Building Strong Boards

Ten Ways to Strengthen Board Performance[1]

1. Use a board profile assessment to strategically recruit board members
2. Form a board governance committee and actively seek new member
3. Develop and implement a meaningful board orientation program
4. Conduct regular trainings and offer board members access to educational opportunities
5. Annually review all governing documents
6. Form a finance committee to provide sound financial oversight
7. Be transparent in all board matters
8. Take responsibility for program outcomes
9. Make an “all hands on deck” commitment to fundraising
10. Implement regular member self-assessment and evaluation

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[1] Thanks for Leadership North Country Class of 2011 for sharing the first version on this list, it has been adapted slightly by Sasha Eisele & Associates and the source of the original list is unknown.

The Power of Cross-Training

I run because I love the feeling of racing through the woods, bounding over rocks, roots and through the mud. I run because I need that time to clear my head of everything and let all slow creep back in.

Racing for me is just an extension of running, biking and swimming - a reason to focus my training to allow myself the time for exercise induced euphoria - a totally different feeling then what I get from rock climbing or surfing.

This morning I hit the trails before the heat of the day and ran in the woods under the cover of thick leaves, it was perfect. I thought about...

Hill sprints, long endurance runs, race pace runs, flat sprints...
All tools that when packaged to together create a sum great the parts.

This afternoon in my office, I thought about the tools that I use to support my clients and their marketing and development needs. Here is a list of five great tools that will give you a sum greater then their parts - happy training.

Some are free, others have a free trail period and then charge a fee for use.

Go to Meeting - Web conferencing, online demos and work group collaboration

Doodle - Meeting scheduling made easy

Crowdrise - Online fundraising and charity research made fun and easy

GroupSite - Social networking meets group collaboration

Guidestar - Find information on foundations and nonprofits around the country

The Potential of June and Social Media

Even years after the meaning of summer morphed from childhood wanderlust to the realities of adulthood June still holds visceral magic for me. There is something about the potential of summer – everything it could be, the adventures still to come, the uncertainity, the flavors, sites and sounds that mesmerizes.

This June I am developing on online platform where social networking and community collaboration interface for a group of change agents working toward a more prosperous future for their county in rural New Hampshire. The site will be built out from GroupSite and run for a trail 6-month period to test viability.

The energy behind this site is tremendous and tempered by the fact that participants just came off a three day symposium together- high on ideas, social capital building. This project is just like June – filled with potential, possibility and the unknown.

I look forward to challenge of measuring success in this virtual world, supporting individuals who engage social media for the first time, mining the knowledge and experience of early adopters and providing tools to create greater connectivity and opportunity in rural America.