweat-lodge ceremony is that it is a very intimate experience; undertaking it together with my fellow board members helped me connect with them on a very personal level. This was particularly helpful when it came to the financial discussions we undertook the next day. Part of our discussion was led by the Director, Finance & Strategic Operations of the South Saskatchewan Community Foundation, Adam Hicks. Adam has a keen financial mind, and is able to present intimidating financial information in an accessible way (take a look at his recent TEDx talk at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qOUG66Z1UY if you want to see him in action). But I want to give particular kudos to Adam because he took the time to travel to Saskatoon and spend an additional night there so that he could join us in the sweat-lodge ceremony. Personally, having participated in that experience with Adam the night before removed some of the perceived barriers to taking in his presentation. It was easier for me to receive the benefit of his expertise in the spirit of collaboration rather than viewing him as a stranger.

I am enormously proud of the board of directors of the Saskatchewan Arts Alliance. The expertise, enthusiasm, and perspective they bring is such a boon to the organization. The members of the board represent the breadth of arts disciplines, and fittingly, are geographically distributed, which allows them to represent the breadth of the province as well. We are fortunate that the majority of our meetings can be conducted online, allowing us to meet regularly without having to burden anybody with undue hours spent on the road travelling to meetings. We’ve had the chance to do some excellent work at our board meetings, but for more than half the board the retreat was my first opportunity to meet them in person since they were elected in September. Needless to say, having the opportunity to meet my fellows in person has helped me to know them better, and therefore work together with them better. Fortunately, SAA’s directors serve for two year terms, so this is a benefit I’ll get to enjoy until our next retreat, where I’ll get to know them better yet.

Even though I’ve suggested that if you have the opportunity to participate in a sweat-lodge ceremony you should take it, I don’t expect that every board retreat will include one. For instance, the previous year’s SAA board retreat merely included dinner and a gallery opening at the Remai Modern Art Gallery. Having dinner together was still a great way for the board members to get to know one another without the mediating influence of a screen, and visiting the art gallery together was a reminder of the love of the arts that brought us all to the board in the first place.

All of which is to say that I am a proponent of the regular retreat to enhance the functioning of the board of directors of a non-profit. It is potentially a costly undertaking, especially if you need to reimburse participants for their travel and accommodation. Further, I understand that making the effort to set aside additional time, including possibly travel time, in addition to the time allocated to the essential functioning of the organization can be a big ask – these days, everyone is nothing if not pressed for time, and leisure time is precious.

With that in mind, I think there are some good principles to embrace when thinking about board retreats. The first is that it should be valuable to participate in; fun is a source of value (and one I particularly appreciate), but the value could be experiential or educational. In the interests of making efficient use of time and money, you should strive to schedule around your regular duties, such as strategic planning (ideally every three years, rather than five, in my opinion.) Finally, it is preferable if at least part of the board retreat allows people to interact outside of the normal work of the board. This could be something as simple as a shared meal, or as involved as a scavenger hunt or potluck – as long as the activity is inclusive and suitable for all involved, it’s worth a try.

I’m the least social person there is. My idea of an exciting Friday night involves staying in and finishing twenty chapters of the book I’m currently reading. As such I always approach board retreats with a considerable amount of trepidation. However, I’ve never come away from a board retreat without feeling very glad that I took part. If you’re a member of a non-profit board of directors or work with one, I hope you’ll consider incorporating regular board retreats into your practice to enhance your work. Like me, I’m sure you’ll be glad you did.

Daniel Parr received an English degree from the University of Regina in 2008, and has dedicated his adult life to the arts community in Saskatchewan. With almost ten years of experience as a program manager for SaskBooks, he has traveled the length and breadth of the province (and beyond) promoting Saskatchewan publishers and books. Six years sitting on the board of the Saskatchewan Book Awards, three as the Chair, provided further opportunities to champion books. Experience with serving on juries and advisory groups rounds out his experience of the arts ecology of the province.