Characteristics of School Foundation Leadership

1. Characteristics of School Foundation Leadership An NSFA Production Prepared especially for the MASB Annual School Foundation Conference

2. Abbreviations & Terms • BOD: Board of Directors of the foundation • BOE: Board of Education of the school • ED: Executive Director of the foundation, whether volunteer, part time, or full time • GWT: Generational Wealth Transfer • MD: Major donors • NPO: Not for profit organizations, foundations are NPO’s • PMO: Profit making organizations, most businesses exist as PMO’s • SF/EF/LEF: School foundation • Super: Superintendent

3. Value of School Foundations • Improves communication with the community • Raises awareness of school and district’s needs • Offers volunteer opportunities • Provides alternative funding sources for schools • Marshals community resources for the school • Offers an opportunity for the community to express its support for the community’s children…its future

4. 8 Leadership Positions Discussed • ED: Executive Director, the person with whom I am speaking today. • BOD/Board of Directors of a K12 Foundation • Board Chair • Superintendent or Principal • BOE: Board of Education/School Board • Core Group of the board • Committees of the board • Advisory board • Consultants

5. What You Want! • The 3: W’s T’s, G’s • And…….. • Trustworthy • Donor • Creative • Bold • Influential • Well known

6. What They Want! • The 3: R’s • And….. • A vision of the future (for the children of the community) to follow • A mission to keep them on the correct path • An opportunity to do something significant, creative, leadership (Herzberg) • Volunteer psychology • JD/Work • Evaluations • Create expectations

7. What They Want…Continued • Board Exchange Theory by Marabella, Purdue U. 1991 • Have personal contact with each BOD member at least once a year. • Request feedback from BOD, give them an opportunity to express themselves. • Ask them why they are serving on the board • What are they expecting from their service

8. Leader Recognition Possibilities • Events, Signature Events • Pictures in the paper or foundation literature, annual report • Pictures on the wall (school, foundation, post office) • Recognition tree, recognition ladder • Welcome letter from the highest officials of the school or foundation • Call, text, e-mail (personal) on birthday or anniversary. • Ask for their opinion • Take them with you on a donor call or NSFA conference • Celebration dinner/night out • Personalized gift: pen, paper weight, etc.

9. 1. The BOD • The Board of Directors (BOD) should be a powerful team, helping to build and develop the foundation. • The community will judge the foundation by the people on their board. • Foundation directors link the school and community.

10. Why Have a Board • Legally • Required by most states • IRS requirement for NPO's seeking or maintaining tax-exemption • Practically • Planning • Organization • Operations • Audits • Seek funding for projects • Successfully • Help achieve mission • Create better schools for students

11. BOD Performance Domains • Participates in developing and clarifying the K12 foundation’s mission • Articulates a vision for the future of the organization • Participates in strategic planning, developing clearly achievable 3-5 year goals.

12. BOD Performance Domains • Promotes viable and responsible board committees to help accomplish the goals of the board • Recruits and selects new board members and provides them with orientation and training

13. BOD Performance Domains • Participates in fundraising efforts by • Identifying donors • Cultivating donors • Soliciting donors • Donates annually to the school foundation The board must set an example by giving generously (seek three year commitments)

14. Are your board members donors to the foundation?

15. Average yearly amount raised over the past 3 years vs. BOD expectation to fundraise

16. Average yearly amount raised over the past 3 years vs. presence of an Executive Director

17. How Many Directors?

18. Board Recruitment (2 styles) • Financially strong, well known: financial movers and shakers of the community • Politically correct: develop a recruitment matrix, representing all interest groups of the community. • Age & gender • Occupations, CPA, attorney, • Prior NPO or college/university foundation experience • Those with connections • Interest groups represented • Fireball/go getter/shaker and mover/enthusiastic

19. Board Selection A 1999 Oregon school foundation study found the following as various methods used to choose members within its state: • 12% Appointed by school board • 85% Appointed by the existing foundation board members • 12% Selected by their respective representative group • 3% Others • 0% Elected

20. Improving Board Performance • Duty of Care: act in a reasonably informed manner and help oversee the corporation • Duty of Loyalty: Board members must put the interests of the foundation above members or third parties • Duty of Obedience: Follow the by-laws and articles of incorporation

21. Ineffective Boards Ineffective: • Mild to moderate interest • Fund-phobia • Role confusion • Financial misfortune • Recruitment disorientation • Lack of strategic plan Stephen R. Block, Why NPO’s Fail, Jossey Bass

22. Leadership continued (build the team!) • Board Chair • Single most influential position on the board • Choose from those with prior NPO experience, or professional leadership experience. • Superintendent/Building Principal • Understands his/her role (Rand study) • Help identify and cultivate donors • Keep informed, meet with personally • Donates personally • Keeps the rest of the administrative team on board as well. • Helps to keep the BOE on board as well

23. Leadership continued (build the team!) • Board of Education • Willing to use leadership role in philanthropy • Understand the need to work and invest in this area • Help identify and cultivate donors. • Donates personally • Stays connected to the BOD via ex officio member's • Core Group of the Board • Recognize and nurture this group

24. Leadership continued (build the team!) • Board of Education • Willing to use leadership role in philanthropy • Understand the need to work and invest in this area • Help identify and cultivate donors. • Donates personally • Stay connected via ex officio member's • Advisory Board • Don’t let them slip away. • Consultants; major donor work, capital campaigns, planned giving, policies & procedures, strategic planning.

25. Improving Board Performance • Establish a board orientation time • Develop JD’s for all associated with the foundation • Develop a board handbook to keep track of all decisions, by-laws, articles etc. • Ask for annual evaluation of each member (self-evaluation…see attached) • Develop JD’s for committees • Annual evaluation of each committee

26. Benchmarks of Board Success • Effectively selecting and recruiting new members (a year round process) • New member orientation • Annual meeting (setting goals for the coming year) • Writing new policies and procedures • Developing a comprehensive annual report • Conducting an annual retreat: • Set budget • FR goals for the year • Review policies, procedures, by-laws, mission and vision • Review enterprise development components

27. Other reminders • D&O/E&O insurance in place. (statutory liability shield) • Incorporate term limits (3-1-3 or 3-3-1) • Add a conflict of interest policy • Schedule 8-10 meetings for the year • Encourage active committees reporting to the board. • Review the attached list of “What Boards Do”

28. Sample Job Description • Ideally, a job description is provided to the prospective volunteer before he/she is asked to make a commitment. • Name or title of the volunteer job/position. • Brief general description of the position, including: • Purpose and how it relates to the goals and objectives of the organization. • Primary responsibilities • Expected results • Qualifications required to perform the job well(Skills, knowledge, and/or experience; include physical requirements, if any)

29. Sample Job Description • Time required, including: • Number of hours per week/month • Length of commitment • Expected starting date • Name of person to whom responsible • Support system provided by the organization: • Budget • Meeting space or other space provided • Orientation/training required and by whom provided • (If applicable) staff person assigned to work with the volunteer or group http://www.arts.state.tx.us/toolkit/nonprofit/jobdescript.asp

30. Resources • Stephen Block, Why Nonprofits Fail, Jossey-Bass • Jim Collogan, School Foundation Textbook, NSFA • Fisher Howe, Welcome to the Board, Jossey-Bass • Sharon Oster, Strategic Management for Nonprofit Organizations, Oxford University Press • Smith, Bucklin & Associates, Inc., The Complete Guide to Nonprofit Management, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. NSFA Bookstore: www.schoolfoundations.org