When a nonprofit is young, it may have few to no full-time employees. In that case, the board may have to be involved in operations. However, that’s not ideal as the organization grows. Here are 10 ways to ensure that your board is properly educated and empowered in its role and that it stays out of daily operations.
Bedrocks & Beacons
An inevitable and essential board role is making CEO succession plans. No CEO is irreplaceable, and, in fact, the roles and skills needed in a CEO will change over time and with the evolution of the organization.
In the nonprofit arena — like in healthcare — there are best practices, systems and protocols that keep the organization functioning at peak capacity. Much like the human body, when an area is weak or neglected the nonprofit and its mission suffer.
In “The Speed of Trust: The One Thing That Changes Everything,” Stephen M.R. Covey shares that when trust in a relationship increases, speed goes up with it and cost comes down. Everything happens faster and costs less because trust has been established.
We all know the power of focus, the magical results when we can remain single-minded in our effort. Sometimes you’ll hear someone brag about how great they are at multitasking. For most of us, that is a fallacy. Research shows that’s not how we’re wired.
While some major donors are helping to boost overall giving in terms of dollars, the number of donors is shrinking. There are some nonprofit leaders who take shortcuts. Some shortcuts include not building capacity — the fuel to fund their mission and the people to whom they serve.