An earlier commentary, “Are You Guilty of By-Law Negligence”, noted the frequent ignorance of and/or disregard for organizational By-Laws despite their role, relevance and importance. While one can speculate about the reasons why so little attention is given to By-Laws, there is no uncertainty about the risks and consequences of ignoring or contravening them. There are three types of risks. LEGAL RISK Most if…

“Do we have to do what the By-Laws say?” asked the board chair while discussing one of his nonprofit’s governance issues. I should have been more surprised, but this was the same chair who – along with the ED – said at an earlier meeting they had never seen their By-Laws and weren’t certain if they could find a copy. While an extreme…

“Why is that a relevant question?” The answer is another question, “How satisfied are you with the board’s overall performance and with the level of productive engagement of its members? If history is any guide, many if not most boards and management would rely, “Not much.” Ineffective boards and unengaged trustees are symptoms which have plagued nonprofits for as long…

“The job of the board and trustees is to raise money. They need to give, get or go.” How often have you heard that, read it, perhaps even said it yourself, if not aloud then to yourself? There is no doubting that “give, get or go” has been the dominate view of the role of boards and trustees for some…