Standards for Excellence
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...
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,...
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...
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...
Funding Opportunity: Maryland Agricultural Education and Rural Development Assistance Fund
The Maryland Agricultural Education and Rural Development Assistance Fund is currently accepting applications for two grant programs, the Maryland Agricultural Education and Rural Development Assistance Fund (MAERDAF) and the Rural Maryland Prosperity Investment...
How Data Breaches at Nonprofit Organizations Impact the Communities They Serve, and the Steps Leaders Can Take to Mitigate Cyber Risks
Guest Blog by Ronnie Kurlander, Senior IT Advisor, Hartman Executive Advisors Nonprofit organizations are particularly vulnerable to breaches, mainly due to inconsistent security policies and the large amounts of sensitive data they collect and use in their daily...
How Does My Nonprofit Remove a Board Member?
There are a number of reasons for removing a member of the board of directors, including non-attendance at board meetings or committees, being inactive in general, or being so obstructive that he or she keeps the board from functioning effectively. The board should...
Election Year Do’s and Don’ts for 501(C)(3) Organizations
Maryland Nonprofits and the vast majority of the nation’s charitable and religious community strongly support the Internal Revenue Code’s non-partisanship rule, often referred to as the “Johnson Amendment,” that precludes us from actions that support or reasonably...
The 11 Steps Nonprofits Can Take to Minimize Risk of Theft and Fraud
Guest Blog by Tom Joseph, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Bookminders Are reports about financial abuses at other nonprofits causing you to reexamine the security of your own organization? In the wake of the recent articles1,2 on fraud in the nonprofit sector,...