Trustee Boards

Retaining Excellent Nonprofit Board Members by Keeping Them Meaningfully Involved – Part I

Retaining Excellent Nonprofit Board Members by Keeping Them Meaningfully Involved – Part I

By: Eugene Fram

In the 20th century, it was not unusual for nonprofit boards to grapple with operational questions related to buying new equipment, firing a custodian, hiring a new program director, choosing new furniture for the reception area, revising budget forms, revamping the accounting department, etc.

In order to retain desirable directors in the 21st century, the board only needs to be generally aware of these types of operational decisions, not make them, and then needs to focus its meeting times on questions such as: (more…)

Nonprofit Boards Can Drive Organizational Innovation & New Strategic Directions

Nonprofit Boards Can Drive Organizational Innovation & New Strategic Directions

Recently, Marla Capoozzi, Senior innovation Expert at McKinsey Company, provided some guidelines to assist business directors to help drive organizational innovations and lead to new long term strategic planning.* Following are my suggestions how nonprofit boards can adapt her guidelines.

1. Have a Defined mission A mission statement guides most nonprofits. However, few if any, have innovation as an inherent part of that statement. For example, a counseling nonprofit will want its staff to work with the latest treatment modalities. But few boards will want their staffs to actively seek ways to improve on these modalities. Budget constraints, related to staff costs, interfere. However talented staff members may develop new innovative practices within the confines of regular contacts with clients. These can lead to new strategic directions. To drive innovation, boards will need to stay on message to management and staff that innovation is desired outcome to support the mission statement. (more…)

Establishing Effective Nonprofit Board Committees – What to Do.

Establishing Effective Nonprofit Board Committees – What to Do.

By Eugene Fram

Following are ways that many nonprofit boards have established effective board committees using my governance model as described in the third (2011) edition of Policy vs. Paper Clips. http://amzn.to/eu7nQl

• In the planning effort, focus board personnel and financial resources only on those topics that are germane to the organization at a particular time. For example, financial planning, long-range planning or
short-range planning. However the board needs to be open to generative planning if new opportunities present themselves or are developed via board leadership. (more…)

Once Again: What Makes for a Successful Nonprofit Board? – Reissue

Once Again: What Makes for a Successful Nonprofit Board?

By: Eugene Fram

Successful nonprofit boards come in a variety of organizational structures and sizes, largely determined by the their mission, vision and values. However, Carter Burgess, Managing Director & Head of the Board Practice at RSR Partners, an executive recruiting firm, suggests three of the most prominent success factors. Although his article is directed to for-profit boards, there are many suggestions that apply to nonprofit boards. (more…)

Nonprofit & Business Boards Have Similar Challenges – Some Reflections on Them

Nonprofit & Business Boards Have Similar Challenges – Some Reflections on Them

My blogs often highlight how nonprofit and business boards have similar challenges. Following I will highlight some business board challenges reported by William George, a Harvard professor, former board chair-CEO of Medtronic. Then I will show how his experiences can be related to those of nonprofit board directors.* As usual, I will quote or briefly paraphrase William George’s insights through italics.

Independent Directors

Most nonprofit directors are independent ones. They typically have limited engagement with the (nonprofit) and its board, meeting six to eight times a year. Consequently, management’s knowledge of the organization’s information and data is superior (more…)

What To Do About Weak Nonprofit Board Practices – Reissue

What To Do About Weak Nonprofit Board Practices

By Eugene Fram

Peter Rinn, Breakthrough Solutions Group, recently published a list of weak nonprofit board practice. * Following are some of the items listed and my estimation of what can be done about them, based on my experiences as a nonprofit board director, board chair and consultant. (more…)

Is Your Nonprofit Strategically Deprived?

Is Your Nonprofit Strategically Deprived?

By: Eugene Fram

A vital concern to the future of any nonprofit organization is frequently neglected. Responsibility for the lack of strategic planning must reside with the chief executive, board members and the tactical challenges that inevitably flow to the board.

Before a nonprofit board can begin successful strategic planning, it must: (more…)

Lifestyle & Behavioral Information – Critical in Seeking Nonprofit Directors

Lifestyle & Behavioral Information – Critical in Seeking Nonprofit Directors

By: Eugene Fram

Over the last two years, I have conducted several nonprofit board recruitment projects. The boards with which I worked had rather similar challenges. (more…)

Management Expectations of the Board – The Nonprofit Story – Part II

Management Expectations of the Board – The Nonprofit Story – Part II

I am indebted to Dr. Richard Leblanc of York University for the action headings used in this blog. The blog uses headings developed by Dr. Leblanc for his blog: “What a Board Expects from Management, and What Management Expects from a Board, January 27, 2013, York University Governance Gateway Blog. (rleblanc.apps01.yorku.ca) For reading simplicity, Dr. Leblanc’s specific quotations, which can apply to either FP or NFP boards, are noted in italics.

1. Candor
The board should speak with one voice and not send mixed messages to management (and staff when dealing with nonprofits). Nonprofit boards are usually composed of people with widely diverse backgrounds, as compared with for-profit ones. (more…)

Board Expectations from Management – The Nonprofit Story – Part I

Board Expectations from Management – The Nonprofit Story – Part I

I am indebted to Dr. Richard Leblanc of York University for the action headings used in this blog. The blog uses headings developed by Dr. Leblanc for his blog: “What a Board Expects from Management, and What Management Expects from a Board,” January 27, 2013, York University Governance Gateway Blog. (rleblanc.apps01.yorku.ca) For reading simplicity, Dr. Leblanc’s specific quotations, which can apply to either FP or NFP boards, are noted in italics.

1. No Surprises or Spin
The biggest surprise that I ever a received as a nonprofit board director was in a situation where the executive committee of the board acquired a profit-making business without a full open discussion by the board. The agreement package presented placed the board in an untenable position. I quietly resigned soon after, but the remainder of the board, largely senior business executives, stayed, which was quite a mystery. (more…)