Diversity on boards has to be good, right? So how is it that study after study suggests the opposite? A closer look at boards today reveals that exactly how we diversify makes all the difference.
Have you been noticing any changes in your organization’s board? NPQ readers describe what they are experiencing as boards respond to the still roiling environment.
Board finance committees can look at annual budgets, financial statements, and audits forever, but if some group of board members is not considering those financial results in light of the organization’s programming mix and its results, then their efforts are very unlikely to contribute to sustainability. And it is sustainability that is keeping executive directors up at night, not financial oversight.
Do you ever get the feeling that the behavior of your board is cyclical? Miriam Wood asked the same question nearly 20 years ago, and answered, "Yes." Now in the Spring issue of Nonprofit Quarterly, Julia Classen digs in to see to see if Wood's assertion holds true, despite the exponential growth, increased professionalism, and an explosion in academic research in the sector. Here's what she found.
Board finance committees can look at annual budgets, financial statements, and audits forever, but if some group of board members is not considering those financial results in light of the organization’s programming mix and its results, then their efforts are very unlikely to contribute to sustainability. And it is sustainability that is keeping executive directors up at night, not financial oversight.
Newly appointed co-directors duke it out as each shifts into a new role at a growing organization.
