CATEGORY

Conflicts of Interest

Managing Conflicts of Interest
News and Avoiding Scams

Conflicts of Interest and the Golden Age for Shenanigans

The first step to managing conflicts is the disclosure of conflicts. If decision-makers are not required to disclose their conflicts, then there is no way to ensure that their decisions are not tainted by self-interest. Even the most well-meaning individuals can have their decision-making clouded by competing interests. The only way to ensure conflicts are properly managed is to disclose those conflicts and recuse oneself from the decision-making process when conflicts arise.

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When setting nonprofit executive compensation, consider implementing practices and procedures that ensure its executive compensation procedures are thorough, well-documented, and conflict-free. Doing so will ensure compensation decisions  will stand up to the scrutiny of the media, regulators, and donors, and protect the employee as well as the board from personal liability.
Governance

Managing Conflicts of Interest

Whenever nonprofit directors, officers or staff members’ personal interests are impacted by their decision-making on behalf of the nonprofit, conflicts of interest can arise. All nonprofits encounter conflicts and all nonprofits need to understand effective conflict management.

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Lessons to be Learned From the Arizona Fiesta Bowl

Could one man really do that much damage to an Arizona institution as high profile and important as the Fiesta Bowl? More likely, the nonprofit scandal of the year was a group effort fueled by a dysfunctional board. The Fiesta Bowl board bears all the hallmarks of a board more interested in administering than governing the organization. Still, there are lessons to be learned from the Fiesta Bowl’s governance and oversight failures.

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nonprofit directors
Governance

Nonprofit Directors and Trustees – Should Board Service Pay?

Trustee compensation is a sensitive topic in the philanthropic world. Many people believe that board members should serve out of a sense of giving back to their community. However, the philanthropic world is diverse and there are many positions that require extraordinary talent and an extraordinary time commitment to lead them. Nonprofit organizations are also increasingly complex and subject to complex rules and that make significant demands on that talent. Increasingly, board members face the potential for liability if they fail to fully adhere to these complex and fast changing rules.

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Top 10 Board Governance Mistakes
Governance

Top 10 Nonprofit Governance Mistakes

Failing to Understand Fiduciary Duties. When you volunteer to serve as a director or officer of a nonprofit, you accept the responsibility to act with the duties of good faith, due care and loyalty. You also accept the potential liability for failing to fulfill those duties. Increased scrutiny from the I.R.S., Congress, state attorneys general, the Department of Justice, donors and the media require vigilance at every step. It is no longer sufficient to rubber stamp committee or staff recommendations or to simply abstain from dicey decisions. Today, board service comes with real responsibilities and real consequences for those that fail to live up to them.

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