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Cryptocurrency, Crooks, Clawbacks ... and Charities
08.29.2024 | Linda J. Rosenthal, JD
How well a nonprofit board performs is a critical factor in the ultimate success of the organization.
Do nonprofit directors believe they are doing well enough? How do the experts evaluate the overall quality and performance?
An important project from not too long ago is the “2015 Survey on Board of Directors of Nonprofit Organizations” by the Stanford School of Business. The findings suggest there is considerable improvement needed. Researchers outlined nine steps that boards can implement.
In late 2014, the Stanford Graduate School of Business signed on with BoardSource and GuideStar to launch a survey of over 900 directors. Respondents were asked questions about the “composition, structure, and practices of their boards.”
“Our research finds that too often board members lack the skill set, depth of knowledge, and engagement required to help their organizations succeed,” according to lead researcher David F. Larcker, CPA, a professor in Stanford’s accounting department.
In particular, “boards could benefit from more formal governance structures and processes.” And while 80% of those surveyed indicated their organizations formally evaluate the performance of the executive director, “less than half have explicit performance targets” by which to evaluate the ED. Notably, a whopping 70% reveal they have no succession plan in place for management.
Study co-author, William F. Meehan III, also of Stanford, adds that “(n)onprofit organizations need to do a better job attracting board members with substantive, relevant experience who will deeply and personally embrace the mission ….”
“To help improve nonprofit board governance, the Stanford study made nine recommendations, including ensuring the organization’s mission is focused and its skills and resources are well aligned, establishing explicit goals and strategies tied to achieving the mission, and developing rigorous performance metrics that reflect those goals.” Specifically –