Eight Things to Consider When Diversifying Your Board

Categories: Board Diversity · Board Member Roles · Prospective Board MembersTags: · · 1 Comment

Everyone wants to diversify their boards. Having a diverse board, especially one with people who have lived experience around your mission, will help you make better decisions. Here are some things to think about: Think Broadly. Think of diversity in the broadest sense – ability, age, ethnicity, gender identity, geography, race, religion, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status. All of these areas can enrich your discussions and add important perspective. Depending on your mission, some may be more critical than others. Remember too that just because someone is white, male, or older does not mean that they are bad board members.… Read more

Should You Have Agendas for Board Meetings?

Categories: Board Member Roles · Board, Board Chair, ED/CEO Roles · Good Board PracticesTags: · · · · 3 Comments

In this post, I share how a diverse board handles some different cultural norms around agendas and meetings. It’s a good lesson about being transparent and inclusive. How One Board Changed the Way Agendas Were Developed and Meetings Were Run Told by a Board Chair somewhere in the US Many years ago, I was board chair of a small nonprofit that had a very diverse board. At one meeting, a board member suggested that we not use agendas. He said that there were cultures where following a strict agenda was uncomfortable and — to respect those individuals — we should… Read more

Changing Course for More Impact

Categories: Board Member Roles · Board, Board Chair, ED/CEO RolesTags: · · · · Leave a comment

How a Supportive Relationship Between Board Chair and ED Led to Successful Change By a Dedicated Board Member, Somewhere in USA I was board chair when the organization made a big shift in its work to drive more community impact. To me, the most interesting thing that came out of that experience is the reflection that leadership and management are very different skills. When an organization decides to go through significant change, it is often a charismatic, high-energy leader who initiates it, gets people inspired, and drives it forward. But often a really inspirational leader still may not have the… 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

Fundraising Strategies for Large Institutions

Categories: Board Member Roles · Fundraising · Good Board PracticesTags: · · · · · Leave a comment

In this post, I share thoughts from a board member who has served on boards for very large, institutional organizations. He correctly reflects that fundraising strategies for these boards differ from those for medium-sized or small, community-based organizations. Still many of his insights can be applied to all boards. This post is the sixth in my series about nonprofit fundraising. In my last post, in contrast to this one, a board member shares several examples about fundraising for small and even all-volunteer organizations. Going back, in the first of the series, I shared a story about a successful capital campaign… Read more