Kevin Durant to the Warriors: 7 Lessons for Nonprofits

Kevin Durant announced he was signing with the Golden State Warriors after nine years with the Oklahoma Thunder. Weeks ago, the Warriors beat the Thunder 4-3 in the NBA Western Conference Finals after trailing 3-1. But the Warriors could not repeat as two-time NBA champions after falling to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals. […]

BoardSource Leadership Forum 2015

New Orleans The 2015 BoardSource Leadership Forum (BLF) was held in New Orleans on November 9-10 with more than 900 board members, chief executives, staff, and nonprofit professionals attending to discuss the newest thinking and best practices in nonprofit governance. Marking the 10th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, BLF 2015: Leading Together for the Public Good speaks to […]

A Board’s Role in Hiring the Executive

On Nonprofit Radio this Friday, there will be a repeat broadcast of my conversation with Tony Martignetti on the subject of the board’s role in hiring the executive. In connection with the initial broadcast, I previously posted 10 Tips for Boards on executive succession. Here, I’d like to discuss further the 7th Tip: Determine the qualities, […]

Nonprofit Law 101 for Journalists

Prompted by a conversation among nonprofit leaders about the public’s and media’s general lack of knowledge about nonprofits, this article targeted at journalists briefly discusses some basics of federal tax laws applicable to 501(c)(3) organizations and common state corporate and charitable trust laws applicable to nonprofits. Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3) Exempt Purposes A 501(c)(3) organization […]

Where Nonprofit Boards Fall Short

A few months ago, Harvard Business Review published a great piece by Dominic Barton and Mark Wiseman titled Where Boards Fall Short.  In the piece, the authors examined the ways in which boards of directors are failing their organizations and discussed areas in which we should begin to make changes regarding how we approach board […]

Independent Sector’s Principles for Good Governance

The legal duties of a board member go beyond ensuring that the organization complies with applicable law. A board member must act with reasonable care and good faith in the best interests of the organization. The best interests of a 501(3)(3) organization are related to its performance of its charitable, educational, religious or other qualifying exempt purpose. […]

Nonprofit Radio: Board Calendars

I’ll be on Nonprofit Radio speaking with host Tony Martignetti this Friday at 10:30 am PT / 1:30 pm ET discussing agenda items nonprofit boards should get on the board calendar at the start of the year. You can tune in to the live feed on Talking Alternative or catch up later on iTunes. We’ll be […]

7 Reasons to Review Your Bylaws Now

The bylaws of a nonprofit corporation are the board’s internal rules and instruction manual for how the nonprofit is governed. It may be the nonprofit’s single most important document. Here are 7 reasons why you should review your bylaws for legal and internal compliance: 1. To ensure legal compliance with applicable state and federal laws. […]

2 Questions Nonprofit Board Members Should Consider on Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Beyond

On this Martin Luther King Jr. Day, consider the following two questions: Is social justice a core value of your organization and something you strive for in pursuit of advancing its mission? Is your organization investing its resources consistent with its values in a meaningful way? How to Be a Racial Justice Hero Colorlines published a great article […]