Effective Leadership for Nonprofit Organizations: How Executive Directors and Boards Work Together

by Thomas Wolf

Managing a nonprofit organization has many challenges. One key to success is building a strong relationship between the executive director and the board of trustees. This book is a treasure trove of information for navigating the personal, political, and legal minefields that cause so many nonprofits to fail. Dozens of case studies illuminate the key issues that often impede the progress of nonprofit organizations. Each chapter also contains a set of questions that enable leaders to reflect on the health of their own organization and also evaluate other nonprofits, as well as to create sustainable, effective business practices and productive working relationships. Topics discussed here

Whether you are an executive director, a board member, or someone contemplating either important role, Effective Leadership in Nonprofit Organizations is an excellent resource for understanding the dynamics of nonprofits and creating a strong organization.

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 2, 2014

Reviews

[Kitty · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wouldn’t say there’s any groundbreaking or very complex study of concepts, but real-world scenarios and a breakdown of lessons making this an easy to approach and fairly quick read! Would recommend for anyone in NPO leadership.

[Magi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Helpful when needing to learn about meetings

[Dustin Goodwin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall good book in terms of structural organization, but pretty outdated for fundraising and marketing tactics.

[Anne Lutomia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thomas Wolf shares his experience and knowledge of how novice executive directors work with their boards and funders through vignettes. He is able to give advice on how to manage and lead a nonprofit organization by discussing functions such as board management, fundraising, succession planning, finance and strategic planning and the tensions that executive directors face as they lead NPOs together with board members. This book is also written for board members, Wolf illustrates the role of executive directors and that of the board while pointing to how the varying dynamics be it personality differences, leadership styles or differences in mission execution can disrupt or ground the partnership of nonprofit organizations. He offers questions at the end of each chapter and at the end of the book as exercises for the reader.

[Teri · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book covers a broad range of topics that are essential to running an effective nonprofit organization. It is taken from the viewpoint of both the Executive Director and the Board of Trustees, mainly the Chair or President. Topics covered include the role of the Executive Director and the Board, changes in personnel, difficult situations/difficult people or personalities, fundraising, changes in management or board leadership, multiple boards, dual Executive Director models, and effective meetings.

This is a great primer for those new to nonprofit organizations and board memberships, as well as for those of us that have spent entire careers working with these types of groups. Wolf uses real life scenarios to drive home his points and finishes each chapter with a set of questions that can be use as a self-assessment to determine the health of your organization.