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The focus of this blog is twofold. First, to serve as a travel log of all the great places I visit and the people I meet along the way. The second is to provide insight I get from these contacts.
My last blog was from the North Slope of Alaska – Point Hope – where spring was arriving along with the humpback whales.
I returned to home base Anchorage on April 7th for a short visit with my saintly wife who lets me do this job and an even shorter visit with my hard working staff on Monday the 9th before leaving again for Seattle the 10th of April.
There I spent time with staff at the Paul G. Allen Foundation providing an update on Alaska’s nonprofits before leaving the next day for Hawaii…….to work!
But it wasn’t a total sacrifice. I was able to take my wife for a few days of relaxation before the work started.
In Hawaii I met with a nonprofit industry association in a two-day strategic discussion. From there I flew back to Alaska on the 17th at midnight.
The next morning I sped by the office before boarding a flight for Fairbanks where I met with the board of a foundation to discuss the sector and their strategies of how to engage in meaningful philanthropy. (By the way, this is the time of year that Fairbanks, which had a bitter cold winter, becomes warmer than it’s southern sister city, Anchorage at least until next fall.)
Returning to Anchorage that night, I was in our office early the 19th where the Foraker board held its spring meeting. It was great! We have many new highly engaged and enthusiastic members of the board to complement the long-term and very dedicated directors.
From there I was off to Palmer the next morning to meet with the board of an iconic Alaskan institutionto discuss governance and direction.
Now I just arrived in Homer, “a quaint drinking town with a fishing problem.” Tomorrow I meet with another board.
The snippet of insight this time is that boards really matter. And it’s important to have the right director in every seat. During the last week and a half I have been with four organizations and each one had a great board, with all seats occupied by the right people.
So have hope you nonprofit leaders!! Board development works!!!!!!!
When nonprofits are strategic and focused on recruiting and developing the people who serve as their volunteer leaders, they too can have high performing boards.
Dennis