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| Accountability |
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Checklist for Accountability (Summer 2005)
Sarbanes-Oxley has many nonprofit boards reexamining their approaches to governance. Although most of the act's provision do not apply to nonprofits--yet--many organizations are planning for the scrutiny that they know is coming.
In the summer of 2005, Independent Sector put together this Checklist for Accountability to help boards enhance transparency as they strengthen their governance practices. It won't give you all the answers, but it does frame many of the key questions prompted by the same concerns that led to the enactment of Sarbanes-Oxley. |
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Nonprofit Governance & Accountability
Prompted by surging interest in governance and accountability, The Listening Post Project, led by Johns Hopkins University, surveyed some 600 nonprofits nationally in five key sectors of the nonprofit economy. The final summary of findings, attached here, should be useful to any organization interested in current trends in board roles, financial disclosure, ethics protections, best-practice standards and other such issues.
The report contains no huge surprises, but it is noteworthy to see how similarly nonprofits of all sizes have responded to new pressures from donors, regulators and constituents. |
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| Associations: Foundations & Grantmakers |
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 Association of Black Foundation Executives
A group devoted to promoting effective and responsive philanthropy in Black communities, ABFE is also the first and oldest of more than 40 Council on Foundations (COF) affinity groups. |
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 Association of Small Foundations [national]
Specifically designed to be of most use to foundations with little or no staff, the Association of Small Foundations is known for being accessible and responsive. Their roster of affinity groups (Black or Hispanic philanthropists, for example, or grantmakers focusing on the arts) is terrific. |
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 Council on Foundations [national]
Although primarily a service for Council members, the website can be a helpful resource to anyone interested in grantmaking, grantseeking and the larger issues of philanthropy and charity.
The public site can seem a bit overwhelming, but it's worth exploring. If you contact them in person, the staff is unfailingly patient with questions. |
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Donors Forum, The [Chicago area]
Another of the highly regarded regional associations of grantmakers ("Rags"), The Donors Forum of Chicago serves both foundations and nonprofits (most of the other Rags limit their membership to foundations). |
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Giving Forum, The, a/k/a the Forum of RAGs [national]
The Giving Forum, more formally known as the Forum of Regional Associations of Grantmakers (or RAGS), is a national network of local leaders and organizations that support effective charitable giving.
The Forum's network focuses on the philanthropy of city, state, and multi-state areas of the U.S. and encompasses 29 regional associations of grantmakers. These regional associations collectively represent more than 5,000 grantmakers and others interested in philanthropy. |
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Hispanics in Philanthropy
A transnational network of grantmakers committed to strengthening Latino communities across the Americas, HIP is also a Council on Foundations affinity group. |
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Regional Association Locator [national]
Sponsored by The Giving Forum (see above), this site will help you locate the regional association of foundations and other grantmakers in your area. No one knows more about real-time local philanthropy than the folks you'll find here. |
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 Southeastern Council of Foundations [12 states]
One of some 30 such organizations across the country, SECF is the principal resource for foundations and their trustees in the twelve-state southeastern United States. Excellent too for those thinking of creating a foundation.
Full disclosure: BoardWalk's Sam Pettway is a regular columnist for this organization's monthly newsletter to members. |
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Washington Grantmakers [DC & the neighboring area]
Like the others listed here, the Washington Regional Association of Grantmakers, known variously as "the Washington RAG" and "Washington Grantmakers," is one of the best in the country, a fact reflected by its dynamic website. Based in the heart of the nation's capital, the Washington Grantmakers is well attuned to issues of interest to philanthropists whose reach extends far beyond the District's boundaries. |
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 Women's Funding Network
The WFN is a network of funds specifically supportive of nonprofit groups and initiatives working to improve the lives of women and girls. Some 125 such funds across the US and in 17 other countries are members or affiliates of the network; the site includes a search engine to find one near you. |
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| Associations: Individuals |
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 American Marketing Association
Through its foundation, the AMA has committed to being a strategic resource for nonprofits desiring to strengthen their ability to reach new or expanded markets. Their annual conference on nonprofit marketing is a must. |
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 American Society of Association Executives
The web's principal site on anything to do with associations. Their monthly magazine is one of the best and most thoughtful around.
The site's search engine can locate an association on almost any topic imaginable, from AAA (the automobile & travel club) to Zonta International (advancing the status of women). |
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 Association of Fundraising Professionals
A comprehensive organization of 26,000 individuals in resource development. For the nonpractitioner, the site has lots of useful content. |
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| Associations: Nonprofits |
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 Directory of State Nonprofit Associations
This page on the website of the National Council of Nonprofit Associations will help you find the association of nonprofit organizations in your area. We have found these state and regional associations to be enormously helpful resources for members, funders, constituents and other stakeholders. |
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 Georgia Center for Nonprofits
An extraordinarily useful resource for Georgia-based nonprofits and the people who manage, govern or fund them. This site includes a fabulous set of links to scores of other resources.
Full disclosure: BoardWalk's Sam Pettway is a former GCN trustee. |
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 Independent Sector
A national coalition of leading nonprofits, foundations and corporations strengthening not-for-profit initiative, philanthropy and citizen action. Individual memberships also available. |
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 Maryland Association of Nonprofit Organizations
Another of the statewide organizations serving nonprofits, the Maryland Association is highly regarded as a pioneer in the field. The website itself is not very exciting, but their programs are.
One of their standout programs is called Standards for Excellence: An Ethics and Accountability Code for the Nonprofit Sector, now being tested in five other markets for national roll-out. The program articulates some 55 performance standards in eight areas of operation (such as mission, governance, HR and public policy). |
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 Minnesota Council of Nonprofits
One of the pioneers. |
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National Council of Nonprofit Associations
The NCNA is the network of state and regional nonprofit associations serving over 22,000 organizational members in 46 states and the District of Columbia. This is a wholesale site, not a retail one, and is principally of interest to its members. Nevertheless, NCNA's home page has a link to each of the state and regional member associations of nonprofits, and thus finding the one serving your area is a snap. |
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 North Carolina Center for Nonprofits
A coalition of nonprofits from across the state, the North Carolina Center has grown in under 20 years from a kitchen-based dream to a membership organization encompassing some 1500 nonprofits from all 100 counties in the state. The annual conference each fall is a must-attend event for North Carolinians committed to the sector. |
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| Board assessment & evaluation |
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Board and Committee Evaluation Form: A First Step
If you use this simple template or something like it at every official gathering of the board or its committees, you will begin to focus everyone's attention on the substantive issues, and you'll get real-time feedback that will make future meetings more rewarding. The form's very simplicity makes it easy to complete, and it is not threatening to anyone. |
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Has Your Organization Outgrown its Board?
Published in slightly different form by BoardSource, the national nonprofit focused on board governance, this December 2004 article by BoardWalk's Sam Pettway asks 10 basic questions to help examine the fit between an organization's mission and its current board. |
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How effective is your board?
In February 2007, we asked readers of smorgasBoard ®, our mostly-monthly electronic newsletter, to respond to four questions “on board service as you experience it.” We do not pretend that the responses are statistically valid, but we do hope you find the answers to be a useful addition to your own board deliberations. |
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McKinsey & Co. guide to board self-assessment
McKinsey & Co., the global strategy consulting firm, has prepared a series of self-assessment guidelines for nonprofit boards. The long form is available via this link; more succinct versions are available from McKinsey's own website. |
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Principles & Practices for Nonprofit Excellence
In 1994, the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits became the first state association of nonprofits to develop a set of accountability principles and management practices. This revised edition completely updates those original standards while remaining true to MCN’s long-standing goal of open access to comprehensive policies for strong public accountability. Click the title above to get a summary; the link to a PDF file of the principles themselves is in the lower right-hand corner. |
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 Standards for Excellence
With funding from national foundations, The Maryland Association of Nonprofit Organizations developed a set 55 55 standards in eight categories (governance, management, fundraising and the like) that define excellence in action. The standards are not geared to board assessment per se, but they do outline the issues that board assessment should be concerned with. |
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The Board's Evolving Role: From Management to Governance
A board's proper role changes as an organization matures, but in every case the role should be a purposeful one. This template was designed to help boards decide on the proper allocation of responsibilities, today and in the future, given the organization's specific situation.
The template may appear a bit daunting, but it's a stimulating way to highlight differences in role expectations of board members and the CEO/ED, and it's helpful in setting governance priorities as well. |
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| Board development resources |
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 BoardSource
BoardSource fully deserves its reputation as the premier source for materials relevant to effective governance of nonprofit organizations.
BoardSource has an extensive offering of pamphlets, software and other materials regarding the development and management of boards. Their templates on such topics as board and CEO assessment can be an excellent starting point for organizations interested in improving their approach to governance. |
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BoardWalk Governance Fellowships
As part of our investment in the nonprofit sector, each year we award several fellowships to a program of the Social Enterprise Initiative at Harvard Business School.
Specifically designed for board members of nonprofits, the fellowships, available by application, allow senior board members of nonprofits to attend an extraordinary program at HBS called "Governing for Nonprofit Excellence: Critical Issues for Board Leadership (see Executive Education section below).
Follow the link to see our selection criteria and application schedule for the 2007 fellowships; 2008 course dates are December 3-6.
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| Board matching services |
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 boardnetUSA
"Connecting nonprofit boards and new leaders," boardnetUSA claims to have pioneered the way nonprofits and potential board members find each other, and we think they're in danger of being right. It's a thriving tool being adopted by a number of umbrella nonprofits across the country.
Originally a service of the Volunteer Consulting Group of New York City, boardnetUSA also works in partnership with the Wall Street Journal. |
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| BoardWalk Governance Fellowships |
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BoardWalk Governance Fellowships
As part of our investment in the nonprofit sector, each year we award several fellowships to a program of the Social Enterprise Initiative at Harvard Business School. Specifically designed for board members of nonprofits, the fellowships, available by application, allow senior board members of nonprofits to attend an extraordinary program at HBS called "Governing for Nonprofit Excellence: Critical Issues for Board Leadership (see Executive Education section below).
Follow the link to see our selection criteria and application schedule for the 2008 fellowships. The program itself is held at Harvard in December. |
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| Books and other readings we wouldn't be without |
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 12 Principles of Governance that Power Exceptional Boards
The Source: Twelve Principles that Power Exceptional Boards, by BoardSource
A truly practical guide to building an exceptionally effective nonprofit board, representing the collective wisdom of some of the leading thinkers of the day, all members of The Source, a Blue Ribbon panel assembled for the purpose by BoardSource. |
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 Boards that Deliver
Boards That Deliver: Advancing Corporate Governance From Compliance to Competitive Advantage , by Ram Charan
"Finally, a book that brings the vision of truly good governance down to earth." |
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 Change Your Career
Change Your Career: Transitioning to the Nonprofit Sector, by Laura Gassner Otting
Laura Gassner Otting's new book (2007) is quite simply the best guide we've seen for corporate types considering a move from success to significance. Combined with Jim Collins' book, Good to Great in the Social Sectors (cited below), this book will excite, comfort and prepare you for a transition that may be bigger than you realize. |
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 Creating Competitive Advantage
Creating Competitive Advantage: Give Customers a Reason to Choose You Over Your Competitors , by Jaynie L. Smith, William G. Flanagan
"Why should I do business with you… and not your competitor?
Whether you are a retailer, manufacturer, distributor, or service provider – if you cannot answer this question, you are surely losing customers, clients and market share. This eye-opening book reveals how identifying your competitive advantages (and trumpeting them to the marketplace) is the most surefire way to close deals, retain clients, and stay miles ahead of the competition."
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 Encore: Finding Work that Matters in the Second Half of Life
Encore: Finding Work that Matters in the Second Half of Life, by Marc Freedman
The founder and CEO of Civic Ventures offers timely advice for baby boomers tempted to ask, "Is this all there is?" |
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 First 90 Days, The
The First 90 Days: Critical Success Strategies for New Leaders at All Levels, by Michael Watkins
A wonderful how-to for those facing career transition. |
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 Five Dysfunctions of a Team, The
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable, by Patrick M. Lencioni
A seminal book on teambuilding with direct application to nonprofits--and their governing boards. |
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 Good to Great and the Social Sectors
Good to Great and the Social Sectors: A Monograph to Accompany Good to Great, Jim Collins
"Jim Collins Answers the Social Sector with a Monograph to Accompany Good to Great. 30-50% of those who bought Good to Great work in the Social Sector." |
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 Governance as Leadership
Governance as Leadership, by Richard P. Chait, William P. Ryan & Barbara E. Taylor
A fresh way to think about governance, from three of the sector's best thinkers, accompanied by sensible ways to turn the ideas into concrete action. An easy read, but a demanding premise. |
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 Halftime
Halftime, by Bob Buford, Peter F. Drucker & Terry Whalin
Bob Buford's story of how he moved "from success to significance" upon the sale of the family business has proved a catalyzing premise for many people. A devout Christian, Bob writes for the true believer, but even non-believers or those less evangelically inclined will find his journey captivating and his points persuasive. This book played a disproportionate role in the genesis of BoardWalk Consulting. |
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 How to Change the World
How to Change the World: Social Entrepreneurs and the Power of New Ideas, by David Bornstein
Journalist Bornstein (The Price of a Dream: The Story of the Grameen Bank) profiles nine indomitable champions of social change who developed innovative ways to address needs they saw around them in places as distinct as Bombay, India; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; and inner-city Washington, D.C. |
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 Overcoming the Five Dysfunctions of a Team
Overcoming the Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Field Guide for Leaders, Managers, and Facilitators, by Patrick M. Lencioni
This follow-on guide to the 2002 hit, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team could just as easily have been titled "Overcoming the Five Dysfunctions of a Board." You may recognize more boardroom symptoms here than you'd like to--such as lack of trust, fear of conflict and inattention to results--but Lencioni offers a way out of the mire. We use these concepts in our retreats for board clients, and heads usually nod all around the room. |
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 Secrets of Facilitation, The
The Secrets of Facilitation, by Michael Wilkinson
The Secrets of Facilitation explores the principles and techniques effective facilitators use to produce amazing results through groups. Even those highly accustomed to working with demanding groups will learn from Wilkinson's illuminating discussion of secrets that make for great facilitation. Excellent as a both a primer and a refresher. |
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 Secrets to Masterful Meetings, The
The Secrets to Masterful Meetings, by Michael Wilkinson
Another home run by Michael Wilkinson for those who spend much of their lives in meetings--especially meetings that seem to go on forever, chase the lowest common denominator and invariably lead to even more meetings! A pragmatic how-to with simple but impactful concepts & tools you can use tomorrow in your board room, your staff meetings and even webinars. |
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Strengthening Transparency, Governance & Accountability of Charitable Organizations (2005)
Strengthening Transparency, Governance & Accountability of Charitable Organizations: A Final Report, by the Panel on the Nonprofit Sector, convened by Independent Sector
The Final Report to the U.S. Senate Finance Committee (the Grassley Committee) may make for dry reading, but its potential impact on the nonprofit sector is huge.
The executive summary highlights the Panel's 15 key recommendations for reform; the full 118-page document reflects the collected (and highly diverse) wisdom of thousands of nonprofit leaders and influencers across the country. |
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 Trusted Advisor, The
The Trusted Advisor, by David H. Maister, Charles H. Green & Robert M. Galford
David Maister has long been known for his expertise in the management of service organizations. Here he and his co-authors write at length on the critical nature of trust in consulting relationships. |
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 What Color is Your Parachute?
The 2008 What Color is Your Parachute?, by Richard Nelson Bolles
A top seller for three decades (over 8 million copies sold) for a very good reason: It's still the best career transition how-to book in the market. Written with the corporate world in mind, the author (Richard Nelson Bolles) is a one-time Episcopal priest, and his affinity for soul-satisfying careers is clear. Use what you like and ignore the rest; this book is a winner. Revised & updated annually, so be sure to get the current edition, if you're newly in the market or simply want to validate that where you are is where you're meant to be. |
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What Makes Great Boards Great
What Makes Great Boards Great, by Jeffrey A. Sonnenfeld
The best short summary we've seen of the shared characteristics of terrific boards. Although written for the corporate community, this article from Harvard Business Review is fully applicable to boards of not-for-profits that want to make the most effective use of their board assets. |
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 Wisdom of Teams, The
The Wisdom of Teams: Creating the High-Performance Organization, John R. Katzenbach, Douglas K. Smith
"The importance of teams has become a cliche of modern business theory, but few have a clear idea of what it means. In this new edition of their best-selling primer, Katzenbach and Smith try to impart some analytical rigor to the concept." |
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 You're in Charge--Now What?
You're in Charge--Now What?: The 8-Point Plan, by Thomas J. Neff & James M. Citrin
Two of the world's top executive search consultants draw on the experiences of 50 leading managers to develop an eight-point plan relevant to every manager faced with a new role in a new environment. There are not many nonprofits covered here, but the sage advice comes from people at the top of their form and offers much to consider. |
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| Building Strong Foundations: The First 100 Days |
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2006-05: "I Should Have Kept a Journal"
I should have Kept a Journal, by Handy Lindsey, Executive Director, The Cameron Foundation
In this first installment of our series, Building Strong Foundations: The First 100 Days, long-time grantmaker Handy Lindsey reflects on his transition from head of an well established foundation in Chicago to a brand-new one in Petersburg, VA. |
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2006-07: "I was surprised at how much I had to learn..."
I was surprised at how much I had to learn, by Andrea Bazan-Manson, President, Triangle Community Foundation
The new head of a major community foundation encountered some big challenges when she left her long-time post as head of El Pueblo, a statewide advocacy organization committed to strengthening the Latino community in North Carolina. |
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| Careers & employment |
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 Association Executives Career Headquarters
The American Society of Association Executives has a robust website for employers and jobseekers. Because it covers associations of all kinds, you will spend more time culling than you would on speciality sites, but no one we know offers broader coverage of the spectrum. |
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 Blue Steps
Blue Steps is the official job-seeker link for the Association of Executive Search Consultants (AESC), of which BoardWalk is a member. Because the focus of most search firms is essentially commercial, the site will not be as productive for individuals in the not-for-profit space as some of the other sites mentioned here, but we have found some wonderfully creative solutions here that we would not have known about otherwise. |
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 CareerSearchOnline
A service of Charity Channel, an extensive resource for nonprofit leaders, consultants and employers, CareerSearchOnline has a reputation for being very cost-effective for employers and informative for career seekers. Very broad coverage up and down the organization. |
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 CEO Update
The best assimilation we've seen of current nonprofit CEO and ED searches. CEO Update is Washington-based, and thus there is a disproportionate emphasis on association management, but overall this bi-weekly newsletter is an important resource for any senior executive considering a change to or within the nonprofit sector. They even mention one or two of our competitors! |
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 Dot Org Jobs
Dot Org Jobs is a service of onPhilanthropy.com, a free global resource for professionals in nonprofits and philanthropy. Recent job postings ranged from the CEO of a 9-figure national nonprofit to entry-level roles for new college graduates. |
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 Idealist.org
Connecting people, organizations and resources "in a spirit of generosity and mutual respect." Offers job postings, FAQs and personalized e-mail updates. |
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Independent Sector
Although this site lists only those positions posted by its member organizations, Independent Sector's overarching role as a coalition of leaders in the field may give it first access to some of the more interesting opportunities. |
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 MBA-Nonprofit Connection, The
The MBA-Nonprofit Connection links graduates of over 30 business schools to employment opportunities within nonprofit organizations across the country, thereby serving as an extension to those schools' career services offices. Source of some good basic advice as well. |
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 Nonprofit Times Jobs
Read by some 85,000 nonprofit executives, Nonprofit Times is published 24 times per year. The online postings are updated frequently and are national in scope. |
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 Opportunity Knocks
"...the Internet's leading source of nonprofit jobs and career opportunities." Nationwide in scope, with heaviest coverage in an expanding list of major metropolitan areas. Recently acquired by the Georgia Center for Nonprofits but still based in San Francisco, Opportunity Knocks is probably the fastest growing web-based job board serving the nonprofit sector. |
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 PhilanthropyCareers
PhilanthropyCareers may be the largest site devoted exclusively to job opportunities in the world of nonprofits and foundations. Nearly half their active listings (totaling some 850 current positions in a recent week) relate to fundraising; the balance are spread about equally across executive, administrative and programmatic roles. |
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| Community foundations |
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 Baton Rouge Area Foundation
A God-send during the Katrina aftermath, the Baton Rouge Area Foundation has a long history of successful community activism. |
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Community Foundation Locator [national]
For newcomers to charitable giving on the local level, community foundations represent a best-in-class resource. This map, provided by the Council on Foundations, will help you identify and link to community foundations anywhere in the country.
Many of the target sites have extensive write-ups on everything from starting a foundation to serving on boards, all within a particular geographic context |
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 GA: Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta
Not surprisingly (being in our hometown), the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta (TCF) is our favorite community foundation. Widely regarded as one of the most effective such organizations in the country, TCF derives its $500-million asset base from an impressively broad base of contributors, and its grantmaking activities, both reactive and proactive, reflect a broad mandate.
Full disclosure: BoardWalk's Margaret Reiser is a trustee of the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta. |
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 IL: Chicago Community Trust
Huge, complex and pervasive. |
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 NJ: Community Foundation of New Jersey
Exciting things are happening under its new leadership. |
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 OH: The Cleveland Foundation
The Cleveland Foundation is the oldest community foundation in the United States. Not surprisingly, its impact on both the greater Cleveland area and on community foundations nationwide continues to be extensive. |
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 VA: Richmond Community Foundation
he largest community foundation in the Southeast, the community foundation serving Richmond and the surrounding area got a big boost some years back from a major donor and has since become a statewide force and resource. |
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Women's Funding Network
While not strictly speaking a community foundation, affiliates of the Women's Funding Network are in many cases foundations that have been spun out from their sponsoring community foundations. All 125 funds that are part of the network share a commitment to improving the lives of women and girls. The site includes a search engine to find a fund of interest to you. |
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| Compensation |
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 Chronicle of Philanthropy, The
The Chronicle of Philanthropy offers regular articles on compensation and salaries; this link will take you to their search engine (which may require registration but no fee). Type in "salary survey" or "compensation" to retrieve the most recent articles. |
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 GuideStar 2006 Compensation Report
Expensive but extensive, this is most thorough survey of nonprofit compensation there is. Data from over 60,000 Form 990s makes this a truly authoritative resource.
This link takes you to their sign-in page, where you can navigate (after signing in or registering for free) to the survey order page. Available via PDF download (for $349) or on CD (for $100 more). |
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 NonProfit Times 2006 Salary Survey
Issued each February, the NonProfit Times annual salary survey analyzes trends and surprises in the past year's pay plans at leading nonprofits nationwide. This site offers a (free) summary of the 2065 report. |
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 Starting salaries
We are often asked about starting salaries for new college graduates (it seems that many of our friends and clients have sons and daughters in that category!). JobWeb is sponsored by the National Association of Colleges and Employers and is as comprehensive a site as any we've seen on the topic. BusinessWeek agrees too, since they use JobWeb's data for their annual story on best-paying college majors. |
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| Competitors worth a look |
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None!
But we keep searching.... |
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| Conferences of note within the next year, hosted by our friends & clients |
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 2007-10 BoardSource Leadership Forum
Every other year or so, BoardSource hosts a two-day conference for nonpriofit board members, bringing together some 700 board members to exoplore topics of mutual interest. This year's conference is in Chicago on December 3rd and 4th, and it will be of special value to organizations who send more than one board member. Details at www.BoardSource.org. |
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 2008-12: Governing for Nonprofit Excellence
Governing for Nonprofit Excellence ("GNE") is Harvard's premier course for board members of nonprofits and other tax-exempt organizations. December 2008, in Boston, MA.
Note: Each year, BoardWalk offers several BoardWalk Governance Fellowships, half-tuition scholarships that allow volunteer board members to attend Harvard's GNE course. Please contact us directly for more details. |
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| Corporate citizenship & social responsibility (CSR) |
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 Business Civic Leadership Center
Formerly known as the Center for Corporate Citizenship, the Business Civic Leadership Center is a nonprofit sponsored by the US Chamber of Commerce to support businesses in their initiatives to achieve social goals. |
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 Business for Social Responsibility (BSR)
A practical resource for those interested in or committed to corporate social responsibility. Members include the brand-name global companies you would expect plus many smaller ones you might not. |
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 Center for Corporate Citizenship (Boston, MA)
Boston College has long been a leader in the promotion of corporate citizenship, and the website of the Center for Corporate Citizenship is a standard-setter for redefining business success as creating measurable gains for business and society. A very rich site; membership fees are geared to larger corporate members, but the site is full of resources accessible at no cost. |
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Corporate Social Responsibility
An extensive resource and newsletter for those interested in corporate citizenship and social responsibility, both domestically and internationally. |
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 Stanford Social Innovation Review
Stanford Business School's "source of ideas to help corporate and nonprofit executives think strategically about sustaining communities while building enduring companies." |
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| Corporate governance |
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 Corporate Library, The
In our opinion, this is the single best resource on board governance as it is being practiced in the corporate boardroom today. Much of their information is by fee-based subscription only, but the free overviews offer good insight into the struggles now underway in the nation's boardrooms.
Of special interest to nonprofits is TCL's effort to track what they call director interlocks -- six degrees of separation across boardrooms. TCL even tracks crossover membership on boards of a growing list of major nonprofits and foundations. An awesome tool and worth the steep price for those who can make regular use of it. |
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 Directors & Boards
The Harvard Business Review of corporate governance, Directors & Boards has been a genuine thought-leader for the corporate boardroom for nearly 30 years. While we agree that the for-profit sector has much to learn from nonprofit boardrooms, the reverse is true as well. The quarterly magazine is available by paid subscription only, but the resources and intellectual capital it encompasses are worth a close look to those serious about good governance. |
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 National Association of Corporate Directors
A membership organization for corporate board members, advisors and prospective candidates, NACD offers a wealth of information on a wide range of timely topics. Much free material on the website; full access requires annual membership. |
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| Employment |
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Job boards
See Careers & Employment above. |
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| Ethics and ethical considerations |
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Business ethics
This site, put together and updated periodically by a private individual, offers a comprehensive collection of links. |
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 Center for Ethics, Emory University
An excellent example of what a university-based program can offer. The Center is the only one we know that exists to "enrich moral imagination." Its programs on ethics and servant leadership are well regarded. |
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Ethics on the World Wide Web
A broad collection of ethics websites, from the School of Communications at California State University, Fullerton. Topics covered range from mental health to movies, as well as the more typical links and list-serves. |
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Ethics Resource Center
A nonprofit educational resource for both individuals and institutions. Extensive site, updated frequently, and well organized. |
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 Southern Institute for Business and Professional Ethics
The Southeast's leading organization in ethical leadership and integrity, the Southern Institute has thrived under John Knapp's spirited leadership. |
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| Executive coaches |
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Barbara VanLandingham Pettway
Barbara Pettway is simply the best executive communications coach we know. |
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| Executive education (university-based programs) |
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 Harvard Business School: Social Enterprise
Harvard Business School offers three superb courses in the field they call Social Enterprise. Reports from past participants are uniformly positive. An * denotes the availability of limited scholarship funds for qualified participants.
By design, participants come from all sorts of organizations; generally, 20-25% of those in a given session will come from overseas. Diverse perspectives are central to the learning experience. The range of interests and knowledge in the sessions, from students and faculty, is extraordinary. |
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 Stanford: Leadership & Philanthropy
Stanford Business School has a suite of executive education courses geared to leaders in nonprofits and philanthropy. Here are direct links to three of the best:
- Each year, Stanford's Center for Social Innovation assembles some 50 nonprofit leaders for a two-week fellowship; admission is competitive.
- A separate course, designed for leaders in the arts, is available by nomination only, although nominations are invited.
- Stanford Business School's new course on High Impact Philanthropy proposes to offer funders "cutting edge ideas and tools designed to enhance grantmaking effectiveness and foster social innovation."
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| Executive search |
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 Association of Executive Search Consultants
AESC is the association for executive search firms operating in North America, and its peer-reviewed members commit to codes of professionalism, ethics and conduct. Check this site to see if the firm you are considering is a member in good standing. (And, yes, BoardWalk Consulting is a member, and, as far as we know, the only member focused exclusively on the nonprofit sector). |
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| Fundraising |
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Association of Fundraising Professionals
Formerly the National Society of Fund Raising Executives, APF represents 26,000 individual members in about 175 chapters nationwide. Resources on the site include a consultants directory, job board, survey results, and lots of tips and tools. |
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 Network for Good
A web-based nonprofit organization dedicated to helping people get more involved in their communities by connecting passion and financial support with compelling causes. |
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| Individual organizations: Resources and ratings |
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 Charity Navigator
These folks have taken some flak for highlighting nonprofits' unvarnished financial statements, but their analysis of the operating finances of nearly 3000 nonprofits is a terrific tool for donors and funders. Search by name, type of organization or major metropolitan area. Free. |
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 GuideStar
The web's most comprehensive source of financial information on tax exempt organizations, including federal Form 990s on over 850,000 nonprofits. A huge amount of free stuff, and add-on services (including the sector's most comprehensive salary survey) are available for a fee. |
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| Individual trustees: A wealth of information |
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Corporate Library, The
In our opinion, this is the single best resource on board governance as it is being practiced in the corporate boardroom today. Much of their information is by fee-based subscription only, but the free overviews offer good insight into the struggles now underway in the nation's boardrooms.
Of special interest to nonprofits is TCL's effort to track what they call director interlocks -- six degrees of separation across boardrooms. TCL even tracks crossover membership on boards of a growing list of major nonprofits and foundations. An awesome tool and worth the steep price for those who can make regular use of it. (BoardWalk Consulting is a full subscriber.) |
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 Zoom Info
"The search engine for discovering people, companies and relationships," ZoomInfo is another of those information-gathering services made possible only by the Internet. At no cost, you can find a wide array of information on potential board candidates here, especially on those with a corporate background; for a fee that feels a bit stiff to us, you can also get information on a person's web of professional relationships. |
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