Articles
Plain-language guidance on governance, compliance, and building a board that actually governs.
The Board's Role When a Major Donor Wants a Seat at the Table
A generous donor asks to join your board, or to have a say in decisions. Here is how to weigh the gift against the governance risk, and respond with grace.
The Compliance Calendar Every Nonprofit Board Should Keep
Most nonprofits don't lose their standing to scandal. They lose it to a missed filing nobody was watching, on a deadline nobody owned.
The In-Kind Gift That Comes With Strings: Valuing and Vetting Donated Goods and Services
Donated equipment, pro bono work, and gifted space can be a windfall or a liability. Here is how your board should vet, value, and record in-kind gifts before saying thank you.
When a Board Member Stops Showing Up: Handling the Disengaged Director
Every board eventually faces a director who has quietly checked out. Here is how to diagnose the problem, have the hard conversation, and protect the board's work.
The Board's Role When Two Staff Members Are in Open Conflict
When a workplace dispute reaches the board, the instinct to fix it can cause real harm. Here is how directors stay in their lane while protecting the organization.
What Nonprofits Can (and Can't) Do in Advocacy and Lobbying
The fear that speaking up will cost your tax exemption keeps too many nonprofits silent. Most of what you want to do is perfectly legal, and there's a line that isn't.
The Board's Role When a Grant Runs Out: Sunsetting a Program Gracefully
Grant-funded programs eventually lose their funding. Here is how a board can plan ahead, protect the people involved, and wind down a program without damaging the mission or the organization.