Nonprofit governance models are the foundations for a nonprofit’s decision-making and power distribution. They connect the board to the organization’s stakeholders and constituents and result in the sense of empowerment, joint ownership and accountability.
Unfortunately, the media often focus on ineffective or bad board governance, and this shady spotlight can discourage potential volunteers from taking up nonprofit boards of directors. It’s no surprise that the nonprofit sector is struggling in retaining and attracting great board members, considering that board seats in non-profit organizations are rarely paid and that annual donation is expected.
Traditional governance models that are constructed on top-down command-and control paradigms and corporate models, continue to dominate the non-profit sector. They often separate the board and other stakeholders from the work of the organization and make it difficult to implement effective governance and accountability. The key to addressing this problem is ensuring that the governance models of nonprofit organizations are designed and implemented in ways that help promote good governance and improve the community’s impact.
Many nonprofits will begin with a single governance model, like Carver’s policy board model, and then add one or more governance models to better suit the specific needs of their organization. Some nonprofits create a leadership team to assist with fundraising or other tasks, and others may choose a governance model that https://mindboardroom.com/how-to-host-successful-online-board-meetings/ is based on a team of managers to ensure compliance with regulations. It is common to form committees within the board to tackle matters like governance, nominations, financial and risk, or executive decisions.