Today was the Boreas Non-Profit Structures Workshop and it was excellent. Besides Boreas Director Kate Knuth, there were two speakers who work in the non-profit world: Dania Miwa and Mike Harley. Here is the official blurb: “The non-profit sector is the source of a lot of environmental leadership. But what exactly is the non-profit sector? What does NGO actually stand for? What’s the difference between a 501(c)(3) and a 501(c)(4), and what does that even mean? What is a board of directors actually supposed to do? This workshop will get you up to speed on non-profits, how they work, and some of the governance and legal structures involved. You’ll get to start thinking about the possibility of working for a non-profit or perhaps getting involved as a volunteer. And you’ll hear wisdom from a panel of environmental non-profit stars” (http://boreas.environment.umn.edu/).
Some takeaways from the workshop:
-many different forms of nonprofits
-ways to volunteer – hands on, skills, direct service, advisory, online
-resources – skills, tools, contacts
-transparency is key – ask for a nonprofits financials before you give them money and if they cannot answer your questions don’t give to them money
-volunteer to be on the Board of Directors, but make sure you ask…
-what is expected of Board members?
-ask for a Board job description
-look at the financials of the organization
-look at the current leadership and who they are and how long they have been there
-how is the organization funded?
-do they have an operating reserve of at least 6 months?
-look at the % of the Board that gives to the organization – look for 100% of the Board giving to the organization
-ask about the attendance rate of the Board members for attending meetings/events
-is there a time limit to serve on the Board?
-are any of the original founders of the organization still on the Board and what is their function?
-do Board members and officers have insurance – the organization should buy it, so they are not held responsible
