“Board Building” – Articles
Improving Board Effectiveness: Why Isn’t My Board Better?
Why Isn't My Board Better? Keeping up with the Jones’ is about as American as Apple Pie and baseball. I sense it is alive and well in the nonprofit world, too. Specifically, I hear nonprofit leaders often whispering, “Why isn’t my board better?” “Why can’t we do the...
Nonprofit Risk Management: Is Your Agency Exposed To Risk?
As a nonprofit leader, your attention is drawn in many different directions in the course of a week, sometimes, all at once. You are responsible to look into the future to ensure the agency is headed in the right direction. You also need to look internally to...
The Hardest Question Every Executive Director Must Answer
The Hardest Question Every Executive Director Must Answer At some level, every executive director’s job is similar to other directors in the community. Each leads the organization, raises funds, recruits, ensures clients are being served well, all while serving as the...
4 Things Successful Nonprofit Leaders Do Every Week
Guard Your Calendar Wisely Your role as an executive director is much more than a 9-5 job. You may have breakfast meetings, dinner meetings and late evening meetings. Sometimes, your Saturdays turn into full work days, too. During the day you are meeting with donors,...
Nonprofit Board Management: 18 Reasons Your Board Is Failing
Get Your Board On The Right Track I have found many nonprofit boards are just a few steps away from seeing high impact results. With a few adjustments, these organizations are capable of delivering transformational change to those they are trying to help. They have...
High Impact: 14 Ways To Improve Your Board Leadership
How Should You Lead Your Board Of Directors? After serving on several boards and consulting with many others, I have seen common problems or decisions made by leadership that resurface again and again. These issues hold boards back from giving their best effort and...
Becoming A Board Member: Stay Confident, Come Prepared
So You’re On The Board Of Directors, Now What? Congratulations! You’re officially a board member of an organization that addresses a cause you care about. Becoming a board member is one of the most fulfilling and rewarding experiences of a lifetime. Consequently, you...
15 Things Non Profit Board Members Should Be Doing
You've Got New Board Members, Now What? New non profit board members are often confused, uncertain, and unclear on exactly what their responsibilities are once they are on the board. They are eager to help, but recognize they may not have historical or institutional...
11 Easy Ways To Start a Board Training Program For Your Nonprofit
Speed of the leader, speed of the team. No organization can succeed, let alone thrive, with weak or untrained leadership. The same holds true for nonprofit boards. One of the most prevalent problems I run into when I speak with executive directors or accept a new...
Making Tough Calls On Difficult Nonprofit Board Members
Leading Nonprofit Board Members Is Not Always Easy Sooner or later, every nonprofit leader has a problem with a board member. How this issue is dealt with separates the successful leaders from the rest of the pack. You may find certain nonprofit board members are...
Nonprofit Board Training: 23 Unwritten Rules Your Team Needs To Know
Take Your Nonprofit Board Training To The Next Level New board members typically receive some level of orientation when they step into their role. A more experienced member or agency leader will tell them about their fiduciary responsibilities, the Duties of Care,...
How Joining A Nonprofit Board Boosts Your Professional Development
Why Serve On A Board? Many individuals and businesses miss a valuable opportunity for professional development. They also miss a great opportunity to give back and make their community a better place to live. I know this because I used to be one of these individuals....
Recruiting Board Members: 12 Profiles For A Superstar Team
Who Should You Put On Your Board In 2018? Every organization is a reflection of its leaders. The more capable and committed any leadership team is, the more successful the nonprofit. Recruiting board members is a crucial step in cultivating a leadership team that...
The Illusion of Control: Facing The Realities of Nonprofit Governance
Once I became a leader, it did not take long to understand just how powerful, yet simultaneously powerless, I was to impact the future. On one hand, I led an organization of 350 people and was responsible to see that we were headed in the right direction. On the other...
Fundraising for Nonprofits: Empower Your Board To Get Involved
Effective fundraising and donor relationships are the lifeblood of a nonprofit. But many agencies tend to overlook one of the most critical — and yet often most effective — tools for improving fundraising for nonprofits — the board. It’s no secret that best practices...
5 Nonprofit Challenges and How To Fix Them: #4 – Avoiding Mission Drift
Challenge #4: Avoiding Mission Drift Every nonprofit organization started out with a mission. We all want to affect meaningful change and make a difference in the world. But sometimes, the stresses of working for a multi-faceted organization with many moving...
5 Nonprofit Challenges and How To Fix Them: #3 – Board Recruitment
Challenge #3: Board Recruitment Finding the right person to fill a board director position is a challenge for most nonprofits. Where do you turn when you are searching for a good quality candidate with a strong skill set and adequate experience? This week, we are...
5 Nonprofit Challenges and How To Fix Them: #2 – Fundraising
Challenge #2: Fundraising This week, we are taking a look at five of the most common challenges I hear from nonprofit leaders, and how I advise approaching these issues. While I cannot diagnose the specific issues your organization is facing, I can guide you...
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