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Why Nonprofit Boards Overstep: The Hidden Anxiety Behind Board Governance
What Causes Nonprofit Boards to Overstep Their Governance Role? I want to name something that rarely gets named in conversations about board governance — because naming it changes how you see almost everything else. Beneath most board over-involvement, there is...
What Is the John Carver Policy Governance Model? A Guide for Nonprofit Boards
My first two posts in this board governance blog series has been building a case. Many nonprofit boards struggle with governance because board members understand their responsibilities but lack a clear framework for making...
The Limits of the Roles and Responsibilities Model
In the last post, I made a simple observation: the nonprofit sector has spent decades building staff capacity and almost nothing building board capacity. The result is a widening competence gap and a sector that mostly manages around it rather than addressing it...
The Problem with How We Teach Governance
I have spent more than 35 years in and around nonprofit organizations — as an executive director, a board chair/member, a funder, and a consultant. I have a PhD in nonprofit management and governance. Throughout my entire professional career, I have watched the sector...
Why Systems Mapping Is Harder Than It Looks (And Why That’s the Point)
Systems mapping looks simple until you actually try to do it. The real challenge isn’t listing the parts of a system, it’s wrestling with feedback loops, language, boundaries, and perspective—and that struggle is often the clearest sign that deeper understanding is beginning.
What Black History Teaches Us About ICE in 2026
Black History Month is often framed as a time to look back — to honor heroes, reflect on pivotal moments in the Civil Rights Movement, and celebrate progress.
Navigating Release and Creative Destruction in Human Service Organizations
After 35 years of working in and around human services organizations, I have watched organizations and/or their programs cycle through creation, growth, and, inevitably, release. This post continues exploring the Adaptive Cycle with a deeper dive in the "Release"...
Avoiding the Traps: Navigating the Adaptive Cycle in Human Services
Imagine a human service organization brimming with potential, poised to make a real difference in its community. Now, imagine that same organization struggling to overcome chronic funding shortages, paralyzed by rigid procedures, or overly reliant on a single leader.
Embracing Change: Release and Renewal in Human Services
It's not all growth all the time. The natural world experiences disruptions. A forest fire or hurricane moves through an ecosystem and creates a huge change in the natural order of things. A drought may wipe out a farmer's crop. A virus may eliminate a whole...