BoardSource announced its release of Authorized Voice & Power in the Boardroom: Reimagining Governance to Fulfill Philanthropy’s Purpose, an incredible resource meeting the moment and embracing Purpose-Driven Board Leadership. The free-to-download publication is both a call to action and a guide for foundation boards.
Centering community voice in board leadership isn’t just good practice—it’s essential to fulfilling philanthropy’s purpose. This principle is the driving force behind Authorized Voice & Power in the Boardroom, a call to action and a guide for organizational transformation. It invites foundation boards to reimagine their role, not as protectors of institutional legacy, but as stewards of purpose in full partnership with community.
Communities possess the wisdom and proximity required to drive meaningful solutions. When foundations share power with community, governance becomes a catalyst for equity, trust, and lasting impact.
Excerpts
Part I: What Does it Mean to “Share Power with Community?”
Sharing power with community intentionally makes room for those most impacted by funding decisions in the spaces where those very decisions are made.
Part II: Sharing Power with Community
Foundation boards can be designed — and redesigned — in countless ways, provided they have the collective will to do so. … This means foundations actively seek input, guidance, and accountability from those impacted by the foundation’s work—not as a one-time consultation, but as an ongoing practice. It requires shifting from acting on behalf of communities to acting in partnership with them and ensuring that those closest to the issues have a real role in shaping the foundation’s direction, decisions, and priorities.
When applying the principle of Authorized Voice and Power, the Authorized Voice and Power (AVP) Continuum offers a way for foundation boards to honestly reflect on how community voice is held, shared, or excluded in their governance structures and processes at any given moment. The continuum outlines common patterns so that boards are better able to assess where they are now and what work is needed to get to full representation and inclusion of community voices on the board. [The AVP table is a powerful resource you should examine more carefully by downloading the free publication.]
Part III: Laying a Strong Governance Foundation to Share Power with Community
Culture and dynamics significantly influence board decision-making and overall performance. However , board culture is often invisible to those immersed in it, yet immediately apparent to newcomers. As boards evolve to include community members as full members, it’s essential to reflect on existing norms—and consider how new members will experience them. … New members should be engaged proactively to help co-create a culture that enriches the board’s work and strengthens its connection to community.
Bylaws are not just about compliance; they are documents that articulate the organization’s values, mission, and vision — in other words, its purpose. A common misconception is that bylaws are meant to be permanent, and adjustments should only be made under specific circumstances. The reality is that bylaws can and should be examined and revised regularly. Thus, it is important for foundation boards to evolve their bylaws in alignment with changing circumstances, including shifts in the social and geopolitical landscape.
Do we have the right committees and committee structure to ensure that our foundation’s purpose and governing practices are being shaped by people who authentically represent the community?
BoardSource’s Leading with Intent survey highlights a common pattern: most boards devote the bulk of their meeting time in ways that overemphasize financial oversight and legal compliance. This narrow understanding of what it means to exercise the board’s fiduciary responsibilities leads the board to undervalue and even disregard the strategic and generative roles and responsibilities of the board. It is often used as a barrier to listening to and meaningfully including members of the community in board governance.
Finally, as foundation boards begin to share power with communities, it will be important to appoint community members onto the board in cohorts, and not alone. … What aspects of our current onboarding process could make a newcomer feel excluded or welcomed? Do our onboarding practices prepare new members to lead with confidence and clarity?
Closing
We are living through a time of profound change, and philanthropy has a rare opportunity—not just to respond, but to transform. By embracing community voice, in principle and in practice, foundation boards can turn a moment of reckoning into one of renewal. Because when foundations, nonprofits, and communities share power together , the path to collective progress expands beyond measure.
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