According to Sharon Oster in “Strategic Management for Nonprofit Organizations,” (1995) non profit organization (NPO) boards are much noisier than their profit making organization (PMO) cousins. They are more creative and often have a core group willing to spend more than just board time to accomplish its goals. Oster says that noise on a PMO board is a bad sign because it indicates questioning of management. In contract, noise on an NPO board is a good thing (p. 120).

It’s important to understand that NPO boards have less structure and history than school boards. Most school boards or PMO boards are established to review reports, approve budgets and evaluate management. Occasionally, they get involved in creative enterprises; however, they mostly use structured board meetings. In contrast, NPO boards spend some time performing those activities, but they usually create, develop and implement fundraising protocol. NPO boards also spend time working in the field by researching, learning, identifying, cultivating and soliciting new donors for their school foundations.

Stephen Block in “Why Nonprofits Fail” suggests that an organization’s culture does not just reflect the attitudes of its management and staff; it also reflects the attitudes of its board. An organization’s culture is shaped by how it is governed and by how the organization holds and pursues its values (p. 128). Sometimes board members need to step away from fundraising and focus on why they are serving on the board and what good they can accomplish during their terms.

Dr. Willard Boyd, Professor of Law and President Emeritus of the University of Iowa says that once the organizational structure is in place, the continuing challenge for the board is fostering a collaborative environment that makes it worthwhile for the board to advance the organization’s mission.

From the www.boardsource.org world café in 2002, a contributor said that boards should be focused on cooperation and community instead of pursuing personal agendas and disclosing entrusted information. They should also honor the board’s final decisions and nurture community relationships. They must also learn to respect each other by balancing tenacity and tolerance, and by not letting the board room become a “bored room.”

Often the powerful individuals don’t know how to work as members of a team. Many own their own businesses and make all the decisions themselves. And if they are present on NPO boards, their fellow members often feel discouraged and underused, and the organization doesn’t benefit from their talents. The stakes remain low, the meetings process-driven, the outcomes ambiguous, and the deliberations insular. Many members doubt whether such a disjointed board can have any real influence. Counteract these problems by:

  -  offering committee activities to strong leaders that focus on their interests

  -  linking timetables to all projects so they work by deadlines

  -  providing clearly understood measures of success

This article was taken from the School Foundation Textbook, published by the National School Foundation Association which is available for sale under the resources listing on the home web page or at http://www.schoolfoundations.org/en/resources/purchase_materials.cfm).