Stored in this Portal

Your board of directors is the standard bearers…foundation builders…strategic plan developers and managers…chief cheerleaders, and fundraisers. They steer the organization towards meeting its mission, ensure its financial stability, and are the public face of your organization. For small, volunteer-led organizations, the board may also be responsible for day-to-day operations as we

During the last three years, I served as the Executive Director of a youth-focused leadership development nonprofit and was chair of the board of directors. We faced several challenges during that time, and through the productive board of director meetings, we achieved some great results. Here are seven lessons that can help make your board of director meetings more effective, exciting and worthwhile.

Meetings are a powerful tool that is widely misunderstood. Like many professionals, I have read and enjoyed many Dilbert comics that point out the pain and frustration of poorly run meetings. I’ve been in my share of disappointing meetings. I’ll share a short example with you and data showing how widespread bad conferences have become. Finally, I will cover the seven habits – the most potent meeting tips I have used – that will set you up for success.

Board members and managers alike can all recall meetings that left them scratching their heads, wondering how in the world things could have gotten out of control.

It is no secret that some Board meetings can run longer than necessary. In most cases, board meetings should take 2 hours at maximum. To conduct an effective meeting, you must start with a concise meeting agenda.

How does the board know if an agenda item is ready for discussion? Does the agenda have items of significance that advance the mission and goals?

governance-related questions posed by nonprofit leaders for over 30 years. Here are the answers to those questions most frequently asked about board meetings.

Leading with Intent: 2017 National Index of Nonprofit Board Practices found that chief executives and board chairs agree that there is a relationship between board meeting preparation and board culture. Those who report that their board members are prepared for meetings also report positive board culture. However, more than a quarter (26 percent) of executives and nearly a fifth (18 percent) of board chairs say their board members are unprepared for board meetings.