The Foraker Group

There are many resources about the roles and responsibilities of board chairs. In a study published in 2007, The Best and Worst of Board Chairs, researchers Yvonne Harrison and Vic Murray found that “trustworthiness, intelligence and good listening skills are the highest-rated qualities for board chairs, while being dictatorial, critical and motivated by self-interest are the lowest-rated qualities.” Harrison and Murray concluded that the best way to ensure effective board leadership is to develop a thorough job description, establish a clear system of succession to the chair, and conduct annual evaluations. Another study sponsored by CompassPoint Nonprofit Services and the Meyer Foundation called Daring to Lead 2011: A National Study of Nonprofit Executive Leadership found that only 20 percent of the three thousand nonprofit executives surveyed were satisfied with their… Read more »

Do you want some tips for promoting your involvement with Pick.Click.Give.? The following classes cover a range of promotional activities. Sign up now for any or all the sessions. They’re free — but you do need to register. If you have questions, call PCG Program Manager Heather Beaty at 907-249-6616 or email her at hbeaty@pickclickgive.org. To register, just click on the title of the class that interests you. “How Does Pick.Click.Give. Work?” – Wednesday, Oct. 30, 11:00 am Is your nonprofit new to Pick.Click.Give.? Or are you new to your position as the lead on Pick.Click.Give. for your organization? This webinar will cover the basics of how Pick.Click.Give. works and what you can be doing now to make the most of this opportunity. Presented by: Heather Beaty, Pick.Click.Give. “Sharing Your… Read more »

We appreciate the people who contributed to Foraker through Pick.Click.Give. this year. Thank you for your support of our work to strengthen Alaska nonprofits. We are pleased that PCG continues to grow each year. This year Alaskans gave 42,000 gifts totaling more than $2.4 million. This is an excellent way to develop a culture of philanthropy in our state. Thanks to everyone who gave. Foraker PCG donors are listed on our Vision Circle Partners webpage…. Read more »

Why are nonprofit CEOs resigning in record numbers? In their research for Leadership Lost: A Study on Executive Director Tenure and Experience, Timothy Wolfred and Jan Masaoka concluded that board dysfunction or lack of board support are either the “first or second reason” why CEOs are leaving organizations. They contend that four key issues may be at the root of this conflict between boards and their CEOs. The organization’s mission The organization’s values Agreement on how success should be measured Agreement on who should do what – the board or the staff Agreement on these points goes a long way toward developing a harmonious and productive relationship. A sustainable organization will have a competent CEO, along with a skilled board that actively complements, challenges, and supports the CEO. The board… Read more »

We’ve been pleased with the number of people who find Focus on Sustainability: A Nonprofit’s Journey helpful for their organizations. Recently, Patty Ginsburg shared her thoughts on the book on the Rasmuson blog. You can read her review here. If you want to order a copy, you will find it on Amazon.com. We welcome any comments you want to share with us…. Read more »

Pick.Click.Give. is shooting a video in Anchorage next week featuring real Alaskans. By real, we mean we are not using actors. The only qualifications are that you must love Alaska and be available to talk briefly about that in Anchorage (location TBD) on 10/25, 10/26, or 10/27. If you’re willing to be part of this project, please email a picture (one from your phone will do) and the dates you are available to: castingAK@thedeltree.com. Thanks so much for considering this request. Please feel free to forward this casting call to any Alaskans you think may be interested and available. If you have questions, contact Heather Beaty, Pick.Click.Give. Program Manager, 907-249-6616…. Read more »

What makes a strong nonprofit leader? Good leaders possess many characteristics. A willingness and ability to share power is essential. Too often boards mistake strong, charismatic leaders for competent CEOs. While a CEO may be knowledgeable about the organization, proficient in financial management, a good manager, and a good community leader, that person must also be able to work as a partner with the board and successfully share power to truly be a successful nonprofit leader. Often, boards will acquiesce to a dominate CEO and assume all is well because this strong leaders says so. This is a major mistake, as the United Way of America learned in the early 1990s. Bill Aramony, the organization’s former CEO had at one time been a significant nonprofit leader. He built coalitions. He… Read more »

While most nonprofits are founded by volunteers and can be maintained by volunteers for years, I’ve concluded that eventually, if a nonprofit is to survive the transition away from its founder, the board must hire staff to maintain momentum. The first staff to be hired is typically the CEO, and it is the only staff person the board hires. At The Foraker Group we have witnessed many situations where organizations that have been in business for decades fall apart. One of the common characteristics is the departure of the founder with no professional staff to continue momentum. The founder’s zeal may have masked the nonprofit’s capacity. When determining if an organization’s staff consists of the right people, this question must be asked: Is the organization being supported because of its… Read more »

We just learned that Rasmuson Foundation was one of 10 foundations across the country to win a 2013 HUD Secretary’s Award for Public-Philanthropic Partnerships for its support of the Pre-Development Program. Pre-D is underwritten by Rasmuson, the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority, Denali Commission, Mat-Su Health Foundation, and the state of Alaska. It is managed by Foraker. The program is based on the principle that capital projects are more likely to succeed if they are well planned and affordable to operate. Read the announcement from Rasmuson here. Learn more about Pre-D here…. Read more »

It’s a pretty good bet that most nonprofit organizations have a board of directors. These volunteers serve as guardians of organizational and community assets. Unfortunately, after analyzing data from 4,000 nonprofit boards across the country in 1996, Barbara Taylor, Richard Chait, and Thomas Holland found that “effective governance by a board of trustees is a relatively rare and unnatural act. Only the most uncommon of nonprofit boards function as it should by harnessing the collective efforts of accomplished individuals to advance the institution’s mission and long-term welfare.” Still Taylor, Chait, and Holland assert that boards are necessary to guide nonprofit performance. “A board’s contribution is meant to be strategic, the joint product of talented people brought together to apply their knowledge and experience to the major challenges facing the institution.”… Read more »