Keeping Board Members Engaged and Inspired

Needed:  Ideas for Engaging and Inspiring Board Members

The #1 challenge heard repeatedly about nonprofit board members: How do we keep our board members inspired and engaged?

Is it any wonder this is a challenge? The average nonprofit has something like nineteen board members, eight board meetings a year, lasting two hours each, 67% attendance, six-year term limits, people rotating on and off every year, each board member serving on another board or two, etc. Yet somehow, in spite of those facts, boards are expected to remain inspired and govern a nonprofit organization brilliantly, even in these challenging economic times.

Is there a predictable pathway to igniting and engaging board members?  Is there a way to involve board members in designing and implementing a plan to attain long-term financial sustainability for the organization?
What greater challenge and what greater contribution for a board member to make!?     

Please weigh in on how to achieve this substantial and critical goal…