Choosing the Right CEO: A Nonprofit Perspective
By Eugene Fram
According to one well-known analyst, Ram Charon, there are five essential elements for-profit boards fail to consider in selecting CEO’s. Following are my interpretations of how these relate to nonprofit boards: (more…)
Is Your Nonprofit Chief Executive An Effective Fund Raiser?
By Eugene Fram
In the past, many nonprofit chief executives, whether they be executive directors or president/CEOs, did not have fund raising responsibilities. They were considered mission specialists by their boards. These specialists did not have enough higher-level community contacts or were not aggressive enough to seek development assets. (more…)
Although social media are disruptive technologies, I don’t think many nonprofit boards have given sufficient thought to what they may mean to their organizations currently, beyond marketing, and in the future. Following is a link targeted to the business community, which I think should be of interest to nonprofit boards.
bit.ly/RxhETF
Is Your Nonprofit a “Slim & Smart” High Performance Nonprofit?
By Eugene Fram
The “slim and smart” nonprofit approach does not involve specific steps but instead calls for management to develop an overall transitional framework and climate for the organization.[i] It does, however, require planning with sufficient lead-time. (more…)
How Can Nonprofit Boards More Clearly Define Operational Responsibilities?
My experience shows that well functioning nonprofit boards establish and monitor the organization’s policies. The board operates through the president/CEO. In turn, the CEO executes policy and is responsible for the prudent and creative operations of the organization. In this role, the CEO exercises leadership resulting in the effective and efficient use of board and of other volunteer time.
Although defining what are policy issues and what are operation issues is not always clear, for both for-profit and nonprofit organizations, following is a useful set of guidelines (more…)
Trustee’s Lament: “We are accountable for what’s happened… We are deeply ashamed.”*
Like the Penn State trustee, who bemoaned the board’s inaction, other nonprofit trustees, directors and managers easily can find themselves in similar situations, if they fail to impartially investigate negative news or even rumors. In fact, those who serve on small and midsized nonprofit organization’s boards may even be in more perilous situations than larger nonprofits for four reasons. Small & midsized companies may be affected for some of the same reasons. (more…)
How successful Nonprofit Chief Executives Should Operate
By: Eugene Fram
Successful nonprofit chief executives, like those in the commercial positions, should share similar perspectives and beliefs. Author Jeff Haden writing in the June 25th issue of INC Magazine. about for-profit executives suggests, “9 Beliefs of Remarkably Successful People.” Following is his list and how I see how his ideas may apply to chief executives of nonprofit organizations
Nonprofit & Trustee Boards: Any Side Effects From Health Care Act?
By: Eugene Fram
Obviously the Supreme Court’s health care decision will have significant impacts on nonprofit and trustee boards of health related organizations. However, like any large dose of medicine, the dose from the health care act will have kinetic effects on the cultures and operations of other types of nonprofit and trustee boards. They can range from Animal shelters to Zoos. Here are some, which I think are the most obvious. (more…)
Nonprofit Evidence Based Evaluations: Using Imperfects Metrics Well
By: Eugene Fram
The Office of Management and Budget has issued a call for more rigorous program evaluations. According to Jeffery Zients, acting OMB director, “Where evidence is strong, we should act on it. Where evidence is suggestive, we should consider it. Where evidence is weak, we should build the knowledge to support better decisions in the future.”[i] Assuming this directive will trickle down to many nonprofits using federal dollars, using imperfect metrics for evaluations are becoming accepted, especially for smaller nonprofits, which can’t afford statistically significant studies. These resources are needed to deliver services. In addition, evidence based imperfect metrics can help track progress and drive change. (more…)
Attn. Nonprofit Board Recruiters: Marketing & Sales Are Not The Same!
By: Eugene Fram
What are the differences and what do these background differences mean when a nonprofit board concludes that a person with a “marketing background” needs to be added to a board. !
If the nonprofit board needs a person help define and/or segment a market, a director with a strong marketing resume is needed. For example, if a teen social center finds that its clientele is shifting from one ethnic group to another, a marketing person can help with the research to determine the overall differences between the two groups. Then a marketing plan can be established to show how the organization can help solve the problems being faced by the new ethnic group.
Assume the board has a good knowledge of its market but has a critical need for action in the fund development function, and then the need is for a director with a strong sales background. This person can help with planning fund raising events, provide techniques for “making the ask,” educate senior management and directors on the fine points of presentations to senior business executives and, in general, help spark the fund development effort. However, some of the suggestions might seem to be “outlandish” to a conservative nonprofit board. For example, it took me two years to establish a highly successful annual fund raising dinner for a human service nonprofit.
Another background to consider is a person with a marketing communications (often called Marcom) person who can assist with the website, developing print promotions and advise on communications to stakeholders and staff.
In nonprofit board recruiting, a person with “marketing” background can vary greatly. Be sure to define specifications.
Nonprofit Management 