Core values: To go forward, state them clearly
I've been thinking a lot lately about the importance of nonprofits having clear, publicly-accessible core value statements. Yes,...
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Caryn Bosson
- Apr 19, 2021
- 3 min
Doing committees right
As a nonprofit grows, especially if it has hired staff, there will come a time when the board is going to require committees. Many...
Caryn Bosson
- Dec 27, 2020
- 3 min
Building a youth-inclusive board
As organizations strive to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive, many are thinking about bringing on the next generation as...
Caryn Bosson
- Aug 3, 2020
- 2 min
It’s a good time to rest
The world’s in a state of emergency. There’s so much to do to right the wrongs of our society. Those of us in a privileged position have...
Caryn Bosson
- Jun 12, 2020
- 2 min
Building bridges to inclusive nonprofit leadership
In Ventura County, California, more than half the population are people of color, predominantly Latino (43%). But looking at the...
Caryn Bosson
- Apr 4, 2020
- 2 min
Stop taking on the world
“True compassion arises from a healthy sense of self.” - Jack Kornfield Those of us working in nonprofit organizations, trying to...
Caryn Bosson
- Mar 10, 2019
- 2 min
Listen up, leaders
"Poor listening is the common cold of leadership," says emotional intelligence author Daniel Goleman. Sadly, it's all too easy for...
Caryn Bosson
- Dec 31, 2018
- 2 min
For Board Chairs & Executive Directors, the relationship is everything
Sure, to be an effective working team, nonprofit board chairs and executive directors need to understand their roles, responsibilities,...
Caryn Bosson
- Jul 29, 2018
- 2 min
Growing up is hard to do: Next-stage nonprofits and shifts in board roles
While the archetypical Silicon Valley origin story involves a couple of guys working in a garage, nonprofits tend to be launched by a few...
Caryn Bosson
- May 20, 2018
- 2 min
“Stay out of my lane!” Rules of the road for nonprofit leaders
A beleaguered executive director once complained to me about a board member who loved to play “boss.” This board officer would “check in...
Caryn Bosson
- Mar 12, 2018
- 2 min
We all do better when we all do better: Kim Klein at Pepperdine
From the 1980s to the 2000s, my desk, at whatever nonprofit I was working at, always had a pile of well-thumbed issues of The Grassroots...
Caryn Bosson
- Feb 27, 2018
- 1 min
Beyond what nonprofits can do
Nonprofits organize society to make the world a better place, but it's our individual, everyday actions that can be the most powerful...
Caryn Bosson
- Dec 28, 2017
- 3 min
Let's hear it for stupid questions
“Better to remain silent and be thought a fool Than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.” If you are a nonprofit board member, you...
Caryn Bosson
- Dec 12, 2017
- 4 min
Non-Disaster Preparation
My hometown of Ojai is only accessible by four two-lane roads, any or all of which can be cut off at any time. During the Thomas Fire,...
Caryn Bosson
- Nov 11, 2017
- 4 min
Arguing for a vision: Ojai’s tourism conflict
Just as nonprofits need a clear vision to steer towards, so do cities. Twenty years ago I coordinated a process for my home community,...
Caryn Bosson
- Nov 3, 2017
- 1 min
How can nonprofit board members become better leaders?
A strong board is key for the success of any nonprofit, and becoming a strong board takes work. Many volunteer board members find there...
Caryn Bosson
- Oct 22, 2017
- 3 min
Coaching moves us forward
Play, purpose, and potential. Ideally this is what we have in our work, and what we grow through our work. That’s what I learned...
Caryn Bosson
- Oct 16, 2017
- 4 min
Three Stumbling Blocks Of Nonprofit Boards
In a perfect world, nonprofit board and staff leadership would coordinate as gracefully together as dance partners gliding across the...
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