BoardSource, a research and training organization headquartered in Washington DC, is partnering with the Flint area BEST (Building Excellence, Sustainability and Trust) Project, to develop a multi-tiered strategy aimed at generating heightened engagement and leadership among nonprofit boards that serve Flint and Genesee County, Michigan. This is the first of two articles that examine the leadership training needs of small- and medium-sized nonprofits. The second article, an interview with BoardSource CEO Linda Crompton, will appear online at mott.org the week of July 28, 2008.
By ANN RICHARDS
An empowered board is a strategic asset -- but it takes independent-mindedness, continuous learning and self-assessment to achieve and sustain that kind of competence, said Linda C. Crompton, president and CEO of
BoardSource. Speaking to an audience of more than 300 board members and staff of local nonprofit organizations, Crompton was in Flint, Michigan recently to kick off a project that will draw upon BoardSource's national expertise to determine if intensive board training in a single community can invigorate board service and increase the effectiveness of nonprofit boards.
"We have lots of evidence to support the notion that a strong, high performing board translates into an exceptional management team," Crompton said. "But an organization must have a solid system in place to maintain that type of board -- a culture of inquiry that keeps board members engaged and passionate about their work."
With the support of a $300,000 grant from the Mott Foundation, BoardSource, a research and training organization headquartered in Washington DC, will partner with the Flint area BEST (Building Excellence, Sustainability and Trust) Project, sponsored by the United Way of Genesee County, to develop a multi-tiered strategy aimed at generating heightened engagement and leadership among nonprofit boards of directors that serve Flint and Genesee County. The Ruth Mott Foundation also provided a grant of $54,000 for this project.
Strengthening board competancy is consistently cited as a concern of local organizations, according to Jennifer Acree, director of BEST. Utilizing the knowledge of BoardSource's national consulting pool, as well as the organization's nationally-recognized trainings, BEST will target up to 50 local organizations for board assessment. Ten of those boards will receive in-depth consulting services.
"The partnership between BoardSource and BEST seemed an ideal way to explore greater learning for BoardSource while addressing a crucial need that has been identified by our local nonprofit community," Acree said.
Established six years ago, BEST has acquired extensive knowledge and experience dealing with the unique needs of nonprofits serving Flint and Genesee County. Its pool of local consultants will receive training through BoardSource, which also will work directly with local nonprofits and their boards. The partnership initiative is expected to leverage stronger, more engaged boards as well as a greater understanding of the stewardship, leadership and training needs of boards of small- and mid-size nonprofits.
According to a recent study by the Urban Institute, there has been a major gap in the nonprofit sector's understanding of the unique governance challenges of the boards of mid-sized organizations, which make up one in five of all nonprofits registered with the Internal Revenue Service. Attempting to fill that gap, the study suggests that more research and training must be developed to help these boards improve their recruitment of new members, encourage broader participation in decision-making, and clarify their organizational purpose to deliver results.
For BoardSource, the opportunity to "go deep" in one community ultimately will inform the development, delivery and use of BoardSource resources for mid-sized as well as larger organizations, says Crompton.
"This is an opportunity to gain insight as to what motivates and energizes boards and then provide the appropriate skills-training that will help them figure out how they can be more effective.
"We hope this project will end up being a model for us."