Board

I have a big chip on my shoulder. It’s not very attractive. It’s about folks who have time but do not volunteer to serve on a nonprofit board. And I’m not just talking about folks who are retired, are philanthropic and have time. I’m talking about pretty much everyone who doesn’t have babies spitting up…

"Just ask Oprah!" the board member gleefully proclaimed—like it was that easy. Behind her smile, the development director was fuming. She wanted to say, "Sure! When can you set up the meeting?" Almost every organization I train is frustrated with its board. In every webinar, classroom training or custom training I lead, I get an…

A nonprofit leader is suing her board of directors after being badly burned in an attack that aimed to cover up an internal embezzlement....

It is one of the preeminent roles of a nonprofit board member to assure the financial health of the organization. That means fundraising is a board-member responsibility, but the very mention of the word "fundraising" can strike fear in the soul of even the most stalwart nonprofit supporter, whether on the board or not. Unfortunately,…

Building your nonprofit’s board of directors can be challenging for a variety of reasons. First, board members are volunteers, yet much is expected of them. Second, board members have a great deal of responsibility, and not everyone you approach about the role may be up for all that’s involved in being an active, contributing board member. Third, a good board takes time to develop and may require a lengthy search process...

Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) has received a lot of attention about its spending, which has caused some donors to abandon their support of the charity and its board to fire its CEO and chief operating officer, even after the board defended its past expenditures that some deemed excessive. Now, U.S. Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, who serves as chairman for the Senate Judiciary Committee, has asked Anthony Odierno, WWP's board chair and interim CEO, to provide spending data not available in tax filings...

I had the honor of recently attending a volunteer reception hosted by the Indiana Division of The Salvation Army. Attendees ranged in age from 4 to older than 90 years old. I knew many of the attendees as they participate in a variety of volunteer activities each year...

Are your nonprofit board members still doubting social media? Do they fail to “get it," even though you’ve built a thriving community on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook? Remember, board members are just like you. They want the organization to exceed its goals and help change the world, which is why they’re on the board in the…

Want to find a way to inspire your board to be a bigger part of your fundraising team? A social, peer-driven fundraising campaign can be a great way to get your board involved, grow your list, recruit new donors and raise money through a campaign that gets people excited. By leveraging your board members, who…

All too often in fundraising, there’s the dream, and then there’s reality. For example, every fundraiser dreams of a high-functioning board development committee with enthusiastic co-chairs who make your job not just a breeze, but a pleasure. You fantasize about a board development committee that “gets it,” acts as a collaborator, brings fundraising success to…