Creating and maintaining a CLCP board of directors can be a real challenge. Just ask any of the Gainesville-Hall County representatives of the CLCP which became a Participant in December, 1994. At one time, this dedicated group of individuals associated within the field of adult literacy were brought together to form the board of directors. The group met quarterly. Membership was open to anyone who attended the annual meeting.

When the organization entered the second half of its commitment to the CLCP, the board embarked on a journey to update the mission of the organization and to restructure. This restructuring has helped meet the needs of adult learners by fulfilling requirements of funding sources, and providing much needed support to literacy providers.

One important element for a CLCP is its ability to recruit and retain board members who represent a cross-section of the community. A CLCP needs a working board that meets regularly to study issues, make decisions, and provide on-going support to the director and staff. However, a board may also have several honorary members.

The board needs members who can give both financial assistance and community support. Some board members may be committed to the issue of literacy, but are unable to work actively with the program. This aspect is important, as these members may provide financial assistance that allows the organization to recruit other members who might not have the resources to serve otherwise.

Hall County is like other areas across the state. It is faced with a limited number of people available to serve on non-profit boards, and finding new members can be difficult.

According to one board consultant, it is important for people serving to have a vested interest in the mission of the board. He also suggested that members should only serve on one non-profit board at a time.

The Hall County CLCP, on advice from a non-profit consultant, has reduced its active committees to two: an executive committee and a nominating committee. Ad-hoc groups are set up as needed to study issues and conduct fundraising. This advice was given as the board was updating the charter from 36 to 20 active members. The number of active members is determined by the operating budget, and by the number of literacy programs the organization serves.

While these issues can enhance or weaken a CLCP board of directors, they can be overcome with good communication from the Executive Director and the executive committee.

It is important for the Executive Director to be provided with clear directions,in order to effectively represent the CLCP to other groups or agencies. Furthermore, reassessment of the board should take place regularly to ensure that the by-laws are being followed and the vision is not lost.