Articles
Plain-language guidance on governance, compliance, and building a board that actually governs.
The Board's Role in the People Side: HR and Volunteers
Your board doesn't run HR, but the policies it approves and the questions it asks decide whether your people are protected or your organization is exposed.
The Consent Agenda: Reclaiming Your Board Meeting for Real Decisions
Too many board meetings drown in routine reports. A well-built consent agenda clears the clutter so your board can focus on the decisions that actually need its attention.
The Board Self-Assessment That Leads to Real Change
A yearly board self-assessment can feel like a chore or spark genuine improvement. Here is how to run one that surfaces honest feedback and actually changes how your board works.
Term Limits and Board Refreshment: Keeping Fresh Energy Without Losing Wisdom
Term limits can renew your board or gut its institutional memory. Here is how to design a rotation policy that brings in new energy while keeping the experience you cannot afford to lose.
The Board's Role in Reserves: How Much Cash Is Enough?
Operating reserves protect your mission from surprises, but too little leaves you fragile and too much raises hard questions. Here is how boards set, fund, and use a reserve policy with confidence.
Grant-Ready: What Funders Look For Before You Apply
The most important grant work happens months before the deadline, and it has almost nothing to do with writing. Here's what separates funded from filed.