Winter 2016

The theme for Winter 2016 is “Accountability.”
On mission at Volunteers of America
In leading an organization that helps the most vulnerable members of our society, accountability means much more to me than answering to my board of directors or meeting financial benchmarks. Failing in our mission can literally mean the difference between life and death for those we serve. At the very least, failing to live up to expectations creates an additional barrier blocking our clients from transcending their challenges an...
Tips for successful leadership transitions
Each day, approximately 10,000 baby boomers turn 65. Many are in leadership roles, including ministry leadership, and they must transfer that leadership to the next generation. I've seen healthy transitions and some badly managed handoffs. So, how can a leader know when it's time to release the reins?
- Do you find yourself annoyed by things that shouldn't annoy you, suc...
Improving nonprofit board effectiveness
You may have been on a board where one or more of these three mistakes were made. Avoiding these mistakes will improve the effectiveness of your board.
Mistake 1: Underestimating the importance of the board chair.
Is the board chair just another board position - an equal among equals? Hardly! The board chair must be first among equals in three sensitive areas of board leadership that depend di...
It's the first step in accountability.
I spent most of my career serving in the secular marketplace. The ultimate goal of the companies I worked for was pretty much the same: enhancing shareholder wealth by providing a return to investors. Would a given decision lead to increased sales that eventually covered any increased costs? Payback was front and center in all decisions.
Decision making in ministry is not always so clear. Sometimes exciting ideas win ...
A biblical perspective on due diligence and accountability
Background screening and the Bible may seem like an odd mixture, but I invite you to take a closer look. Your organization is made up of people - flawed human beings who have chosen to follow Christ and who, like Paul, constantly battle with their flesh (Rom. 7:15u201320). These same people are those whom you rely upon for recruiting, screening and selecting staff, leaders, volunteers, members and donors. Si...
Five common reasons nonprofits fall short
Big gifts are game-changers. Most nonprofit leaders agree that big gifts can open doors to opportunities they would not have had any other way. Yet far too few achieve much real success in major giving. All too often, they struggle to meet goals, rotating through staff and repeating the same patterns year after year, like a hamster spinning on a wheel.
My work as a consultant has afforded me a "peek behind the curt...
A better way to gauge board performance and quality
"For there is a proper time and procedure for every matteru2026." (Ecc. 8:6a)
Boards have a culture that permeates the entire organization. If a ministry fails, one need look no further than the board to discover the first clues to the failure. All boardrooms have porous walls and the culture, performance, aptitudes and a...
Valuing outcomes, performance, transparency and accountability
Outcomes matter. In past decades, many organizations were more focused on organizational culture and inputs rather than outcomes. These days, however, more and more organizations are focusing on outcomes, performance, transparency and accountability.
To provide an introductory overview, inputs are resources we add to our organizations. The most common resource inputs are human and financial. Th...