Engaging Boards in Setting an Organization’s Strategic Direction

In a perfect world, nonprofits must regularly determine how best to sustain or expand their impact. In the real world, their missions and impact are often bombarded by external and internal factors such as shifts in funder priorities, state budget crises, staff turnover, and perceived competition with other organizations. Programmatic joint ventures, back office collaborations, co-locations, mergers, and other long-term or permanent strategic partnership are a sample of strategic alternatives that can lead to organizational growth and enhanced capacity.

This Mission Sustainability Initiative (MSI) webinar clarifies what the landscape of potential strategic alternatives available to nonprofits might include and, importantly, how to engage the organization’s Board of Directors in exploring these options. Brook Cunningham, Managing Director at Lazard, introduces a framework for nonprofit Board members to contemplate the range of possibilities for their respective organizations, and Beth E. Berg, Partner at Sidley Austin LLP, addresses certain legal considerations. For Executive Directors and CEOs, this webinar provides advice on how to start a proactive conversation with your Board about these topics. Board members and Executive Directors are encouraged to watch the webinar together.

Recorded April 30, 2020.