All this talk of fiscal cliffs, today as it happens, reminds me to ask: would a nonprofit board ever behave as irresponsibly as the US Congress -- essentially agreeing to not do anything about a budget?
You tell me your experience but mine says that many nonprofit boards are indeed willing to not even act on a budget or pass an unbalanced budget or a budget based on uncertain or unreliable information or even worse, just not pass a budget. Irresponsible governance? Yes!
We may be overly willing to critisize our Congress and they well deserve criticism in my opinion, but to emulate certainly reduces the authenticity of the criticism and is just not good governance. Certainly as a Sector, we can do as good as if not better than the government in demonstrating good governance.