Legal Compliance and Ethics
Can a Nonprofit Organization Contract with a Board Member for Services?
Attorneys, accountants, and other professionals can contribute valuable expertise to a board. In the best-case scenario, it would be nice if their services would be given voluntarily. However, that is not always feasible. The underpinnings of the policy that allows...
Can a Conflict of Interest be an Obstacle to Serving on a Nonprofit’s Board?
It is probably impossible to find a board member who will never have a conflict of interest. An active board member often has numerous professional and personal affiliations and, undoubtedly, some of them cross paths with your organization. He or she may have been...
Conflicts of Interest: Manageable…Unless They’re Not Conflicts of Interest
Guest Blog by Ruth Masterson, Consultant, Masterson Consulting All nonprofits—whether foundation or charity—have conflicts of interest that come up during the normal course of doing business. And all nonprofits should be able to recognize and manage these conflicts...
What Policies Does My Nonprofit Need?
Nonprofit organizations should adopt policies, approved by the board of directors that provide clear guidance on a range of legal, financial, human resources and other areas. The Standards for Excellence® Educational Resource Packets provide a thorough set of...
How Should a Nonprofit Board Evaluate the Executive Director?
There are many ways to structure the evaluation of an executive director. Often the board delegates the job to a subcommittee of the board (e.g. executive team), although the whole board should have an opportunity for input. To begin the process, the board and...
Letter to Congressman Cummings: Hearing on Progress Report on the 2020 Census
May 7, 2018 The Honorable Elijah Cummings Ranking Member Oversight and Government Reform Committee United States House of Representatives Washington, DC 20515 RE: Hearing on Progress Report on the 2020 Census Dear Congressman Cummings, We commend you for...
3 Top Reasons to Clarify Your Messaging
Guest blog by Associate Member, Karen Cheeks, Founder, Cheeks Communications, LLC What does your organization do? You may be thinking that this is a trick question, but it’s not. How you respond when asked that question is key in your ability to raise...
Are Nonprofits in Maryland Subject to the Open Meetings Act?
In Maryland, nonprofits are private entities and generally are not required to hold “open meetings” unless they were created by governmental action or unless the organization has been required to do so by a governmental entity that funds the organization. However,...
Letter to Congressman Cummings: Hearing on Progress Report on the 2020 Census
May 7, 2018 The Honorable Elijah Cummings Ranking Member Oversight and Government Reform Committee United States House of Representatives Washington, DC 20515 RE: Hearing on Progress Report on the 2020 Census Dear Congressman Cummings, We commend you for...
How Should We Keep the Minutes of Our Board Meetings?
Minutes are business records of the organization. Minutes should be kept of all meetings of the Board of Directors, as well as committee meetings where the committee is making decisions on behalf of the board. Decisions of committees should be brought to the full...