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IS YOUR BOARD STRATEGIC OR OPERATIONAL? Ask most nonprofit boards whether they provide strong strategic leadership, and the majority will say yes. Yet examine the agenda of a typical board meeting, and you will find discussions about staffing, program logistics, vendor selection, or event planning. These topics are important — but they are operational , not strategic. How strategic is your board? Use this board diagnostic to find out!

Watch how they serve. Then—and only then—invite them to lead. If your board recruitment process starts and ends with coffee meetings, résumé reviews, and “they seem nice,” you’re gambling with your mission. There’s a better way—and it’s hiding in plain sight. The most reliable way to identify strong nonprofit board members is to invite prospective candidates to serve on a board committee before you ever offer them a board seat. Yes, it takes more time. Yes, it requires intent

Building the Board You Need for Mission Impact and Sustainability Most nonprofit leaders worry about funding, programs, and visibility. All important. None of them are the real linchpin. The future of your mission doesn’t hinge on your next grant or shiny new initiative. It hinges on who’s sitting around your board table. Board recruitment isn’t an administrative task. It isn’t a staff responsibility. And it definitely isn’t something to rush through because a term is expirin

"That level of responsibility should be reserved only for those who understand the magnitude of the obligation and are fully prepared to fulfill it.” Why do nonprofits continue to recruit people to serve on their board who know practically nothing about the organization? Is it because they have no coherent board member cultivation and recruitment process? Probably. Is it because they think that it is hard to recruit the right board members? Undoubtedly. So they continue to re

At ElevateNPT, we often hear about nonprofits struggling with ineffective boards. Why does this happen, even with the best intentions? Why does it matter? Because ineffective boards create underperforming organizations. Board service is a job – an important one. To do it well, it must be a priority; one to which you dedicate time and attention. Here are the most common reasons boards fall short – and what your organization can do to address them. Inadequate Attention to Recru

The Board of Directors for many nonprofit organizations establish a “Give or Get” policy for board members. That means each board member either gives the goal amount, they raise it from others, or a combination of the two. Many other nonprofit organizations elect not to establish a required minimum amount that each board member is expected to contribute to the organization either by giving or getting. The reasons advanced are primarily founded upon a commitment to Diversity,