Have you ever looked out of an airplane window and marveled at how differently everything looks from an aerial view? You noticed which highways were jammed with traffic and which roads were barren. Maybe you detected a few important landmarks. As a member of a board of directors for a nonprofit organization, you have a…
In recent decades, it’s a whole new world regarding the responsibilities and compensation of corporate board members. New trends are developing as to how various size companies are paying their boards and how they are breaking down the compensation.
Corporate boards and nonprofit boards are different in many ways. Knowing how to get an “in” to the board of your choice might be easier than you think. In either case, learn as much as you can about the existing board, including what talent or expertise they are missing.
What’s the difference between an unproductive nonprofit board meeting and an effective nonprofit board meeting? The board meeting agenda and the board chair who uses it. The agenda is the board chair’s most important tool. When a non-profit board meeting agenda is written well, it helps the board chair to make fast decisions about managing…
Have you ever been to an open meeting where something came out into public view that would have been better if it had been handled privately? Perhaps someone’s reputation or career was damaged before the board had time to discuss the full scope of the facts? Executive sessions are designed to handle such matters. When…
In response to the uncertain economic climate, the expectations for the culture of boards has changed. Shareholders know that the composition of the board of directors forms the cornerstone for strategic planning and strong performance. Investors have seen their fair share of governance failures in recent decades and they are starting to look at board…
The board of directors of a nonprofit organization is the ultimate governing body of the group. Individually and collectively, the board is responsible for financial oversight, providing leadership and direction, being transparent and accountable to its stakeholders, and protecting its legal liability. It’s rare to discover a board member of a nonprofit that has strong…
If you’ve attended a board meeting for the first time, you may be surprised at just how much happens there in the space of a short time. You might also have come away from it with a new appreciation for the full weight that board members carry as they make decisions.
As the date for the board meeting approaches and the “to do” list grows by the minute, it’s easy to get caught in a panic. Just when you thought you had things under control, you find that one committee has not turned in its report, the location for the meeting needs to be changed, and…
Having term limits is a good way to ensure that a board is actively working on recruitment and succession planning on a continual basis. Boards with and without term limits find that board turnover is a little like the changing of the guard. It’s a regular event. It’s inevitable. It can be somewhat entertaining and…
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