Conflicts of Interest: Manageable…Unless They’re Not

No one wants to experience a certain panicky sinking feeling sensation, followed closely by crystal-clear hindsight that they could have completely and easily avoided getting their organization into a terrible fix, or a damaged reputation, or a loss of funding. All nonprofits—whether foundation or charity—have conflicts of interest from time to time; all nonprofits should be able to recognize and …

Who’s on a Board Committee?

I’ll give you the answer right up front: only board members can be on a board committee. “But wait!”, you may be thinking. “What about all the talent, wisdom, and leadership potential that’s not on our board?” Don’t worry – those great people can also be involved, via an advisory committee. If you have a board committee with non-board members …

Foundation Benchmarking Demystified

Are you uncertain whether your foundation is benchmarking to its fullest advantage? Do you wonder if you should do more? Benchmarking can be a simple, straightforward process. Your foundation can benefit from it with minimal time and effort, and on any budget. Common types of benchmarking include: Best practices benchmarking involves looking at other foundations who do their work well, and that …

Facilitating Dominant Personalities

Facilitation is such a great opportunity to nurture honest communication among different personalities; to find both common and uncommon ground. As I was talking with one client about goals for an upcoming meeting of board members from different organizations, she happened to let drop that one participant was known to take over meetings. Apparently, at a recent City Council meeting, …

Creative Chemistry: Board Strategies

This afternoon, I had the pleasure of listening to presentations by David Renz and Ruth McCambridge at “Creative Chemistry: Strategies for Growing Your Board & Its Impact.” The workshop description read, in part: “From strategy to structure to succession to sustainability, nonprofit board leaders and executives across American (and even across the world) are exploring new ways to sustain and …