What do board conflicts of interest and pornography have in common? Nothing, it turns out. While the latter is vaguely defined but commonly recognized “when we see it,” conflicts of interest seem to be the opposite – clearly defined yet often NOT recognized, even in plain sight.
Despite great intentions otherwise, nonprofit – and for-profit – boards frequent the news. While the Planned Parenthood crisis is front and center now, headlines have covered all sorts of “scandals” in recent years (ie. Penn State, Target, Enron, Sweet Briar College). Even the ALS board faced the spotlight during last year’s wildly successful “Ice Bucket…
New technology, like Board Management Software, isn’t always welcomed into an organization, even when it’s urgently needed. Champions at every level encounter obstacles. Exponent Partners explains why, noting that program teams focus on their priorities, not the organization as a whole, and leadership doesn’t have the capacity to research new projects. So how can you…
Like sailboat captains trying to turn ocean liners, certain nonprofit board members aim to drive innovation while boards themselves tend to move more slowly. To that point, any board still debating the importance of social media in its nonprofit has missed the boat. In almost no time, social media swiftly infiltrated not only communications and…
Who wouldn’t jump at the opportunity to guarantee a great legacy? Most of us want to be remembered for the impact we’ve had on something that matters. Ironically, nonprofit boards often cringe at what can – and should – be among their defining legacies: executive succession. According to a recent study by Leadership New England…
Board diversity, of all things, might be the catalyst for an unexpected parity between nonprofit and corporate boards. Research shows both venues need – and slowly seek – new perspective in the form of millennials. NPR recently reported that millennials comprise the largest workforce ever in the US. In fact, according to an article in…
In the absence of time, we err toward an abundance of information. Quoting a French philosopher who said, “If I had more time, I would have written a shorter letter,” a recent article in Associations Now illustrates the irony of packing all available information into a report and hoping its readers have the capacity to…
Nonprofit doesn’t mean non-business. Since the “non” part of profit simply refers to where profit goes (back into the organization, not to shareholders), a nonprofit is otherwise a mission-driven business, complete with business processes, revenue, P&L, employees, etc. Almost. Perhaps the key difference between nonprofit and for-profit businesses lies in perception — society’s AND their…
Sometimes, despite good intentions, nonprofit boards miss the mark. Even when organizational decline is obvious to external stakeholders, the board fails to recognize the problem or solution. While most of these crises aren’t necessarily caused by the board, the board sometimes is the culprit. A recent article in The Nonprofit Times identifies common circumstances and potential…
Best Practices, Governance Principles Revised, The Nonprofit Times, Feb. 25, 2015 reports this week Independent Sector released an updated edition of its 33 Principles for Good Governance and Ethical Practices, marking the first major revisions since its original release in 2007. The event was marked by bi-partisan fanfare on Capitol Hill. As one Senator noted, establishing…
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