HomeBoard Tech Blog December 1, 2009: Policy as Preventive and Productive Power
December 1, 2009: Policy as Preventive and Productive Power
What works in reducing liability in the short run can help
produce achievement in the long run.Lawyers advising nonprofits have been heard to say that doing two things
well will eliminate most damage awards in litigation:1) Have policies that you should have and 2)
Follow the policies that you do have.If
only we thought about board policy making (read “governance”) capacity the same
way.
Start by thinking about the short term. If suddenly ambushed by a reporter or a
potential funder or community partner, could members of your board:1)Explain
how the organization is successful; or 2)
Describe how major programs work; or 3) Defend
current service niche boundaries; or 4) List current operational priorities ;
or 5) Outline key long term challenges?Absent
this knowledge, how could board members make good decisions about the future,
let along manage a short term crisis?Isn’t
knowing these types of things a core responsibility of all nonprofit trustees?
So, helping our boards to take responsibility for
policy making is perhaps the central policy of a board and staff leaders in
their role of helping their boards to govern. Many objectives begin to be attained just in
this simple act of adopting the policy making stance.A value system and sense of purpose is
established for the entire board and its individual members.Consistency can be applied to both tactical
and strategic opportunities and threats.A policy making posture provides a solid foundation from which to judge
new information, ask hard questions and to provide the ongoing direction
setting that constitutes essential organization governance.
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