For many nonprofits, closing down or going out of business is the unthinkable. There may be a crisis or serious warning signs or simply a lack of energy in the organization. Whatever the long-term causes may be, it's time to look at the options (Blue Avocado).
Why Boards Don't Govern, Part 1 by CompassPoint Nonprofit Services: "In the aftermath of every “nonprofit mismanagement” news story is the question: Why didn’t the board do something? Yet the boards of the nonprofits recently headlined with scandals did not do any less than most nonprofit boards. The reality is that most nonprofit boards are ineffective in their governing function. Only when gross mismanagement occurs does a failure at governance come to the fore."&nbs
In Why Boards Don't Govern, Part 2 (CompassPoint Nonprofit Services, 2006), Jan Masaoka and Mike Allison advocate for board to receive at least part of their information from someone else besides the Executive Director, how to improve board meetings, encourage question asking, and qualities to look for when recruiting. See also Part 1 of the Board Café series on Why Boards Don't Govern.
Some organizations are reluctant to start the planning process because of vague fears about where it might lead and what it might entail. Defeat the Planning Dreads demystifies common concerns and illuminates the benefits planning can bring.
Common Ground is a publication of the North Carolina Center for Nonprofits.
Candid (formerly GrantSpace) outlines the process and steps to create a business plan, which can help a nonprofit organization describe how it intends to implement its mission and achieve its set of goals. Additionally, the National Council for Nonprofits offers administration guides about Business Planning for Nonprofits.
The National Council of Nonprofits provides details on the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program, including why it matters, who is eligible, program status, additional resources, and recent news.
Nonprofits compete with for-profit workplaces for talented workers, so setting the right level of compensation can make the difference between attracting and retaining qualified employees or, in contrast, suffering from high turnover and/or not being able to find the hoped-for caliber of employees. (National Council of Nonprofits)
Compensation For Nonprofit Employees
When questions about a nonprofit leader’s exceptionally high salary make the front page of the paper, we wince. A single nonprofit is being criticized for being an outlier, but it feels as if all charitable nonprofits and their values are being questioned.
Worker's compensation in mandated by each state and covers expenses an employer is required to pay for injuries or illness an employee suffers at work. Under requirements by the North Carolina Workers’ Compensation Act, any incorporated nonprofit with three or more employees and/or corporate officers (includes officers on nonprofit boards, even though they are unpaid, and subcontractors without their own coverage) is required to provide workers' compensation coverage.
One of the most rewarding things about serving as a nonprofit board member is the opportunity it affords to help create positive change. This resource from BoardSource–11 Key Ingredients of Growth–presents 11 ingredients Billy Shore, founder and chief executive officer of Share Our Strength, identified as key to Share Our Strength’s growth and success during a difficult economic period. These ingredients include: