“Despite years of claiming the contrary, donors still don’t really care about nonprofit performance or impact.” In fact, as blogger and student of philanthropy Tim Ogden reports, a majority of donors believe there “isn’t much difference between nonprofits, that any giving is good, and performance measures are a waste of time and money.” For all [...]
Two strategies for improving your board’s fiduciary behavior
May 1, 2013 By Leave a Comment
Once upon a time, minding your board’s fiduciary P’s and Q’s consisted of dotting organizational I’s and crossing legal T’s and little more. But no longer. Or so say the members of an august panel of governance veterans featured in the March/April 2013 issue of Trusteeship magazine. As they tell it, fiduciary stewardship stretches well [...]
When building a board, look for the helpers
April 17, 2013 By Leave a Comment
“Look for the helpers. You’ll always find people who are helping.” Following the bomb explosions at the finish line of the Boston Marathon on Monday (April 15), this comforting word from Fred Rogers has popped up again on social media sites. Our favorite neighbor was referring, of course, to advice from his mother about dealing [...]
When building a board, look for the helpers
April 17, 2013 By Leave a Comment
“Look for the helpers. You’ll always find people who are helping.” Following the bomb explosions at the finish line of the Boston Marathon on Monday (April 15), this comforting word from Fred Rogers has popped up again on social media sites. Our favorite neighbor was referring, of course, to advice from his mother about dealing [...]
Helping the CEO isn’t job one for the board
April 3, 2013 By 4 Comments
“Unless we’re certain that what we do is helpful to our president, I won’t waste my time coming back.” The board member’s comment and the vehemence with which she delivered it, took me by surprise. From where I sat, it had seemed a productive meeting.
Ask, and a helpful mission statement will be given you.
March 20, 2013 By Leave a Comment
At the moment, I’m up to my eyeballs in policy work for the board that I chair. A trio of us are slogging away on ends policies – those few pithy statements that, in the words of John Carver (our governance guru), proclaim the differences the organization makes, for which beneficiaries, and at what cost. [...]
Get governance or get off
February 27, 2013 By 2 Comments
I feel the pain of nonprofit CEOs and development staff who rail about board members’ reluctance to step up to the fundraising challenge. I’ve served on the development staffs of three Christian colleges, including a short stint as a VP for Advancement. For the past 15 years, I’ve provided development counsel to faith-based nonprofits. I’ve [...]
Nonprofit leader, fundraising isn’t your board’s problem.
January 16, 2013 By 2 Comments
Just once, I’d love to pick up a report citing CEO support for boards doing what boards were created to do. That is, to govern — preferably well. Better yet, in an exemplary manner. Sadly, the 2012 Governance Survey from the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability isn’t it. Despite ECFA’s valiant efforts to steer ministry [...]
Getting boards some respect
August 27, 2012 By Leave a Comment
It’s humbling for a governance geek like me to confront (again) the brutal truth that board work isn’t much understood or valued by much of anyone beyond the CEO and maybe a few other senior staff. It’s also helpful. Sequestered from the hoi polloi, board members begin to believe they’re the center of the organization’s [...]
A five-step cure for boredom in the boardroom
April 30, 2012 By Leave a Comment
If you ‘re the member of a ministry or other nonprofit board, chances are you know the frustration of a poorly run meeting. You’ve yawned through lengthy staff reports, incomprehensible financial updates, and endless rehashes of perennial crisis issues. But because you believe deeply in the mission of the organization you’ve been called to serve, [...]
