NESC’s Jerry Schiller and Joe Townsend participated as presenters and organizers of the day-long “Power Your Mission” Conference on Social Enterprise convened by the UJA-Federation of New York, attended by about 240 people at UJA NYC headquarters on April 25, 2013.

Photos by: Norm Borden

Pictured above, from the Conference “Start-Ups” session, from left to right, are Jerry Schiller, President, NESC’s Healthcare Consulting Group; David Weisberg, Executive Director, Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center; Lenny Silberman, CEO, Henry Kaufmann Camp Grounds; and Jordan Dale, Executive Director, Surprise Lake Camp.

The Social Enterprise project successfully completed by NESC for the Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center was discussed at this session.

Marv Berenblum
CEO of NESC

CEO of NESC shares insight on the momentum of Social Enterprise.

The nonprofit community is facing a historic financial challenge, threatening the economic viability of institutions which provide critical services to a substantial portion of our nation’s population.  With the dramatic reduction in government support at all levels for nonprofits, the increasing restrictions on foundation support to nonprofits, the slow recovery from the great recession and the latest blow – government sequestration – nonprofits are increasingly unable to meet the demands placed on them.

With over 15 million children living in poverty , with meals on wheels programs being eliminated for millions of people desperate to put food on the table, with pre-school and extra-curriculum program cut-backs,  and countless other societal breakdowns, nonprofit organizations are needed more than ever to help address the needs of people who have no other recourse.

NESC’s mission is to help strengthen the management of the nation’s nonprofits. Not the least of our goals within this mission is to help ensure the financial sustainability of our nonprofit clients. Our social enterprise consulting service has proved to be vital to many of our clients seeking to enhance their revenue streams from non-restrictive sources.

This consulting service entails working with our clients to identify existing underleveraged and/or non-monetized assets. If we’re successful in the identification phase, we proceed to aid in the development of a focused business plan for realizing the full potential of the asset, including a financial projection and timeline for implementation. We also have the capability to assist in the implementation of the business plan, including organizing and structuring a business as well as seeking financing.

As NESC has become more involved in social enterprise financing activities, we’ve begun to offer our clients a new channel for financial support by directly approaching venture philanthropy funding sources. The venture capital sector is receptive to the concept of leveraging existing assets as a means of generating recurrent cash flow, and some venture capitalists have focused all or a part of their activities on applying this investment philosophy to the world of philanthropy.

NESC has taken two approaches to the venture philanthropy sector – one is to analyze the venture philanthropist’s existing portfolio of investees to identify suitable social enterprise opportunities, and the other is to serve as a matchmaker, finding suitable new investees.

Joe Townsend has served admirably as NESC Sector Head for Social Enterprise since its inception, and he and his team of social enterprise consultants are to be congratulated for their creativity and initiative for bringing this valuable service to the aid of our clients in a time of great need.

The next issue of our newsletter will focus on Organizational Analysis.

Marv Berenblum, Chief Executive Officer, NESC

Business Advisory Services (BAS) is a new type of consulting engagement designed to assist clients through focused facilitated sessions concentrating on an organization’s specific needs. The services will be provided on a one‑on‑one basis addressing specific areas including:

• Strategic Planning                                     •    Board Development
• Marketing                                                   •    Business Planning
• Operations Assessment                            •    Organizational Assessment

BAS consist of monthly two-hour meetings for a period of up to six months; frequency and duration will be determined in the initial assessment interview. The initial assessment interview will also outline the organization’s specific challenges and determine the appropriate experienced consultants to assist in those specific challenges.

BAS is available to qualifying organizations who meet the following criteria:

• Must be a fully accredited 501(c)(3) organization
• Annual budget is a minimum of $500,000 up to a maximum of $2.5 million
• Have a 5‑year business record
• The representative(s) of the selected organizations are required to commit themselves to attending each designated consultation session and to follow-up appropriately.

BAS is made possible through a grant from NYC Service, part of the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City. Through its network of consultants – corporate executives and professionals – who volunteer their expertise, NESC is able to offer management consulting services tailored to solving the individual challenges facing nonprofits. NESC offers these services to diverse organizations for modest fees, far below commercial market rates.

To learn more about BAS or any other services, please send inquiries here.

Margean Gladysz speaks with consultant Dr. Norm Tenzer

Central New Jersey Regional Director Margean Gladysz has retired.  Margean joined NESC in the fall of 2006 and during her tenure, brought a wide array of clients to the firm including many local governments and public libraries.

A well-attended luncheon honoring Margean was held on June 26, 2013. NESC President Betsy Weber thanked her for her years of dedicated service and so did the many consultants and staff who attended.

Margean brought tremendous experience from her 23-year corporate career including a stint at Allied Signal (then Honeywell) and two years as Executive Director of the New Jersey Governor’s Office of Volunteerism. She later became active on several nonprofit boards, serving as Chairperson of the Boards of Directors of the Center for Nonprofits and of a New Jersey YMCA.

See additional photos from the luncheon below. Click to enlarge.

Yeiry Guevara, NESC’s Data Manager Extraordinaire

Meet Yeiry Guevara: NESC’s Data Manager Extraordinaire

Many NESC consultants may have seen the name Yeiry Guevara and yet, may not be familiar with her. However, they might be more familiar with her work: from all branded email communications, customized project reports, even to all NESC tweets, Yeiry is the person bringing these scenes and more to life.

NESC’s extensive history has produced so much information and Yeiry keeps it all organized and accessible. One of her current projects includes redesigning how information is tracked and shared throughout the organization. The project involved switching from a local database platform in Microsoft Access to a sophisticated web-based CRM system called Salesforce. With the team comprised of a Salesforce Foundation consultant and Regional Director Deb Brennan, Yeiry says “The process has taught me so much about project management, usage models and information flow which has been so rewarding.” The transition has allowed a consolidation and accessibility of all project information into one system. As a result, all sector heads and regional directors are empowered with the same information available in real-time.

In addition to information management, Yeiry designs and delivers all branded online communications such as the newsletters, event invitations, social media and the NESC website. “I wear different hats and each one brings a new opportunity to learn something new in an effort to promote our mission. I’m thrilled to be part of it,” Yeiry shares.

According to NESC President Betsy Weber, “Yeiry is a wonderful addition to NESC.  She helps us update the way we use technology, which has allowed us to streamline many functions, increase our presence on social media, and communicate with clients and consultants more efficiently.  She is a really productive member of the NESC team, is a delight to work with and provides terrific support to every member of the staff.”

Yeiry began working for NESC in December of 2011, following three years at the ESC of Houston. She’s originally from Texas and enjoys photography, vegan baking and independent films.

As a 501(c)(3) organization ourselves, National Executive Service Corps is uniquely positioned to understand the culture and workings of other nonprofit organizations.  Many professionals and executives from the nonprofit world and from corporations are attracted to NESC. For that reason among many, Executive Search has become one of the most active business sectors over the last decade, accounting for 20%-25% of the firm’s revenues.  We have placed many Executive Directors, CEOs, Presidents, COOs, CFOs, board members and other executives at nonprofit organizations of all sizes.

Our team of Search professionals is led by NESC’s CEO Marv Berenblum, former Managing Partner of the search firm Heidrick and Struggles. Our Search efforts are national in scope.  We excel at independent, original research and intensive client service.  We specialize in placing high-achieving leaders and our fees are affordable.

For details of our seven-phase Search strategy, please view the presentation below.

Jane Marsh,
Senior Vice President, Executive Search

Paul Barrett,
Senior Vice President,
Executive Search

NESC’s top Search executives Jane Marsh and Paul Barrett discuss our search process and its distinguishing features.

“The importance and value of the references cannot be overstated.”

PAUL:  NESC’s Executive Search practice is distinctive because of the intensity of our efforts to fully understand each client from a strategic standpoint and to dig deeply into the backgrounds of prospective candidates.  Our searches are based upon the knowledge that we develop about where the client needs to be strategically in 3-5 years and what leadership/expertise/skill sets/chemistry are needed to get there.

JANE:  In seeking to fill a position, the client usually has an idea about the responsibilities to be handled but that information is too narrow.  In partnership with the client, NESC prepares a Position Specification that details the history of the position, its fit within the organization, how the opening developed, responsibilities and the likely career path of someone being offered the job.  The Position Specification is a critical document because it represents both the client and NESC.

PAUL:  The fact that NESC is a nonprofit organization serving other nonprofit organizations is also a unique and vital feature of our Executive Search operation.  The background and experience with so many cultures that NESC people possess gives us the perspective to understand each client deeply.  We can combine the strengths of the for-profit and nonprofit environments by focusing on nonprofits’ strong motivational aspects while integrating the for-profit strategic/long-term view and performance metric evaluation.

JANE:  We start with a target list of organizations and companies which then is refined to a target list of individuals.  We identify executives that we already know with whom we have established relationships and then we begin to make phone calls, building a network to gather intelligence.  We find people with specific knowledge of the competencies and experience needed for the position.  This is all part of the research process.

PAUL:  We start with trusted sources and people in our database as well as research others who may be aware of potential candidates.  Referrals are key: many of these conversations yield the names of others to call. In this step, we may make 75 to 125 phone calls.  NESC performs original research; we do not use advertising or postings on job boards.

JANE:  And an entire search usually entails hundreds of calls.  After a few weeks, we have uncovered a number of individuals who have expressed an interest in the position.  We engage them in longer, 30 – 60 minute phone calls to evaluate their background and competencies relative to the position specification. If it seems they may be appropriate, we request their resumes.  Ultimately, we meet them for a personal interview.

PAUL:  We may find as many as 50 candidates who are “interested and interesting.”  We narrow that down to 8 to 12 finalists, each of whom we spend multiple hours interviewing. Each candidate must be triangularized, or endorsed by at least three primary sources.  We come to fully understand how they would approach the position and make sure that their compensation expectations are in line with the client’s wishes.  We also intensively verify their background and qualifications.  Every prospect is fully vetted.

JANE:  About four to six weeks into the search, we contact the client’s Search Committee with the list of people that seem to meet their requirements in terms of experience, salary and interest in the position.  We submit comprehensive paperwork including a “Competency Matrix” which ranks each candidate‘s skills needed for the position and also with respect to functional and industry experience.  We also give our evaluations of their personal characteristics and other qualitative considerations.  After reviewing the profiles, the client chooses which ones to interview.

PAUL:  Even at this stage we do not stop looking for other prospects for the position.

JANE:  We arrange the interviews as well as facilitate them.  This is a key role.  The client then generally chooses three finalists.  After the candidates have been interviewed by NESC, we submit a detailed report on each finalist.  A comprehensive reference report is also sent to the client on the finalist candidate.  We also verify the education and all degrees of that candidate.

PAUL: Included is a 360-degree reference check with nine people: three superiors, three peers and three subordinates.  The importance and value of the references cannot be overstated.

JANE:  The goal is to end up with a clear first choice, but also with a strong and acceptable back-up.  NESC then assists the client in preparing the offer, presents the offer to the candidate and helps to negotiate between the two parties.  Obviously, the process ends when an offer is accepted.

PAUL:  One final note: many nonprofit organizations attempt to recruit top executives themselves through the internet.  Their results are rarely as successful as ours.

Jane Marsh joined NESC in 2009.  She has over 30 years of experience in executive search including managing her own search firm and 14 years with Heidrick & Struggles.

Paul Barrett has been with NESC since 2002. His background is in brand management and communications.  Paul was a senior account director for several large advertising agencies.

The mission of World Education Services (WES) is to foster the integration of persons educated in foreign countries into academic and professional settings.  Founded in 1974, WES evaluates the academic credentials of international students and immigrants who plan to continue their studies or work in the U.S. or Canada. The organization evaluates over 50,000 sets of credentials annually.

Its customers are mainly educational institutions and employers.  Its customized database, the Automated International Credential Evaluation System, contains information on the education systems of over 200 countries; 45,000 foreign schools; and 1,500 grading systems.  WES’ International Grade Point Average Calculator is an online program that converts grades from other countries into the 4.0 GPA that is typical in the United States.  World Education Services also conducts and publishes extensive research on trends in higher education from a global perspective.

THE CHALLENGE

World Education Services appeared to possess the potential to become dominant in the field of international credential evaluation, but to succeed, the organization needed to recruit key staff and board members with particular technological and international-business expertise.  WES’ Executive Director, acting on the recommendation of its Board Chairman who was familiar with other NESC engagements, contacted Senior Vice President Paul Barrett.  Over the last several years, Paul has performed multiple searches for this client. He particularly focuses on finding candidates with the skills needed to fulfill its strategic growth plans while at the same time being culturally compatible with the organization.

THE SOLUTION

The first assignment was for a Chief Marketing Officer, followed by searches for a Chief Information Systems and Technology Officer, a Director of Finance and Administration, two C-level board members with experience in marketing and managing businesses in Asia, plus a Director of Human Resources with global expertise.  Given the nature of WES, these searches were truly global in scope.  Each was an “above and beyond” candidate with knowledge and expertise beyond normal compensation ranges.

World Education Services has been achieving its strategic objectives.  WES is significantly upgrading its proprietary technology, has roughly doubled its revenues to about $15 million annually and become the clear recognized leader in its market.

Marv Berenblum
CEO of NESC

CEO of NESC shares insight on role of Executive Search.

The nonprofit community is undergoing a dramatic transition in its staffing requirements. Recent surveys have projected a high turn-over in the leadership ranks of nonprofit organizations over the next few years. Therefore, a premium will be placed on succession planning to identify internal prospects with leadership potential who can be positioned to assume larger leadership roles. But in many instances, nonprofits will seek qualified external candidates for these key positions who possess a demonstrable record of success in providing effective leadership in the nonprofit sector.

NESC is well positioned to address the recruiting needs of nonprofits seeking outstanding leadership talent. We have highly experienced executive search professionals with extensive reach across a wide variety of disciplines, including board work, general management, finance, human resources, administration and operations. An essential ingredient in any successful executive search is the requirement to understand the culture of the client and to match the management style of a prospective candidate with the organizational elements of the client’s work environment. As a nonprofit organization ourselves, we understand well the leadership requirements of this community and the challenges other nonprofits face in today’s difficult financial circumstances.

We are able to tailor our efforts to the search needs of our individual clients because we limit the number of search projects that each of our search executives conducts in a given time frame. We are not interested in the number of assignments we handle, but rather in the quality of the candidates that we submit for consideration by our clients.

The next newsletter will focus on Organizational Assessment.

Marv Berenblum, Chief Executive Officer, NESC

A. Barry Rand, CEO of the American Association of Retired People (AARP) was the Guest of Honor at NESC’s ninth Annual Gala Dinner, held at the Yale Club in New York on October 17.  AARP is the world’s largest nonprofit, nonpartisan member organization dedicated to social change and helping people to improve the quality of their lives.

The Master of Ceremonies at the well-attended event was Lester Holt, anchor of NBC News.  Entertainment was provided by the Young Men’s Chorus of the Young People’s Chorus of New York City, and by Will and Anthony Nunziata.  Mr. Rand was introduced by colleague and childhood friend Kent Amos.

In his remarks, Mr. Rand focused upon AARP’s goal of enabling those over 50 and in retirement to maintain meaningfulness in their lives.  “AARP is deeply involved in helping people re-imagine their lives in the whole new phase of life before old age, the ‘Age of Possibilities’,” he said.  “This is the ‘What’s Next’  generation.  A new set of expectations is emerging; people want something more than retirement golden years.”  Mr. Rand indicated that 10,000 people are turning 65 daily, and this will continue for the next 19 years.

A. Barry Rand has been Chairman and CEO of both Avis Group Holdings and Equitant, Ltd., and has held high executive positions and board membership in several other organizations.  He currently serves as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Howard University as well as a number of other boards and advisory committees.

CEO of NESC Marv Berenblum states, “Mr. Rand exemplifies the model corporate executive NESC has recognized over the years–a very accomplished leader in corporate America who has extended his talents and generosity to the nonprofit community.”

See more photos from the event at our Facebook album.

Some NESC consultants are only slightly aware of the fact that the organization is part of a network of Executive Service Corps around the United States. ESCs operate in a total of 24 states as seen below.

Click to enlarge interactive map of ESC-US locations

Volunteers from all affiliates contribute more than 100,000 hours of service annually. In 2012, a total of 1,320 projects were completed.

The Executive Service Corps-United States is a separate 501(c)3 nonprofit organization whose mission statement is as follows:

Click to enlarge and view more statistics

“ESC-United States supports ESC affiliates across America and raises national awareness of the value and sustainable impact of the ESC model in its use of highly-skilled volunteers to provide nonprofits and the communities they serve with affordable capacity building services.”

ESC-US serves its members by developing partnerships with national organizations, establishing performance benchmarking for ESC affiliates, facilitating the exchange of best consulting practices and model programs, marketing to national nonprofits, and helping to secure funding for affiliates’ consulting programs.

The organization also hosts an annual National Leadership Conference. This year’s gathering was held in Cincinnati in September where NESC President Betsy Weber ended her term as Chairman of ESC-US but remained on its board as Vice-Chairman. Additionally, NESC Director of Finance Michael Towers joined the board and was named Treasurer of ESC-US. Below are a few photos from this year’s conference.

The network of affiliates developed along with NESC. Under the leadership of former Secretary of the Army Frank Pace Jr., NESC’s founding chairman who served from 1978 to 1987, 33 independent executive service corps organizations with 5,000 volunteer consultants were established.

Gradual changes have occurred over time in the roster of affiliates and in their operating practices—as some have altered their business models to suit local conditions—and in the relationships between them. The network has grown closer together in recent years.

NESC has developed a program tool which assists a nonprofit organization with an assessment of its organizational strengths and weaknesses.  The program is based upon a detailed questionnaire aimed at bringing into focus an accurate picture of an organization’s current situation, its challenges and choices for the future.  NESC consultants work with the organization in a mentoring/advising role. The work and analysis is performed by the staff and management of the organization, guided by the consultants—who may also enlist the help of other NESC functional experts, if the need arises.

The package was developed by NESC consultants Paul O’Neill and Sergio Sedita, who says, “With considerable research, we compiled a lengthy list of more than 100 questions that the head of any nonprofit organization should consider when reviewing the functionalities of the organization.”

What exactly is an organizational assessment?

It is a data gathering and diagnostic process in which management and staff step back from the day-to-day details of running the organization to look carefully at the bigger picture of the trends, forces and dynamics that are shaping current and prospective effectiveness in pursuit of mission.

Why do an organizational assessment?

Every nonprofit organization experiences periods of change – some internal and some external. It is highly beneficial to properly diagnose what is occurring and therefore be able to shift tactics and the allocation of scarce resources accordingly.  In many cases, the organizational assessment is the first step in a broader planning, change or improvement process.

What makes NESC’s program tool unique?

First of all, NESC’s assessment is in two levels with respective sections:

Steps in the process include:

• Getting agreement on the scope of the effort
• Orienting all staff and board members
• Collecting data
• Analyzing and summarizing findings
• Developing recommendations and action plans

People at all levels of the organization must be involved.

Secondly, high quality NESC consultants are present in every step of the process. NESC Consultant Paul O’Neill says, “The consultants’ presence and mentoring/advisory efforts are vital to keeping the process on track. This enables participants to focus on the forest rather than the trees. Overall, to fully recognize areas of dysfunction, the needs to improve particular aspects of the organization’s structure and operations that are often identified during organizational assessment reviews.”

Sergio Sedita has been an NESC consultant since 1999 and was Regional Director for Long Island from 2008 until 2010. Previously he spent 39 years with Chemical Bank (now JPMorgan Chase) in a wide range of positions from Branch Management to Marketing and Product Development.  He holds BA and MA degrees in economics from City University.

Paul O’Neill is the retired CEO of Yankee Alliance, a nonprofit hospital group purchasing/shared service organization with extensive operations in New England and New York State.  He has extensive experience in operations management, procurement, business development and operations management.  He is a graduate of Providence College.

Life’s WORC is a Long Island based organization that provides comprehensive quality care enabling individuals with developmental disabilities (including the autism spectrum) to have independent and productive life experiences as members of their community.  Founded in 1971, its annual revenues exceed $40 million.

THE CHALLENGE

Life’s WORC is facing a momentous change in its operating environment.  The organization works under the auspices of New York State Office for People With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD), which is moving (as have similar offices in other states) from a traditional fee-for-service structure to a regional HMO-style organization which will dispense state funds—rather than paying agencies like Life’s WORC directly on a contract basis.  This shift will profoundly alter, on a number of levels, the way that Life’s WORC functions.

To deal with this challenge, Life’s WORC recently completed a strategic plan.  The organization engaged NESC (for the 13^th time; they are a long-term client) to assess its present management strengths, staffing mix, funding sources, marketing and other support functions as well as organizational structure to assure that they are well positioned for the changes that are taking place.

THE SOLUTION

Rather than addressing only the activities and functional areas of expressed interest, NESC Long Island Regional Director Bill McAndrews and NESC Consultant Sergio Sedita led Life’s WORC’s eight person senior management team (its “Cabinet”) through the entire NESC Organizational Assessment questionnaire.  This process forced the team to view the organization more broadly and to focus on some issues that had not previously been considered.

“This is not a survey,” says Bill.  “It gets people to think.  It brings everybody to the table and generates solid conversation right off the bat.  We have compiled a wealth of information; every meeting has provided a deeper understanding of the operational and organizational challenges faced by Life’s WORC.”

A memorandum summarizing these efforts stated “The overriding priority which needs to be addressed by the Organizational Assessment is to determine if systems are in place to measure resource allocation to ensure that these resources are not overtaxed, are being used effectively and permit Life’s WORC to maximize its opportunities and challenges…

“Under this ‘umbrella’ fall the following areas:

• Board Development
• Marketing, Branding and Public Relations
• Human Resources
• Fundraising
• Program Development
• Technology

A critical underlying theme is ‘communications’.”

NESC consultants have begun working on three of these topics with plans to conduct more than 25 interviews before completing their analysis and formulating recommendations.

Bill McAndrews is NESC Regional Director for Long Island. He has more than 20 years of experience in corporate marketing, finance and operations. He spent a decade as a Certified Business Education Teacher and Business Department Coordinator for the New York City Department of Education. He has managed his own strategy and business planning consulting firm. Bill has degrees from Pace University and Brooklyn College.

Founded in 1947 in the settlement house tradition, Lincoln Square Neighborhood Center (LSNC) serves the Amsterdam Houses and surrounding community on the Upper West Side with a variety of services to children, youth, families and seniors.  The organization supports 2,700 individuals and 1,250 families annually.

THE CHALLENGE

LSNC was an excellent candidate to “Beta Test” the newly-developed Organizational Assessment Program which includes a comprehensive questionnaire and a number of hours of consulting time, in which, NESC consultants assist the organization’s staff in working through the questionnaire, perform the analytical work necessary to prioritize needs, arrive at solutions and take action.

A new Executive Director at LSNC recognized a number of challenges facing the organization. National Executive Service Corps was engaged to assist LSNC in focusing on issues and prioritizing future tasks.

THE SOLUTION

The Executive Director of LSNC spent considerable time and effort on our organizational assessment framework.  The follow-up sessions with her and the senior staff opened up discussions by focusing on doable and achievable tasks.  Skills transfer included:

• How to identify competition
• Scope out the size/potential size of programs
• Seek ways to “monetize” existing assets

The staff was able to take ownership, which created excitement in implementing changes, as well as respect and admiration among peers.

NESC consultants Sergio Sedita and Paul O’Neill describe the project as “a two-way street.”  Sergio states that the questionnaire and meetings “not only enabled LSNC’s Executive Director to refine her needs for NESC assistance in directions she had not previously planned, but also provided us valuable feedback.”  Paul indicates that her suggestions did not alter the content of the program, but enabled NESC to tweak its organization and presentation.

Betsy Weber
President

President of NESC shares insight on the value of an Organizational Assessment.

Significant changes to the environment in which nonprofits operate seem to happen with a certain regularity. But perhaps no one could have predicted the scale of the shift that is taking place in the social services and healthcare fields. The shift from “fee-for-service” toward an environment of “managed care” means that many nonprofits operating within “the system” will have to adapt. NESC has seen this change impact some of our nonprofit clients fundamentally, particularly in cases where the nonprofits have depended on the historic fee-for-service formula for most of their annual revenues.

To help our clients adjust to this new environment, we are suggesting that they start by assessing their organizational resources to determine if they have the appropriate mix of skills and work practices to succeed in the new environment. Undertaking a rigorous Organizational Assessment is an essential point of departure.  Does the organization have the right people with the right skills in the right place to meet the new expectations?  How will internal processes need to be adjusted to meet the new requirements?  What can the organization do to adjust and succeed in the new environment?

These issues are explored in this newsletter, including two nonprofits that have undertaken organizational assessments and are making the necessary adjustments.  To receive more information on this NESC service or to request a meeting, please contact us. Someone from our professional staff will contact you shortly.

Jeanne Linnes
Senior Consultant for NESC’s Arts Sector

To meet and exceed the needs of our clients, NESC has formed a “Board Practices Committee” comprised of several senior consultants to tackle some of the biggest issues in board practices. The committee has assembled and studied various leading sources on the topic to provide a new resource for fellow consultants to utilize in their consulting engagements.

This resource addresses a range of issues within board development such as building the foundation of good governance, how to ensure adequate financial resources and oversight, planning effective/efficient board meetings and many more.

“Our goal was to gather and review available material and to produce a resource available to effectively implement board development projects,” says Jeanne Linnes, Senior Consultant for NESC’s Arts Sector who leads the committee.  “The syllabus can be used to educate NESC volunteers and can also be tailored to meet the specific needs of individual consulting engagements.”

The committee is comprised of a diverse group of consultants who bring their vast professional and consulting experience which includes James Berry, Paul Burak, Janet Filling, Marcia Glatman and Alan McDougall.

If you are interested in learning about how NESC’s resources can revitalize your Board, please contact us.

NESC consultants Helene Sostarich Barsamian and Kathy Weida facilitated the Northern New Jersey Board Chair Roundtables.

In the past year, NESC’s Southwestern Connecticut and Northern New Jersey regions have partnered with local organizations to host a series of Board Chair Roundtables for nonprofits in their areas. The Roundtable offers Board Chairs the opportunity to network, share and discuss in a private, collaborative environment. The series been well received in the regions with a high attendance level from a diverse number of nonprofits.

In Southwestern Connecticut, there are two groups of 15-16 board chairs who each met four times in 2013 and will meet four times this year as well. The Roundtables are facilitated by NESC Consultant Bill Brautigam and Elaine Mintz of the Fairfield County Community Foundation, our co-sponsor.  The Roundtable is comprised of two parts: the first part is a “sounding board”, during which members are able to raise issues they are currently facing; then, a presentation or a guest speaker on a specific subject followed by discussion on the subject.  Bill Brautigam states, “The participants seem to find these meetings highly worthwhile; some have recommended successors.”

NESC of Northern New Jersey has found similar success with its own Board Chair Roundtables. By partnering with Sobel & Co., LLC, a CPA firm with a notable presence in the New Jersey nonprofit community, the Roundtables reached 14 organizations last Fall. NESC consultants Kathy Weida facilitated the sessions and Helene Sostarich Barsamian spoke on various topics such as the basics of board responsibilities, the challenges presented by board membership and chairmanship, and fundraising.

According to Regional Director Sharon Genin, “The Board Chair Roundtable has been a notable success so far, with most inaugural participants returning for the second session.” The next Roundtable for Northern New Jersey is scheduled for March 25. Please contact Sharon Genin if you’re interested in attending.

If you would like more information about a Roundtable near you, please contact us.

Cobble Hill Playschool was established as a co-operative preschool by parents in Brooklyn in the early 1970’s and was formally incorporated as a nonprofit in 1993. In 2009, Cobble Hill Playschool (CHP) became fully accredited with an enrollment of nearly 100 students, instructed by a full staff of educators and assistants.  The school operates in a well-designed and fully-equipped facility.

THE CHALLENGE

In early 2013, CHP recognized that the continued success of the preschool required a strong and engaged Board of Directors. Soon after, National Executive Service Corps was engaged to formulate a plan to develop such a board.

THE SOLUTION

Led by Senior Vice President Steve Koller, who oversees the Education, Government and Religion sectors, the consultants hit the ground running. The team reviewed the CHP operation to become familiar with the school’s programs, students, parents, staff and goals. The team designed a self-evaluation survey to be given to the Board. Then, the team communicated with all CHP Board members to introduce NESC, outline the objectives of the project and distributed the self-evaluation survey.

Interviews were conducted with all Board Members and with select senior members of the school’s staff and administration to assess the Board’s performance, understand its strengths and weaknesses, and its relationship with CHP’s operations.

The NESC team focused on the following areas:

• Roles and responsibilities of the Board
• Budget preparation and approval process
• Finance, Audit and Governance Committees
• Organization support
• Best practices
• Incentives for improvement
• Succession planning
• Prioritization of strategic objectives and initiatives

The NESC team facilitated a meeting with the CHP Board to present findings, recommendations and key steps for improving Board effectiveness.

According to Steve Koller, “This engagement provided the opportunity to work with new and young Board members who were very interested in learning about board responsibilities.”

According to the BoardSource booklet titled “Ten Basic Responsibilities of Nonprofit Boards”, the following five concepts underlie effective nonprofit boards of directors:

1. Because every organization is unique, no one-size-fits-all model of governance applies.  There are, however, certain fundamental responsibilities common to nearly all boards.  These responsibilities, in turn, provide a frame of reference for assessing the board’s performance periodically.  It is equally important to clearly articulate expectations for those who serve on boards and to use those standards to assess individual board member performance.
2. Board and board member performance depend greatly on the need for management, especially the chief executive, to understand and respect the governing board’s duty and obligation to provide responsible oversight as well as strategic leadership.  A board with motivated members will only be effective and consequential if its executive leadership is also effective and supportive.
3. How a board organizes itself matters, but not nearly so much as the sophistication, commitment, skills, and experience of those invited to serve on the board and how they are led and work together.  This has profound implications for the process of selecting board members.
4. The members of truly high-performing boards ask good and timely questions and are more strategic than operational in their work; they don’t manage programs or implement their own policies.  Smaller organizations, especially those where board members also volunteer in certain staff functions, should hire staff as soon as practical so the board can concentrate on governance.
5. Over time, all organizations undergo a metamorphosis that calls for periodic evaluation, fine-tuning, and sometimes a major overhaul in how and by whom they are governed and how they select board members.  High-performing boards consistently self-correct and look or create ways to self-renew; boredom and routine in boardrooms spell trouble.  As organizations grow in complexity and consequence, for example, how they were once governed is unlikely to the same as how they should be governed.

Additionally, 10 responsibilities for nonprofit boards are: 

1. Determine the Mission and Purposes
2. Select the Chief Executive
3. Support and Evaluate the Chief Executive
4. Ensure Effective Planning
5. Monitor and Strengthen Programs and Services
6. Ensure Adequate Financial Resources
7. Protect Assets and Provide Financial Oversight
8. Build a Competent Board
9. Ensure Legal and Ethical Integrity
10. Enhance the Organization’s Public Standing

Richard T. Ingram, Ten Basic Responsibilities of Nonprofit Boards, Second Edition (BoardSource 2009).