Comments on: Top 10 Nonprofit Governance Mistakes (From a Lawyer’s Perspective)

By: white ceramic watches

white ceramic watches — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 08:27:13 +0000

This is a great post, please continue the fine work with this blog!

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 02:04:42 +0000

I would have named number 6 "Insufficient Conflict of Interest Management." As phrased, it sounds like you are concerned about angry arguments in the board room or simmering resentments between meetings– interpersonal problems rather than ethics problems.

By: Lisa P. Turner

Lisa P. Turner — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 22:03:10 +0000

Ellis,
I greatly enjoy reading your blog. It is a subject that is evergreen (board responsibilities) as a board is not a static group. I found you through a post on LinkedIn and will bookmark your blog as one of my favs. Keep up the good work/s!

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 18:30:25 +0000

Just what I was looking for in dealing with a president/founder gone rambo. Thanks for the help – it will be put to good use

By: pyelder

pyelder — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 03:30:42 +0000

excellent list. In my experience #10 has been one of the biggest challenges to the groups I work with.

By: Ellis McGehee Carter

Ellis McGehee Carter — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 15:40:56 +0000

See Gene Takagi's excellent comments on this post at http://www.nonprofitlawblog.com/home/2009/09/ellis-carters-top-10-nonprofit-governance-mistakes-from-a-lawyers-perspective.html

By: Ellis McGehee Carter

Ellis McGehee Carter — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 01:32:42 +0000

Agree with all the comments. Hard to limit to 10 and they are, of course, from a lawyer's perspective. I am working on a post regarding director compensation. I do have a number of clients that compensate directors and I firmly believe trustee/director compensation is appropriate under certain circumstances. This is increasingly true given the expectations society places on non-profit directors today.

By: Terrie Temkin

Terrie Temkin — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 03:41:28 +0000

This is an excellent list. One thing I don't see here, though, is the failure to hold all discussions around and make decisions based on mission, vision and values. We can't expect people to fulfill their duties as board members if they forget why they are doing this in the first place.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 00:24:51 +0000

This is a very good list. Please consider an enhancement: As a part of #2 and as an addition to #3, I would add "deference to management." Too often busy volunteer directors are willing to defer to and assume that established management must know what they are doing and the Board will not provide effective oversight or effectively discharge their fiduciary duties #1.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 21:20:20 +0000

I agree with Anonymous. In my experience, items 1 & 2 above create such angst among members today that they can no longer constructively govern, leaving us with item 4.