This article is deemed a must-read by one or more of our expert collaborators. Johnny Smith spent almost 24 hours shackled in the back of a prison van—barely conscious and muttering incoherently—before he died there in 2011. A private company was hauling the 48-year-old…
This article is deemed a must-read by one or more of our expert collaborators. Great board meetings are achievable. Following a few legal requirements plus tried-and-true strategies can create an environment and a process for efficient, enjoyable foundation board meetings. Legal requirements For incorporated…
This article is deemed a must-read by one or more of our expert collaborators. Valentine Foundation values the voices of diverse trustees. So much so, it actively seeks them to serve on the board, make grants and oversee all aspects of the foundation’s mission. Phoebe…
This article is deemed a must-read by one or more of our expert collaborators. For years people have been asking how to diversify their orgs. This is discouraging. We’ve had endless DEI workshops, various “white papers” and articles, and at least one puppet show.…
This article is deemed a must-read by one or more of our expert collaborators. “The Four Principles of Purpose-Driven Leadership” offers a new framing of a board’s mission that puts purpose first. It might seem obvious that is where purpose should be, but the…
This article is deemed a must-read by one or more of our expert collaborators. There was an historic victory in the battle to rid the nonprofit sector of the Overhead Myth. The federal Office of Management and Budget adopted new Uniform Guidance rules that when any local, state…
This article is deemed a must-read by one or more of our expert collaborators. Visual storytelling is one of the best ways to attract attention. Several studies have found that an audience prefers stories because it helps them feel connected to the message coming…
This article is deemed a must-read by one or more of our expert collaborators. On December 12, 2019, Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors (RPA) gathered philanthropy leaders, board members and clients for a discussion of the role of philanthropy in today’s society. The conversation, focused on…
This article is deemed a must-read by one or more of our expert collaborators. Many people believe that charities waste money on ‘administration’, and hence that the best charities spend little on administration. A strong form of this view is that the best charities are…
This article is deemed a must-read by one or more of our expert collaborators. The challenges of governing a nonprofit are often more complicated than those faced by board members of similar-sized for-profit entities. This is because nonprofit board members are called upon to…
This article is deemed a must-read by one or more of our expert collaborators. The chart below depicts one of the most stubborn and pernicious gaps in the world today. My country’s farmers here in Tanzania are represented by that bottom blue line. They…
This article is deemed a must-read by one or more of our expert collaborators. The Johnson Center is proud to preview our forthcoming Competency Models for Nonprofit Inclusive Leadership, a paired set of competency models for nonprofit organizational staff and board members. An explanation of…