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Extreme Board Makeover
Despite the complaints of executive directors that their boards “need training,” often the most effective way to change a board is to change the people who are on it. And sometimes, a board itself realizes it needs to change faster and more dramaticall …
How to Keep the Board Under Your Thumb
When nonprofit executive directors say they want their boards to be more “engaged,” they often really mean they want the board to have a lively discussion followed by a vote to agree with the executive director. If you’re a CEO and want a weak, complia …
Ten Biggest Mistakes Boards and Executives Make
"To err is human," and as we all ruefully know, nonprofit board members and executive directors are typically human. Here are some of the biggest mistakes we make:1. Falling in love with the executive director and letting love diminish critic …
A Board Member Crosses the Line
Dear Blue Avocado: I’m the chair of a nonprofit board and I have a problem. We recently voted to support a local measure that would change some zoning regulations in our county. This board member — I’ll call him “Joe” — was outvoted (he was the …
Twelve Ways to Get a New Executive Director Off on the Right Foot
When a new executive is hired, the board usually breathes a huge sigh of relief. They have likely been working extra hard for weeks or months interviewing candidates or taking on additional tasks, such as managing a fundraising event or overseein …
High Pay for Nonprofit Execs? Analysis of 100,000 Salaries
Everybody has an opinion about whether nonprofit executives are paid too little or too much, but almost nobody has any real data outside their own experiences. At last! Economist Linda Lampkin (left) analyzed 100,000 nonprofit CEO salaries and ha …
Stance: The ED’s Role and Attitude in Strategic Planning
An overlooked — but crucial — element in strategic planning is the attitude or stance that the executive director takes to the process. Jeanne Bell of CompassPoint suggests a variety of roles and stances that will be appropriate: As we exp …
Executive Director Evaluation Survey Form
In the last issue of Blue Avocado, we discussed how board evaluations of executive directors (CEOs) are different from all other performance evaluations in the organization. These differences — including the limited ability of board members to observe …
Evaluating the Executive Director
Are you sighing just from having read the title of this article? Why does this topic make us all feel so tired?Virtually everyone agrees that boards should conduct performance reviews of executive directors (EDs or CEOs). Even so, the predominant pract …
Should Staff Contact with the Board Be Restricted?
Not all nonprofit organizations need or have paid staff. But in those that do, a frequently thorny issue is that of direct contact between staff and board members: Should board members have contact with staff independent of the executive directo …
