ILRU Resource FilesInformation for the independent living community from the IL NET |
Board DevelopmentThis annotated bibliography was compiled for us by Maggie Shreve, a long-time trainer and consultant in independent living. We at ILRU have worked with Maggie over two decades, and we have found her to be insightful and never shy about expressing her opinions, as you will see in her annotations. This list provides a sample of materials which are currently available and is not intended to be all inclusive. These resources should be readily available, either from a retailer or the publisher. We encourage you to visit the websites for the National Center for Nonprofit Boards and Aspen Publishers. They have additional materials on board development which are not listed here. Beyond Strategic Planning: How to Involve Nonprofit Boards in Growth
and Change This pamphlet explains why strategic planning has failed in many nonprofits: 1) uncritically applied traditional models from for-profits which the for-profits have abandoned; 2) lack of cohesive and connected methods for the planning process; and 3) failure of leadership and management to implement plans and manage the planning process. Gives overview of "strategic issue management" and offers key steps, from design of the process to implementation. Emphasizes the need to examine realities and make true change within the nonprofit. Offers good, basic reasoning to support nonprofits becoming more strategic in their thinking, but is very brief.
Corporate Employee's Guide to Nonprofit Board Service This pamphlet is clearly directed to corporate employees and managers who may be considering serving on a nonprofit board. It includes helpful questions and some answers to those questions concerning relationships of corporate representatives to other board members, the organization as a whole and to their own employers. It could be helpful to a center for independent living board who wants to recruit and find corporate employees for its board, especially in realizing the questions and concerns such board members might have before committing themselves and their corporate resources.
How to Help Your Board Govern More and Manage Less This pamphlet points out the tensions, contradictions and difficulties many boards have between management and governance. By asking a series of key questions, Chait presents some ideas for keeping the board at the governance level. His questions include why boards manage more than govern, what is the executive's role, what is the board's role, and what can be gained? His key point is that people feel more accomplished when managing than when governing and only through continual feedback about board activities can governing remain their focus. A handy little evaluation to ask at the end of each board meeting is demonstrated on page 12.
Nonprofit Board Committees: How to Make Them Work Using a traditional approach, this pamphlet discusses the role of committees, when to establish them, two types, size, composition, leadership, what committee chairpersons and members do, relationships, and guidelines for key standing committees. A one-page list of "Tips for Successful Committees" is included. Assumes that committees are board members only, thus the label of "traditional" above.
Ten Minutes to Better Board Meetings Detailed descriptions of how to plan for and conduct board meetings, using a traditional approach such as Roberts Rules of Order for procedural guidance. Charts and thought-provoking questions help guide a meeting planner to generate a more effective agenda. Book includes: purpose of meetings, preparation for them, roles to be played, parliamentary rules of order, framing issues, giving reports, decisionmaking, stimulating discussion, acknowledging dissent, achieving consensus, handling difficult situations, executive sessions, documentation, and follow-up. For a first-time user, the book will probably overwhelm, but with time and practice, all the information included here are helpful tips.
How to Manage Conflicts of Interest: A Guide for Nonprofit Boards This pamphlet explores the meaning of "conflict of interest" and includes the legal definition and context for the phrase. It cites examples of conflict problems and presents two typical conflict of interest policies. Also offered is a step-by-step list of issues to consider when preparing a conflict of interest policy. Brief and to the point.
Seven Steps To a Successful Nonprofit Merger The 7 steps are: get to know your partner, form a merger committee, choose the chief executive and the organization's name, structure the new entity, encourage acceptance through effective communications, write a merger agreement and implement/evaluate the merger. Each step includes major ideas for success and possible pitfalls to avoid. An appendix deals with significant issues related to money, most notably that a merger will not necessarily bring about cost savings.
Building Board Diversity Fairly comprehensive narrative supporting the importance of diversity across a wide range of criteria within boards of directors. Detailed tools and action steps for increasing diversity or shifting current board composition to reflect more diversity. Excellent tool for boards who have paid no attention to diversity within board composition.
Facilitator's Guide to Participatory Decision-Making This marvelous book helps any reader understand why meetings are so difficult to plan and why groups tend to behave so badly. Using graphics and clearly understood lists, the authors demonstrate what tends to happen to groups making decisions in hierarchal situations (or, as in board parlance, using Roberts Rules of Order). Then they help move our understanding about how to get everyone involved in making decisions. Better yet, they allow photocopying of their materials as long as you are not selling their ideas in a training package or similar venue. I highly recommend this book and use it constantly in my own consulting work with centers and other nonprofits.
Nonprofit Board Answer Book: Practical Guidelines for Board Members
and Chief Executives Another good, comprehensive overview of board issues, going deeper than any one National Center for Nonprofit Boards (NCNB) pamphlet. The table of contents is structured into six parts: Board Functions, Board Structure and Process, Board-Staff Relations, Selection and Development of Board Members, Board and Committee Meetings and Other Critical Issues. Within each part, there are significant questions listed which are answered in the narrative itself. This form of organization allows a first time reader to scan the material in search of questions that correspond to his or her own. At the end of each question and answer section are "suggested action steps." So, if your board is experiencing difficulties related to the question raised, the action steps portion of the text gives you some ideas of what you may need to do. Well-done.
Sustaining Innovation: Creating Nonprofit and Government Organizations
That Innovate Naturally Using the definition of innovation as "an act that challenges the prevailing wisdom as it creates public value," this book challenges its readers to structure and lead nonprofit organizations so that innovations are natural and frequent. Quite an undertaking, but one that would fit what centers for independent living have been claiming to do for some time. The book details 26 case studies from a research effort in Minnesota, then explains the lessons learned and what those lessons teach other nonprofits for the future. A well-written and researched book, it could be helpful to boards who know their organizations are stuck in routine and aren't or couldn't prove that they were providing any significant public value. I recommend it, particularly Chapter Five on leadership and Chapter Eight on core values (trust, honesty, rigor and faith).
Inside the Boardroom: Governance by Directors and Trustees This book examines governance in both for-profit and nonprofit boards of directors, from both a positive and negative polarity. Bowen has wide and deep experience as a member of both types of boards and as a CEO. His general premise is that governance is about "power and accountability who exercises power, on behalf of whom and how the exercise of power is controlled." Covers why we have boards, their functions, presumptive "norms," how boards are organized, and how they keep informed. Easy to read, including personal experiences, the book is good at drawing and negating comparisons of these two types of boards. If reading about the for-profit world is a stretch for your board members, however, this book may not be as suitable.
Boards That Make a Difference: A New Design for Leadership in
Nonprofit and Public Organizations Carver is probably the most well-known writer and consultant to nonprofits and their boards. In this book, he expands on his "policy governance" model by detailing the need for better process at the board level. He lists what types of policies boards should make (governance, not administrative), how to measure results in four policy areas administrative/programmatic, staff relationships through the CEO, relationships with stakeholders, and relationships with subgroups of the board), and how to keep focused on the big picture while handling organizational issues with greater depth using policies established. Chapters cover clarifying and sustaining mission, standards of ethics, need for strong executives, self-responsibility as a board, officers and committees and making meetings work. Resources include types of boards, hints for good bylaws and a lengthy list of references.
Reinventing Your Board: A Step-by-Step Guide to Implementing Policy
Governance This book details how to move a board from "managers" to a policy governance model. It explains the basic model and suggests methods for how to change from what your board may be doing currently to this different model. This is a follow-up to Carver's first book, Boards That Make a Difference, annotated above.
Guidebook for Directors of Nonprofit Corporations This is a technical book describing what board members should know about good legal and corporate practices. It seeks to answer two key questions what does the law require and what is good practice? It covers: zoology of the corporate world, purpose of service, parties to whom the director is accountable, duties of directors, rights and special problems, committees, risk and protections against risk, taxation, volunteers and advisory boards, manuals and orientation and appendices. Each section includes suggested questions and a checklist. With its emphasis on law, it tends to be fairly difficult to read. I don't recommend it for all board members, but if someone wants technical, legal definitions, this book would serve that purpose.
The Non-Lawyers Nonprofit Corporation Kit Like the book immediately above, this is a technical book designed to familiarize the reader with requirements of a private, not-for-profit charitable organization functioning as a tax exempt organization under section 501 of the Internal Revenue Code. It includes removable forms and a telephone help line. The forms cover such requirements as articles of incorporation, bylaws and other corporate operational forms, and step-by-step instructions for filing for exemptions. As long as the IRS doesn't change the rules or regulations, this manual is helpful to the "do-it-yourselfer" on the board who wants to be sure that all technical requirements are met. I don't recommend it for copying, however, as there are many differences between groups regarding bylaws and similar operating decisions. I see this as a resource where I can modify what they recommend according to the situation in which I find myself.
Doing Good Better! How to be an Effective Board Member of a Nonprofit
Organization This little book is packed with good ideas and basics about effective boards. For a new board member, I recommend it highly. It covers: organizations why do we need them?; trustees roles and responsibilities; governance distributing the task; leadership showing the way; meetings gain or pain?; minutes more than a formality; doctrine of completed staff work; money it makes the world go around; information the need to know; consultants helping boards to help themselves; planning; conflict inevitable and not necessarily bad; legal dimensions the risks involved in "doing good"; renewal preventing a premature death; and leaving right signing off. Exhibits are helpful as well, including job descriptions, annual calendar of board tasks, and assessment tools.
Nonprofit Boards and Leadership: Cases on Governance, Change and Board-Staff
Dynamics Primarily used as a textbook for advanced studies, this book includes lengthy case descriptions some disguised and some undisguised, but all real of significant board problems. The theme of leadership and change is apparent throughout all cases. Each case includes questions, exhibits (like appendices) and suggested readings. The three primary areas covered are: role of external stakeholders in governance, complexities in board-staff relationships, and interpreting mission and accountability. Probably more appropriate for a trainer or consultant, but the book has much to offer someone wanting to dive into leadership and board issues in depth.
Board Overboard: Laughs and Lessons for All but the Perfect Nonprofit
A very funny book for people who have seen the "worst" of all boards. O'Connell has produced a year's worth of secretary's minutes which describe a fictional board's activities, dilemmas and human foibles. This book grew out of his "minutes of the last meeting" at the end of The Board Members' Book. Great gift idea for board members!
Beyond the Bottom Line: How to Do More with Less in Nonprofit and Public
Organizations "...this book tells two stories...how to succeed at the business of government, and how an entrepreneurial spirit turns the best of nonprofits and public agencies into role models of management efficiency and vigorous contributors to our way of life." It does this by highlighting and describing 30 "best of breed" organizations. Three challenges are described: mission, change and managing for results. Then competencies (those attributes, knowledge and skills crossing all 30 best organizations) are listed and detailed. Good book, good resources and methods, but probably too much to read for most boards better suited for a staff "bench-marking" project.
Welcome to the Board: Your Guide to Effective Participation (For All
Nonprofit Trustees) This helpful book is directed at individuals considering board service. Divided into three parts, it includes board membership in perspective (why join, qualities of good board members, legal issues); board member responsibilities (attending board meetings, defining mission and strategies, choosing and evaluating the chief executive, assuring financial responsibility, supporting and overseeing programs, participating in fund raising, and keeping the board effective); and the relationship of board members to the board in how it gets its work done. The resource section includes both the Better Business Bureau's and National Charities Information Bureau's standards for solicitations and philanthropy, which are helpful as a code of ethics in fund raising. I particularly like Chapter 4 where Howe explains why nonprofits are NOT a business.
Grassroots and Nonprofit Leadership: A Guide for Organizations in Changing
Times This book describes the relationship of grassroots organizing to nonprofits through a "river metaphor." Topics covered include: cycles of social movements, power in social movements, social milieus that become social movements, dilemma of growth, inventing organizational structure, creating the board and dealing with issues of authority and control, productive meetings, relationships to staff, how to avoid burnout, etc. The Center for Change is mentioned as a resource for consultants and trainers who help grassroots nonprofit organizations but is never identified with an address or phone number. While I enjoyed reading through their analyses, I imagined it would be difficult to get a board member to read the entire book; perhaps it is better directed at executive directors. The metaphor works for me, but it does not necessarily give readers thirsty for "how to's" enough information.
The Board Member's Guide: A Beneficial Bestiary This small book was written by a woman who has been involved with the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago for over 30 years. Combining text with great cartoons of animals, she covers topics such as joining the board, what is a board member, what business are we in, balance, checking egos at the door, listening, difficult people, nitpicking, meaningful meetings, time management, terms of office and remembering to ask "why?" among others. A fun book to offer for a new board member to set the tone as they come on board.
The Jossey-Bass Guide to Strategic Communications for Nonprofits The three authors are involved in a consulting firm called Communications Consortium Media Center in the Washington, D.C. area. They have prepared a thorough and well-designed book which details the importance of communications as a function of nonprofits, including why nonprofits tend to resist effective communication tools. At the back of the book is a style manual, directories, additional readings and forms/check lists which are clear and helpful. This is a beautiful book, probably best directed at executive directors and board committees with communication responsibilities.
Managing the Nonprofit Organization: Principles and Practices Drucker is the granddaddy of management in general and here he applies his knowledge to nonprofit organizations. Included with Drucker's comments are interviews or writings of Frances Hesselbein, Max de Pree, Philip Kotler, Dudley Hafner, Albert Shanker, Father Leo Bartel, Reverend David Allan Hubbard, Robert Buford and Roxanne Spitzer-Lehmann. Topics covered include: The Mission Comes First and Your Role as a Leader; From Mission to Performance Effective Strategies for Marketing, Innovation, and Fund Development; Managing for Performance How to Define It and How to Measure It; People and Relationships Your Staff, Your Board, Your Volunteers, Your Community; and Developing Yourself as a Person, as an Executive, as a Leader.
Assessment of the Chief Executive: A Tool for Governing Boards
and Chief Executives of Non Profit Organizations This is a wonderful pamphlet for thinking through how assessment of the executive director (or chief executive officer) can be done. The booklet includes a step-by-step process for conducting an assessment, forms needed for the assessment and how feedback to the executive should be handled. The diskette repeats the forms shown in the booklet so that an organization can adapt them for their specific situation. While these tools are generic, the questions asked and the 360 degree feedback method presented are excellent. A center could always include more specificity after completing one of these assessments. A resource list is included.
The Nonprofit Board's Guide to Bylaws: Creating a Framework for Effective
Governance Contains a good list of typical and often required bylaws issues. Good, brief overview of issues that bylaws should cover, but not a lot of detail about the debates that could be had on significant governance concerns like a "quorum" requirement. Many people think that setting it high encourages people to attend, but it often doesn't. Setting it low means a gathering of fewer people can actually make decisions for the organization and that may be more of a motivation factor in getting board members to attend. Sample bylaws on diskette are included but are very brief and may not fit a CIL with "consumers" on board in many ways. A bibliography is included.
2001 ILRU
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| This document may be reproduced for noncommercial use without prior permission if the author and ILRU are cited. The mission of the IL NET is to provide training and technical assistance on a variety of issues central to independent living today--understanding the Rehab Act, what the statewide independent living council is and how it can operate most effectively, management issues for centers for independent living, systems advocacy, computer networking, and others. Training activities are conducted conference-style, via long-distance communication, webcasts, through widely disseminated print and audio materials, and through the promotion of a strong national network of centers and individuals in the independent living field. ILRU is a program of The Institute for Rehabilitation and Research (TIRR), a nationally recognized, free-standing medical rehabilitation facility for persons with physical and cognitive disabilities. TIRR is part of TIRR Systems, which is a not-for-profit corporation dedicated to providing a continuum of services to individuals with disabilities. Substantial support for development of this publication was provided by the Rehabilitation Services Administration, U.S. Department of Education. The content is the responsibility of ILRU and no official endorsement of the Department of Education should be inferred. ©2005 ILRU Program, All rights
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