by Tom Okarma | Jan 24, 2012 | Blog, Board Development, Governance, Leadership
It seems to me almost all nonprofits whether faith-based or secular think if they can just hammer out a good Mission/Purpose Statement (What It Does), Vision Statement (What It Will Become), and Values Statement (What It Believes), then they have pretty much got...
by Tom Okarma | Jan 5, 2012 | Blog, Board Development, Governance, Leadership, Strategic Planning
I was recently asked by a friend of mine about the difference between an organization having a board of directors versus a board of trustees. He is trying to determine which model best helps him grow and refocus his small but successful organization. He wants to grow...
by Tom Okarma | Nov 9, 2011 | Blog, Board Development, Governance, Leadership
Following up on my recent post about how boards fail, here are more thoughts on how boards can fall short of their responsibilities. Again, let me have your thoughts on these… Allowing personal agendas to trump focusing solely on the clients being served Not...
by Tom Okarma | Oct 25, 2011 | Blog, Board Development, Governance, Leadership, Strategic Planning
With a tip of the hat to a certain late night TV talk-show host, I have been thinking about what makes a board “good” or “bad” and have come up with a top twenty list that covers a lot of ground. I originally titled this article “Top Five”…then Top Ten…but had to go...
by Tom Okarma | Sep 22, 2011 | Blog, Leadership
Successful executive directors and board members of nonprofit agencies know they must excel in certain key areas to carry out their mission and to make maximum impact in the community. Falter in these key areas and their agency’s span of reach and impact is...