The Intentional Board: Why Your Board Doesn't Work ... and How to Fix It
222
The Intentional Board: Why Your Board Doesn't Work ... and How to Fix It
222Paperback
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Overview
Ever feel like you're just spinning your wheels in the boardroom? That you aren't on the same page with other members of the board and senior staff? Do you sometimes wonder if you're really accomplishing the purpose for which the organization was created?
If so, please realize this: You are not alone!
The Intentional Board was written specifically with these frustrations in mind. It's written in a the conversational style common to all In the Trenches books published by CharityChannel Press.
Intentional vs. Accidental Board
Kent Stroman coined the term “accidental board” to describe the governance condition he has too-frequently encountered in his decades in the nonprofit field. It makes no difference how old or new. Large or small. Sophisticated or simple. Local or international. Boards tend to fall prey to the same reality that plagues every other entity: Left to their own devices, they will decay. And, unfortunately, most don’t have to decline very far for the decay to become noticeable.
Accidental boards result from the forces of human nature. A handful of well-intentioned individuals with a boatload of passion joins together to solve a specific problem. They form a nonprofit organization, and someone tells them they must have a board. No problem. Several of them know attorneys (maybe someone who practices family law) and ask for assistance. These kind and generous attorneys provide pro bono services—well beyond their area of expertise—to help get the organization started on the right foot. The formal structure for governing a charitable entity is born, and everyone goes happily about their respective business.
But trouble is brewing. It’s invisible. It’s just below the surface. The governance capabilities of the board are not keeping up with the demands of the mission. The governance framework laid out in the bylaws is not aligned with the structure required of a charitable entity. And just like a Kansas tornado, the winds are shifting, and the shift goes unnoticed. Initially. Next thing we know Toto is flying. And, we’re not in Kansas anymore! Yikes!
Unless an intervention occurs, the result will be the formation of one more accidental board. A roomful of dedicated, generous, passionate members will gradually create a governance structure that does not work. If left untreated, this will eventually become a major distraction from the charitable programs and threaten the very existence of the organization.
The intentional board, however, is the result of purposeful, deliberate action. In The Intentional Board, Stroman expertly weaves his powerful but easy-to-grasp 17 Laws of the Intentional Board to give you a framework for getting your board back on track.
The intentional board is a journey—not a destination. It involves a collective striving for excellence. And it’s a rewarding endeavor for all who are involved.
No one who has served on an intentional board will ever be content returning to an accidental board. Rather, these enlightened board members will become change agents for transforming other organizations from survival to significance in their governance practices.
Who Will Benefit?
The Intentional Board is for anyone who wants a healthy, well-governed organization. It’s indespensible for:
- Executive Directors
- Aspiring Executive Directors
- Board Chairs
- Board Members
- Prospective Board Members
- Governance Consultants
- Emerging Leaders
- Young Professionals
- Students of Nonprofit Leadership
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781938077746 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | CharityChannel Press |
| Publication date: | 08/31/2017 |
| Pages: | 222 |
| Product dimensions: | 6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.47(d) |
About the Author
Regarded as America’s ASKing Coach, Kent Stroman is a published author, popular presenter, effective consultant, and insightful thought leader. His purpose in life is to Equip, Inspire, and Encourage.
Kent has served on numerous boards and leads board retreats throughout the country. He is a partner in the prestigious Alliance for Board Effectiveness, which is committed to excellence in governance. Kent’s observation of accidental boards over the years has led to his passion for intentionality in board service and governance.
After a twenty-five-year career in higher education, Kent launched Stroman & Associates, consulting in fundraising, board governance, strategic planning, and leadership development. He is a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE), BoardSource-trained governance consultant, Sarkeys Foundation-approved retreat facilitator, and serves as an adjunct consultant for the Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits. Kent has earned the Association of Fundraising Professionals’ Master Trainer designation.
For many years, Kent honed his skills in the trenches as a fundraiser while developing a successful relationship-based model for engaging donors, which he writes about in Asking about Asking: Mastering the Art of Conversational Fundraising. Kent equips fundraising leaders internationally through speaking engagements, retreats, webinars, workshops, and his signature Asking Academy training program offered through The Institute for Conversational Fundraising.
Stephen C. Nill, JD founded CharityChannel.com, an online professional community serving more than 100,000 nonprofit-sector professionals in North America and worldwide. He has served as its CEO since inception in 1992.
Under Nill’s leadership, CharityChannel has published more than 2,000 professional articles and more than eight-five books under its two imprints, CharityChannel Press and For the GENIUS Press.
He has advised hundreds of nonprofit organizations as a California tax-exempt organization lawyer as well as international consultant.
Nill has served as a chief development officer at a major Southern California university, the CEO of a large health care foundation, a senior vice-president of fund development of a U.S. west-coast nonprofit hospital chain, as a founder and acting director of development of a parochial school in his community, and as a founder of an organization dedicated to providing food and clothing for the homeless.
Nill enjoys composing symphonic and choir music at wee hours of the morning in his studio. He lives in Nashville, Tennessee with his wife, Janet, and his golden retriever, Gypsy.
Table of Contents
Foreword
Introduction
Chapter One — Everything Revolves around Something
Is every member of your board crystal clear about what lies at the center of your organization? This chapter helps you get a page so everyone can eventually get on the same page.
Chapter Two — Five Organizational Roles: Who Does What?
Every organization, regardless of its purpose, relies on five distinct roles. This chapter reveals those roles, introduces the board’s Three Ds, and equips members to practice exceptional governance.
Chapter Three — Intentional Board Structure and Policy
What are the best practices on the way an organization is structured and how it manages its own affairs? Discover the importance of bylaws, term limits, written expectations, and the role of an executive committee in this chapter.
Chapter Four — Intentional Board Focus
Do you ever feel like the time and energy of your board is misplaced? In this chapter, you’ll learn how to shift your vision to the proper horizon, discover how to bring courage into the boardroom, and find out how to govern on purpose.
Chapter Five — Intentional Board Members —The People
The most important thing a board does is determine who will join its ranks. This chapter reveals powerful methods for recruiting members who are exactly suited to the needs of your organization and equipping them for exceptional service.
Chapter Six — Intentional Board Meetings
Effective, engaging board meetings can be a challenge. As you delve into this chapter, you’ll find out how to manage the agenda for optimal board member involvement, leverage the role of the board chair, and unleash the hidden potential of board committees.
Chapter Seven — Intentional Board Leaders—The Officers
All too often, boardrooms are filled with unproductive, underproductive, and counterproductive behavior. This chapter will enable you to escape these maladies by clarifying who’s the boss and providing policies and principles to energize all members of your governing body.
Chapter Eight — Intentional Board Giving
Some boards pay members for their service—not so in the charitable field. As you dig into this chapter, you’ll learn the crucial importance of board giving and discover how your members can joyfully contribute more money and go on to secure larger donations from others.
Chapter Nine — In Conclusion
Now that you have a complete understanding of why your board doesn’t work, it’s time to fix it. This final chapter shows how to bring every dimension of your organization into balance and then leverage small changes to make a huge impact in achieving your mission.
Appendix A — Additional Resources
Appendix B — 17 Laws of The Intentional Board
Appendix C — Centricity Worksheet
Appendix D — Guidelines for Case Statements
Appendix E — Board Member Expectations of Service
Appendix F — Five Organizational Roles
Appendix G — Board Agenda Guidelines
Appendix H — Seven Horizons of Focus
Appendix I — A Donor Bill of Rights
Index