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