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The President's Book

Experiencing the Essentials with Six Board Presidents

The best gift I was given, as Vice Chair of the Community Foundation of Collier County Board, was The President’s Book.  The book has been a guiding light, drawing my attention to the most important essentials of being a good Board President.  Each chapter is packed with practical, usable information. The book immediately became one of my new best friends!

 

It is not only a practical guide to everything that is essential to being a good Board President, it is packed with good advice such as: a checklist of ethical issues, the kinds of partnerships that are key to your working well with your Executive Director and Board and how to clarify those roles. There are true nuggets of wisdom packed between the pages of practical guidelines and suggestions to help you find your style of leadership.

 

Being a good Board President is a balancing act, and the more you can understand about the process before you are in the Chair, the more effective you will be, both personally and in successfully meeting the mission of your organization.

 

Dottie Gerrity

Chair of the Board

The Community Foundation of Collier County, Florida

 

 

The President’s Book is an important tool for new board leadership. This practical guide provides the reader with a number of easily understood principles that will help a board president run a more efficient and effective non-profit organization. The key to this publication is that the tools are adaptable to charities of many sizes and types. Rather than setting out directives or formulas, this allows for individuality of the organization and people involved. I would strongly recommend this publication to any board member who is contemplating or has assumed a leadership position in their non-profit organization.

 

 

Rachel S. Moore

Executive Director

American Ballet Theatre, NYC

 

 

I could not put [The President’s Book] down once I started reading it.  In fact, I took a highlight pen to it, but quickly found I was highlighting every paragraph—or a phrase therein.

 

Ted Clarkson

Executive Director

The Virginia Beach Foundation

 

 

[The President’s Book] will answer questions for many presidents of nonprofit boards—perhaps it will even answer questions they didn’t know they needed to ask.  Many people accept the presidency of a board because it is “their turn,” and they have no real idea of what being board president involves.  This book will be invaluable to the new president.

 

Kathy Farley

Executive Director

Southern Colorado Community Foundation

 

 

I have received so much written blather over the years that I have installed a direct chute from my in box to my waste basket to facilitate the disposal process.  It was therefore with great astonishment and even greater appreciation that I happened upon the contents of this superb publication.  It is far and away the best combination of style and substance I have seen in thirty years of reading on the subject.  YOU HAVE DONE REAL GOOD!!!

 

Richard D. McKay

President

Fremont Arts Council, California