September 20, 2016: Madeleine McGee didn’t need an introduction to many Rotarians at our Harbor Club meeting on September 20. A former Historic Charleston Rotarian herself and well-know for her work in community activities, Madeleine now heads up one the of state’s most valuable non-profits—the South Carolina Association of Non-Profit Organizations (SCANPO)—that is in the business of helping the state’s many non-profit organizations operate as effectively as possible.
With hundreds of active non-profits in our area, Madeleine pointed out that Charleston’s Rotarians are some of our state’s most active non-profit volunteers, giving of their time and resources to help our fellow citizens and to improve the quality of life in our beautiful area. Serving on a non-profit board, however, can bring with it challenges as well as rewards since a poorly run non-profit can lead to board frustration, alienation and an inability for the organization to fulfill its stated mission.
In her entertaining but informative presentation, SCANPO’s President suggested that dysfunctional boards often share identifiable characteristics. Some of these characteristics are:
1) You, as a board member, are not told that fund-raising will be part of your responsibility;
2) The organization’s governing bylaws are not understood and followed;
3) The board doesn’t properly understand and differentiate between board responsibilities and the Executive Director’s duties and;
4) The board doesn’t keep the obligations to support its mission prioritized.
Probably some of these sound familiar to some of us!
Additional clues that identify a dysfunctional non-profit might be if your non-profit board meeting typically starts late, ends late, has no agenda, and the board Chair does not manage the quantity and quality of information reported. Board meetings run in this unstructured and unpredictable way can quickly diminish the enthusiasm and active participation of board members since most volunteers are busy people who do not stay engaged with a non-profit that does not respect their time.
A frequent challenge of the non-profit is the lack of understanding and enforcement of the distinction between the duties of a board and of the organization’s executive leader. Briefly, the board is responsible for board policies, the organization’s strategic plan, the annual budget and the setting of performance goals of the executive director.
On the other hand, the CEO’s duties are much greater, are more detailed and address the day-to-day operations for the effective functioning of the organization. As our speaker put it, the job of the non-profit’s executive can be summed up in two broad areas: “to operate within boundaries set by law, regulation, ethical expectations and board policies, and to achieve the organization’s mission and board defined strategic goals and budget”.
While agreeing to serve as the board chair is by definition a commitment of time and effort, it does not have to be all-consuming. Ensuring that the board stays within its purview and that work to be done on behalf of the non-profit is equitably distributed among members is key to both result and member commitment. Our speaker noted that the creation of a governance committee to ensure non-profit compliance with organizational by-laws can be an invaluable help to a board chair.
So if you are wondering if perhaps a non-profit on which you serve is closer to “dysfunctional” or to “great,” here are some common characteristics found in well-functioning and dynamic non-profits:
- Board members ask great questions at board meetings
- Board members are not checking their cell phones and texting!
- Board members really work the room at special events
- Board members set and exceed their group give / get goal
- Board leadership pipeline is crystal clear
- Everyone feels a sense of common purpose
- The board chair and CEO work as a team
- The board serves as a strategic partner with the CEO and focuses on long-term planning and short-term crisis management
If these characteristics don’t exactly describe the experience you have with your non-profit, Madeleine MeGee, as SCANPO’s President, stressed that SCANPO is available to help you, your board chair and your executive leadership with information and assistance. The organization sends out weekly emails that contain non-profit news, training opportunities and resources that can help non-profits and communities be the best that they can be.
— Cheryl Kaynard, Keyway Committee