Working with nonprofit organizations that are just starting—or ramping up—their evaluation process is one of the best parts of this job. A little evaluation goes a long way for these organizations. People are excited to get started and see the results. When 12 people sit around a boardroom table, they bring 12 slightly different ideas
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Demystifying Theory of Change
Recently I wrote a free e-Study about theory of change for the Hubert Project at the Humphrey Institute (University of Minnesota). Theory of Change is one of those terms that can elicit groans from nonprofit practitioners. Who has time to think about theories? And the word “change” makes people sweat a little. But, every organization I’ve worked with
Read more »Knowledge Management: The Anchor of Operational Boards
If you’ve ever been on a nonprofit board with no staff, you know firsthand how different they are from typical boards. In addition to handling governance responsibilities, directors do all of the day-to-day work of the organization. Let’s call these boards operational boards. Operational boards have so much to do that their directors can easily
Read more »Asking About Improvement: Survey Tips
Above all else, nonprofits want their evaluation efforts to “strengthen their future work.” I know from my experience helping nonprofits develop and use an evaluative lens that most value their stakeholders’ feedback as a crucial part of achieving this goal. Yet they tend to make one critical mistake. They ask on a survey, “What could
Read more »A Quick Guide to Reviewing Your Nonprofit’s Bylaws
Photo by Sebastien Wiertz, Flickr Creative Commons Even experienced nonprofit boards have to pause occasionally and consider the state of their organization’s bylaws. A critical component to any nonprofit, bylaws define the “rules of engagement”, or the ways in which nonprofits conduct themselves as they work to achieve their various missions. What follows are key
Read more »Keeping Your Strategic Plan Alive
Have you ever had a strategic plan that ended up in a folder on a shelf somewhere? Three years later you had to wipe away a layer of dust to remember what it said? Or perhaps you worry your strategic plan will end up there and wonder if it’s worth the significant investment of
Read more »The Executive as Vortex for Organizational Governance
I am hesitant to call it a trend, but for the past 3 years I have been observing something about the role of the executive that I had not seen as clearly before. The executive has become the vortex of governance for nonprofit organizations. Let me explain myself. I have served and continue to serve
Read more »Boards Assessments: Kicking them up a notch!
Below is the chapter “New Practices for Board Assessments” I wrote for the book “YOU and Your Nonprofit Board: Advice and Practical Tips from the Field’s Top Practitioners, Researchers, and Provocateurs.” This book is part of the “In the Trenches” series published by CharityChannel Press and lovingly edited by Terrie Temkin, PhD. Enjoy! New Practices
Read more »Cultivating the Board Chair – Executive Relationship
“This relationship, like any other relationship, needs constant nourishment and care.” – Wokie Weah, President of Youthprise What we know from experience, and what the research supports, is that the relationship between the board chair and the executive is crucial to the functioning of a nonprofit organization. A board chair and executive that don’t get
Read more »Navigating the Currents of Change – Adaptive Leadership
We’ve been talking to a lot of groups lately about adaptive leadership. What we are finding is that the work of nonprofit leaders, both staff and board, is increasingly complex. We’re asking them to: Create strong staff teams, Leverage board and organizational resources, Inspire stakeholders, and Provide thoughtful and compassionate responses to strengthen and sustain
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