The HOA Board usually has no small amount of work to do—and in fact, your Board members may have way more responsibilities than they could ever hope to accomplish on their own. This is why, from time to time, it might make sense to form HOA committees of community volunteers, who can assist in carrying out certain tasks—researching, planning and coordinating events, and performing outreach to other community residents.
As your board thinks about forming some of these volunteer HOA committees, keep the following tips in mind.
- First and foremost, it is important for those serving on committees to remember that their role is to carry out the vision of the HOA; the committee itself is like an extension of the HOA’s ongoing work.
- Make sure that the Board puts into writing what the committee is actually tasked to do. Make clear the scope of the committee’s work. If the committee is in charge of researching a topic, then make sure the committee members not only understand the parameters of that topic, but also that they know they are not authorized to act without the Board’s approval.
- Sometimes, a committee may be tasked to work alongside a specific board member. Generally speaking, though, the best way to form a committee is to minimize the overlap between Board members and committee members—because after all, the purpose of the committee is to ease the burden on Board members.
- A great idea is to reach out to those who have never volunteered to work with the HOA Board before, and to see if they’ll pitch in with the committee; not only will this serve to engage them in the work of the community, but you may be able to spot a potential new member for the Board itself.
- Finally, make sure you don’t form an HOA committee of one. You want to ensure at least three to five people in order to spread the work around.
