Ethics Q & A
May
31 , 2004
By Jane Garthson, Mills
Garthson & Associates
The dilemma:
I chair a regional organization, and therefore automatically also sit on the provincial board. Each of the twenty-four regions sends their chair to represent them. A strategic plan is being developed for the provincial federation. Most of the directors come from rural and remote areas of the province, and want considerably more emphasis on their needs. That will divert a lot of the money and staff time away from the major urban area I represent, which serves the most people by far. I agree that the change would address the area of greatest need and fit the mission best, but at the same time it will harm my programs and upset my organization. The vote is coming up. Help!
Jane says...
It is quite telling that you use "my" organization when you mean the regional body, and "the" organization when you refer to the provincial body. In fact, both organizations are yours, and you have to remember at which table you are sitting.
The other item in your question that I want to address up front is your
concept that the chairs "represent" their regional organization when they
are at the provincial body. That is a very common misconception, but it
is not true. At the provincial board meetings, you bring knowledge of
your region to inform the decision-making, but you are required to act
in the best interests of the provincial body. Your duty of loyalty is
to the organization where you are making the decision.
Of course, that puts you in a dilemma, and it can be a very awkward one.
That is why many organizations are moving away from the model of letting
member organizations appoint one board member each. Besides, as the number
of member organizations grows, the federation board size becomes unwieldy.
And there is an even stronger trend away from executive committees, so
those are not the answer.
Very likely, neither organization has provided governance training, so
you are dealing with people who have varying understandings of the responsibilities
of a board. It would be helpful to have that discussion. Use generic materials
from BoardSource (www.boardsource.org)
or another organization recognized for its expertise in nonprofit governance
if you cannot afford a governance trainer. At least try to get the provincial
organization to spend some time on this, so that all of the regional chairs
can communicate the same message back to their organizations.
For your current decision, review again what is best for the provincial organization. Is the change worth angering a major member organization and reducing service to their numerous clients? Look at the long term impact on achieving the provincial mission, strengthening relationships, living up to the organization's values, and avoiding harm. Is there another option, such as new sources of funds? Some foundations and government programs focus on rural areas, and your organization may never have applied to them.
However you vote, be prepared to communicate your reasons for the decision as well as the decision itself when you return to your community.
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Because nonprofit organizations are formed to do good does not mean
they always are good in their own practices. Send us your ethical questions
dealing with volunteers, staff, clients, donors, funders, sponsors, and
more. Please identify yourself and your organization so we know the questions
come from within the sector. No identifying information will appear in
this column.
To submit a dilemma for a future column, or to comment on a previous one,
please contact help@charityvillage.com. For paid professional advice about an urgent or complex situation, contact Jane directly.
