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nonprofit board culture
Onboarding the New Nonprofit CEO: Who’s In Charge?
Onboarding the New Nonprofit CEO: Who’s In Charge?
By Eugene Fram Free Digital image
When the chair of the search committee announces that a new CEO has been selected, there is visible relief in the boardroom. After the stress of a waning—or even absent executive at the helm, directors tend to relax, engaging in a series of social events that provide a pleasant if superficial acquaintance with the new executive.
What actually lies ahead is much more serious and vital to the future of the organization. Call it orientation, acculturation or transitioning; it is the board’s responsibility to see that the CEO is grounded in every aspect of the organization. And that requires a plan that is carefully structured and may take a year to complete. Major responsibility for the plan and its implementation rests with the board chair and one or more senior board members. While there are may formats to achieve this goal, the best, in my opinion, is what has been described as a customized format.
Under a customized format the nonprofit board tailors a program that helps the new executive develop a solid base in the organization and an understanding of its unique climate and culture.
Biweekly meetings should be scheduled. However, both sides should be wary if the time required does not decrease considerably as the year progresses. The CEO will then operate more independently, perhaps even making modest mistakes from which he/s can easily recover. Those handling the orientation must take care to delegate responsibility incrementally, based on the CEO’s background and experiences. Every custom designed orientation program should include nine steps. Some must be taken in sequence, while other steps can proceed concurrently. (more…)
Nonprofit Board Members Have The Potential To Become Great Ambassadors!
Nonprofit Board Members Have The Potential To Become Great Ambassadors!
By: Eugene Fram
There is no shortage of able communicators on most nonprofit boards. Directors usually bring a degree of passion, purpose and special abilities to their term of service. Many come from business or professional environments that require at least a measure of experience in advocacy, often referred to as “selling” an idea or product!
But rarely do Board Chairs and CEOs avail themselves of the opportunity to develop nonprofit directors as fully functioning ambassadors for the organization. With a constantly rotating board and emerging crises, it becomes difficult to find the time and energy to coach board members in the art of putting the organization’s public face on view. In some cases the CEO simply doesn’t encourage contact between the board and staff. At other times, they fail to include selected directors in important conversations with key public figures and/or major donors or foundation executives. Such omissions represent a major talent loss in the advocacy process. (more…)
Who is Primarily Accountable for Long Term Planning – Board or CEO?
Who is Primarily Accountable for Long Term Planning – Board or CEO?
By: Eugene Fram
THE QUESTION
Can you further clarify whom you see as accountable for making what decisions in relation to the various aspects of corporate strategy creation and execution? If the board approves the CEO’s decisions do they not become board decisions? Where is the scope for the CEO to be accountable for making his or her own decisions?
MY ANSWER
“(My model)… promotes accountability. It requires the board and the CEO to work together to paint the big picture for the organization. It then holds the CEO accountable for implementing that vision. The (board’s) planning and resource committee (also) plays a major part in painting this picture by helping the organization and the CEO to look ahead to look to the future.”
Now for some details also found in “Policy vs. Paper Clips. * (http://amzn.to/eu7nQl) (more…)
Want Better Nonprofit Board Cultures? Look for Four Behaviors–Part I
Want Better Nonprofit Board Cultures? Look for Four Board Behaviors–Part I
By Eugene Fram
Board cultures can be difficult to modify or change in for-profit and nonprofits. A new McKinsey study demonstrated the strength of the board culture in three different levels of board operations—ineffective, complacent and striving. * Differentiated achievement seems to be largely dependent on four behaviors. (See bold type.) Centered on my experiences, they can be applied to nonprofit boards. At the least, the behaviors can motivate considerations for board modifications. (more…)
Nonprofit Chief Executives Should Have Title: President/CEO, Updated and Expanded
Nonprofit Chief Executives Should Have Title: President/CEO, Updated and Expanded
This post, over several years, has developed a record of continued viewing interest. Rarely a day passes in which the data doesn’t include one or two views, or occasionally a day in which the viewer’s data rise to five. For example, when previously updated in 2014 there were 274 post views, during 2015 there were 57 views and in the first three months of 2016 there were 27 views, indicting that the number may pass that of 2015. Perhaps the controversial nature of topic causes the longevity of interest
When nonprofit organizations reach a budget level of over $1 million and have about 10 staff members it is time to offer the chief operating officer the title of PRESIDENT/CEO. In addition, the title of the senior board volunteer should become CHAIRPERSON OF THE BOARD, and the title of EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR needs to be eliminated. Experience has shown that with a reasonably talented PRESIDENT/CEO at the helm, he/she can provide the following benefits: (more…)
Trustee Responds to Charge of Being Willfully Blind or Incompetent!
Trustee Responds to Charge of Being Willfully Blind or Incompetent!
By Eugene Fram
The organization in which Andrew Purkis served as a trustee had been dissolved. Purkis and his colleagues were cited as “…willfully blind or incompetent.” * Such strongly negative pronouncements inspired him to write an essay in which he listed four reasons why his British group had been unsuccessful in exercising their oversight responsibilities.
A review of his rationale provides some fodder for American nonprofit directors/trustees to consider the reasons that led to his organization’s downfall– and more importantly, to assess their own board strengths and vulnerabilities. The following, in my opinion, are areas that have relevance to the Purkis exposition.
(more…)
Beyond the Bylaws: A Clarification of Nonprofit Board Responsibilities–Revised and Updated
Beyond the Bylaws: A Clarification of Nonprofit Board Responsibilities–Revised and Updated
By: Eugene Fram
A nonprofit director’s duties may be much more difficult than those of a for-profit board member. Both types of directors have the same basic duties: fiduciary responsibilities; establishing, with staff input, mission vision and values; setting policies/strategies; over-viewing outcomes/impacts and conducting annual meetings.
I suggest nonprofit directors may not be fully addressing some duties specified in the bylaws and some which are culturally driven. This latter group might be called “latent duties.” (more…)
Do Nonprofit Boards Neglect Oversight of Internal Leadership Development?
Do Nonprofit Boards Neglect Oversight of Internal Leadership Development?
By: Eugene Fram
Although the nonprofit CEO is charged with nurturing the development of his/h staff, the board is responsible for over-viewing the process. Research evidence shows both board and management are neglecting their duties in regard to this responsibility. Only 30% of nonprofit CEO positions are filled internally, a rate that is about half the rate of for-profit organizations. * The same research shows that, “Hiring the more (internal personnel) can improve performance at the two-year mark by 30%.” These data are even more troubling when roughly related to those of large corporations that concluded that 40% of those hired from outside the organizations are replaced within 18 months. **
Why Are Nonprofit Boards Not Paying Enough Attention?
• Board Turnover: The most common board structure is two consecutive 3-year terms. Board chairs most commonly serve two consecutive 1-year terms. This in itself can easily create a “short term” board culture. Board members and chairs know they have relatively short tenures and may want to take actions that show more immediate results. Leadership development can be the antithesis of such actions. It takes time and nurturing.
• The Board-CEO Relationship: Nonprofit boards, as conservators of the organizations assets, are often hesitant to remove an incumbent CEO, sometimes, even when the person has been involved with nefarious activities. Consequently, many nonprofit CEOs are what I call “mind-the-store” types. They have small growth percentages each year, have their financial processes in order, but fail to have competent subordinates who are capable of promotion. As a result, those board members who want to establish a culture for leadership growth have to wait for the incumbent CEO to leave or retire. Most board members, as volunteers, fear the interpersonal conflict and added time commitment that follows a board initiated CEO termination. As a result, all plans for change, such as leadership development, can’t thrive without the active support of the CEO.
• The CEO’s Comfort Zone: Few, if any nonprofit CEOs I have encountered take pride in reporting that some of their direct or indirect subordinates have left for substantial success elsewhere. Many currently who have risen in the organization from a line position have had to acquire newer management skills. Consequently, less qualified incumbent CEOs may view more able but less experienced subordinates as a career threat, and they have little interest in promoting leadership development.
Moving Leadership Development Into a Nonprofit Culture
A board member who serves for six years can have some opportunities to introduce leadership development into a nonprofit organization’s culture:
• When Interviewing A CEO Candidate: Ask about leadership development in prior jobs. Ask the candidate about his/h most outstanding direct report and the most problematic one. Look for answers relating to pride in developing subordinates and for engaging able younger managers
throughout the organization. Also ask references about these issues.
• A New Strategic Plan: Have the board agree with the CEO that leadership development is critical at all levels and establish some modest mutual objectives to begin the process of introducing a new strategic plan.
• When The Lack of a Process Affects the Nonprofit’s Impacts: Establish leadership development as a major CEO objective to be accomplished within a reasonable time frame. Seek a new CEO, if the person fails to perform.
Younger people often seek careers in nonprofit organizations because they want to contribute to the lives of others or to the social welfare of the greater community. After some years of direct service experience, some may discover they have leadership potential. Without a leadership development culture, nonprofits will lose these able persons to the for-profit sector, for better financial rewards, or find they will become staff persons who do their job adequately but look other outside activities, like political office, to satisfy their leadership ambitions.
* http://hbr.org/2015/12/nonprofits-cant-keep-ignoring-talent-development
** Ibid.
Board Members: Does Your Nonprofit Know How To Engage Business Donors?
Board Members: Does Your Nonprofit Know How To Engage Business Donors?
By: Eugene Fram
Fund development should be a partnership between board members and CEOs/Development Officers, if the latter is available. However, I have noted that board members don’t take sufficient responsibility to make certain that CEOs and Development directors are well prepared when they approach potential business donors. This, in my view, is the first step in building a relationship fundraising approach.
Many involved with NFP fundraising or management have spent their entire careers in the nonprofit environment, resulting in a gap in communicating with those in the business environment. Some may even privately believe that those in business contribute less significantly to society. While little can be done about the latter, here is what I think can be done to fill or reduce the unfortunate gap in cultures often found between for-profits and nonprofits, especially when it relates to fund development. (more…)
Nonprofit Management 