Be Intentional About Connections and Culture

Categories: Advocacy · Good Board Practices · LeadershipTags: Leave a comment

I spoke to an ED of an organization in the mental health field. They reflected on the past year and some intentional actions that were taken to create connections and trust between board members so that hard decisions could be made. They also spoke of the impact of DEI training and that they are looking forward embracing advocacy. During COVID, ED Leans Into Board for Support We have a big board – 30 people. We are in the mental health field. Reflecting on the past year and more, I would say that I have leaned into the board in ways… Read more

Boards Must Democratize Decision Making

Categories: Advocacy · Board Member Roles · Hiring ED or CEO · LeadershipTags: · Leave a comment

We have been in lockdown nearly a year. I reached out to a board chair who serves on several boards and asked him to reflect on the impact of this turbulent year. The lessons he learned were about the need for communication, transparency, and democratizing decision making. We Need to Shine a Light on Board Work Told by a Board Chair Somewhere in the US I serve on several boards. All are focused on children and youth. They are unique organizations and the last year has played out differently for each. COVID Forced Re-prioritization of New CEO Hire For one… Read more

A Year of Pandemic, Protest, and Propaganda — What Now?

Categories: Advocacy · Board Diversity · Board Member Roles · Board, Board Chair, ED/CEO Roles · Executive Session · Fundraising · Good Board Practices · Leadership · Nonprofit FundingLeave a comment

We made it to 2021 — happy to get beyond 2020 – the year of pandemic, protests, and propaganda. There is a light at the end of the tunnel as COVID vaccines are approved and distributed. We will have a new president who believes in science and real facts. Our journeys toward racial equity are accelerating. What now? Seize the opportunity. Now is the time to make changes – some long overdue, some bold. Center Equity The tragic deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and too many others plus the subsequent protests have – hopefully – catalyzed our country to… Read more

Board Member Shares Lessons About Advocacy

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In this post, an individual who both works in a nonprofit and has served on many boards shares their thoughts on the importance of advocacy, the role of board members in advocacy, and ways to make board members most effective. This post is the sixth in a series about advocacy. In my last post, I shared an inspiring story about an organization that saw advocacy as part of the solution for its population. In the previous post, I interviewed elected officials to find out what they saw as effective. In an earlier post, Judy Reckelhoff, Chief of Staff for BoardSource,… Read more

Now Is the Time to Take Brave Stands

Categories: Advocacy · Board Member Roles · Good Board Practices · LeadershipLeave a comment

Today’s post is an inspiring story about an organization that came to see advocacy as part of the solution for its population. The staff person who shared the story outlines how the organization and the board evolved to embrace advocacy and describes a brave moment when they realized they had to put their population before personal issues. This staffer makes an impassioned call in these unprecedented times to bring advocacy up a notch and to take risks to support your population – even if you might fail. This post is the fifth in a series about advocacy. In my last… Read more