"Evaluating The Evaluator"
25 key questions for assessing your board's performance
The NonProfit Times, January, 2009
By Dennis C. Miller
One of the more overlooked responsibilities of a nonprofit board is the requirement to assess its own performance. Nonprofit boards are familiar with their other main responsibilities, such as selecting the chief executive and evaluating their performance on an annual basis, ensuring that the organization has the necessary resources required to carry out its mission, ensuring that effective organizational planning is performed, and recruiting new members to the board.
There are three options for the board to assess its own performance:
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"Who's Next?"
Replacing Your Board Chair Doesn't Have to be a Struggle
The NonProfit Times, June, 2008
By Dennis C. Miller
Identifying the board chair-elect (or board president) is a well-established process for many nonprofits. The board chair-elect is usually chosen at the same time as the board chair. While the chair is leading the board's work, the chair-elect is learning "on the job" about how to ensure that the work is appropriately carried out.
However, too often, many nonprofits struggle with identifying someone to step forward to accept the position of board chair (or president). This is true for both large and small organizations. Here are 10 reasons why appointing a new board chair is difficult:
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"How and When to Fire a Board Member"
The NonProfit Times, January. 2008
By Dennis C. Miller
Board members are a tremendous asset for most nonprofit organizations, providing needed expertise, as well as the necessary leadership in furthering the mission and success of the organization.
However, occasionally an individual board member can become destructive to the organization. This destruction or "disruptive" behavior can become a negative force to the workings of the board and executive staff of the organization. The effects of this behavior can be poor morale among staff and board, loss of energy, board turnover and a damaged public reputation.
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