governance foundations: ensuring necessary resources

/emilydavisconsulting /AskEmilyD

#nonprofit #governance

GOVERNANCE FOUNDATIONS: ENSURING NECESSARY RESOURCES

Emily Davis, MNM, CGT Emily Davis Consulting

February 9, 2015



A LITTLE ABOUT ME…



Name & Board Role

60 seconds or less

Question/Challenge

Board Tenure



1.  Determine mission & purpose

2.  Select the chief executive

3.  Support & evaluate the chief executive

4.  Ensure effective planning

5.  Monitor & strengthen programs & services

6.  Ensure adequate financial resources

7.  Protect assets & provide financial oversight

8.  Build a competent board

9.  Ensure legal & ethical integrity

10. Enhance the organization’s public standing

10 BOARD BASICS



How does the board as a whole perform the 10 responsibilities listed?

Rate the board as a whole on a scale

from 1 – 4. 4 = Outstanding

3 = Good 2 = Fair 1 = Poor

ACTIVITY



Set organizational

direction

Provide oversight

Ensure necessary resources

BOARD ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES



•  Roadmap •  Strategic priorities for committee &

staff direction •  Stakeholder-guided direction •  Best practice •  Identify strengths and challenges •  Organizational direction •  Clear expectations

WHY STRATEGIC PLANNING?



Strategic Priorities

Goals

Objectives

Action Items

•  Process not a document

•  Roadmap •  Three-years •  Input from board,

staff, stakeholders •  Narrative, resources,

implementation tools

WHAT IS IT?



Generative

Fiduciary

Governance as

Leadership

Strategic

WHY are we going to do it?

HOW are we going to do it?

WHAT are we going to do?

•  Confronting challenges in traditions & values

•  What matters most to us? •  What does this mean to us? •  Meaning •  Framing the right issue

•  Tangible •  Operations •  Legal •  Results •  Resources

•  Scanning your external environment

•  Comparative advantage

•  Strategic plans

•  High performing board deals with all 3

•  Great boards know the differences and deals with them.

•  Fundraising fits within all three

•  Generative – what would we do or not do for $$?



WHY 100% BOARD GIVING??



Diversity is key

Individuals

Special events

Foundation grants

Government grants

Corporate sponsorship

Earned income

Service clubs

FUND DEVELOPMENT



SPHERES OF INFLUENCE

New gifts

Annual donors

Midsize donors

Major donors

Planned giving



Prospecting Identification Preparation

Cultivating Build the Relationship

Engage the Donor Ask for the Gift

Stewarding Recognition Reporting Communicating Engagement

FUNDRAISING PROCESS



Prospecting

Stewardship & Cultivation

Acknowledgment

Solicitation

FUNDRAISING BY TIME



YES!!

Yes, but not that much

No

3 POSSIBLE OUTCOMES



FEARLESS FUNDRAISING: A BOARD MEMBER

CHECKLIST!

Fundraising opportunities and responsibilities for

board members

Be honest. Be realistic. Take a risk!



Legal Hat

Ambassador Hat

Volunteer Hat

BOARD MEMBER HATS



•  Inherent tension – Both govern –  Intersection of

governance & management

– Board oversees ED’s work

–  Calls for clarity of mutual expectations

•  Requires respect for… –  Differences in roles –  Differing

responsibilities –  Personal styles

•  Needs regular communication

•  Benefits from board and ED assessments

BOARD/ED PARTNERSHIP



ED is displacing board

GOVERNANCE AS OBSERVATION

ED is in constructive partnership with board

GOVERNANCE AS

LEADERSHIP

ED is going thru the motions with the board

GOVERNANCE AS

ATTENDANCE

ED is displaced by board

GOVERNANCE AS MICROMANAGEMENT

ED ENGAGEMENT

BOARD ENGAGEMENT

* Source: Richard Chair et. al. “Governance as Leadership”

BOARD & ED ENGAGEMENT*



Write “board” in the space provided if you think it is a board responsibility.

Write “staff” if you think it is a

responsibility carried out by the staff.

Write “both” if you think it is a responsibility shared by staff and board.

EXERCISE TIME



Board Leads

Shares values thru policies that put mission in action

Hires, supports, assesses ED

Opens funding resources in community

Oversees financial due diligence

Recruits & retains new board members

ED Leads

Develops/ Proposes policy questions

Hires, supervises, motivates staff

Develops & implements programs

Shared Leadership

Strategic plan

Fundraising plan & strategies

Evaluations

Prep board meetings

SHARED LEADERSHIP



Dramatic Disengagement Conflict

Of no real consequence

Compliant

Anticipates Plans Sees opportunities

Unconscious Conscious Enlightened

Dysfunctional

Functional

Responsible

Exceptional

HOW FUNCTIONAL ARE WE?



ONE TAKE AWAY



UP NEXT!

•  March 9th •  6 – 7:15 p.m. •  Strategies for Success:

Recruitment & Retention



CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION

•  BoardSource •  Council of Nonprofits •  Nonprofit Board Answer Book •  Creating Caring and Capable Boards •  10 Basic Responsibilities of Nonprofit Boards •  Effective Leadership for Nonprofit

Organizations: How Executive Directors and Boards Work Together

•  The Handbook of Nonprofit Governance •  Governance as Leadership



Emily Davis, MNM Emily Davis Consulting

(720) 515-0581 [email protected]

emilydavisconsulting.com emilydavisconsulting.com/blog

governance foundations: ensuring necessary resources

Government & Nonprofit