Nonprofit Board Crisis

What's in a Name #NonprofitBoards

Forbes is decent enough folk that the magazine spends some energy focused on nonprofit management and governance.  And, for the most part, this coverage offers reasonable tidbits and insights.  Take for instance its latest advice column which speaks of the Advisory Board.  

First, the concept of an advisory group that is comprised of smart and experienced folks who can bring insights and expertise to support the many challenge faced by an executive is a reasonably smart idea, I believe.  After-all, for-profit businesses often recruit folks who know their field or the nuances of legal, accounting and other business responsibilities to provide "free" consulting and guidance particularly for early stage enterprises.  So yes, this is a good idea in general.  

But, for anyone who has red this blog you will know that I think it a bad idea to label this group of advisors a "board".  There is but one board and that board has fiduciary responsibility AND it's not about lending expertise unless it is to support its fiduciary tasks.  As many folks with whom I have consulted will attest, any other body labeled a board can often lead to confusion with roles and responsibilities and have, in some cases where I have consulted, led to really huge fights.

Bottom line, there's one board.  Any other structure can be called everything else but NOT a board.  

That said, here's the Forbes article which does offer some insights on the function of ANYTHING BUT THE BOARD!

Sep 27, 2021,07:00am EDT|40 views

Can Your Organization Benefit From An Associate Board?

Vipe Desai

Forbes Councils Member

Forbes Nonprofit Council

COUNCIL POST| Membership (fee-based)

Leadership

 

Vipe Desai is a leader with decades of marketing, branding and governance experience who has served on more than a dozen boards. 

 

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It is not easy to run a nonprofit business — that’s a common fact a lot of people are aware of. But it doesn’t mean that you can’t have a brilliant junior board or, as I like to refer to it, an associate board, that functions at a professional level to help drive your mission and programs.

An associate board may be new to some of you but, generally, it’s a body of individuals who support a nonprofit's official board and leadership. It's great for individuals who want to gain experience and expertise in board governance, project management, budgeting and fundraising but may not have all of the requirements in order to do so on the official board.

By being involved in the associate board these young and emerging leaders are able to gain the knowledge and experience that may be valuable in their career journey. An associate board is also a great development program for potential board members for your organization or to help them get onto other NPO boards. 

Does every single organization need an associate board? 

Maybe, maybe not, but an associate board is another way for nonprofits to bring a variety of talented young people together with a variety of skills around the common goal to serve the organization. 

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I serve as chairman of the board to a 45-year-young community-based organization that educates 100,000 children, teachers, parents and visitors annually through over 60 marine science and maritime history programs. The campus is well known for its ocean education center that offers in-depth marine science, maritime history and outdoor education programs.

 

Trying to put together a great associate board can be a challenging task, so here are a few tips that I’ve collected during my experience that other NPO leaders might find helpful:

1. Keep it local. By keeping your associate board members local, you can tap into the community with more potential for fundraising and advocacy.

2. Collaborate within your community. Many local businesses are interested in working closely with community NPOs while giving their employees an opportunity to support the community. Community-based collaboration offers nonprofit leaders a targeted and meaningful opportunity to further their missions.

3. Look for unique skill sets. This is good to remember when looking for a well-rounded associate board, ensuring that the people you choose for your board meet the expectations and skills you require. Do you need a financial expert? A social media manager? A marketer? All of these things need to be considered before you go out looking for a team.

4. Identify the requirements needed for board participation. Are they going to have to dedicate a lot of time to this? If so, do you have a good guide for them so they have a complete understanding of what's required of them? This helps so that you’re not wasting time with people who may join and then realize that it is not for them. Are they expected to attend events that are in the area? Do they need to donate some of their own money to the cause?

Now, if you can get a recruitment plan in place for your associate board, I’m confident your organization will be able to function at a higher level. I truly believe that many nonprofits could excel with a good associate board because of the combined experience and each individual's desire to be there. These boards are usually made up of passionate people driven toward a greater purpose. All of our associate board members for the Ocean Institute are so passionate about our environment and its sea life that they want to make a positive impact on it. They have helped spearhead successful fundraising initiatives, fresh partnerships, new events and programs that have helped us to reach new donors and more students. 

Associate board candidates offer much-needed skills for nonprofits that include branding, communications, digital marketing, marketing, social media, public relations, web and graphic design, strategic partnerships, technology and more. It does take a lot of hard work and patience when starting a new associate board, but once it's up and running, a talented volunteer board can create exponential value to any organization.

One great hidden resource you can leverage to find members for your associate board is the Private Directors Association, where I’m also a member. Here you can find a well-qualified and eager list of candidates to serve on your associate board, and many can also be bumped up to your actual governing board. 

If your organization is looking for new and exciting ways to boost and grow fundraising efforts and community engagement, an associate board might just be what you're looking for. Building out a team of passionate professionals who are connected to your mission will serve your organization well while also developing leaders to become productive members of your community.

Associate boards can be great investments.

The added value of building a non-governing associate board can serve to cultivate the next generation of talented leaders, build a pipeline for the organization’s governing board, bring additional expertise into the organization and improve the diversity of the organization’s leadership.

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Forbes Nonprofit Council is an invitation-only organization for chief executives in successful nonprofit organizations. Do I qualify?

Nonprofit Board Recruitment Pitch #NonprofitBoards

Dr. Fram regularly updates his blog with what is usually some sound wisdom on helping nonprofit boards excel.  This week's thoughts center on how to pitch the ever-so time sensitive prospective board member.  The pitch, while relatively simplistic, may serve some of your purpose in recruitment.  I will admit though, if the prospect needs to be sold on more than mission, I have concern.

Here's Dr. Fram's entry:

TIME COMPRESSED NON PROFIT BOARD MEMBERS – RECRUIT & RETAIN THEM

Time Compressed Non Profit Board members – Recruit & Retain Them!

By: Eugene Fram               Free Digital Image

Every nonprofit board has had the experience of having board positions open and being unable to fill them with highly qualified people. The usual response from qualified candidates is that they are too busy to be accept a board position. However, the real reasons, if speaking privately, are that they perceive the nonprofit decision process to be too slow, board agendas loaded with minutiae, presentations that take up more time than they should, unfocused discussion, etc.

Following is a list of “selling points” to potential board candidates, providing a board can deliver on them!

• We are careful to make wise use of your valuable time.
• Board meetings will begin and end of time, a quorum will be present at the beginning of the meeting.
• Board meeting material will be sent a week ahead of time.
• The agenda also will be sent out a week ahead of time.
• If you miss a meeting, the minutes will be available within a week afterwards.
• If are going to be traveling, we have the facility for directors to attend virtually.

• Divisional staff reports will each have a time limit and be well prepared in advance, so the agenda can be completed as scheduled. The CEO works with each presenter ahead of time to assure well developed presentations.
• The board chair has the responsibility to quickly refocus discussions if they get off track into the weeds.
•  Visual presentations will be limited to 10 visuals.
• Policy and strategic topics will be the major foci of the meetings, not operating minutiae. We view our responsibility to overview, not micromanage.
• Board committee work will be aligned with the candidate’s interests and backgrounds. Committee chairs will understand board members’ time constraints.
• The board chair and/or CEO will meet with each board members individually once a year to make sure the board members perceives the board experiences are in line with the above guidelines and to seek suggestions for board improvements.

Faith is Not A Guaranteed Healer; Nor is Good Governance #NonprofitBoards

From the rather lengthy article in the Times Free Press we learn a lot about how personal egos can trump (not meant to be a reference) faith and faith is not always the healer when two faith bodies are rendered asunder. 

The case between a Christian college and a Christian youth development organization (that's what I am going to refer to it as) is long, winding, multi-tiered, expensive for both parties and definitely not one where healing is an object and the boards have insight, authority or apparent responsibility.  One could even suggest that both boards have sacrificed their obligations and just simply passed these on (no, that's not responsible or even technically legal) the management. 

Unusual, I pose not in recognition that there are many, too many to count, boards who, once they have put in place an exec (or CEO) effectively give up the ghost and allow all that transpires to be decided by that same exec.  Yes, not ideal nor even nearing the principles embodied in "good" governance and at minimum, a woeful failure in what is defined as the measure for what is viewed as "appropriate" behavior by a board: prudence.

The only positive result of this case: lots to learn from.

Here's the Times Free Press story.  Please take a look.  There are so many lessons.

Nonprofit "cover" for hate and racial bias #NonprofitBoards

Citizens for Renewing America "sounds" like a legit nonprofit focused on doing good.  Yes, that is the purpose of nonprofits - doing good - effectively filling the void between what the government is asked to do and the for-profit has incentive (profits) to do.  But Citizens for Renewing America is anything but an organization seeking to do good.  On the contrary the organization is a value driven anti-pretty much everything that seeks among other things to ensure that critical race theory is not taught in schools nor promoted in any way.  Is this a doing good activity?  Not in my opinion.  And try to find out who is on the board?  Good luck!  Or its donors?  Good luck!  A propaganda machine that is another arm of the far right is all that jumps up as this nonprofit's real purpose.  

It's up to you to determine what you might do to counter this propaganda machine under the guise of a nonprofit and yes, there are actions you can take.  Please consider.  Here's the article from business insider.

 

A nonprofit run by a Trump administration official is training 'critical race theory activists' to overtake local school boards

Morgan Keith 

20 hours ago

Former Office of Management and Budget director Russ Vought, who is now the president of Citizens for Renewing America, waits to speak during the daily press briefing at the White House, Monday, March 11, 2019, in Washington. 

AP Photo/ Evan Vucci

• Conservative social welfare group Citizens for Renewing America believes critical race theory will "socially replace" white people.
• Critical race theory was coined by lawyer and legal scholar Kimberlé Crenshaw.
• Toolkits from Citizens for Renewing America give tips on building grassroots coalitions to stop critical race theory.

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Conservative social welfare group Citizens for Renewing America is training "critical race theory activists" how to organize within their communities and win back local school boards.

Founded by Trump administration official Russ Vought, Citizens for Renewing America has said on its website and in its materials that critical race theory is a radical theology that will "socially replace" and lead to discrimination against white people.

"In other words, because people of color were discriminated against in the past, white people, including children in schools, need to be discriminated against now in order to make up for it and let African Americans catch up," a toolkit from the organization said.

"Combatting Critical Race Theory In Your Community" gives tips on building grassroots coalitions, recalling school board officials, and launching political campaigns. The toolkit urges local groups to create social media profiles, pen op-eds, distribute training materials, and even find legal advisors in case of lawsuits.

School board members drew more recall petitions than any other group in the first half of 2021, according to Ballotpedia, with a total of 126 school board members facing recall campaigns. In Texas, Spectrum News reported that opponents of critical race theory are traveling to school board meetings throughout the state to speak during public comment, almost exclusively repeating the same conservative talking points.

Coined by lawyer and legal scholar Kimberlé Crenshaw, critical race theory is a practice, not a diversity and inclusion training, that recognizes race as a social construct embedded in our country's institutions, consequently relegating people of color to second-class citizenship, according to the American Bar Association.

Vought directed federal agencies during his tenure in the Office of Management and Budget to cancel all contracts and divert spending related to training on critical race theory or white privilege, which he called "divisive, anti-American propaganda" in a September 2020 memo.

His stance has not wavered since becoming president of Citizens for Renewing America in 2021.

Budgeting Primer for Nonprofit Folks Now Available Free #NonprofitBoards

Multiple years ago I wrote a guide on how to construct budgets for nonprofits.  This budgeting guide is still quite legit, easy to use and available for free.  You will learn, with examples how to construct an organization budget, a program budget and a budget for funders.  It's all the material you need as a nonprofit exec, program manager and board member (should you not have staff).  Check-it out and download as many times as you like.  My compliments and of course, should you need or want guidance around budgets, program planning, business planning, strategic planning and everything related to boards, that's what I am here for.

This has been a non-paid selfless promotion but one that can only benefit you. 

Board Members Who Are Connected/Networked #NonprofitBoards

A new research report indicates that where board members have strong individual networks, the board is stronger.  Add a criteria to board recruitment?  Isolated board members are not as useful or effective as those with wide connections?  

Of course the answer depends on the nature of the board but really, what nonprofit board can't use well connected people?  Interestingly the report and subsequent article is not focused on fundraising which is of course the go-to expectation of nonprofit execs of their boards.  But of course the principle can apply.

Here's the Nonprofit Times' report worthy of every nonprofit board's consideration.

 

Strong Boards Score Better On Environmental, Social and Governance

• The NonProfit Times

 

Companies with well-connected directors and strong board networks score better than companies with weak board networks on Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) issues, according to a new report.

The Board Matrix: The (ESG) Value of Well-Connected Donors by Temi Olyeniyi and Zack Yang of the S&P Global Market Intelligence’s Quantamental Research examines the relationship between companies connected through shared board members and ESG performance. The 16-page report explains that companies with directors who serve on more than one corporate board or are well connected have better ESG outcomes than firms with weak board networks. 

Well-connected directors can use their network for information on emerging ESG trends/best practices and share this knowledge with their companies. Given their roles on multiple boards, well-connected directors are also better informed about the needs of different stakeholders -- such as communities, governments, and ESG activists -- than directors with little or no network. This awareness of stakeholder management translates to better ESG performance for companies with well-connected directors, according to the report, released in September 2021.

With the growing importance of ESG issues to stakeholders, an emerging focus for corporate boards is shaping ESG policies for their organizations.

Companies with strong board networks have access to information that may not be available to firms with weak board networks. Well-connected directors can transfer strategies or ideas that were successful in improving ESG outcomes from one board to another, boosting ESG scores of those companies with well-connected directors.

Companies with strong board members:

• Are more proactive about addressing gender diversity issues at both the C-Suite and board level; and,
• Score better than companies with weak board networks on issues such as codes of business conduct, operational eco-efficiency /environmental waste and labor practices.

Firms with strong board networks are twice as likely to have female CEOs compared to firms with weak board networks. According to the report, 16% of directors on companies with strong board networks are women compared to 12% for firms with weak board networks. Companies with well-connected directors have fewer incidents of bribery or corruption cases, generate less environmental waste, and have greater gender diversity in senior management than companies with less connected directors.

Nonprofit Governing "bad" Practices #NonprofitBoards

This may be THE week for prescriptive advice about nonprofit boards.  Today's is from Dr. Fram - a generally reliable observer of nonprofit board behaviors.  His blog this weeks offers thoughts about nonprofit governance common "bad" practices (a kind of inverse to the usual "best" (of which there are very few evidence-based such things) practices offered by many.  I actually kind-of like the idea of pointing out regular practices that frequently have negative consequences as possible lessons to be followed.  It's certainly less prescriptive and more at least experientially based and more important, may be as close as we get to recognizing "promising" practices.

 

COMMON PRACTICES NONPROFIT BOARDS NEED TO AVOID

Common Practices Nonprofit Boards Need To Avoid

Peter Rinn, Breakthrough Solutions Group, * published a list of weak nonprofit board practices. Following are some of the items listed and my estimation of what can be done about them, based on my experiences as a nonprofit board director, board chair and consultant.

• Dumbing down board recruitment – trumpeting the benefits and not stressing the responsibilities of board membership.
Board position offers frequently may be accepted without the candidate doing sufficient due diligence. At the least, the candidate should have a personal meeting with the executive director and board chair. Issues that need to be clarified are meeting schedules, “give/get” policies and time expectations. In addition, the candidate, if seriously interested, should ask for copies of the board meeting minutes for one year, the latest financials, and the latest IRS form 990.. These reports and the data revealed tell a great about the sustainability and impact of the nonprofit.  

• Overlooking the continued absence of board members at board meetings, strategic and planning meetings.
Many bylaws have provisions dropping board members who do not meet meeting attendance criteria established by the bylaws. However, such actions are difficult to execute because of the interpersonal conflicts that can arise. For example, one organization with which I am familiar had a director who did not attend any meetings, but did make a financial contribution to the organization. When his resignation was requested, he refused. Not wanting to create conflict, the board simply kept him on the board roster until his term expired and then sent him a note acknowledging the end of his term. The board chair, not the CEO, has a responsibility to have a personal conversation with the recalcitrant director. He/s needs to offer a “tough love” message in the name of the board.

• Taking a board action without conducting enough due diligence to determine whether the transaction is in the nonprofit’s best interest.
Although each board member should sign conflict of interest statement each year, my impression is that this is rarely done. Board members should understand the potential personal liabilities that might be accrued as a result of violation of the federal Intermediate Sanctions Act (IRS Section 4958) and other statues. For example, under IRS 4958, a board member can have his or her personal taxes increased if involved in giving an excess benefit, such as selling property to the wife of a board member for less than the market rate. Some boards and their members need to be frequently reminded about their “due-care” responsibilities.

• Allowing board members to be re-elected to the board, despite bylaw term limitations.
This often occurs when the board has given little thought to a succession plan, and the only person who seems qualified is currently in place. It also happens when the board has significant problems and nobody on the board wants to take the time to hold a time consuming position. Some boards, however, have a bylaw exception that allows a board chair, if scheduled for rotation, an extra year or two to be chairperson. Succession planning needs to be a yearly routine for top managers and for the board itself.

• Allowing board members to ignore their financial obligations to the nonprofit.
To assess board interest in a nonprofit, foundations and other funders like to know that every board member makes a financial contribution within their means or participates in the organization’s “give/get” program. This topic should be discussed at the outset of recruitment so it can be full understood by all directors.

• Overselling the protection of a Directors’ and Officers’ (D&O) insurance and laws limiting the liability of directors.
The importance of a nonprofit having a D&O policy, even a small one, can’t be overstated. I recently encountered a nonprofit that had operated for seventeen years without a D&O policy, although its annual budget was $500,000, and it was responsible for real estate valued at least $24 million. Each director should be knowledgeable about the potential personal liabilities involved with the board position. Frequently, directors assume that a D&O insurance policy covers too wide a range of situations.

• Allowing ignorance and poor practices to exist keeps leadership in control.
Changing leadership and practice is difficult for both for-profit and nonprofit organizations. However, in the nonprofit environment it is more difficult because poor leadership and practices can continue for a long time period, as long as current revenues meet expenditures. They can even become part of the organization’s culture. In some situations, this state of affairs continues because the board has low expectations of management and staff. It’s critical that the leadership needs to be thoroughly evaluated annually.

There is much that nonprofit boards can do about avoiding common practices that weaken the effectiveness of the board.

* aka The Nonprofit Entrepreneur, Placitas, New Mexico

Dealing with nonprofit board members #NonprofitBoards

As a Westerner I must admit I am relatively in the dark as to the state of nonprofits and nonprofit governance in particular around the globe.  One region in which I have absolutely no familiarity is India.  But lo and behold today I read an article on nonprofit governance from the Times of India.  Titled "Four ways to deal with board members who 'don't have the time' " offers some prescriptive advice on improving the engagement of members - a condition experienced by many if not most US nonprofits.  And there lays the learning - what goes on with US nonprofits goes on everywhere with nonprofits.  Sad but must be addressed proactively.

Here's the article.

Four ways to deal with board members who ‘don’t have the time’

September 19, 2021, 3:27 PM IST Aarti Madhusudan in Developing India, Business, TOI

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Aarti Madhusudan

Aarti Madhusudan is the founder of Governance Counts, an initiative which helps nonprofits build more effective boards. This includes identifying key board related issues and ... MORE

Does your leadership team struggle to engage board members? Here’s what you can do.

A common complaint among nonprofits is that a few board members don’t contribute at all or claim not to have the time. Many only show up for board meetings, and sometimes even that is a challenge. It’s the rare nonprofit that will have a fully engaged and functional board where every member pulls their weight. 

I have often wondered what the reasons for this malaise might be and, more importantly, what can be done about it. 

1. Changing expectations

As organisations and founders/CEOs evolve, expectations from their boards begin to change too. An organisation that has historically ‘allowed’ a certain type of response from its board members will find it difficult to adapt if there is a sudden change in the desired output. When a board member has never been ‘pushed’ to deliver on their role they are unlikely to better their performance. Expectations are determined by the actions taken, or not taken, on each side. Growing organisations will necessarily have varying demands from their boards, and a group that came together to support the founder initially may not be best suited to deliver in the long run.

2. Joining a board for the wrong reasons

Sometimes, board members join or stay on purely due to a personal relationship with or as a favour to the founder or another board member. In these cases, it is unlikely that they will be eager and able to contribute and participate after a while. Other reasons for a decline in interest may include not anticipating the extent of work that needs to be done, misalignment with personal motivations, and lack of competence.

3. Not letting go at the right time

Relationships with board members may extend beyond the professional realm which could make it awkward to confront non-performance. When this happens, an inactive board member stays on, with neither side taking the initiative to let go of the other. This is unfair on the rest of the board as some members have to compensate for others and take on additional responsibilities. Over time, such members might also feel burdened and reduce their participation.

Strategies to deal with non-contributing board members

1. Initiate a board plan

This essentially means getting the board to agree on a board plan—a set of expected actions from board members that will help the executive deliver on the organisation’s strategic plan. This takes the individuals out of the discussion and focuses on the role that the board as a whole can play, alongside specific roles that individual members can take up. This is a good opportunity to ‘weed out’ board members who cannot participate in the plan.

2. Create a rotation policy

A rotation policy is a mechanism that allows for the board and the founder/CEO to replace board members at a mutually agreed upon frequency. This is done for two reasons:

• To rejuvenate the board composition and align it with the current needs of the organisation.
• To replace non-contributing board members.

Most organisations with a rotation policy tend to have continuing terms for their boards. If the continuance is contingent on contributions or plans that have been agreed upon, then the decision to let someone go can be made objectively.

3. Invite active advisory council members

Creating a strong council of advisers and inviting them to participate in board meetings automatically creates higher expectations from board members. Engaging with these advisers could help board members see the value that others are creating and they will have strong role models to emulate. When a board member is unable to do the same they are more likely to step down.

4. Devise individual engagement plans

It is quite likely that some board members will simply play a compliance role. This should be stated transparently so there is clarity that nothing more is expected of them. There may be others more willing and able to contribute.

Understanding the motivations of individual board members and devising an engagement plan that facilitates the same through their participation is important.

It is imperative for a board to have members who are fully invested in the organisation’s mission. Not having such people is a disservice to its objective. In a nation of a billion people it is not difficult to replace those who do not add value. The sector needs newer people to support it, and these people are out there.

This article was originally published on India Development Review.

Being Valued as a Board Member #NonprofitBoards

The following Tallahassee Democrat column reviews an individual's bad and good experiences as a board member itemizing what makes her feel good and not so good.  The lessons: boards might do well by viewing their board management work from the lens of the member.  Hm, what a concept.

A reminder about the best and worst of important board service | Notes on Nonprofits

Alyce Lee Stansbury and Kelly Otte

Notes on Nonprofits

 

This week’s column is a reboot of one Kelly Otte and I wrote in 2014 but it relatively timeless and worth repeating. It highlights our best and worst experiences serving on a board. I hope sharing this column again will remind board members how important their service is, why serving on a board is an important responsibility, and when to speak up when changes are needed to improve board performance. 

Kelly Otte. I’ve been thinking about some of the most interesting experiences I’ve had as a board member. I’ve served on local boards, statewide boards, highly evolved boards, founding boards, membership boards and more. I asked myself this question: “When have I felt the most valued as a board member and when have I felt the least valued?” 

Most valued is simple. When the work I’m doing is legitimately board work. I’m happy as a clam on boards that have a general plan for the work they are doing. The best boards I’ve worked with have a one to three-year action plan with realistic goals for themselves. I feel valued when there is meaningful work for me to do at board meetings and when I’m given enough information in advance to make the best decisions. I feel valued when the Executive Director calls me to talk over issues and to ask for my expertise. Or to ask me to make a phone call on her behalf. Or to chair a committee. Being re-elected on some boards made me feel important because I knew they were the kind of board that didn’t ask people to stick around just because they were already there.

Believe it or not, I feel valued when the organization gives me a name tag and when the board chair sends me a note about something I’ve done above and beyond.

When I have felt the least effective and valued is even simpler. I can’t stand giving up my time and having it mean nothing to the welfare of the organization. Either because the ethos of the board is to defer to the Executive Director in all matters, so the board waits to be told what to do next, or when there is a small group of board members on a committee, executive or by whatever name it’s called, who sit in private with the ED and makes decisions and hand feeds them to the larger board.

There is simply nothing worse than asking questions and having an ED get defensive and argumentative followed by board members sweeping in to save them. I feel ineffective on a board that works to squash conflict at all costs. Conflict merely means we have a difference of opinion.

And I feel valued when expressing my different opinion is well facilitated, in partnership with a bunch of other hard-working board members, to make sure we are looking at issues from all perspectives and making the best decisions possible.

My worst experience as a board member? Being at a board meeting when one third were yelling, one third were crying and the rest of us were sitting dumbfounded. Best experience? The first official board meeting of the newly created Oasis Center for Women & Girls.

Most embarrassing? Being at a fundraising luncheon and the emcee asking board members to stand and be recognized and only two of us were there.

Alyce Lee: Like Kelly, I’ve served on a variety of boards including local, statewide, founding, and sustaining. My most rewarding board experiences have come from being deeply committed to the mission and feeling like my contributions were helping to advance the organization.

I’ve also enjoyed serving on boards where I genuinely liked and respected my fellow board members, felt a sense of shared purpose and camaraderie, and where the majority were wholly engaged. I feel it’s a privilege to be introduced as a board member; it makes me proud of the organization I am representing. 

I feel least effective on a board when my participation is not making a difference. If you’ve ever served on a board and it felt like the movie Groundhog Day, where the same day keeps happening over and over, you know what I mean. There’s nothing more frustrating than a group of well-intentioned people rehashing the same conversation with no action or final resolution.

Paralysis by analysis can be a real issue and often leads to losing good people on a board who can’t take another minute of the debate or minutiae.  

My worst experience as a board member? Being in a meeting via conference call when people started yelling to be heard, called other board members names and then abruptly hung up.

When people’s feelings got hurt, the board meeting quickly unraveled. As a result of this train wreck of a meeting, board members took sides, splintering into different camps. It took months to unpack all the issues and over a year to get the board back on track. 

Kelly always says board work is not for the faint at heart and I couldn’t agree more. I am happiest on a board when I’m committed to the mission, fully aware and accepting of the job I have agreed to do, and motivated to give my time and resources to an organization I believe in. 

Despite the challenges, we love serving on volunteer boards, studying board governance, and finding ways to help nonprofit boards be as effective as possible for the benefit of the people and community they serve. As Margaret Mead said, “never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” 

Exec versus Board #NonprofitBoards

"In comparing the role of the board and that of the executive officer, the relationship is often analogized with a family vacation. Whereas the board is responsible for determining the destination and the budget for the vacation, the executive officer is responsible for determining the route and the mode of transportation, to arrive at the destination within budget."(from an article in the Westchester and Fairfield County Business Journals).

In an article about nonprofit governance and a specific note on the difference between the board and the exec, the above analogy was offered.  It gave me pause and how generally applied but with lots of issues, this analogy is referenced.  When I consider planning the family vacation, I think of the whole family sitting down, agreeing about the hoped for results and general destination and identifying activities each and then collectively all want to have happen.  There of course is a budget because not all contribute financially equally.  And then it's time to hit the road and follow the course set out by the group.  Of course there are course corrections hopefully agreed-upon by all but this doesn't inherently change the desired results unless of course, it does.

Does this sound like an analogy to be applied to nonprofit boards and their exec?  I hope not.  The board is the family; the exec is a member but not with a final vote.  The hoped for results are defined by the family.  Not the same unless of course the family IS the type of family described in the analogy 😒