An ideal resource for boards everywhere
There are at least 10 million Civil Society Organizations (CSO)s in the world, each of them with a board composed of individuals doing their best to govern well and wisely. There is no single model of governance to emulate, but are there universal principles and practices that can help boards everywhere perform at the highest level.
This book takes us for a trip around the world to look at what is working for boards. Its discoveries will help not only boards, but also nonprofit staff leaders seeking to assist their boards to optimal performance, and capacity-builders looking to strengthen their civil society sector.
Even if your organizational concerns extend no further than city boundaries, this book is for you. One of the greatest governance challenges today is a lack of diversity on the board. This can seriously hamper an organization’s ability to realize mission and to understand and serve its community. Reading this book will provide a greater understanding of how the cultural context affects governance and will sensitize the reader to different ways of thinking about governance.
Global Best Practices For CSO, NGO and Other Nonprofit Boards presents case studies from different parts of the world that illustrate effective practice, identifies and discusses interesting and significant differences, and explores global governance trends with implications for us all.
- Tests for universal truths about roles, responsibilities and practices using criteria established by BoardSource, the premier voice on nonprofit governance
- Provides information that builds exceptional nonprofit boards
- Discusses cultural differences in governance that will help all boards to better function in increasingly diverse environments
- Offers inspiration to NGO boards in any part of civil society
- Reflects on the future of governance worldwide
If you’re a capacity-builder, a board member, or an executive leader looking for guidance on governance, this is the book you’ll want to have on hand.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments xiii
1 Overview 1
–Penelope Cagney
Who This Book Is For 1
Introduction 2
About the Book’s Title 2
Organization of Contents 3
Framework 3
Apologies 3
Culture 4
Global Trends 8
References 11
2 Africa 13
–Mike Muchilwa
Historical and Cultural Context for Governance 13
Challenges to CSO Governance 14
Governance Successes 16
Characteristics of African CSO Boards 17
Case Study: Kenya 22
Best Practices of Kenyan Boards 26
Trends 30
Conclusion 31
Notes 32
3 Asia 33
Overview 33
–Usha Menon
Asia Overview Notes 37
Cambodia 37
–Louise Coventry
Cambodia References 43
Cambodia Notes 44
China 44
–Yinglu Li and Oma Lee
China Notes 49
India 49
–Noshir H. Dadrawala
India References 56
India Notes 56
Indonesia 56
–Darmawan Triwibowo
Indonesia References 62
Indonesia Notes 63
Japan 63
–Masataka Uo and Miho Ito
Korea 67
–Bekay Ahn
Korea References 75
Korea Further Reading 75
Philippines 76
–Usha Menon
Philippines Notes 81
Singapore 82
–Usha Menon
Singapore References 87
Singapore Notes 88
4 Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand 89
–Alan Hough and Garth Nowland-Foreman
Historical and Cultural Context for Governance 89
Understanding the NGO Sector 91
Legal Requirements Affecting NGO Boards 93
The Roles of Boards 97
Board Composition, Rotation, and Recruitment 99
Board’s Relationship with the CEO and Other Staff 101
Organization of Meetings and Culture of Inquiry 102
Evaluation and Monitoring 104
Ethical Challenges 105
Governance Trends 108
Case Study: Oxfam Australia 110
Acknowledgments 117
References 118
Notes 122
5 Central and Eastern Europe and Eurasia 123
–Marilyn Wyatt
Historical Context for Governance 123
Evolution of the Sector 124
Legal Environment 125
A Brief History of Regional Approaches to CSO
Governance 127
Looking Forward to New Practices 133
Conclusion 137
References 137
Notes 139
6 Europe 141
–Valerio Melandri
United Kingdom 142
Continental Europe 142
Mediterranean Region 143
Northern Europe 144
Promoting Board Performance Through
Remuneration and Incentives 144
Innovative Models for Boards in Europe 147
Governance Structures and Nonprofit Reality 148
Striving for an Involved Board 149
Conclusion 157
References 157
Notes 159
Further Reading 160
7 Latin America 161
–Consuelo Castro
Historical and Cultural Context for Governance 161
Relevant Legal/Tax Requirements Affecting NGO Boards 162
Composition and Recruitment Considerations 166
Organization of Meeting, Culture of Inquiry 168
Roles and Responsibilities 169
Evaluation and Monitoring 173
Trends and Case Studies of Best Practices 174
Conclusion 175
References 175
Notes 176
Further Reading 177
8 Middle East and North Africa 179
–Tariq Cheema and Naila Farouky
The Philanthropic Landscape - A Historic
Opportunity 179
The Role of Good Governance 181
Stewardship 184
Challenges to Accountability and Transparency 184
Need for Study of the Sector 186
MENA Culture 187
Case Study: Emirates Foundation 189
Case Study: AM Qattan Foundation 191
Takeaway Points 193
Conclusion 194
References 194
Notes 195
Further Reading 196
9 North America 197
Canada 197
–Krishan Mehta
Canada References 213
Canada Notes 214
Canada Further Reading 214
United States 214
–Paloma Raggo and Penelope Cagney
United States References 229
10 From Reform of Governance to Transfer of Power: The Future of International Civil Society Organizations 231
–Burkhard Gnärig
ICSOs’ Governance Model of Choice: International Federations of Autonomous National Organizations 233
The Self-Assessment: The Quality of ICSOs’ Governance 237
Towards Effective Global Governance 242
Cornerstones of ICSOs’ Transformation 248
Notes 250
11 The Future 251
–Penelope Cagney
Wealth Inequality 251
Proactive Philanthropy 252
Reaction to Globalization 252
Technological Innovation 253
Tomorrow’s Organizations 253
Servant Leadership 254
New Approaches to Governance 255
Conclusion 256
References 256
Notes 257
Further Reading 257
Appendix 259
10 Basic Responsibilities of Nonprofit Boards (Summary) 259
The Source: 12 Principles of Governance That Power Exceptional Boards 259
Notes 261
Glossary 263
About the Contributors 269
Index 277
