Category Archives: Board of Directors
“Board Culture: How to Prevent a Shift in the Wrong Direction” webinar
On January 29, 2013, from 2 – 3:30 pm I will present a webinar titled “Board Culture: How to Prevent a Shift in the Wrong Direction” in collaboration with BoardSource. Using a “hypothetical” case study, this 90 minute low-cost webinar will offer an interactive format … Continue reading
Spies, Jurors, and Nonprofit Boards: Seeking Ground Truth
“Bond—James Bond!” Those words from the movie Dr. No introduced me to spies. (Dr. No also introduced Ursula Andress, but that’s another blog.) A summer visit to Washington, D.C.’s International Spy Museum provided a fascinating look at spies and their history, … Continue reading
Posted in Board of Directors, Nonprofit Organizations
Tagged Board scandals, Culture, Ground truth, Learning, Nonprofit lawyer
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Sustainability: Walmart, Whole Foods, Patagonia, and Benefit Corporations
On April 22, 1970 the first Earth Day initiated significant awareness about environmental sustainability which encompasses a product’s full life cycle impact on the environment. Although Earth Day’s intial effect on business was minimal, this post describe how public and … Continue reading
Beer, Beads, and a Balcony
During a discussion on nonprofit “mission statements” toward the end of the day’s presentations, a conference attendee stood up to leave early in order to prepare for the group’s evening social hour. She announced there will be “beer and beads on the balcony” … Continue reading
Posted in Board of Directors, Nonprofit Organizations
Tagged Leadership, Mission statement
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Lawyers Serving On Nonprofit Boards
Pick a nonprofit scandal. Generally a lawyer served on the board of directors. When reading about nonprofit scandals, my question is “Where was the lawyer?” It often appears they were absent as a board member and a lawyer. During a recent CLE program, I spoke on lawyer’s legal and professional responsibilities using … Continue reading
Posted in Board of Directors, Governance, Lawyers, Nonprofit Organizations
Tagged Attorney, Board of Directors, Lawyer, Nonprofit lawyer
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Boards – Three Hard and Fast Rules for a Board’s Fundraising Policy
When speaking about boards and fundraising, one audience question often is: “What is an individual board member’s responsibilities for fundraising?” A board of directors is legally responsible for managing a nonprofit organization. Their responsibility includes securing enough “resources” to insure their nonprofit’s continued existence and ability to fulfill its mission and exempt purposes. The … Continue reading
IRS and States- Registered agents, revocations, and responsibility
In the wake of the IRS’ initial announcement that more than 275,000 nonprofits had their exempt status revoked, the IRS noted new revocations will published monthly. These revocations occur as a matter of law because a nonprofit didn’t file their IRS 990 forms for three consecutive years and are not a discretionary act by … Continue reading
Alzheimer’s Association – Disaffiliation and Arbitration
In my earlier post I provided personal history related the creation of the Alzheimer’s Association’s “Statement of Relationship” (“Agreement”). This agreement defines the legal relationship and obligations between the national Alzheimer’s Association (“National”) and its chapters nationwide. This agreement guided the recent disaffiliation and … Continue reading
Alzheimer’s Association’s Statement of Relationship – A Brief History
In the fall of 2009 the Eastern North Carolina Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association (“ENC”) board of directors voted to disaffiliate from the national Alzheimer’s Association (“National’) headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. I understand National then responded in kind. As with many soured relationships, there was a long … Continue reading
The Nonprofit Mentor 
Public Funds Bring Increased North Carolina Nonprofit Transparency
Effective October 1, 2012, North Carolina nonprofit corporations receiving more than five thousand dollars ($5,000.00) of public funding within a fiscal year from any local, state, or Federal government shall disclose their latest annual financial statements upon written demand from any member … Continue reading →