Evolution of a Nonprofit Board of Directors

Abstract

Nonprofits add value to the communities they serve; therefore, knowing how to achieve effective board leadership is valuable information. Governing nonprofit boards are comprised of volunteers who have the legal and fiduciary responsibility for carrying out the mission of an agency within appropriate federal and state law. This case examines the complex social system of a community-based nonprofit board of directors for Hope Center, an agency whose mission is to serve homeless children and their families. It uses the experiences of Juanita, a board member of Hope Center, and asks how to establish effectiveness in a nonprofit board in the United States. This case encourages students to use the life stage model as a means to judge the relationships between organizational effectiveness and the ability of a nonprofit to adapt to constantly changing conditions.