Articles by CharityChannel Members
CharityChannel members who have years of experience in their field may apply to join a Contributor's Panel. Once accepted to a panel by the panel's editor, the member will work with the editor to determine article topics and to prepare an article that is ready for publication. With tens of thousands of colleagues in the CharityChannel professional community, this is a key opportunity to give back to your profession by sharing your hard-won expertise and wisdom.
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Study on Women Donors Presents Lessons for Board Recruitment Contributed by:
Terrie TemkinWednesday, November 24, 2010 (2 years 172 days ago)
“Women Give 2010,” a study just released by the Women’s Philanthropy Institute at Indiana University’s Center on Philanthropy, shows that women are the largest donors. In many cases they give nearly twice as much as men. The results also provide insight into the different reasons women and men give. Women typically give because they care about the work the organization is doing. Men tend to give because they are asked to give. In the short time this study has been out, it is already creating a buzz and causing those who have traditionally turned to powerful men in the community for large financial commitments to rethink how they must do business going forward. It should also cause those who recruit for boards of directors to rethink their behavior, as well.
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No More Playing Superman Contributed by:
Terrie TemkinWednesday, June 23, 2010 (2 years 326 days ago)
Our future lies in learning to work together, rather than as siloed, competitive entities. There is no single or easy way to accomplish such a seismic culture shift, especially if people dig in their heels, intent on protecting their turf. But, if your board is committed to the concept of true collaboration, its directives can facilitate important change. Here are some techniques that can speed the process.
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Your Vision is the Key to Untapped Resources Contributed by:
Terrie TemkinWednesday, April 28, 2010 (3 years 17 days ago)
Do you struggle once a year at planning time to refine your vision statement and then consciously or unconsciously put it aside until next year? You may be missing out on a powerful tool to draw resources to your organization. Besides serving as a roadmap to the future you foresee, your vision can motivate others to join you on your journey, as clients, activists, service providers, donors and more. The key is tapping into and exploiting the strategic intents inherent in your vision statement.
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A Need to Rethink the Paradigm: What Research Tells Us About Your Board and the Way It Governs - Part 2 Contributed by:
Terrie TemkinWednesday, November 04, 2009 (3 years 192 days ago)
In
Part 1 of this article (
Nonprofit Boards and Governance Review, October 21, 2009), I shared several research studies that had, in my mind, implications that suggest we should be rethinking the way business is typically done in our sector. In Part 2, I’m sharing studies that suggest if we truly want to be more successful we should be doing
more of what we already know we
should be doing.
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A Need to Rethink the Paradigm: What Research Tells Us About Your Board and the Way It Governs - Part 1 Contributed by:
Terrie TemkinWednesday, October 21, 2009 (3 years 206 days ago)
Years ago boards governed by the seat of their pants, basing their actions on what – for better or for worse – they had seen modeled either by their predecessors or other organizations. There really wasn’t an option. It’s only been in the last 15-20 years that the field has generated sufficient research to provide some objective guidelines as to what might be truly effective practices.
Today we are blessed with a plethora of studies, many of which are available in mainline journals – no wading through academic journals – or on the Internet. This makes them relatively accessible. Despite this, I see a lot of boards still governing by the seat of their pants.
So, I decided to make more accessible yet a few of the studies that I believe have major implications for the ways boards should at least consider functioning today. Initially, this will be in two parts. Maybe I’ll get ambitious and highlight additional studies in the future. Better yet, I’ll inspire others to write up the studies that they find provide guidance to their organizations....
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Boards MUST be Proactive in Responding to the Economic Meltdown Contributed by:
Terrie TemkinWednesday, November 12, 2008 (4 years 184 days ago)
If ever there was a time when it was not business as usual, this is probably it. As a board, you have a critical role to play in guiding your organization through this economic crisis. There’s not a moment to waste. Call a special meeting to discuss this issue, and this issue alone. Some of your colleagues on the board are likely to want to spend the meeting determining how to cut operational expenses. Don’t let the conversation go there.
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Raise the Bar: Demand Strategic Thinking and Accountability (Part 3): A Diet and Exercise Regime for High Performing Boards Contributed by:
Terrie TemkinFriday, July 23, 2004 (8 years 297 days ago)
In Part I of this article I presented four lessons that Olympic high jumper Dick Fosbury could teach boards about raising the bar of their service. Fosbury is the innovator of the technique that bears his name and is now used by most high jumpers. In Part II I shared an "exercise regime" I have found to work in conditioning board members to clear the bar, regardless of how high we raise it. In this last section I focus on "diet." The five critical aspects of building strategic, results-oriented boards that I'll touch on here are education, decision making, delegation, evaluation and accountability.
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Raise the Bar: Demand Strategic Thinking and Accountability(Part 1) Contributed by:
Terrie TemkinThursday, June 24, 2004 (8 years 326 days ago)
...I believe that each of us has an obligation -- whether we are volunteer or professional leaders -- to raise the bar on leadership standards. It doesn't have to take much effort. Small changes in our own behaviors will result in relatively dramatic changes in board operations, particularly if we stress strategic thinking and accountability.
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How To Build A Strategic Thinking Board (Part 5 of 5) Contributed by:
Terrie TemkinThursday, November 06, 2003 (9 years 192 days ago)
Organizations can go to all the trouble of adjusting their bylaws to promote strategic thinkers, recruiting the best and the brightest, orienting them to the need to share their knowledge and experience, and then shoot themselves in the foot when these people show up at a board meeting. The classic meeting format, which relies heavily on reports to bring board members up to date on old and new business is one of the worst approaches an organization can take. Reports are boring. They don't involve people. They don't make them think about the "what ifs'." What's worse, however, is when those board members who still put on their thinking caps are discouraged from asking questions because everyone wants to finish and leave or because questions are seen as a challenge to leadership.
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How To Build A Strategic Thinking Board (Part 4 of 5) Contributed by:
Terrie TemkinThursday, October 23, 2003 (9 years 206 days ago)
Those who have been following this series know that a strategic thinking board is essential in today's environment. However, such boards do not just appear. An organization must ensure that its bylaws promote strategic thinking and that it recruits people with the capacity for thinking strategically. However, I have seen some of the most brilliant strategists reduced to yes-men and women because of an organization's culture. The orientation is one of the first places that an organization has the opportunity to officially stress its need and desire for strategic thinking.
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How To Build A Strategic Thinking Board (Part 3 of 5) Contributed by:
Terrie TemkinTuesday, October 14, 2003 (9 years 215 days ago)
I have lost count of how many times over the last few years I have heard boards talk about their need to recruit board members of affluence and influence. While individuals who meet these qualifications can add much to a board, they may or may not be what a particular organization needs at its particular stage of development. In all cases, however, organizations need strategic thinkers -- people who can size up the environment, predict the most likely future, weigh the ramifications of various options, and determine the best direction for the organization.
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How To Build A Strategic Thinking Board (Part 2 of 5) Contributed by:
Terrie TemkinThursday, September 25, 2003 (9 years 234 days ago)
Building a strategic thinking board is not difficult. Those familiar with best practices in the areas of board development and governance will recognize most of the steps. The key is putting them all together and making them an integral part of your organization's culture.
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How To Build A Strategic Thinking Board (Part 1 of 5) Contributed by:
Terrie TemkinThursday, September 11, 2003 (9 years 248 days ago)
Much has been written over the years about the value of strategic planning and it is the rare organization nowadays that doesn't know it should have a strategic plan. However, as a consultant who has dedicated the last 10 years to facilitating such plans, I am calling "uncle." I think there is a better way. In this five-part article, I will share my observations about why strategic plans don't work, why I believe there must be a shift to building strategic thinking boards, what I mean by a strategic thinking board, and how to build one.
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26 Steps to Improving Committee Functioning Contributed by:
Terrie TemkinThursday, April 03, 2003 (10 years 44 days ago)
Board members can expect to spend a lot of time in committees. These tips will help you maximize your committee's productivity.
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Evaluating The Executive Director (Part 2) - Making Executive Director Evaluations Effective Contributed by:
Terrie TemkinThursday, October 17, 2002 (10 years 212 days ago)
In part one of this article, I listed a number of reasons why evaluations of the executive director frequently fail. In part two, I discuss some ways to conduct a successful evaluation.
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Evaluating The Executive Director (Part 1) - Why Evaluations of the Executive Director Don't Work Contributed by:
Terrie TemkinThursday, October 03, 2002 (10 years 226 days ago)
In this two-part article, Terrie Temkin examines the Board's important responsibility for evaluating the Executive Director. Part one looks at the causes for failure in evaluation.l Part two offers suggestions for conducting an effective evaluation of the Chief Executive.
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Is the Arts and Culture Community on Your List of Potential Collaborators? Review by:
Terrie TemkinFriday, December 23, 2011 (1 years 143 days ago)
Arts and Culture can play a significant role in social change. Typically, however, the boards of nonprofits haven't turned to these when contemplating collaborative partners. This blog post details some of the impact arts and culture provide and asks for feedback from those boards that have indeed explored this rich avenue.
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On Nonprofits: Can This Board Member Be Saved? Review by:
Terrie TemkinThursday, June 02, 2011 (1 years 347 days ago)
How do you deal with a board member that gives a big check but is not only disrespectful of others on the board as well as the executive director and staff but drives them all crazy with his focus on minutia as well? That's the question raised by a board that wants to know if its marriage to a controlling, disrespectful director/donor can be saved or if it's even worth trying to do so. This article provides some steps to try before resorting to a divorce.