team work

Article by Mel Ulle

The nonprofit sector is the country’s third largest workforce and still, we fail to treat it like an actual industry. Unfortunately, those attitudes start straight at the top with nonprofit boards.

After over twenty years working with nonprofits, I have learned a few things: 1) Board members are quick to remove their business hats upon joining a nonprofit board; 2) Board members frequently feel their fiscal responsibility, which is spelled out clearly by the IRS, is optional and not requisite; 3) Staff members often end up owning the roles of their board members.

The sector is in crisis with staggering levels of turnover and executive burnout and yet I don’t see boards doubling down on supporting their teams. In a typical business, if there were significant staff losses there would be a strong focus on employee retention. Sadly, I see boards asleep at the wheel while the industry is Thelma and Louise-ing off the cliff.

Read the remainder of the article at Urban Life Wash Park.

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