1. Good Governance: The Context for Innovative Board Leadership
Elizabeth Scott
Brighter Strategies

2. Governance
The process of providing strategic leadership to a nonprofit organization.
It entails the functions of setting direction, making policy and strategy decisions, overseeing and monitoring organizational performance, and ensuring overall accountability.
The regulatory bar on board performance is going up.
Oversight is necessary but not sufficient to define the work of an effective board. 2

3. Ten Board Responsibilities
Determine organization’s mission and purpose
Select the chief executive
Support the chief executive and assess performance
Ensure effective organizational planning
Monitor and strengthen the organization’s programs and services
Ensure adequate financial resources
Protect assets and provide proper financial oversight
Recruit and orient new board members and assess board performance
Ensure legal and ethical integrity and maintain accountability
Enhance the organization’s public standing 3

4. Governance as Leadership
The board "decides what to decide"; discerns challenges and opportunities; and probes assumptions, logic and the values behind strategies.
Type I
Operational
Type II
Strategic
Type III
Generative/Visionary

5. Governance Models Type I - Operational Type II - Strategic
Staff and Board define problems and opportunities; develops, approves and monitors formal plans.
Board structure parallels administrative functions. Premium on permanency
Board meetings are process driven. Function follows form. Protocol rarely varies.
Staff transmits to Board large quantities of technical data from few sources.
Board and management think together to discover strategic priorities and drivers.
Board structure mirrors strategic priorities. Premium on flexibility.
Board meetings are content driven. Form follows function. Protocol varies often.
Board and staff discuss strategic data from multiple sources.

6. Type III – Generative/Visionary
Exceptional boards institutionalize a culture of inquiry, mutual respect, and constructive debate that leads to sound and shared decision making.
They seek more information, question assumptions, and challenge conclusions so that they may advocate for solutions based on analysis.
They provide a less recognized but critical source of leadership for the organization.
What should be atop the board’s agenda next year?
What are the most attractive, least attractive, most worrisome aspects of the proposed strategic plan?
What external factors will most affect the organization in the next year?
What are we overlooking at the organization’s peril?
What is the most valuable step we could take to be a better board?

7. 5 Tools for Innovative Board Leadership
Board Assessment for Growth & Development
Targeted Recruitment
Strong Committee Structure
Accountability through Commitment Agreements
Focus on Generative Governance (Big Questions) 7

8. Tool #1 Board Assessments
Know who is really on your board
What are their motivations for being on your board?
Ask your board:
When you joined the board, did you have ideas on how you would help the organization that haven’t happened? 
What would you like to get to help you be a better board member?
How confident are you that most or all board members:
Understand the mission and purpose of the organization?
Act as ambassadors?
Follow through on commitments?
Understand the respective roles of the board and staff?

9. Tool #2 Targeted Recruitment
Know who you really need on your board
Use a board skills matrix and identify gaps in board needs
Recruit individuals who have deep experience
On Boarding
There should not be any surprises

10. Tool #3 Build Board Committees
Achieve strategic & operational goals
Important for carrying out Generative Governance
Direct influence on board member engagement
Engage non-Board members in committees (pipeline)
Well-defined committees
Clear strategic & operational focus
Written committee descriptions
Use Task Forces when necessary
An effective committee chair with accountability to the board
Members thoughtfully appointed
Well-run meetings 10

11. Tool #4 Accountability through Board Member Commitment Agreements
Meet Board member motivations for board service
Clarify individual responsibilities & expectations
Identify opportunities to provide ED support
Use Commitment Agreements 11

12. Tool #5 Identify Big Questions
Establish board priorities
Link to strategic planning
Keeps board members engaged
Implications for board meetings & discussion 12

13. Take it with you! Identify what YOU control and can affect
Just do it!
Frame the conversation with board leadership
Planning your next strategic plan, board retreat, annual meeting
Establishing your annual performance goals
Conduct a board assessment
Draft a Board Commitment Agreement 13

14. About Us
Brighter Strategies is an organizational development firm specializing in strategic planning, process improvement and leadership development for nonprofits and the public sector.
Brighter Strategies
6533 Arlington Blvd, #2414
Falls Church, Virginia 22042