Last month, a group of Chicago area institutions led by Mission + Strategy Consulting released a new study on nonprofit merger strategies focusing on the Chicago Metropolitan area and assessing how mergers can be an integral part of planning for nonprofits and funders alike. This first-ever study...

However, there is much confusion about fundraising and the various roles...

Power struggles, miscommunication, and differences of opinion are bound to show up on any nonprofit board and can intensify when an organization is undergoing an executive transition. When conflict arises, one's first instinct might be to avoid it, but conflict can actually present an opportunity...

I recently saw the Annette Benning movie, Being Julia (which is wonderful, by the way). It reminded me of my life over the course of 13 years as a nonprofit organizational development and governance consultant. My film could be titled Being Interim.

A goal without a plan is just a wish. ― Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Adages about planning are plentiful. Investing time in planning increases the likelihood of any endeavor’s success. And so it is with succession planning. Succession planning is a proactive measure that boards take to ensure...

Shared leadership between nonprofit board members and the chief executive is a commonly invisible issue or at least widely misunderstood. Who leads the charge when it comes to strategic planning? Fundraising? Operations?

Why don’t more nonprofits use online investing tools? Sharon Liebowitz has some ideas. Share yours in the comments.

Over the last few weeks, I was honored to speak at two financial technology conferences in New York. It was great to hear insights and trends from fellow industry leaders and...

How often have you heard about frustration with nonprofit board members not being as engaged as they should be?

Perhaps you have experienced this trying situation yourself.

It’s a common complaint and it’s voiced by nonprofit staff and board members alike. Engagement expectations that can range...

Simone Joyaux is coming for you! She feels strongly about executive committees. Do you agree with her arguments? Read on and weigh in. And then take a look at BoardSource’s recommended governance practice pertaining to executive committees that we present below.

New and diverse perspectives matter—everyone knows that. What isn’t as clear is how to translate intent to incorporate new and diverse perspectives into a strategy for better decision making at the board level. In follow-up to a previous blog post I wrote about the importance of age diversity on...