Executive Consulting for the Nonprofit Sector, Inc., recently launched its inaugural Board Chair's Academy, a program designed exclusively for our clients. The goal of the Academy is to provide our clients with the tools needed to take their organizations to higher ground. During the next several issues of the Clients' Corner, we will share several of these tools with you, beginning with board accountability.

According to BoardSource, an accountable board of directors successfully unites its role and duties, expectations and promises then delivers on them. It assumes responsibility and ultimately liability for the organization. This means that the stakeholders can trust that the board is good on its word and that the organization is trustworthy.

Specifically, board accountability entails:

• Members bearing the responsibility for the future of the nonprofit
• The board acting as the fiduciary on behalf of stakeholders as required by law
• The board ensuring compliance with laws and ethical integrity throughout the organization
• Individual board members accepting and delivering on personal commitments
• The board collectively adhering to the demands for accountability by stakeholders
• The board collectively justifying its actions and being accountable for its behavior

Specific responsibilities of non-profit boards include:

• Determining mission and monitoring focus
• Hiring and releasing the Chief Executive
• Supporting the Chief Executive by reviewing performance annually based on organizational goals
• Setting policies
• Ensuring adequate planning
• Raising resources to meet needs
• Monitoring the impact of programs and services
• Enhancing public image

With just 2% of its $8.9 million annual budget coming from fees for service, Valley Community Clinic relies heavily on philanthropic and in-kind community support. The clinic is a textbook example of neighbor helping neighbor, with the majority of funding provided by fund-raising and in-kind support, including local physicians who see the clinic’s patients on a volunteer basis. The Valley Clinic team—which also includes 170 employees—provided 60,000 patient visits last year as well as 15,000 community outreach contacts.

At the helm of this efficiently run ship is Paula Wilson, Valley Community Clinic’s recently appointed Chief Executive Officer. Paula was no stranger to the Clinic—prior to her appointment as CEO, she served as the organization’s Vice President, Planning and Development, for 13 years.

During the past several years, Executive Consulting for the Nonprofit Sector, Inc., has had the privilege of working with Paula and Valley Community Clinic on a number of consulting projects. Before Paula was named CEO of the organization, she served as interim CEO for a six month period. During this time, Executive Consulting affiliate Janet Schulman provided executive mentoring services to Paula. Executive Consulting’s executive mentoring process involves four major steps: a 360-degree performance evaluation, performance goal setting, leadership development training, and peer-to-peer performance improvement. “As a result of this process, I was able to develop the focus needed to ultimately secure the position on a permanent basis,” notes Paula.

Following Paula’s appointment as CEO, Valley Community Clinic contracted with Executive Consulting once again to enhance teamwork and communications among the Clinic’s executive leadership team, a project which continues today. The ultimate goal of this project is to conduct a series of retreats and meetings which will result in a work plan for the coming year.

“My experience with Executive Consulting has been very positive,” concludes Paula. “By keeping up with trends in the not-for-profit sector, the company’s representatives have been able to give me objective insight not only into my own organization, but into the not-for-profit community as a whole.” For additional information about Valley Community Clinic, please visit www.valleycommunityclinic.org.

Gabrielle (or Gaby, as she’s more commonly known) brings this same passion to her work with not-for- profit organizations. A not-for-profit veteran with more than 30 years of experience, Gaby served as President and Executive Director of the Blind Children’s Learning Center in Santa Ana for the majority of her career. In recent years, she has discovered a passion for interim management, serving as the interim executive director for six local organizations.

“I enjoy taking my experience and letting it play out with different organizations,” notes Gaby. “I often feel that I’m a ‘healing force.’ The organizations I work with are typically in turmoil, so I do what I can to ‘heal’ the organization. In short, my goal is to take the organization forward, as well as help them identify what they should be looking for in their next executive.”

Several of Gaby’s interim assignments have been arranged by Executive Consulting for the Nonprofit Sector, Inc. “Having the firm behind me is so important,” states Gaby. “I’m able to consult with staff and the firm’s other affiliates whenever I need advice or assistance, a resource I find invaluable.” Executive Consulting also finds Gaby invaluable, recognizing her as the firm’s 2005 Consultant of the Year.

One of Gaby’s most gratifying interim assignments was with an agency that ultimately disbanded. “I came into the assignment knowing that the organization would need to reinvent itself, merge with another organization, or cease operations,” explains Gaby. “I engaged the board in a three month process during which we evaluated each option. The board ultimately decided that they had effectively accomplished the organization's mission. Since they weren’t interested in reinventing themselves, they decided to disband. The organization’s remaining assets were invested with the Greater Long Beach Foundation, creating an endowment designated for children’s health. The organization left a legacy, with the board even hosting a party to celebrate the organization’s mark on the community.”