Here are some selected highlights from NEO Law Group over the past year that we hope you’ll find helpful. 2014 was also highlighted by an addition to Erin’s family and Michele’s graduation and passage of the bar exam! Amazing year for all of us. Blog Posts Governance What Issues Should a...
BOARDS / GOVERNANCE
An engaged board can be one of the most important organizational assets of a nonprofit. But nonprofit boards are often underutilized and are not always effective in significantly advancing an organization’s mission. Educating boards and executives about their legal duties, practical steps to take to effectively meet those duties, and best practices in mitigating exposure to organizational and personal liability/harm is key to establishing board engagement and effectiveness.
What Issues Should a Nonprofit Board Consider Annually?
As the end of a year approaches, a nonprofit’s board of directors should begin to reflect on a number of issues involving governance and management of the organization to encourage its growth and success. Among the areas that boards will want to review include corporate formalities, financial oversight, programs...
Pearson Charitable Foundation to Dissolve
A few weeks ago, the Board of Directors of Pearson Charitable Foundation, the Section 501(c)(3) organization affiliated with the educational publishing company Pearson PLC, announced that it will be closing the Foundation at the end of the year after a decade of operations. According to the Foundation’s website, the...
Nonprofit Radio: Managing Dissent on Your Boards
The University of Virginia’s governing body found itself under some heat earlier this year when its proposal to silence board members from publicly voicing their dissent from board actions was made public. Ultimately, the proposed policy was abandoned and with good reason. But the broader issue of how to manage...
Nonprofit Laws for Human Resources Managers to Be Aware Of
It may not be the responsibility of an HR manager in the nonprofit sector to be aware of all of the laws that apply to nonprofits. However, there are some laws that have impact specifically on matters within the purview of the HR department that are worth being aware...
Executive Succession: 10 Tips for Boards
Executive succession planning is undoubtably one of the board’s most important responsibilities. Many, if not most, nonprofit boards will need to deal with finding a new executive within the next 5 years. And selecting the individual who will lead the organization’s day-to-day management, implement the organization’s plan, follow the board’s...
Executive Committees: Why You Should Limit Their Authority
It is very common for an executive committee to be authorized to take action on behalf of the board on all matters in between regular board meeting. Delegating the full power of the board to an executive committee may be very useful, particularly when the board is composed of...
12 Reasons Why You Should Gracefully Resign from a Nonprofit Board
Are you a valuable and valued board member for a nonprofit? If not, a graceful resignation and reassignment may be good for you and the organization. 12 reasons why you should resign from a nonprofit board: You’re serving on the board more for personal benefit than for public...
Better Board Governance: SSIR Webinar
The Stanford Social Innovation Review presented a live webinar yesterday on Better Board Governance. In the webinar, William F. Meehan III, Lecturer, Stanford Graduate School of Business, discussed 9 Attributes of Effective Nonprofit Governance: An aspirational mission, with understanding and commitment Explicit goals, strategies, and plans to achieve mission...
Fraud: Protecting Your Nonprofit
Following up on our earlier post on fraud in the nonprofit sector, here are some tips for preventing fraud and the diversion of charitable assets: Create a Strong Policy Against Fraud: Organizations should create comprehensive and forceful policies that go beyond the words on paper. The policies should incorporate...