Nonprofit organizations provide services that are valuable and relied upon by communities. Leadership, represented by the board and executives, is ultimately responsible for nonprofit governance. In the absence of proper oversight and accountability, an organization is not be able to consistently provide the support and services to the community for which it was founded. So how do boards and executives work together effectively to achieve the best possible results? In short, by living the mantra coined by John C. Maxwell, “teamwork makes the dream work”. While the cliché rings true, it’s necessary to take a deeper look at the dynamics at play and how nonprofits can best position themselves to promote cohesive leadership.

How do we know there is an issue to begin with?

Board-executive role confusion and conflict is well documented in nonprofit governance research. When conflict arises, the organization and those served by the nonprofit suffer. When conflict is not addressed, it can lead to the turnover of executives and/or board members. The board relies on information from the executive(s) concerning staff management and daily operations. When there is inaccurate, incomplete, or inconsistent information, the leadership is not able to properly assess and act. With deliberate planning, policies, and procedures such instances of conflict or confusion can be resolved with minimal disruption to the leadership team and organization as a whole.

What is the optimal makeup of a nonprofit board of directors?

According to the literature, boards that recruit individuals with nonprofit experience and boards that have a strong female representation have been associated with higher rates of transparency. The more open nonprofits are regarding the state of organizational operations and decisions, the more reputable and credible the nonprofit’s position becomes as a trusted community resource.

How do boards evaluate performance?

Too often the answer is ‘not very effectively’. Many nonprofits do not implement a strategic plan that would otherwise mitigate the role of emotions and place the focus on objectives, goals, and metrics needed to get from projected outcome to resulted outcome. Without a guiding strategic plan grounded in the mission and vision of the organization, many nonprofits lack the framework of policies and procedures to carry out routine evaluations of staff and programs. This in turn leads to weak oversight, accountability, and transparency.  

What can nonprofits do to improve leadership teamwork?

Develop and implement a strategic plan that provides the blueprint that will grow an organization’s reputation as a trusted charitable institution, opening it to new strategic partnerships and donor opportunities. Review the strategic plan at each board convening.

The strategic plan is an important tool useful in…

1) articulating the organization’s purpose;

2) recruiting, onboarding, and evaluating board members;

3) hiring, training, and evaluating executives and staff;

4) assessing programs and services;

5) assuring the organization is acting in the capacity of a fiduciary through appropriate financial management and real-time budgets;

6) overseeing the marketing and advertising strategy and maintaining the organizational brand;

7) fundraising and grant management; and

8) ensuring the organization adheres to the highest legal and ethical standards

How do leadership teams promote organizational continuity in the midst of turnover?

Leadership turnover is built into the normal lifecycle of nonprofits and, when done right, is beneficial for nonprofit operations. Board members serve, on average, terms of one-to-three years. This produces new voices, new perspectives, and new skillsets to the leadership team. In this operational model, leadership succession planning is critical. Before a new board member is inducted, or an existing board member completes his/her/their term, onboarding and off-boarding is warranted. Regularly scheduled reviews and exit interviews are valuable, as is maintaining a connection between the board members, past and present, and the organization. The same is true for executives. Having a formal review schedule ensures the right people are in the right roles at all times. Moreover, institutional memory is honored and maintained through a documented record. This mindset and process puts the organization at the core, it reinforces what the leadership team is charged with leading.

What is the essence of the team mentality?

Serving a mission greater than oneself. In a team, each member brings their unique talents and skills to positively impact the success of the organization. Teams also communicate and foster a sense of trust, loyalty, and dedication. Team members constructively challenge one another and hold each other accountable, fundamentally making the nonprofit better.

Jesse Charyn is a 2024 graduate of the Masters of Nonprofit Leadership and Management program at Arizona State University. A proud Sun Devil, he has been involved in the nonprofit sector since graduating from Arizona State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Liberal Studies and a minor in Justice Studies. Jesse works in the field of spiritual care and currently serves as Rabbi of Bet Shira Congregation in Miami, FL.

Image by Lillian Finley

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