Innovative Nonprofit Boards

An innovative, strategic thinking board is visionary in its approach to identifying new opportunities for the organization it serves. It also helps to develop future proofing solutions for the challenges of change and disruption.

I asked Leah Kral , author of Innovation for Social Change, to share her thoughts on how innovation can be applied to elevate the work of boards.

My first question to Leah was, Why should boards want to be innovative? and she responded;

“I think of innovation simply as finding new and better ways of doing things. Human ingenuity and creativity are limitless.? Nonprofit innovation might be big, like the civil rights movement, or often, innovation can be small, like an internal process improvement.

Generosity and good intentions aren’t enough by themselves. Imagine the life-altering ramifications when a mediocre nonprofit program fails to meet the needs of an at-risk young person.

Board members are empowered to ask courageous questions and to hold nonprofits accountable, and to encourage organizations to experiment to discover what works best. We can always do better!”

When asked, What is different about a board that has a culture of innovation?, Leah had these five observations.

• Board members proactively bring outside, fresh perspectives and wisdom from a variety of sectors.? They ask candid questions—without sugar coating—about mission integrity, organizational risks, priorities, legal and financial compliance, for example.?
• We have a saying at my nonprofit that “our board provides the best advice that money can’t buy.”? The board will not waste their time micromanaging or redundantly attempting to do the executive director’s job for her. What a board does best is contribute a 30,000-foot vantage point while holding the executive director accountable for the rest.
• Recognizing that innovation can’t happen without risk and failure, the board asks about pilots and experiments, trial and error, learning, adjusting, sun setting, winding down, or spinning off projects.?
• The board asks about how the nonprofit is proactively monitoring its constantly changing landscape, for example, new trends, new technologies, competitors, or regulations. What will the organization do differently and how will it innovate, given these changes?
• ?Board members will be on the lookout for groundless optimism, silo thinking or mission drift.? And it will also be on the lookout for when a team is underselling its impact, and opportunities for scaling what works.

Board engagement can be a challenge and I asked Leah, How can an innovative culture influence board dynamics and engagement? She said,

“When a board does the above, the dynamics are exciting!? Time will fly. Talented, experienced board members can feel confident that they are contributing to the nonprofit’s sustainability and impact. This kind of board guidance identifies and removes obstacles.? It supports an empowered and innovative nonprofit team that is already on fire for its mission and the people it serves.”

My final question was, What is the most important message from Innovation for Social Change? She shared;

“Innovation is the opposite of business as usual. And these practices can be done by any size nonprofit, any type of mission, and any size budget. My hope is that the case studies and practices in Innovation for Social Change will inspire board members, current and future social entrepreneurs and those with generous spirits to continue to dream big, ask the right questions, experiment, and innovate boldly!”

Innovation for Social Change is on my list of books I’ve read and recommend for nonprofit, association, and chamber of commerce leaders.

Do you have an innovative board? Please share how it? benefits your organization and the board’s approach to being innovative.

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