Transformational Governance: How Boards Achieve Extraordinary Change - Hardcover

by Beth Gazley (Author), Katha Kissman (Author)

There has never been so much pressure on nonprofit boards of directors to achieve a level of accountability that meets public and stakeholder expectations. Member-serving association boards may be especially challenged by their more complex affiliate structures and a greater emphasis on representative governance. But what does the journey to good governance look like? Markedly different from existing board development books, this modern approach focuses less on the behaviors and qualities of "high-performing boards" and more on the stages and processes that directors and their staff used to transform their boards. Based on research funded by the ASAE Foundation, the book fills a gap in the governance literature by emphasizing diagnosis and problem solving, using the actual tools and activities implemented by 85 transformed associations. Combining the credibility of scholarly research with lively and compelling stories, tools, and teachable moments, this book is designed to help associations and other nonprofit organizations achieve the entire journey to good governance, from first to last steps.

Front Jacket

There is tremendous pressure on today's nonprofit boards of directors to achieve a level of accountability that meets public and stakeholder expectations. Memberserving association boards are especially challenged by their more complex affiliate structures with a greater emphasis on representative governance.

The question is: How can a board get from good to great?

Transformational Governance offers membership association boards (and other nonprofit organizations) an innovative approach to governance that puts the focus less on the behaviors and qualities of high-performing boards and more on the stages and processes that directors and their staff can use to transform their boards. Based on research funded by the ASAE Foundation, the text fills a gap in the governance literature by emphasizing diagnosis and problem solving, and revealing the practices and strategies implemented by a wide variety of successfully transformed associations.

Combining the credibility of scholarly research with practical tools and teachable moments, this essential resource is designed for CEOs, board members, and consultants to help them on the journey to great governance, from first to last steps. The authors explore in-depth the actions organizational leaders can take to achieve desired results including techniques such as altering, updating, or transforming fiduciary responsibilities as well as changing bylaws, structure, policies, roles, activities, and expectations. Transformational Governance also contains illustrative examples and fascinating stories from a diverse group of organizations including solar power manufacturers, fraternities, summer camp professionals, estate planners, bankers, ski instructors, private school administrators, occupational therapists, real estate professionals, caterers, nurses, and osteopaths, to name a few.

The 14 original cases presented in Transformational Governance describe the journey to actual governance change as experienced by real-life association leaders. These cases highlight the governance challenges their associations faced and the effective change management strategies that were implemented. The cases include vital information on the catalysts to change, explaining how the change agents were identified, how much time was invested in the process, as well as the most critical resources, strategies, and tools used to facilitate the transformative process.

Transformational Governance gives member-serving association boards a much-needed guide for moving through the transformational process in order to become an organization that demonstrates great governance.

Back Jacket

There is tremendous pressure on today's nonprofit boards of directors to achieve a level of accountability that meets public and stakeholder expectations. Member-serving association boards are especially challenged by their more complex affiliate structures with a greater emphasis on repre-sentative governance.

The question is: How can a board get from good to great?

Transformational Governance offers membership association boards (and other nonprofit organizations) an innovative approach to governance that puts the focus less on the behaviors and qualities of high-performing boards and more on the stages and processes that directors and their staff can use to transform their boards. Based on research funded by the ASAE Foundation, the text fills a gap in the governance literature by emphasizing diagnosis and problem solving, and revealing the practices and strategies implemented by a wide variety of successfully transformed associations.

Combining the credibility of scholarly research with practical tools and teachable moments, this essential resource is designed for CEOs, board members, and consultants to help them on the journey to great governance, from first to last steps. The authors explore in-depth the actions organizational leaders can take to achieve desired results including techniques such as altering, updating, or transforming fiduciary responsibilities as well as changing bylaws, structure, policies, roles, activities, and expectations. Transformational Governance also contains illustrative examples and fascinating stories from a diverse group of organizations including solar power manufacturers, fraternities, summer camp professionals, estate planners, bankers, ski instructors, private school administrators, occupational therapists, real estate professionals, caterers, nurses, and osteopaths, to name a few.

The 14 original cases presented in Transformational Governance describe the journey to actual governance change as experienced by real-life association leaders. These cases highlight the governance challenges their associations faced and the effective change management strategies that were implemented. The cases include vital information on the catalysts to change, explaining how wwthe change agents were identified, how much time was invested in the process, as well as the most critical resources, strategies, and tools used to facilitate the transformative process.

Transformational Governance gives member-serving association boards a much-needed guide for moving through the transformational process in order to become an organization that demonstrates great governance.

Author Biography

BETH GAZLEY is associate professor at Indiana University-Bloomington. Her scholarship addresses many aspects of public and nonprofit management capacity, intersectoral and interorganizational relations, and nonprofit public policy.

KATHA KISSMAN is president and CEO of the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute Foundation. In addition, she is a BoardSource senior governance consultant as well as an independent nonprofit organizational development consultant.