“Be curious and not judgmental.” The Walt Whitman quote was used in a scene from Season 1 of Ted Lasso where Lasso is challenged to a high-stakes dart game when the challenger underestimates Lasso’s throwing talents. As he plays, Lasso reveals that most people in his life tended to be judgmental and not curious, thus underestimating him for most of his life. In his folksy wisdom, he revealed that if people were just more curious, their eyes would be more open to the world around them and not limited to their own prejudices.
What if nonprofit board governance operated under more of an attitude of curiosity than a mindset of judgment? What if more boards focused their efforts on “what if” versus “we prefer,” letting curious synergy be the foundation for vision and planning?
Key Findings from Compass Report 2024
CapDev recently released Compass Report 2024, results of a survey of nonprofits and grant-making foundations across North Carolina. In its key findings, nonprofit leaders shared:
– About half (51%) found their board “engaged”
– Only 30% consider their board financially “generous”
– Most believe that the board is “less visionary” than staff leadership
These findings are worrisome for the nonprofit sector’s future health and impact. Coupled with a high rate of executive leadership burnout and C-suite retirement/transitions occurring, these findings demand that nonprofit executives and board leadership become “curious” and address these shortcomings that are eroding the impact nonprofits play in our society.
CapDev has recently presented the survey with various Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) chapters across North Carolina and facilitated curious conversations to begin formulating possible solutions to these survey findings. With regards to governance, attendees at these AFP meetings suggested “reimagining” the board nominating process with expanded metrics, clarifying board roles and clearly defining expectations that support the mission, and working with boards to “be curious” in its governance to build a stronger culture of commitment and philanthropy.
Reimagining Board Governance
Is your board curious or judgmental? If the former, engage the board with passion and vision and encourage their curiosity to be impactful. If the latter, have direct and meaningful conversations with board leadership, seek a board member curiosity champion, and challenge them to equal your passion and engage them to be curious!
Finding curious and passionate board members takes time and hard work, but based upon the survey data, the effort is clearly needed and worthwhile. And, by the way, Ted Lasso wins the dart game… barbecue sauce!
Learn with CapDev
CapDev partners with nonprofits across the Southeast to strengthen and sustain their missions by providing executive search, development, campaign, and board training consulting services. Here are three ways to keep fueling your curiosity:
- Listen to our latest Generously Speaking podcast episode to gain invaluable insights from North Carolina’s finest thought leaders on the questions and key points you should consider as you “Reimagine Governance Structures.”
- Learn more about our board education and engagement opportunities.
- Explore the Compass Report and join our next Compass Report Deep Dive webinar on “Educating and Empowering the Workforce” with special guests:
Rusty Stahl | Founder, President & CEO of Fund the People
Scott Hamilton | President & CEO of Golden LEAF Foundation
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