The Case for Professional Development in the Nonprofit Sector
"Ask any non-profit executive to reflect on his/her career, and surely s/he will mention The One — the manager who inspired a meaningful and successful career through effective leadership. Leaders who intentionally focus on becoming good managers and who align their approach with their evolving roles position themselves for success. This fact transcends sector and level.
Yet, professional development opportunities and investments in developing people are not created equal. A recent ProInspire survey of nonprofit managers revealed that, despite demand for professional development programs, such offerings are scarce and access is limited in the sector. Nine out of ten nonprofit managers indicated interest in leadership or managerial training, and believe that it will make them more effective in their roles, yet only half of them have received such training since assuming a role managing direct reports. What’s more, only 39 percent of respondents said their organizations pay for leadership or managerial training."
Monisha Kapila, Huffington Post Contributor
Board Roles and Responsibilities
"Start your new board members off on the right foot with an orientation program that introduces them to the basic roles and responsibilities of serving as a nonprofit board member. Don't forget to include those special issues that pertain specifically to your nonprofit's mission, plus information on: governance policies (so that all board members are reminded about their legal and fiduciary duties); accountability practices (such as the need to disclose conflicts of interest); and the responsibility to hire, review the executive director's performance, and approve annual compensation."
National Council on Non-Profits