The Nonprofit FAQ: Conflict
Select an FAQ (21):
| How can we avoid volunteer-staff conflicts? Points to a rich resource on working with volunteers. |
| Bad bylaws lead to conflict. What next? A consultant outlines a strategy for a member to press for resolution of a sharp conflict among board members. |
| Can a Donor Retrieve Gifts of Money or Goods? In most cases, the answer is 'no.' |
| Can a single board member wield too much power? They can, and it's delicate to deal with the problem, but not necessarily evidence of corruption. |
| Do board meetings or documents have to be public? If there are any external rules about this, they will be found in state law or funding requirements. |
| Do boards ever fire executive directors? If so...how? Sometimes there is a need to do so. Sometimes there is avoidable bad feeling. Here are two views on this difficult theme. |
| Do volunteers own the copyright when they contribute creative works? US law specifies that the creator owns the copyright unless specific agreements are in place. |
| Help with Parliamentary Procedure Pointers to some useful tips and resource. |
| How can we all just get along? Techniques to ensure strong, working relationships |
| How much leeway should a website editor have? A website is an important way of presenting an organization to friends and strangers. When staff and volunteers can't agree on its content, what should be done? |
| How should the board and the executive director relate? Keeping this relationship clear and productive is one of the biggest challenges facing nonprofits. There are many views on how to do that well. This item is adapted from the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits' online library. |
| What about group and interpersonal conflict? Basic techniques for addressing conflict between two people or in groups |
| What are the steps of a strategic planning process? The CompassPoint of San Francisco offers one outline |
| What information must nonprofits disclose? Generally, it depends on what kind of information is at stake and who is doing the asking. |
| What is a strategic plan? The answer to the question: How will we accomplish our goals? |
| What should our mission statement say? Purpose. Business. Values. Beneficiaries. |
| What to do when a volunteer ED wants to be paid? Create a step-by-step plan that values the current volunteer while making clear that volunteer service does not create a presumption of later employment. |
| What to do when the board gets too involved? Some sensible rules to guide board members in choosing the right course. |
| Where can I find pro bono legal advice? The American Bar Association maintains a state-by-state list of organizations that facilitate finding pro bono assistance. This item also includes advice on other strategies for finding low-cost assistanct that may be useful. |
| Who should process incoming donations? Organizations often tussle over which department should open the envelopes that might contain donations. Strong arguments can be advanced to support the differing views. |
| Why do we develop an annual operating plan? The strategic plan can only carry you so far |