BoardSource has recently released its 2012 Nonprofit Governance Index. The Governance Index is a national survey of nonprofit chief executives and board chairs. It identifies trends in board composition, policies and practices, and provides a view of the various challenges nonprofit boards are facing in their governance roles.
Two key findings from the survey that I found very encouraging are :
- Hopeful signs of recovery across the nonprofit sector – the survey found a significant reduction in the percentage of nonprofits that had to downsize, cut staff, reduce salaries or make other negative financial adjustments in the two years since the last Nonprofit Governance survey in 2010.
- Increased accountability and self-assessment – the survey found that more boards are evaluating their own performance and conducting board self-assessments. In addition the implementation of accountability policies (whistleblower, document retention, conflict of interest) continues to rise. The use of consent agendas and dashboard reporting has increased as well, in an effort to make board meetings more effective and efficient.
Read the full Nonprofit Governance Index 2012 by requesting a copy at http://www.boardsource.org/AboutUs.asp?ID=200.617
And as a final tip, BoardSource, a nonprofit itself, is a wonderful resource. It provides nonprofit leaders with an extensive range of tools and resources, including webinars, in-person training sessions and consulting services, to increase their effectiveness and magnify the impact of their mission. BoardSource is dedicated to advancing the public good by building exceptional nonprofit boards and inspiring board service. I encourage you to take advantage of their many varied resources at http://www.boardsource.org/
