Leadership Governance Getting the most from a nonprofit

Leadership & Governance Getting the most from a nonprofit board Dwight Gee

Agenda 1. Compass Point Model 2. Modes of Governance Exercise 3. Practices and Tools Dwight Gee

1. Compass Point Model Dwight Gee

Board-ED Role Exercise Dwight Gee

Board Culture Dwight Gee

2. Modes of Governance Discovery consists of seeing what everybody else has seen and thinking what nobody else has thought. --Albert Szent-Gyögi, 1937 Nobel Prize for Medicine Dwight Gee

2. Modes of Governance Also: Cathy A. Trower The Practitioner’s Guide to Governance as Leadership Dwight Gee

pr at eg ic Str re iorit so ie ur s & ce s a dire cc ct or io din n; gly dep lo rg to Se e tiv a er n Ge s ue iss ns al la tic s, p cri gie on te ht tra sig s, s /in icie om ol isd of p dw n ar tio bo ma ge for ga in En rly Dwight Gee ys ea Faithful to mission, accountable for performance, compliant with laws & regs Fiduciary

“A problem well stated is a problem half solved. ” --Charles Kettering Inventor and head of research for GM, 1920 -1947 Dwight Gee

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Example Boston Museum of Arts Loan 21 Monet’s to Casino in Las Vegas? Fiduciary: Paintings travel worthy? Security & Risk? Length of Loan Strategic: How absence of paintings affects museum attendance? Museum image because of affiliation with Las Vegas & Bellagio? Generative: What will we do (or not) if price is right? Should we loan to highest bidder? Should we display where masses already are? Dwight Gee

WGBH/PBS Dwight Gee

Dwight Gee

3. Practices & Tools Dwight Gee

Better board meetings • Focus on what matters most • Issues that can only be addressed with presence of board members • Educate board for continuous improvement • Educate yourselves to be good as group • Year-long agenda – focus on top issues Dwight Gee

Better board meetings • Bring in experts on important issues to educate • Use break-out sessions to foster discussion, generate ideas • Information material in advanced email reports • Consent agenda for approval of routine items Dwight Gee

Behavioral Norms • Keeping civility and good humor in the board room • Develop and adopt norms with board as a whole • Assumes clear understanding, agreement on mission, values Dwight Gee

Sample Norms • • • Arrive on time; stay until the end Come prepared; read material in advance Don't use judgmental statements Talk about issues; not people Don't speak at the same time (no sidebars) Keep comments to X minutes (no grandstanding) Don't criticize those who are absent Don't monopolize conversation No such thing as stupid questions!! Keep confidential information confidential Discuss issues in boardroom, not parking lot afterwards Recognize /disclose conflict of interest Dwight Gee

Board Development Committee - 1 • responsible for general affairs of board. • prepare priorities of board composition • meet prospective members/recommend candidates • recommend slate of officers Dwight Gee

Board Development Committee - 2 • orient new board members • ongoing training for the entire board • suggest non-board individuals for committee membership. • drives annual board self-assessment • creates annual plan for board improvement Dwight Gee

Board Development Committee – 3 • creates opportunities for board members to become acquainted – Bios in board books – Social hours, lunch, dinner, facility tours, etc. Dwight Gee

Board Assessment • How satisfied are board members with its function? • Does board have talent it needs for current/upcoming fiduciary, strategic & generative challenges? • Does structure of meetings and committee align with work to be done? • Do members feel productive/engaged? Dwight Gee

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Ditch the Board Development Matrix Instead, ask: a) What are the 3 most important things our board must accomplish this year? b) Do we have the right people to make that happen? Dwight Gee

Board Job Description Dwight Gee

Targeted Recruiting Follow the passion • Family • Your supporters • Supporters of like groups • Get advice of people you would like as supporters – blue ribbon committee Dwight Gee

Board Recruitment Profile Downtown Business Community (Focus on what someone will do; not just who they are) • Will help make connections for organization with members of downtown business community • Experienced in and eagerness to work on capital project Dwight Gee

How will fit into culture • Mesh with culture? • Mesh with other personalities? • Contribute to needed balance of type of thinking? – Analytical, intuitive, detail-oriented, visionary, etc. Dwight Gee

Dashboard • Like on auto, constantly monitors critical functions • Summarizes what board and staff agree are most important indicators of good operation • Regularly prepared and sent to board Dwight Gee

Dashboard Sample items – job training program • Percent income/expense against budget • Number of program graduates YTD • Student attrition rates YTD • Job placement rates as percent of total graduates • Continued employment after 180 days Dwight Gee

Resources • Blue Avacado/Board Café http: //www. blueavocado. org/category/topic/board-cafe • Board. Source www. boardsource. org • Free Complete Toolkit for Boards http: //www. managementhelp. org/boards. htm http: //www. surveymonkey. com/s. asp? u=3754722401 (assessment tool) • Foundation Center http: //foundationcenter. org/ • Hurwit & Associates http: //www. hurwitassociates. com/table_of_contents. php • Volunteer Risk Management http: //nonprofitrisk. org/ Dwight Gee

http: //www. uwkc. org/partner-with-us/nonprofits/trainings/ Dwight Gee

Dwight Gee dwight 1000@outlook. com 206 356 1947 cell Dwight Gee