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

Creating Strategic Board Agendas

Categories: Board Member Roles · Board, Board Chair, ED/CEO Roles · Executive Session · Good Board Practices · LeadershipTags: · · · Leave a comment

I have a couple complaints about board meetings. One is that they can be incredibly boring and unproductive. I wrote about this in my last post and will address the issue in this post with ideas on how to create and structure an effective board meeting agenda. I start with the assumption that the reason to get everyone in the room (or online) at the same time is to interact. If you spend your entire meeting on committee reports, you could just send them by email. I can read them at home or the office and use the time to… Read more

Check Your Ego and Prioritize the Organization

Categories: Board Member Roles · Board, Board Chair, ED/CEO Roles · Executive Session · Founder Transitions · Good Board Practices · Succession PlanningTags: · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 1 Comment

I love to share good stories. After my last post (about a founding ED who would not let go), a reader reached out to me to share a very different story. In this post, the founding CEO, the board chair, and the new CEO worked together to make a smooth and successful transition. What worked? Everyone emphasized their commitment to the organization, putting mission before ego. The founder pledged to support the new CEO. The board created a thoughtful, strategic process that prepared them and staff for the transition for the future. The new CEO and the founder developed a… Read more

Advice to Prospective Board Members

Categories: Board Member Roles · Board, Board Chair, ED/CEO Roles · Executive Session · Good Board Practices · Prospective Board Members · Succession PlanningTags: · · · · · · · · Leave a comment

In my last post, I shared a story about a board member who did not look closely enough at financials and joined the board of an organization that was in trouble. They ended up closing down the organization which was heart breaking for many. This individual urged board members to “dig deep” into financial and legal issues. In today’s post, I share from two board members. Both provide a check list that they recommend using when deciding whether or not to join a board. These lists are also useful to current board members who want to ensure that they add… Read more

Start Executive Sessions and Board Training Before You Need Them. Illustration by Janet Levinger.

Start Executive Sessions and Board Training Before You Need Them

Categories: Board Member Roles · Executive Session · Good Board PracticesTags: · · · · · · · · 1 Comment

This blog touches on two important topics: executive sessions and board confidentiality. When I have chaired boards, I instituted executive sessions at every board meeting. Often the executive session is at the end of the meeting and gets cut short or cut completely. If this happens occasionally, that’s okay. But prioritize leaving enough time for thoughtful conversation at most board meetings. I structure executive sessions in two parts: The first part includes the CEO but not the rest of the staff. During this part, the CEO can communicate about staffing, financials, legal issues, plans not ready to be announced, or… Read more