September Nonprofit Expert Office Hours

Solve Your Board’s Toughest Challenge

Guest Expert: Dave Sternberg; Founding Partner, Loring, Sternberg & Associates

Dave emphasized that boards are accountable to themselves (not to the CEO) and recommended a strong governance committee to set board expectations, lead recruitment using a skills matrix, create a meaningful orientation process, and implement annual self-evaluations for individual board members. The group also explored how boards can manage mission drift, address disengaged directors through both “technical” fixes (like bylaws and attendance rules) and “adaptive” culture change, and strengthen the CEO–board chair partnership to avoid a CEO doing work the board should own.

Fundraising was another major theme. Dave encouraged organizations to broaden how board members participate in development by focusing on cultivation and stewardship, not only asking for money. He reinforced that every board member should give a personally meaningful gift and that “give and get” expectations should be viewed as shared responsibility. The session closed with quick guidance on meeting cadence, the role of the ED/CEO in board meetings, involving non-board members on committees, and using advisory (or “senior leadership”) councils as a valuable way to engage supporters when structured with clear purpose and care.

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Watch the September Nonprofit Expert Office Hours and consider joining us the next time!