Question: Get absentee board member to resign?

We have an events coordinator on our board who does not communicate or actively contribute to our group. She misses meetings, too, but does not want to give up her position. What is the easiest way to convince her to resign? Is there a sample resignation letter available that we could have her sign?

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Advice from PTO Today

Elly writes:

Elly never likes to see a group give up completely on a volunteer, so she has a few points to make before you cut ties with her altogether.

Elly wants to know first whether your volunteer fully understands her current obligations as events coordinator. Some questions your board members should discuss: Did your officers supply this volunteer with any documented procedures and a list of duties and responsibilities for the job? Does she have clear instructions on scheduling, planning, spending, and requesting use of the building? Perhaps most important, do you welcome her suggestions for events and encourage her to plan them? If the answer is no to any of these questions, then Elly thinks this volunteer deserves a second chance in her position. In short, Elly doesn’t think it’s fair to give this volunteer the boot if she never had a leg up in the first place.

At the very least, you’ll need to open the lines of communication and feel her out to see what’s holding her back. Set up some time to chat over coffee; explain that you’d like her to be more visible and accessible within your group. You could put it this way: “We’d like to hear from you on a more consistent basis. Do you think you could give us an events update every [week, two weeks, month] so we can discuss it as a group at our meetings?”

If she’d like, offer to pair her with an assistant; the two could swap off meetings if necessary. Going forward, set up routine checkpoints by phone or through email so you can assess her progress and help with any issues that come up while she’s coordinating events.

However, if this volunteer has received adequate training and support yet is incapable of performing her duties, you and your officers are within your rights to let her go. You’ll need to check your bylaws to see how you should proceed. Many groups require a two-thirds vote of the executive board to remove an officer for failure to perform duties. You’ll want to hold an executive (private) session when you do vote; your secretary should document the reasons for the termination and the voting members present, too. But Elly sincerely hopes this meeting won’t be necessary!