Once upon a time, there was a nonprofit board that operated without boundaries – or to put it more charitably, didn’t know what its boundaries should be. The organization was in transition, gradually moving from a collection of volunteers who did everything to a nonprofit with professional staff. Lacking term limits, some of the … [Read more...]
Decisions, decisions: Consensus vs. Robert’s Rules
In my work with nonprofits, I'm always mystified by the pervasive use and abuse of parliamentary procedure, also known as Robert’s Rules of Order. Many, many board members believe that their discussions and decisions are somehow more valid when they make motions, second those motions, call the question, and hold formal votes that are … [Read more...]
Boards and Fundraising: Three Tasks Everyone Can Do
If you ask fundraising professionals to describe their deepest and most enduring fantasy, the answer would sound something like this: “Give me a wealthy board filled with wealthy people who will ask their wealthy friends for money.” Sure, those boards exist, but they are very, very rare. Unless you work with a legacy institution – a … [Read more...]