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The Delicate Dance of Board and Staff ACAM May 6, 2008. Presenter: Rose Mary Fry rmfry@txnetwork.org www.txnetwork.org. Learning Goals. Discuss Roles of Board and Staff Outline Key Factors for Success Highlight Responsibilities on Critical Tasks Board Meetings Tax and Legal Finance
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The Delicate Dance of Board and StaffACAMMay 6, 2008 Presenter: Rose Mary Fry rmfry@txnetwork.org www.txnetwork.org
Learning Goals • Discuss Roles of Board and Staff • Outline Key Factors for Success • Highlight Responsibilities on Critical Tasks • Board Meetings • Tax and Legal • Finance • Fundraising • Marketing • Technology
Words of Wisdom “Dancing is the art of getting your feet out of the way faster than your partner can step on them.” “The only good thing about the new dances is that nobody knows when you make a mistake.” “Positive results are a product of intentional relationships and available resources.”
Boards – Real Life • Situation: Worked Well • Situation: Did Not Work Well
Definitions • Responsibility lies with an individual or group who directly accomplishes a task or performs a duty. • Accountability lies with the individual or group that can and must answer for a given practice, behavior or set of actions, regardless of whether that individual or group actually engages in the behavior or performs the actions.
Criteria for Board Members • Caring about the Mission • Expertise • Demographics
The Alphabet Jobs 3 D’s • Duty of Care • Duty of Loyalty • Duty of Obedience 3 G’s • Give, Get, or Get Out 3 T’s & 3 W’s • Treasure, Time, & Talent • Wealth, Work, and Wisdom
Responsibility of Staff • Executive Director • Manages the nonprofit organization on a day-do-day basis. • Serves as liaison to board, staff, volunteers, and clients or customers. • Staff • Provides direct service in program areas or support services.
Key Factors in Success • Leadership • Process • Reciprocal Roles • Respect • Accountability
Shared Responsibility • Board capacity interfaces with staff resources to determine the organization’s strategic directions.
Board Leadership • Board Recruitment & Development • Board Orientation • Training for Board Leadership • Board Accountability
New Agenda Format Goal: To have more targeted conversations about key challenges and opportunities for the organization, • Strategic Activities • Resource Development • Operational Report
Communication Forms of Communication • Written • Oral • Nonverbal Types of Decisions • Complex • Controversial
Reciprocal Duties A successful nonprofit = a delicate dance between board and staff. The leadership of board and staff are critical to growth of a nonprofit. Critical factors can make it a success or a disaster.
Our Homework 1) 2) 3)
Bibliography • Burstein, Joann Morgan, BoardSteps, the Framework for Effective Nonprofit Governance, Results, Relationships, and Resources, BoardSource, 2004. • Leifer, Jacqueline C. and Glomb, Michael B., The Legal Obligations of Nonprofit Boards, Board Source, 2001. • Masaoka, Jan, The Best of Board Café, Hands-on Solutions for Nonprofit Boards, Compass Point and Fieldstone Alliance, 2004.
Web Resources • www.boardsource.org • http://www.nonprofitec.org/ • http://academics.utep.edu/cce • www.guidestar.org • www.independentsector.org • www.txnetwork.org