Fiduciary work isn’t part-time
If what board chairs and executive leaders tell me is true (and I believe it is), aside from the executive committee and perhaps the finance… Read More »Fiduciary work isn’t part-time
board governance
Governance advice with a familiar ring
A recent issue of the Association of Theological School’s Colloquy online newsletter included advice gleaned from a nine-month long project focused on governance challenges at… Read More »Governance advice with a familiar ring
Nonprofit boards aren’t as inept as the headlines suggest
The online nonprofit press is abuzz over the 2015 Survey on Board of Directors of Nonprofit Organizations, with headlines suggesting nothing but bad news. However,… Read More »Nonprofit boards aren’t as inept as the headlines suggest
Board self-assessment in three easy questions, but not so easy answers
Over the years, I’ve noticed an odd psychology to board self-assessment. Leadership hopes for a glowing report or, at the least, more praise than criticism.… Read More »Board self-assessment in three easy questions, but not so easy answers
Breaking ranks with consensus thinking about consensus
Many a boardroom discussion is prolonged in hope of achieving unanimity on an important decision. And nonprofit CEOs and board chairs are often chosen and… Read More »Breaking ranks with consensus thinking about consensus
Governing with seat belts fastened
The advice from the cockpit to keep our seat belts fastened in case of unexpected turbulence applies as surely to the boards of faith-based nonprofits… Read More »Governing with seat belts fastened
10 habits at the heart of exemplary board governance
In a recent article, I pointed board members who fancy themselves as difference makers in the direction of the board development committee. My reasoning? No… Read More »10 habits at the heart of exemplary board governance
Donors may not care about results, but boards should
“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 the calls for proof of impact, for most folks, a touching story trumps facts most of the time. It’s what Ogden refers to as the “Lake Wobegon problem: the idea that all the nonprofits I give to are above average” so don’t bother me with dry details. Read More »Donors may not care about results, but boards should
Two strategies for improving your board’s fiduciary behavior
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 beyond the board’s attention to the bottom line. Read More »Two strategies for improving your board’s fiduciary behavior
When building a board, look for the helpers
“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 with scary things. But it occurs to me that Mama Rogers’ wisdom is helpful as well when recruiting board members.
Okay, so it’s quite a leap from Boston to your boardroom. But stick with me.Read More »When building a board, look for the helpers