We all want a board filled with passionate supporters. Every parochial school has just that. Unfortunately, the passion and support are less obvious than desired. [...]
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Everybody wants an engaged board. The engaged boards are the high performance boards. How do you create an engaged board? Before we tackle that question perhaps, it would be good to define what an engaged board looks like. Every board member … [...] How do you know if the board meetings are effective? The ultimate measure is the success of the parochial school. When the students are growing and changing, enrollment is increasing, donors are more generous, and the year-end report shows a modest surplus, it is easy to conclude that the board is effective. Is there a way to evaluate effectiveness between annual reports? [...] Unfortunately, about 70% of the parochial schools are under stress. That is an unscientific number. However, based upon our experience it is defendable. [...] Leaders are the source of vitality for every organization. There are two parts to this. A vital leader is necessary for a vital organization. The leader makes the decisions that create a vital organization. [...] Should we fire the leader who blames others or has some other set of excuses for failure? Sometimes the answer is yes. The answer is no most of the time. [...] Without regard for how hard or easy it might be, it is the job of the board to ensure the agency succeeds. Success is having a surplus and serving everyone who needs help. It is certainly true that a strong economy makes it easier. It is equally true that a weak economy makes it difficult. Regardless, the clients need services. [...] Many nonprofits of all sizes struggle with strategic planning. Many individuals argue that strategic planning is a waste of effort. Technology changes often and rapidly. How can you develop a strategy in a rapidly changing environment? [...] At its best strategic planning solves an important problem. What is a counter example? Let us consider the board’s strategic planning retreat to create this year’s budget. [...] Where does donor loyalty start? Is it the responsibility of the donor to become loyal or is it the nonprofit’s job to create an environment that encourages loyalty? [...] |
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