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How can we incorporate strategic thinking into our regular board meetings? Strategic thinking is not a once-a-year activity, but a position for a board to routinely take, by posing questions and having a discussion about future possibilities in a focused manner. Topics that are a good fit for strategic thinking are public perception of the nonprofit, future funding to pursue, impact measurement and improving service. Each item in the discussion section of your agenda shou

Understanding the nonprofit life cycle and matching the right skillsets at each stage helps leaders build stronger boards, improve governance, and support long-term success. While some competencies (like good communication) are valuable at every stage, others become especially important depending on where your organization is in its development. Startup Stage: Building the Foundation In the early startup phase, board and leadership skills should focus on launching programs an

What life cycle stage is my nonprofit in? It is important to know where your organization is in its life cycle so that you are using the skills most needed at that point to create a healthy and stable environment. While there are many versions of the life cycle model, most list the stages as: Start Up Growth Maturity Crisis/Restructuring Decline/Close Your organization may have aspects of multiple stages simultaneously. The stages are not linear, an organization can go throug

Our board has great ideas but the discussions don’t go anywhere. What should we do? A few things could be happening here. Board members who care about the mission and the organization don’t always know the best way to direct their efforts. An annual work plan for the board and a strategic plan helps focus the efforts of the board, but doesn’t translate into actions. Involve the whole board in action planning, and assign actions to the board as well as committees. Remember tha

How can we encourage continuous learning of our non-profit board members after the orientation? There are multiple ways to allow a board to further develop their skills. Media Review Assign some media to the board to review between meetings, and have a discussion as a group on how the board can incorporate this learning into the board activities. This could be a book, a journal article, a podcast, or a YouTube video on a topic of your choice. Have each board member make recom

How does a non-profit board shift from being good to being excellent? The difference between good and excellent lies in thoughtfulness, intentionality, action, engagement, knowledge and communication. A good board understands its fiduciary responsibilities, approves and reviews strategic plans and budgets, regularly reviews financial statements, evaluates the Executive Director annually, and participates in fundraising. Excellent boards give more of their time, talent, trea

What Responsibilities? What are the basic responsibilities of a non-profit board, and how do we know if we are fulfilling our responsibilities? A quick way for a board to check if it is fulfilling its responsibilities, is for the Chair to ask an outside volunteer to review the board meeting minutes for the past year, and observe two meetings. The volunteer summarizes what they think the board’s responsibilities are based on this observation. This is an illuminating way to det

I’m considering becoming the Chair of our non-profit’s board. Where should I start? A board chair’s role is wide ranging, and even experienced Chairs have to spend time figuring out the needs of the organization, the leadership style needed right now, and what you are able to personally commit to the role. To find out the current needs of the organization, the Chair should ask questions of the Executive Director, the Treasurer, Past Chair, Governance Committee Chair, and ma

I’ve been asked to Chair our non-profit’s board, but I’m not sure I’m ready. What should I do? Chairing a nonprofit board is an excellent way to develop leadership skills, however this new responsibility also affects people in your personal life – your family, friends, and colleagues – due to the personal time commitment required. A Chair typically spends double the number of hours a year that a regular board member spends on board work. A personal reflection will help you de

What to do about inactive board members? Our nonprofit board has several inactive members. What should we do? The first place to look is at the board orientation and recruitment process. Were the expectations clearly communicated before or at the beginning of the board member’s term? If you are struggling with board member engagement, it is likely time to invest in a board orientation. Make sure to set your board up for success. Once the board orientation becomes a routine fu

I didn’t have a board orientation, what do I do? You aren’t alone, this is a common issue for nonprofit boards. Focus on the eight key responsibilities of nonprofit boards. Lead the organization: provide overall leadership and strategic direction. This includes mission, vision and key goals. Establish policy: be proactive in establish policies to guide the organization. Secure essential resources: make sure the organization has the resources to fulfill the mission, vision and

What Committee Structure Should We Have On Our Nonprofit Board? Effective nonprofit boards conduct most of their work at the committee level rather than in board meetings. Committees may be standing committees, short-term committees that convene for a few weeks each year, or ad hoc committees that convene for a specific issue. While finance, governance and program committees are common to all nonprofits, as a nonprofit grows in organizational complexity, so must the committe

What is generative thinking? Generative thinking is about seeing patterns, identifying key questions, and looking at situations from multiple viewpoints—not just approving plans or monitoring performance. It is about continually reassessing the current environment and asking how that affects the organization’s future. Boards use generative thinking to clarify organizational identity, values, and priorities. The goal is not to produce solutions immediately, but to frame issu

What Role Does Program Evaluation Have In A Nonprofit Board? Program evaluations are used by a board to assess success at fulfilling its...

What Should and Should Not Be Included In A Nonprofit Board Meeting Agenda? Your agenda should have information items, discussion items,...

Board Governing Modes - What Are They? The three main governing modes of a board are fiduciary, strategic, and generative. An effective...

What Is A Consent Agenda? A consent agenda is a section of a meeting agenda that bundles together routine, non-controversial items so...

My non-profit organization wants a grant. Now what? There are grants available for almost anything you can imagine, however, if your...

Nonprofit organizations, the backbone of social change, often need to adapt their policies to meet evolving needs and challenges....