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If done correctly, board service is a serious commitment of time, energy and expertise. It should also be a terrifically rewarding experience for the board member. In order to make sure it’s the right fit, there are lots of questions you should ask after that first one (and that the non profit should be prepared to answer) before you sign on.
A leader makes or is encouraged to make a hasty exit after a short tenure at a non- profit. Word spreads quickly through the non-profit community and people begin to share their opinions. They agree with the decision for the Executive Director to part ways with the organization, or they disagree with the decision. Either way, they are usually concerned about the short or long term stability of the organization. And sometimes, they ask: “Who did the search?”
The headline on the first page of the business section of the New York Times read: “Patchwork Oversight Allows Dubious Charities to Operate.” What unfolded was the tale of James T. Reynolds Sr., accused of cheating donors to his charities – the Cancer Fund of America among them - out of more than $187M, over many decades. The backdrop of the article was the role of the IRS in not only awarding charities their tax-exempt status but also being tasked with overseeing their compliance. A quote from the vice president of Charity Navigator, a go-to resource for many who are evaluating or researching charities, noted that the US has more than 1 million charities and that the IRS “will say they don’t have enough resources to monitor them.”
Whether you’re ready to expand your organizational capacity and move forward with purpose, or just want to talk shop, we’d love to connect.
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