A Nonprofit Director Board or A Nonprofit Trustee Board?
By: Eugene Fram
Nonprofit organizations refer to their board members as “ Directors” or as “Trustees.” I recently encountered one nonprofit board that referred to it board members as directors, but the charter, when referenced, clearly stated it was a trustee board. Do these board titles make a difference? (more…)
International Journal of Not-for-Profit Law / vol. 14, nos. 1-2, April 2012 / p.57
Some blog followers may be interested in this article. .
Eugene Fram
The Nonprofit Board As a Stereotype For Its Organization
By: Eugene Fram
How stakeholders and potential donors view a nonprofit board can easily be used to stereotype the entire nonprofit, even if it is offering good service! Following are some major differences between what might be called a “modern” board, one that has grown and has exited its start-up stage and a “conservative” board, one that has grown, but the board still operates as if it were a start-up stage. (more…)
The Nonprofit President/CEO – How Much Board Trust Is Needed?
By; Eugene Fram
The title president/CEO clearly signals to the public who has the final authority in all operating matters and can speak for the organization. They are not an ambiguous set of titles However, the terms “manager’ or “executive director’ can be quite ambiguous and do not have the same external clout.. An executive director can be the administrator in a small church or the operational head of a large arts organization. The public and some corporate directors often view managers and executive directors (because of the organizational history of nonprofit) as “hired hands,” not as managerial professionals who are able to manage all operational activities.
The president/CEO designation calls for a trusting relationship with the board based on mutual respect, drawing from the symbolism that he or she is the operating link between board and staff. It is a new type of partnership culture. However, from a assessment viewpoint, the board still has a legal and moral obligation to ‘trust but verify.”
Source: Policy vs. Paper Clips, pp.35-36, Third Edition (2011). Available on Amazon.com in paperback or Kindle format.
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Changing Nonprofit Boards – Overcoming Nostalgia.
By: Eugene Fram
In many US locations, there are several nonprofit organizations that are over a century old. In contrast, only a handful of the Fortune 500 companies claim this longevity level. However, when it comes to making organizational changes on nonprofit boards, < –more — > such as the board should set policy an leave operations entirely to management, board veterans often just don’t buy the idea.
These persons feel that board members have to know operational details if the board is to assist the chief executive to achieve the organization’s mission.Some of these board veterans have nostalgic visions of how things used to be when the organization was a small one. Others fear that if they give up their operational roles, the organization will not be the “family” or caring organization they perceived they knew.
If these directors are continuing to make good board contributions, the board chair and CEO need to try to persuade them that with growth, there has to be movements to meet changing times and to hire qualified managers and staff. New policy challenges need to be developed for these veteran directors. However, don’t be surprised if a few simply resign their board positions.
Source: Policy vs. Paper Clips, Third Edition, (2011), pp. 99-100
My blog site: http://bit.ly/yfRZpz
How to know when a nonprofit board has achieved a positive culture?
Nonprofit board culture is really about having chemistry that works. Is there transparency and openness? It is an intangible, but it is critical. Is there a spirit of inquiry? That means, for example, that one director can disagree with another director or with the CEO without being hostile or being viewed as hostile for having an opposing opinion. (more…)
Are Three Standing Nonprofit Board Committee Enough?
By: Eugene Fram
Nonprofit boards are often known for the proliferation of board standing committees. Current thinking is to reduce the number substantially. Following is one model, with only three standing committees which has been used by thousands of nonprofit organizations for over 20 years. Ad hoc committees are used when needed for investigation of policy decisions and other major issues such as changes in pension plans.
Nonprofit Management 