Nonprofit Board Crisis

Nonprofit Board Fail: firing and resignation #NonprofitBoards #NonprofitBoardFails

Is resigning from the board after a HUGE fail enough to remove liability and responsibility?  Absolutely not especially with large consequences from the failure.  The failure: failing to listen to and act accordingly to the experts.  This board was one of the many who failed during the 2021 Texas storm.  And now there are many, many consequences.  And board members have fled the scene in droves with currently 1/2 filled board seats.  for shame for shame but it should not stop here.  Action can be taken severally and wholly.  Just resigning after an event does not cleanse.  Resignation is not like the confessional construct where all is forgiven because it was spoken and admitted.  Let's go Texans - you can take action!  Here's a story from likely one of the few media who were willing to at least point the finger.

Austin Energy GM Jacqueline Sargent resigns from ERCOT's board of directors in wake of winter storms

Winter Storm Uri caused restaurants across Austin to close due to power outages and unsafe road conditions. (Jack Flagler/Community Impact Newspaper)

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By Christopher Neely | 3:21 PM Mar 4, 2021 CST | Updated 3:21 PM Mar 4, 2021 CST

Austin Energy General Manager Jacqueline Sargent has resigned from her post on the board of directors of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, the nonprofit organization that oversees the state's power system. Sargent's resignation means the 16-seat board now has nine vacancies as the fallout from the historic winter storms and widespread blackouts continues. She submitted her resignation letter Feb. 27.

Sargent, the highest-paid public servant on the city's payroll, served in a volunteer role on ERCOT, representing the municipal segment of the state's power market.

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In her resignation letter, Sargent said the state's power community needs to work together to ensure accountability for the power outages that devastated Texas in mid-February and left millions of Texans and hundreds of thousands of Austinites without power for days.

"I am heartened that our industry intends to take a tough look at recent events and make necessary changes, and I believe my resignation will allow me to more fully support those efforts," Sargent wrote.

With Sargent's resignation, more than half of the ERCOT board's seats are vacant. The board of directors voted to terminate CEO Bill Magness on March 3. The agency's chair and vice chair also stepped down immediately following the blackouts, as did three other members and another prospective board member who applied to fill a vacancy. DeAnn Walker, chair of the Texas Public Utility Commission, also stepped down from her role leading the governor-appointed agency that oversees ERCOT as she faced mounting pressure from lawmakers to resign.

Board Revolt #NonprofitBoards #NonprofitBoardRevolt

There's many revolutions going on.  One more that has erupted in of all places is in the Berkshires.  Yup, that bucolic world in northwest Massachusetts where titans built mansions and rolling hills crouch between mountains and during the summer music and dance abound along with meditation and yoga centers.  Bucolic right?  Not so much if you aren't a rich person (of course this is true everywhere, this failure to distribute the wealth so that all boats float).  But I digress.  Meanwhile, in the Berkshires those who make the events and curators of archives and antiques and pretty much everyone who "does" receives a disproportionate pay and role in their nonprofit institution.  And they are tired of this and aren't going to take it anymore.  An instagram campaign is supporting the moment.  One part of the story written on this subject in the Berkshire Edge caught my eye in particular:

This is partly caused by “very privileged, tone-deaf boards,” often hand-selected by the executive director. “The board members come in with certain expectations, of elevating the provenance of their own objects they collect, or creating these exclusive environments in which to rub elbows and have cocktails with other people like themselves. They never want to donate to something that isn’t flashy or sexy, so they never give it to the bottom line, to paying the employees. They always want to create a new project, which in turn creates more work for underpaid employees. It’s this constant cycle.”

Sound familiar even if your nonprofit does not focus on the arts?  Yes, disparity among the haves and have-nots and privileged and not and yes, white and not lives, not a surprise, but gets prominently translated into action in the nature of nonprofit boards.  And hence, a revolt......

Forecast: 1/3 of Nonprofits to fold in next 2 years #NonprofitBoards #NonprofitsFail

While I may trust Candid folks (certainly not because of the new name which I can barely if ever remember) I do have to put the brakes on how correct they are with this recent study that effectively says about 1/3 of nonprofits have approximately 2 years before going under.  Whew!  Not a great forecast.  Of course this is THE time when boards should be examining this very question to determine just how long they really do have and what strategies need to be put in place to avert disaster or at least find alternatives to keeping mission keeping on - you know, like partnerships or mergers.  Yup, the time may truly be near. The following is from the Danville Register & Bee.

Study: 1 in 3 nonprofits in financial jeopardy

• GLENN GAMBOA Associated Press
 
• Mar 5, 2021
 

GLENN GAMBOA Associated Press

NEW YORK — More than one-third of U.S. nonprofits are in jeopardy of closing within two years because of the financial harm inflicted by the viral pandemic, according to a new study by the philanthropy research group Candid and the Center for Disaster Philanthropy.

The study's findings underscore the perils for nonprofits and charities whose financial needs have escalated over the past year, well in excess of the donations that most have received from individuals and foundations. The researchers analyzed how roughly 300,000 nonprofits would fare under 20 scenarios of varying severity. The worst-case scenario led to the closings of 38% of the nonprofits. Even the scenarios seen as more realistic resulted in closures well into double digit percentages.

 

Officials of Candid, which includes the philanthropic information resources GuideStar and Foundation Center, and the Center for Disaster Philanthropy, which analyzes charitable giving during crises, said the most dire scenarios could be avoided if donations were to increase substantially — from the government as well as from private contributors.

“If you are a donor who cares about an organization that is rooted in place and relies on revenue from in-person services, now is the time probably to give more,” said Jacob Harold, Candid’s executive vice president.

Among the most vulnerable nonprofits, the study said, are those involved in arts and entertainment, which depend on ticket sales for most of their revenue, cannot significantly their reduce expenses and don’t typically hold much cash.

Other studies have concluded that smaller arts and culture groups, in particular, are at serious risk. Californians for the Arts, for example, surveyed arts and culture nonprofits in the state and found that about 64% had shrunk their workforces. Roughly 25% of them had slashed 90% or more of their staffs. And a report last week from New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli found that employment in New York City’s arts, entertainment and recreation sector tumbled 66% during 2020.

“It really has been devastating,” said Kristina Newman-Scott, president of BRIC, a Brooklyn arts institution best-known for its community TV channel and Celebrate Brooklyn! concert series. “We have a lot of empathy for our colleagues and friends in the arts space who, based on their model, see things that are just not going to be the same for them. They will be navigating a very different financial pathway.”

Newman-Scott said BRIC has been helping sustain smaller arts nonprofits and offering artists unrestricted $10,000 grants through its Colene Brown Art Prize.

“We are anxious to get back to in-person events,” she said. “But we want to do it as part of a community. We don’t want to be the only one. We want other organizations that are and have been doing extraordinary work, especially the smaller folks who have it harder because they just don’t have as many resources. We want them to be around us also.”

Harold, the Candid executive, said that while arts and entertainment groups may be at particular risk, nonprofits from all sectors are in danger. According to the study, the District of Columbia was expected to lose the most nonprofits per capita, followed by Vermont and North Dakota.

 

The most vulnerable nonprofits may try to reduce costs this year by narrowing their focus or by furloughing workers. Some may seek a merger or an acquisition to bolster their financial viability, Harold noted, although doing so would still mean that fewer nonprofits would survive.

 

“A lot of nonprofit boards were able to say, ‘Oh, this is going to end soon’ and ‘We’re fine for a year,’” Harold said. “But they might not be fine for two years. So if they dragged their feet last year, they may find themselves really having to scramble this year to make the structural changes now.”

The perils that nonprofits face are similar to the economic damage from the pandemic that forced so many restaurants to either close or operate at deep losses over the past year. An estimated 110,000 restaurants — roughly one in six — closed in 2020 and, according to the National Restaurant Association, the pandemic could force 500,000 more to shut down.

President Joe Biden last week ordered the Small Business Administration to prioritize businesses and nonprofits with fewer than 20 employees in the awarding of loans through the Paycheck Protection Program.

“Since the beginning of this pandemic, 400,000 small businesses have closed — 400,000 — and millions more are hanging by a thread,” Biden said. “It’s hurting black, Latino and Asian American communities the hardest.”

 

Harold said that while the federal government's focus on small businesses and small nonprofits will help some of them survive, “it’s not going to have a huge impact.”

The Candid/Center for Disaster Philanthropy study found that $20.2 billion was donated to combat COVID-19 in 2020, with 44% of it coming from corporations. It was one of many notable shifts in philanthropy during the pandemic.

 

“We were definitely seeing more grants for flexible operating expenses and general support,” said Grace Sato, Candid’s director of research. “More grants were explicitly designated for vulnerable communities, communities most impacted by the pandemic.”

Nonprofit Board Irony #NonprofitBoards #NonprofitBoardIrony #NonprofitBoardFail

It is greatly ironic to me that the Boy Scouts USA must auction off their Rockwell collection of paintings including what the article below notes, titles like "On My Honor" and "I will do my best" - neither of which the Scouts USA did over many, many years.  They must now pay for their sins as part of a major mea culpa but will even this payment really "pay" for their sins?  And what of the many Scout leaders who were the abusers and their Leaders who essentially gave permission and finally the many Board members who either remained with blinders on or chose to sweep the abuse under the tent.  The Scouts should be tracing and holding all involved accountable.  After-all, the international courts are  catching-up with Nazi camp prison guards, 90+ year olds, who 'till this day escaped consequences but no longer.  Is there really a statute of limitation for institutional sexual abuse?

Anyway, here's a clip from the Chronicle of Philanthropy that includes a link to the New York Times article referred to. 

 

To raise money for their proposed $300 million settlement of sexual-abuse claims, the Boy Scouts of America will put nearly 60 Norman Rockwell paintings on the block. The Scouts holdings, with names like "On My Honor" and "I Will Do My Best," tend to illustrate scouting life, although the painter was never a scout himself. They span nearly 60 years of Rockwell's life. In the past decade, Rockwell's paintings have fetched from $9 million to nearly $50 million at auction, but a biographer of the painter said the Boy Scouts holdings are not among his most valuable works. (New York Times)

Mushroom Boards #NonprofitBoards #MushroomBoards

An op ed writer in Guam Daily Post was examining governing boards and offered 3 categories: working, rubber stamp, and mushroom.  Of course working boards are just that and rubber stamp boards are what you would expect although I would quibble that even just taking action, albeit uninformed, is still doing a modicum of work.  But I had not heard the term "mushroom" board until now and I am not 100% clear of why the term except for one characteristic: being kept in the dark (a characteristic that could also be applied to rubber stamp boards.  Anyway, when boards do end up being kept in the dark I would argue that that is on them.  They never asked and there lays the challenge.  They have essentially chosen to be in the dark.  But being in the dark is not the only "sin" and ignorance is not bliss.  They are still taking action - again, uninformed.

Anyway, the naming could be useful when trying to understand what is not working toward searching for a fix although I suppose if they are truly in the dark, these boards won't even know they are in the dark. 😒

 

Writings on the Wall

Mushroom boards

• Ron McNinch
• Feb 25, 2021 Updated Feb 25, 2021
 

This past week the Oakley Union Elementary School District board of trustees in northern California resigned en masse. The board members were talking on an open Zoom channel and said some disparaging things about complaining parents. To paraphrase a few of their comments, one member said that parents simply wanted someone to babysit their kids. Another board member said that parents wanted to smoke marijuana and they needed school to get their kids out of the house. The chair of the board rattled off a string of expletives in response to a Facebook post a parent made.

Over the last 25 years, I have served on about seven major government and nonprofit boards. This doesn't include the extremely boring university meetings I often have to attend. In my first year at the university, I was called into an "important" faculty meeting. One professor was very upset and spent about 20 minutes explaining his complaint in dramatic terms to everyone. If I recall, he was having trouble getting a $10 reimbursement for copy fees. I finally stood up, pulled a $20 bill out of my wallet and told him to pay the bill and have lunch on me. As I walked out, I asked that I not be invited to any more silly meetings.

In general, I have noticed that there are three basic types of boards on Guam. First, there are working boards. These boards actually have important public service or policy functions. I put the Guam Memorial Hospital board, the Guam Civil Service Commission, the Guam Education Board, the Guam Public Utilities Commission and the Guam Election Commission in this category, but these are not exclusive. These boards tend to work very hard and have a high degree of public scrutiny and pressure.

A second type of board is generally a "rubber stamp" board. These boards are often likely created by bored legislative employees seeking to cut and paste some type of function they see used in another state jurisdiction. For the most part, a public board is not really needed for many of these functions. Trained government employees could likely accomplish most of these tasks. Because the employee writing the bill often doesn't really understand best practices, our government ends up riddled with boards for everything. Most of these functions are handled by the administrative "secretary of state" at the state level. We should look at this model.

Finally, there are "mushroom" boards. These boards are the ones I am most critical of. These are boards that are "fed on crap and kept in the dark." Since the organizations they serve often have money or other resources, these board members get cowed into not actually functioning. In some cases, the agencies actually get to handpick these members. They then ply them with trips and other perks to keep them tame.

Our community needs to be aware of mushroom boards and change the laws that appoint them. We should make every board accountable directly to the governor. Our public deserves accountability.

Ron McNinch teaches at the University of Guam School of Business and Public Administration.

Nonprofit Leadership Fail #NonprofitBoards #NonprofitBoardFail #NonprofitLeadershipFail

The following article about the demise of a public radio station says everything I would want said about paid and volunteer leadership responsibilities and fails.  Please read, share and learn - it's all about policies, processes and practices - mostly, bad.  From RadioWorld:

Community Broadcaster: Things Fall Apart

A nonprofit media outlet’s implosion offers leadership lessons

BY ERNESTO AGUILAR ⋅
PUBLISHED: FEBRUARY 28, 2021

 

The author is executive director of the National Federation of Community Broadcasters. NFCB commentaries are featured regularly at www.radioworld.com.

One of the stranger media industry stories surfaced last week as a cautionary tale for any organization not taking its leadership role seriously.

Nonprofit news outlet FairWarning closed Feb. 20 after allegations of inflammatory remarks by editor Myron Levin came to light on Twitter. According to a job candidate, Levin brushed off concerns of FairWarning’s lack of diversity in its board and staffing, offering various questionable hot takes in the interview. Controversy ensued. The staff went public to say Levin, who had already been planning to step down after an executive search, should resign.

[Read: Community Broadcaster: Unspoken]

Those involved in media for any length of time have seen other scandals play out similarly. In most cases, the leader in question apologizes and steps aside, so that the media organization can continue its needed work and retain the trust of its audience. In a jaw-dropping move, Levin and the board penned spirited defenses of the editor and a rebuke of the candidate. While charging the candidate of distorting the interview and making a point of saying he wasn’t hired, Levin does not outright say the account is a lie, either. The board then told the aggrieved staff they were out of jobs and that the whole operation was dissolving. Current dives further into this bizarre turn of events.

What can other organizations learn from such a colossal governance and leadership flop? How can your radio station avoid such issues?

First, whether you are interviewing job candidates, volunteers or prospective board members, it’s important to remember that they’re interviewing you as much as you’re interviewing them. Word choice matters. Such conversations are formal exchanges about your organization, its values and your leadership style. When you’re looked at as a resource, it’s at times easy to forget those conversations are not simply between you and the person you’re talking with, but are a chance to convey your organization’s vision for how its workplace functions.

Second, no matter if you believe Levin is completely innocent, covering up, or falls somewhere in the middle, clearly the subject of accountability bears reflection. At times, our words may not have been heard as we think they should be when someone else hears them. And when they aren’t, the old-school go-to of blame the listener does not cut it in today’s world. Salting your response by presenting others’ accounts as an “attack,” or cloaking yourself in self-righteousness only makes you look guilty. Apologizing and humbly accepting how one’s words were heard and pledging to do better shouldn’t be so hard, yet people sometimes make it so.

Finally, governance training for media organizations, especially nonprofit radio stations, is essential. Nonprofit boards have historically been taught that they have three core responsibilities. Among those is what is called the duty of loyalty, or operating the organization in its best interests above personalities. Boards supervise executives and, when it is time, replace them to ensure continuity of services, so that the nonprofit keeps delivering what its constituents expect. It may be hard for any established media organization to comprehend how a nine-person board (including Levin) would simply shut down a media outlet in response to criticism. In many instances, a lack of board training may be the issue.

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TAGS ⋅ COMMUNITY BROADCASTER ⋅ ERNESTO AGUILAR ⋅ FAIRWARNING ⋅ MYRON LEVIN ⋅ NATIONAL FEDERATION OF COMMUNITY BROADCASTERS ⋅ NFCB

For-Profit becomes Nonprofit but what's the board? #NonprofitBoards

A Buffalo, NY for-profit college is converting to a nonprofit college.  We know of course that for-profit colleges generally have a reputation for failing to deliver a quality education or at least an education that results in jobs.  We know also that for-profits tend to charge more and more goes into the pockets of the owners.  I do not however know how much of this is true for this particular college.  Just the same, it's going to change.  Interestingly, there's no mention of who will be this colleges new board/trustees/governors.  Historically, institutions of higher learning do not have strong reputations for maintaining a community/student role in governance.  That would be my suggestion especially now that the school is off the tax roles.

Anyway, here's the bizjournals story

 

Leadership at Bryant & Stratton says benefits of switch to nonprofit status are plentiful

 

 

 

By Paul Lane  –  Data Reporter, Buffalo Business First

Feb 24, 2021 Updated Feb 26, 2021, 9:14am EST

 

Amid a year of change for Bryant & Stratton College, the final steps of perhaps the biggest switch are soon at hand.

Administrators at the Buffalo-based college say a switch to nonprofit status should be finalized by early summer with final federal approvals.

The for-profit college has been in the hands of the family of Bryant H. Prentice III since its founding in 1854. Now 80 and without any family members who want to take over, Prentice decided the time has come to turn over the college to a nonprofit foundation for the sake of current and future students, President Fran Felser said. The Buffalo-based Prentice Family Foundation, which was established in 2005 to invest in workforce development and college scholarships, will receive a substantial donation. Administrators would not disclosed the operation's estimated value.

"He and his wife have been reflecting on, 'What is in the best interest of the college?' " said Felser, who serves on the foundation. "We're doing this now while Mr. Prentice can participate in managing the process. It's broad. It will have a profound impact on Western New York."

Then, of course, there's the money. As a nonprofit, the college would no longer have to pay federal income tax. And accompanying the transition is a strategic plan that will help identify ways to run more efficiently, Felser said. That could result in cost savings for the administration that may, in turn, result in lower tuition costs. Some grant opportunities may open up due to the college's new status, Felser said, and more fundraising opportunities will open up, with reduced costs accompanying them.

Immigration and Employment Considerations for U.S. Nonprofit Organizations #Nonprofitboards #Immigration

The following is the final part of an exhaustive review of the considerations and tax implications about immigration and related matters that is "on" a nonprofit executive's and board's shoulders.  Bottom line, lack of awareness is not acceptable - this is a yellow flag nonprofit execs and boards should be aware of.

Finally, it is important for nonprofit tax-exempt organizations to stay on top of changing rules in international travel, including travel restrictions for individuals from certain countries, delays in visa issuance for employees obtaining new visas at embassies outside the U.S., and extreme vetting and scrutiny for all travelers into the U.S., regardless of citizenship. Nonprofit boards of directors, leadership and employees are globally mobile; staff travel to conferences around the world; and employees may have family members affected by changing immigration rules and policies.

The immigration landscape is shifting quickly. Nonprofit organizations — including newly established organizations and U.S.-based field offices — need to be able to discern which shifts can impact their workforces to prepare, be compliant, and continue identifying, attracting and retaining highly qualified talent while ensuring compliance with their ongoing nonprofit and tax-exempt statuses.

'Here's a link to review all that comprises this subject.

Huge Nonprofits' Board Must Have Community Input #NonprofitBoards #CommunityInput

Change, especially when it becomes the normal, is a challenge to most folks.  I myself am not particularly fond of change particularly when it affects the way I organize my life and even my desk.  But change is never stoppable.  Sometimes, for a number of reasons often related to achieving sustainability, nonprofits change.  They grow larger or shrink.  They merge.  

Below is a Vermont Recorder opinion article about Vermont Public Radio.  As you can see from its title, it's big.  It can eat everything in site.  And as the author notes, it might be big enough to actually not have to listen to the consumers.  And there of course is the change that is not welcome.  Nonprofits are supposed to be accessible, at least that's the theory.  Community folks should be able to discuss their needs and wants and be heard by the proxy owners that represent community interests: the board.  But the author of this article believes that that is not what is happening or will happen now that this NPR station has so much girth.  

I don't personally believe that girth in and of itself precludes a role for the community.  It appears that VT Public Radio may not be indicating if or how this will occur but I would not presume it won't.  But it's righteous that this author has voiced the need and rights for the public.

 

 

My Turn: Where does an 800-pound gorilla sit?

By MATT KRAUSS

 

Published: 2/24/2021 10:39:10 AM

The largest nonprofit media organization in Vermont history will soon have 117 employees, an annual budget of $18 million and $91 million in assets. Seven Days has around 43 employees; VtDigger around 22. How many at your local newspaper? Their budget?

Local newspapers will soon face new competition for scarce ad revenue, talent acquisition/retention, fundraising/donations and future subscribers. The outcome? Put a large fish into your aquarium. What happens to the small fish?

The CEO vows increased news coverage (20 current news employees), integrated fundraising, new audiences, increased local content/programming, etc. They will create, market, and display content on integrated audio, video, digital and new platforms. An ascendant multimedia giant covering all of Vermont and beyond as far as Montreal. Millions in cash reserves. Who competes with this?

My concerns run deeper. I advocate for greater openness regarding the recruitment and selection of board members of very large self-perpetuating nonprofit boards (Bennington Banner, April 15, 2019). The new entity will be overseen by such a board; now smaller with greater power. I’d like the composition of editorial/news staff representing a full spectrum of Vermont voices (Rutland Herald, Jan. 26, 2021). In 2019 I corresponded and met the CEO of VPR, Chair of VPR’s Board of Directors and attended a VPR nominating committee meeting. The interactions were perfunctory, but I’m only a VPR listener.

In July 2019 the CEO canceled the VPR Commentary series, the longest running series of its kind. Can’t have the public using public radio to speak directly to the public. VtDigger in 2020 printed 860 commentaries by 649 different authors. And, thanked every one by name. Cash insecure local newspapers encourage letters to the editor and commentaries. Are VPR’s actions serving Vermonters?

The CEO speaks of merger benefits. Merger liabilities, not so much. Monopoly’s think of themselves. In June 2020 the CEO presented a legislature request for $874,000 in COVID relief funds. VPR had received $960,000 from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) apt to be “forgiven.” Millions in the bank, no layoffs, and a recently successful $10 million capital campaign. His rationale for the money included avoiding “awful things” like trying to find loan funding. With millions in the bank? Pandemic crushed Vermonters feel his pain. Hello, board of directors?

Where does an 800-pound gorilla sit? Anywhere it wants to. Average Vermonters are unable to have their opinions broadcast. Their ability to join decision making at the highest level stunted. For small Vermont independent media voices the future looks more challenging. Remember local downtown shops when Walmart arrived?

Possible public protections:

Local media and VtDigger show the Vermont way for alternate voices to be heard. This titan must allow all voices to present their commentaries/ideas directly to Vermonters.

Vermont House and Senate committees should invite the new non-profit to testify on their burgeoning chunk of Vermont’s shrinking media world.

A public advocate on the board of directors to ensure all Vermonters’ participation.

Don’t Vermonters believe the affluent should contribute more assisting those less fortunate? How about a five year, 2% donation from the $45 million Vermont PBS squirreled away contributed to cash insecure local media enterprises?

Vermont is a perfect environment for this new media conglomerate to flourish. Facebook, Google and Twitter justify their actions describing wonderful things they do. However, it’s not their intent that counts, but their impact. If this company produces much more news content increasing their market share and media concentration will all Vermonters benefit? Are Vermonters getting more avenues for their unfettered voices to be heard or fewer?

We love our independent media options. Will those who hold divergent opinions or oppose prevailing environmental, political, governmental, and cultural positions be heard?

VPR’s website says, “Be brave, ask questions.” After this merger, ask lots of question

Matt Krauss of Stowe, Vermont is a happily retired state employee and a former Vermont legislator.

For-Profits Know Better: So they say. #NonprofitBoards

Are nonprofits just institutions that need to behave more like for-profits to achieve mission?  The BBB National Programs folks think the answer to be "absolutely".  Once again I pose, there is this gross presumption and assumption that nonprofits just can't get running things right without the so-called wisdom of for-profits. I do not agree and maintain that for-profit folks generally don't understand the mission, culture and particularly inclusive decision-making and outcomes-focused framework that guides nonprofits and in these things, necessitate not relying on the corporate/business approach to doing things.  "they" just don't get it.  Yes, there are skills and experience and knowledge that can indeed compliment nonprofit managing and governing but not lock, stock and barrel.  

Why am I waxing on this subject.  Check-out this article by a Forbes Nonprofit Council member and manager of the BBB National Programs and self-described "bridger (between the 2 sectors) who effectively, in my understanding, is stating that nonprofits would achieve so much more if they just engaged with and listened to business folks.  Phooey I say!