Successful Nonprofit Boards

After amending bylaws, secretary must…

By Ann Macfarlane / February 20, 2019 / Comments Off on After amending bylaws, secretary must…
amend bylaws

Do you find this dangling headline annoying? Unfortunately bylaws are often left dangling. Once you’ve amended your bylaws, here are some important steps to take. Prepare a copy of the amended bylaws that contains all changes that were made. Make sure that “track changes” has not tricked you into unexpected errors. Review all the numbering…

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Getting your board to buy in to Robert’s Rules

By Ann Macfarlane / January 31, 2019 /
A diagram with three steps: Step 1 in green says "Educate," Step 2 in blue says "Adopt and buy-in," and Step 3 in orange says "Enforce.

A reader writes, “The city council has never used much parliamentary procedure in our meetings. People speak when they want and sidebar discussions are common. How to ease the council into more parliamentary procedure without confusing them?” It’s a great question. Here are three steps you can take to get your council or board to…

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What are rights of ordinary members at nonprofit board meetings?

By Ann Macfarlane / January 23, 2019 /
A large, wooden conference table surrounded by black leather chairs in a modern meeting room, emphasizing the rights of ordinary members, with a phone and various office supplies placed on the table.

When you are considering the rights of ordinary members at nonprofit board meetings, first look to your state statutes. This is usually easy to do online. Start by reading the plain language text of the laws of the state in which your organization is incorporated. (For complex matters of interpretation, of course you will consult…

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Don’t get chummy

By Ann Macfarlane / November 28, 2018 /
Black and white sketch of a chummy person wearing a bowler hat, a long coat, vest, and tie, with one arm extended outward.

City councilmembers and nonprofit board leaders should not get chummy—too familiar—with their constituents or regular members. Here’s why.

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Action Items List will improve board followup

By Ann Macfarlane / October 18, 2018 / Comments Off on Action Items List will improve board followup
word followup with marker

At our nonprofit workshop last Saturday, someone asked, “How can you get board members to do what is agreed upon by the group at large?”

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Starting a nonprofit? Here’s a helpful workbook

By Ann Macfarlane / October 5, 2018 / Comments Off on Starting a nonprofit? Here’s a helpful workbook
Cover of "Non-profit, Tax-Exempt Corporation Workbook" by Amy Hereford. The yellow cover features a small image of stacked papers near the center, ideal for anyone starting a nonprofit.

Are you planning to start your own nonprofit organization? The process is complex.

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Essential Guidelines for Small Casual Groups

By Ann Macfarlane / August 2, 2018 / Comments Off on Essential Guidelines for Small Casual Groups
A small casual group of people sits at a table during a meeting. Laptops, papers, and coffee cups are scattered about. Framed photos decorate the wall in the background.

Many small casual groups spend too much time in discussion. Seeking consensus, time can be wasted and little progress made.

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The board booted me out – but can they?

By Ann Macfarlane / July 10, 2018 / Comments Off on The board booted me out – but can they?
An umpire wearing protective gear, including a face mask and chest guard, gives a thumbs-up gesture. He stands against a plain white background, as if signaling the confidence required for removing a director.

A reader writes that he was voted off the board of directors of his neighborhood association. On investigation, it turned out that the board didn’t have the right to remove him. The director was reinstated. What are the rules about removing a director of a nonprofit organization? In order to answer this question, you have…

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Duty of care is critical for nonprofit board directors

By Ann Macfarlane / March 13, 2018 / Comments Off on Duty of care is critical for nonprofit board directors
A file folder with a paper titled "DUTY of CARE" and a gavel placed beside it on a wooden surface emphasizes the importance of maintaining responsibility.

Guest post by Colette Collier Trohan.  Directors of nonprofit boards will find this outline of their duty of care an invaluable guide. Do you remember being a teenager and ignoring the potential consequences of your actions? Did anyone ever look at you and ask: “What were you thinking?!!!”  You weren’t expected to be a perfect child, but…

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Inappropriate remarks on nonprofit boards

By Ann Macfarlane / December 18, 2017 / Comments Off on Inappropriate remarks on nonprofit boards
Three people sit at a table during a meeting, with notepads and a can of soda in front of them. They appear to be listening attentively, ensuring no inappropriate remarks disrupt the focus.

If you serve as a director on a nonprofit board, you should know the types of remarks that are inappropriate during discussion at a meeting. Robert’s Rules of Order and the common parliamentary law it is based on require that: Directors on a board must be courteous to one another. They must speak to the…

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