Good Governance— Leadership Excellence

Welcome back! Your ideas matter here!

Capacity Partnership Group

Glen Peterson

Good Governance—
Leadership Excellence

A Workshop in #Policy Governance®

Saturday, February 26, 2011

9 AM – 2 PM; Lunch included

Whittier Area Community Church
8100 Colima Road, Whittier, CA 90605

“Boards: Bar Fights, and Beautiful Music:

how to avoid the one, and make lots of the other”

A workshop in board governance for nonprofit and community benefit organizations, we will examine the practical usage of Policy Governance, a comprehensive model of board governance. This is a new paradigm for governance and ensures organizational results and accountability that is safe and fair. We will look at the foundational work of the board—the work that no other group of volunteers can be expected to do.

A board of directors needs to know its job and have the right tools. The job of governance is about values, vision, empowerment of both board and staff, and the strategic ability to lead leaders. This workshop looks at how a board of directors brings added value to a new organization. The workshop is designed as an introduction and to help everyone from beginners to veterans. It is for new board members and executives.

As workshop participants, board members and staff leaders will gain an appreciation of leadership through governance; define the roles of management and board distinct from one another; identify the unique job outputs of the board; and learn how to avoid meddling and "rubber-stamping" by boards.

There is a nominal fee of $85 for the first person from an organization and $25 for additional persons from the same organization will be charged. Lunch and materials are included. All fees are due and payable in advance.

Future Policy Governance workshops to be offered in 2011 include: Ends Policy Writing, Policy Writing Blitz, Monitoring, Connection to Ownership.

For more information call Glen at 562/400-4739.

Sign up here.

More from Capacity Partnership Group here.

Post Office Box 693

Whittier, CA 90608

gpeterson@capacitypartnership.com

562/400-4739 [mobile & voice mail or text]

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Recommended Board Member Notebook Contents

Welcome back! Sometimes I get some really good questions from clients about board issues. I liked this question about what information is routinely needed by board members and at board meetings. Here are my ideas for 2010.

• Board Level Policy Document: (1) Ends, (3) Staff Limitations, (3) Board-staff linkage, (4) board process (includes conflict of interest, compensation policy)
• Bylaws
• Minutes from previous meetings
• Board roster that includes contact information and affiliations
• Board member commitment letter, conflict of interest declaration (signed copy)
• Board Agenda Schedule (calendars board meetings 18-24 months into the future)
• Organizational calendar with all organization’s events
• Most recent board process training content, example: Governance Matters, Good Training document: Governance is Leadership Excellence by Capacity Partnership Group.

Several new clients now have this as a training tool to orient new board members and assist board doe their work. Your ideas matter here! Please leave a comment.

Introduction Questions for Board Leaders

Welcome!

These questions are to help you begin thinking about your role as a board member and work of boards of directors for your organization.  Think about these and give it your best shot to answer them on paper and bring your thoughts to our training workshop.

• What is the board for?
• What job outputs should the board produce?
• What is the relationship between a board and the organization’s staff?
• What difficulties has your board faced?
• What questions do you have today about boards?
• Does the board have a model or resource to look toward for help, structure or advice?

 Boards do not necessarily do what they need to do or hold themselves accountable for job outputs. After you have thought about these questions, go to this link and read some basic definitions and review your answers. This is were we will begin our work together at the training workshop.

Your ideas matter here! Please leave a comment.

Introduction to Board Development--Board Retreat Prep

Welcome! I have posted this as preparation for participants in an upcoming workshop on board function and board governance for a nonprofit organization. If you are one of those participants, we will begin by reviewing these concepts sand setting a direction for our training session and framing the work of the board. I hope that you find this challenging and stimulated to participate in discussion.

Introduction to Board Development

The essential work of a board of directors of any organization must be to add value with job outputs that are specific to the role of the board (not competitive with staff) and for which the board holds itself accountable.

• Explicit Board Level Policy. Articulating clearly what the organization is to accomplish for its moral ownership (or membership)—more than what is keeping the organization busy but what will make a difference in the world because the organization does what it says it should.
• Monitoring of results and activities. Develop accountability as an organizational characteristic and providing assurance that the expected results were produced and unacceptable situations and circumstances were avoided, and the cost was worth the result.
• Linkage to real or “moral” ownership. As the board understands its trustee function, it develops a strategy of linkage to and understanding of the membership to act on its behalf.

These job outputs are the unique contribution of a board of directors that no other person or group can accomplish. It is further the board’s responsibility, once these job outputs are understood, to hold itself accountable for its own work. It is through this that the board can accomplish its duty of care, duty of loyalty and duty of obedience.

Governance Definition

Board governance is the job of the group granted full accountability and full authority for value produced on behalf of those who morally if not legally own the organization. It is the servant-leadership work of the highest and initial authority within the organization.

In this training we design and utilize a comprehensive set of integrated distinctions that, when consistently applied, allow governing boards to realize their accountability. The process is called Policy Governance®.

By making policy, the board governs proactively through explicit statements of values rather than reactively or through event-specific decisions. Boards must be at least as disciplined as they expect their staffs to be.

To learn more, see this link.

Your ideas matter here! Please leave a comment.

New Topics for Workshop training and technical assistance for application

Welcome back!

2010 Workshop Topics

This is a partial list of topics and concerns that Capacity Partnership can address for your group or organization. Topics can be presented as training workshops or combined with a process to implement and integrate the content with your organization or church. Three of the topics are newly tested and received high evaluations from the participants.

1. Nonprofit Basics:  through advanced Board Governance for nonprofit organizations: Good Governance—Leadership Excellence, Governance Matters, “Board Rooms Bar Fights and Beautiful Music—more of the later, less of the later”
2. Nonprofit Basics: Strategic Planning—a road map for accomplishing organizational results and improving its capacity to do that better. Moving away from “strategic planning is stupid” to planning as a process to inform the life of your organization.
3. Nonprofit Basics: Strategic Resource Development—finding the partners and resources to move toward your vision and fulfilling your mission.
4. Nonprofit Basics: Navigate your Nonprofit Status, Discover the benefits and responsibilities afforded by a 501 (c) 3 tax exempt status
5. Nonprofit Basics: Policies and Procedures: Clarify your organizational values with clear, written policies and procedures.
6. Nonprofit Basics: Assessment and capacity building.
7. Nonprofit Basics: Collaboration and Partnerships
8. Nonprofit Basics: Financial Management and Systems. Financial literacy for people person who think they don’t understand numbers and dollars.
9. Visioning. If you can you see your community, the people who live and work there in a new and better way there is a way of getting you there.
10. Justice and Compassion Ministry for the Church. Does the Bible really say all that about the poor, the widows, the orphans and the strangers? Then how do we move to a response that will really help?
11. Immigration and immigrants, Christian perspective. Christians at the Border: a biblical look at immigrants and immigration. Cristianos en la frontera: una mirada bíblica en los inmigrantes y la inmigración.

 


Your ideas matter here! Please leave a comment.

Training events coming up [Updated]

Welcome back! Let me know if we can serve you through these training events.

Thursday, January 21, 2010, 9:30 am – 12 noon
How to Navigate Becoming a 501 (c) 3 
"Is 501(c)3 the Suitable Thing to be for your Entity?"

Find out the benefits of tax-exempt status under IRC 501 (c) 3. Determine whether, when and how to proceed with this important step. Discover what additional responsibilities, reporting and legal obligations come with this status. Participants will know how to determine the most advantageous status for their organization. Founders, board members, and directors will benefit from this workshop.

Friday, January 22, 2010, 9:30 am – 12 noon
Organizational Policies and Procedures
"Advantages of Well-considered Policies and Procedures"

What makes for clear and efficient expression of an organization's values? This workshop will demonstrate how a system of explicit policies and procedures can and should do that. Policies define why your organization exists and the difference it will make outside of its own walls. Policies and procedures provide guidance on how organizations treat people and handle money and other resources. Monitoring organizational behavior as an essential practice will be explored. Founders, board members, directors, new and established organizations will find this workshop helpful.

Glen Peterson has led and been a catalyst within grass-roots, community, and faith-based organizations in Miami, Chicago, Indianapolis, South Los Angeles, Pomona and other geographies. Glen has worked with immigrants, youth, parolees, recovery, and other specialized populations. He is passionate about transformation in people and communities across cultural, economic and social barriers. Organizational development expertise is in board governance function using Policy Governance®, strategic planning, resource development planning, economic development through traditional wage employment programs, self-employment and microenterprise, asset development and financial literacy programs. Capacity Partnership Group can help you with any nonprofit, community or faith-based organizational development or program need.

For the context of when and where and to whom this training is to be offered, click here.

Your ideas matter here! Please leave a comment.

Consulting Services Available Now

Welcome back! Updates to my resume and interests in consulting and self-employment

Summary

• Project conceptualization to completion, management, compliance, evaluation, and communication strategy
• Written communication and project reporting
  
• Assessment of organizational and community needs, capacity building planning, coaching, mentoring
• Outcome and asset mapping, community partnerships and linkages
• Integration of Christian faith with compassion and justice, economic & community development, microenterprise, microfinance and workforce development
• Board governance process and function using Policy Governance® model, board policy design
• Nonprofit startup, strategic planning, program design, board recruitment
• Experienced in faith based community development and nonprofit leadership

Recent Consultant Roles

Board Development and Governance Function Since 2003
• Focusing board on exchange it has with the world as outcomes and impacts outside of its own walls
• Implementation, training, monitoring, comprehensive governance model for boards
• Development of training materials, policy writing and monitoring tools

Organizational Growth, Program Design, Evaluation Since 2003

• Designed and implemented community and economic development projects, workforce development
• In depth organizational assessment, leadership mentoring, growth planning and management
• Community development, partnerships and collaborations

Workshops & Teaching Since 1989

• Designed curriculum, workshops for adults, evaluated results, and one-hour to multiple-day conference workshops all areas of nonprofit management, community development, immigration, mentoring
• Classroom teaching, adult learning, workshops, public speaking—board governance process, board development, economic development as microenterprise, financial literacy and fiscal management, resource development, fund raising strategy

Professional History

World Vision Southern California Metro Los Angeles and Pomona, CA
Program Manager 2006-2007

• Managed $875,000 project to provide training, coaching, and technical assistance
• Designed a sub-award program including competitive application process, application evaluation, completion
• Assessed, mentored leadership in community organizations in south Los Angeles and Pomona
• Communicated results to internal and external clients, including US government partners

Mennonite Economic Development Associates Los Angeles, Miami, Chicago, Indianapolis
Regional Manager 2003-2005

• Managed a $3,750,000 project to increase capacity of 40 organizations in 5 in the USA.
• Planned organizational development strategies with leaders of community and faith-based organizations.
• Designed grantmaking program, evaluated applications and made award decisions.
• Monitored and evaluated progress of capacity building projects with organizational clients and consultants.

Job Starts, Inc. Los Angeles, CA
Executive Director 1989-2004

• Designed and implemented faith-based microenterprise, workforce development, financial literacy, and Asset Development programs to improve the economic wellbeing of families in south Los Angeles.
• Developed linkages with businesses, financial institutions and community partners to reach mutual goals and outcomes

Education

Master of Divinity, Denver Seminary, Denver, Colorado
Bachelor of Arts, InterCultural Studies, Biola University, La Mirada, California

Your ideas matter here! Please leave a comment.

Board Governance All-day Workshop October 17, 2009 in Whittier, CA

Welcome back!

Good Governance—Leadership Excellence

A Workshop in Policy Governance®

Saturday, October 17, 2009
9 AM – 3 PM; Lunch included
Whittier Area Community Church [WACC]
8175 Villaverde Dr., Whittier, CA 90605

“Boards: Bar Fights, and Beautiful Music: how to avoid the one, and make lots of the other”

A workshop in board governance for nonprofit and community benefit organizations, we will examine the practical usage of a comprehensive model of board governance. This is not best-practices in the sense of increasing the board’s busyness. We will look at the foundational work of the board—the work that no other group of volunteers can be expected to do.

A board of directors needs to know its job and have the right tools. The job of governance is about values, vision, empowerment of both board and staff, and the strategic ability to lead leaders. This workshop looks at how a board of directors brings added value to a new organization. The workshop is designed as an introduction and to help everyone from beginners to veterans.

As workshop participants, board members and staff leaders will gain an appreciation of leadership through governance; define the roles of management and board distinct from one another; identify the unique job outputs of the board; and learn how to avoid meddling and "rubber-stamping" by boards.

A nominal fee of $50 for the first person from an organization and $20 for additional persons from the same organization will be charged. Lunch is included. WACC will provide scholarships for Whittier organizations that serve the poor or disadvantaged of the community.

For more information call Glen at 562/400-4739.

Your ideas matter here! Please leave a comment.

Good Governance—Leadership Excellence--Workshop, October 17, 2009, Whittier, CA

Welcome back!

"Boards, Bar Fights, and Beautiful Music: how to avoid the one, and make lots of the other."

Saturday, October 17, 2009; 9 AM – 3 PM; Lunch included. Whittier Area Community Church, 8175 Villaverde Dr., Whittier, CA 90605

A board of directors needs to know its job and have the right tools. The job of governance is about values, vision, empowerment of both board and staff, and the strategic ability to lead leaders. There are 3 job outputs that a board of directors must accomplish that no other group of volunteers can. Do you know what those are? You will if you attend this workshop. This workshop looks at how a board of directors brings added value to a new organization. The workshop is designed as an introduction and to help everyone from beginners to veterans.

As workshop participants, board members and staff leaders will gain an appreciation of leadership through governance; define the roles of management and board distinct from one another; identify the unique job outputs of the board; and learn how to avoid meddling and "rubber-stamping" by boards.

A nominal fee of $50 for the first person from an organization and $20 for additional persons from the same organization will be charged. WACC will provide scholarships for Whittier organizations that serve the poor or disadvantaged of the community.

Board Governance is the job of the group granted full accountability and full authority for value produced on behalf of those who morally if not legally own the organization. It is the servant-leadership work of the highest and initial authority within the organization.

Your ideas matter here! Please leave a comment.

Board Governance All-day Workshop October 17, 2009 in Whittier, CA

Welcome back!

Good Governance—Leadership Excellence

Saturday, October 17, 2009; 9 AM – 3 PM; Lunch included. Whittier Area Community Church, 8175 Villaverde Dr., Whittier, CA 90605

A board of directors needs to know its job and have the right tools. The job of governance is about values, vision, empowerment of both board and staff, and the strategic ability to lead leaders. This workshop looks at how a board of directors brings added value to a new organization. The workshop is designed as an introduction and to help everyone from beginners to veterans.

As workshop participants, board members and staff leaders will gain an appreciation of leadership through governance; define the roles of management and board distinct from one another; identify the unique job outputs of the board; and learn how to avoid meddling and "rubber-stamping" by boards.

A nominal fee of $50 for the first person from an organization and $20 for additional persons from the same organization will be charged. WACC will provide scholarships for Whittier organizations that serve the poor or disadvantaged of the community.

Your ideas matter here! Please leave a comment.

Exectuive Compensation and the Board of Directors

Welcome back!

At our workshop I pointed to new IRS reporting requirements and California Nonprofit Accountability Law requiring boards of directors of nonprofit organizations to set executive compensation and monitor that expense. In the context of smaller nonprofits we often don't worry about overpaying. But is can be and is a problem. The recent corporate scandals involving the financial sector demonstrates that and the Wall Street Journal says nonprofits need to watch out too!

". . . the IRS has signaled more aggressive oversight of charities as various compensation scandals crop up among nonprofits." Wall Street Journal, Pay at Nonprofits Gets a second look

Your ideas matter here! Please leave a comment.

Books I Recommend to You as a Community Nonprofit Leader

Welcome back!

I made these book recommendations to the group on Saturday:

On board governance model as presented:

The 24-page introduction to the 10 principles that I presented: CarverGuide, Basic Principles of Policy Governance (J-B Carver Board Governance Series) (Vol 1)


The larger text book on Policy Governance: Boards That Make a Difference (J-B Carver Board Governance Series)

The Q & A book with short chapters that answer a bunch of basic questions: Nonprofit Board Answer Book: Practical Guidelines for Board Members and Chief Executives

On business and organizational theory by Jim Collins:


This is a popular book that helps successful companies become more successful: Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and Others Don't


A short follow up, stand alone chapter where Jim Collins addresses some specific issues for social sector organizations: Good to Great and the Social Sectors: A Monograph to Accompany Good to Great

I appreciate complements whenever they come: Colleen Marks told me that our session was "dope" and "out-of-the-bun." So, there you go!

Your ideas matter here! Please leave a comment.

Free Board Governance Workshop in Whittier on March 28

Welcome back!

This is the first time I have offered this free of charge to participants. Three and a half hours of board governance introduction and it includes lunch! Thanks to the great people at Whittier Area Community Church and their Serve Weekend project.

Good Governance--Leadership Excellence
Trainer: Glen Peterson
Whittier Area Community Church
Saturday, March 28, 2009
9 am - 1 pm
Lunch included

We can bring this workshop and
others to your geography.
Let's work on something together.

Your ideas matter here! Please leave a comment.

Looking Ahead: Leadership Strategies for Turbulent Times

Welcome back!

The Center for Nonprofit Management will present a moderated panel discussion on nonprofit strategies during the current financial crisis, Looking Ahead: Leadership Strategies for Turbulent Times, on Tuesday, December 9, 2008, 3 pm - 6 pm. More information and registration here.

Your ideas matter here! Please leave a comment.

What is the definition of Governance?

Welcome back!

I often try to answer questions that come up in our workshops and presentations. On one of the evaluation forms, someone stated the need for a definition of governance. I believe that is definition is extremely important and is foundational to a clear understanding of what the board's job outputs need to be and what the board should expect to do.

Here is the definition:

The job of the group granted full accountability and full authority for value produced on behalf of those who morally if not legally own the organization. The servant-leadership work of the highest and initial authority within the organization.

By making policy, the board governs proactively through explicit statements of values rather than reactively or through event-specific decisions. Boards must be at least as disciplined as they expect their staffs to be.

This definition is clearly different that how many boards define their work. Many boards with which I have worked have started without any clear definition of the work that they are to do. Then act as though the believe that there work is in competition with the role of their chief executive officer or executive director. The role of governance is not management with a megaphone. The role is strategic leadership about the difference the organization is to make in the world, outside the walls of the organization. It is to assure that the difference is made and that unacceptable situations and circumstances are avoided. It is to link the organization to its membership or moral ownership and act on its behalf.

Your ideas matter here! Please leave a comment.

Alternative Board Governance Workshop Title

Welcome back!

A friend just sent me this suggestion for the name of my workshop:

"Boards, Bar Fights, and Beautiful Music: A case study in how to avoid the one, and make lots of the other."

I am going to use it in my introduction.

Your ideas matter here! Please leave a comment.

Workshop/Talk about board governance in Miami, Florida

Welcome back! I will be in Miami, Florida talking about Policy Governance.



Friday, October 24: 3:00 - 4:15 PM
Miami, Florida

SHALOM IN THE BOARDROOM
A board of directors needs to know its job and have the right tools. The job of governance is about values, vision, empowerment of both board and staff, and the strategic ability to lead leaders. This workshop looks at a case study of how one board brought added value to a new organization; helps everyone from beginners to veterans.

Co-presenter: GABE VEAS
Room: Granada

The event is: CCDA's 19th ANNUAL CONFERENCE

OCTOBER 22-26, 2008

HYATT REGENCY MIAMI & JAMES L. KNIGHT CENTER

MIAMI, FL

www.CCDAMiami08.org

There is also a workshop coming up the following week in Los Angeles at the Center for Nonprofit Management.

Your ideas matter here! Please leave a comment.

[UPDATE: New Date and TIme] Policy Governance at the Center for Nonprofit Management

Welcome back!

My next workshop on Policy Governance at the Southern California Center for Nonprofit Management will be Tuesday, October 28 2008, 1:30pm - 4:30pm. Details on the workshop and registration are available at the Center's website.

Course Description

Policy Governance® enables a board to:

• Lead on the larger issues
• Delegate with clarity
• Control management's job without meddling
• Rigorously evaluate the accomplishment of the organization
• Truly lead an organization

This is a groundbreaking model of governance designed to empower boards of directors to fulfill their obligation of accountability for the organizations they govern. As workshop participants, board members and staff leaders will gain an appreciation of leadership through governance; define the roles of management and board distinct from one another; identify the unique job outputs of the board; and learn how to avoid meddling and "rubber-stamping" by boards.

Your ideas matter here! Please leave a comment.

Board Member Recruitment [New and Improved]

Welcome back! I put out the question a couple of days ago on the My Questions feature on LinkedIn. I got some very good input and made some revisions to my training packet. The new version of the Characteristics handout:

What characteristics should we look for in prospective board members once we have articulated the job outputs of the board of directors? Do not confuse management skills as substitutes for any of these characteristics.

• People who can think about principles and values
• People who can enjoy creating the future rather than merely evaluating the past
• People with moral courage strong ethics, possess integrity
• People who are willing to let others be strong
• People who are intelligent and willing to learn, creative, open-minded
• People who can be team players
• People with an ability to empathize with the owners
• People who have demonstrated commitment to the values and mission of the organization
• People with connections to the “moral ownership” and resources
• People with time and energy to meet
• What other characteristics would you add?

The work of the board is thinking work more than doing. People who have the interest and discipline to work in the abstract might be good board members. The big job of a board of directors is to ensure the organization does what it should while avoiding unacceptable situations and circumstances. Job outputs include: (1) explicit board policy to articulate the values of the organization, (2) monitoring, and (3) linkage to the moral ownership.

A couple of really good suggestions that I haven't added to the handout, but I will certainly share in the workshops:

From Dan: I would add under characteristics "Alligator hide" and a no "BS" sort of guy/gal or in more appropriate words "intentional and focused, result oriented." I am always repeating this to ED's and management.

From JB: "While I think a creative thinker is important, I also believe it's important for board members to be able to think independently and question the status quo. Whether the status quo is represented by staff or other board members. I've been on enough boards to know that many board members don't ask tough questions and are willing to let the past guide the future. While history is important, it's also the board's responsibility to set the future of the organization and understand what the organization must have for today to be successful. Ultimately the board must ask the question, what is the reason for this organization to exist, and is it still valid today."

And for those who suggested management skills such as fundraising, I am still not convinced. While there is a board role in resource development it is not the core of governance. Successful organizations are going to hire those skills as part of operations and hold the results accountable. Individual board members will certainly participate as volunteers but not in a role confined to board members. My experience clearly shows that there is no reason to confine the fundraising work to the board. Some significant donors and volunteers told me that they are . . . "happy to give and volunteer--but don't put me on the board, that's just not my thing."

Your ideas matter here! Please leave a comment.

Foreclosure Prevention Seminars

Welcome back!



Foreclosure Prevention Seminars

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The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and NeighborWorks® America are hosting a series of one-day informational seminars in high-foreclosure cities around the country to help support counseling, mitigation and outreach efforts to distressed homeowners.

These seminars will provide participants with an overview of the foreclosure process and industry access that will be helpful in providing guidance to their clients and constituents at risk of foreclosure. Discussions will focus on opportunities and strategies for working with financial institutions and loan servicers in each area to help troubled borrowers.

For information on these seminars, click here.

The event is Los Angeles is Tuesday July 29, 2008.

Hilton Los Angeles Airport
5711 West Century Boulevard,
Los Angeles, California 90045
(310) 410-4000

**There is no fee to register, but space is limited so register early. Online registration. The agenda is here.

Your ideas matter here! Please leave a comment.