Nonprofit Performance 360 Vol 4 No 4

Editor’s Corner

The chicken or the egg? Does the problem start with the board member or the organization?

Is the problem with the dead weight member or the organization that didn’t set goals and follow up with appropriate expectations? Is the problem with the naysayer or the organization that doesn’t have a culture in place that accepts alternative opinions? This battle sits at the core of the future of the nonprofit. What expectations are we setting, and how are we communicating those to the members and staff that serve alongside us in the important mission of our organization? Many of us have participated in meetings where board members and staff simply go through the motions in order to fulfill their bylaws and check the box for their nonprofit status. Agenda passed out. Old Business – check. New Business – check.Thanks, and you are dismissed. What if we looked at the board differently? What if it presented opportunity, not burden? What if it could do more than just raise some money (though, for many of us, that would be a good start), and actually served to set a positive vision and direction for our organizations as we serve the community? The reality is, one of the greatest opportunities and hardest challenges of the nonprofit sector is found in the boardroom. In this issue of Nonprofit Performance Magazine, we examine the importance of recruiting and engaging a strong, active board of directors for the success of a nonprofit. Pouring value into the development of an active, focused board might be the most important thing that your organization could ever do. So how does your process look? In the pages that follow, you will hear from a variety of leaders (some staff, some board members, and some who play multiple roles for various organizations) on how they work to develop their organization through a strategic focus on their board. As we know, making change in an organization takes a great deal of courage, so it is our hope that these pages will give you not only the ideas that, when adapted for your organization, can bring greater effectiveness to your community, but also a boldness that comes from knowing you are not alone, but you are surrounded by a community for community builders!

Et vade .

Todd Greer