The Board Doctor

06/09/2026

New webinar series launches this month. Free to all, but registration is required. First up: The Well-Functioning Board: How Leaning in on Governance Can Take Your Nonprofit to the Next Level. Happens July 1 at 11am Eastern. Hope to see you there!
gswebinarregistration.theboarddoctor.org

05/04/2026

Happy National Self-Employed Day to all who celebrate!

(Special thanks go to Jeffrey Shaw, founder of the Self-Employed Business Institute who did the work of getting this day federally-recognized and developed the logo. His book The Self-Employed Life is a game changer! Link in comments.)

Today I want to shout out an aspect of self-employment that does not get enough attention: Self-employed people make great nonprofit board members.

Think about it:

💡 Self-Employed people are Visionary, motivated by a clear picture they hold in their mind of a specific future. They are experienced at choosing strategies, setting mid-term goals and short-term objectives, and making sure they have the resources in place to do what they want to do when they want to do it.

💡Self-Employed people are driven by an Entrepreneurial Spirit, willing and able to devote sufficient time and energy to achieve their goals. They are self-starters who hold themselves accountable for doing what they say they will.

💡Self-Employed people are Familiar with Using Financial Data, able to make sense of revenue and expense lines in a spreadsheet to identify savings as well as opportunities for investment. They will see before others whether the stated priorities of the organization are properly reflected in the budget.

💡 Self-Employed people Manage Their Own Time, able to schedule and attend a board or committee meeting without getting permission from a supervisor. Though they can have many demands on their time, in the end they own their calendar and can choose their priorities.

Of course, I don't want to imply that boards should consist entirely of the self-employed. Many people who work in organizations large and small also have these same governance-related attributes. They also often have support from their employer to be involved in community volunteer work.

But when we think specifically about the governance role of the board - strategic thinking, financial planning, being accountable - there is no question that most self-employed people would make excellent additions to any boardroom.

Let's keep building out this list. What other governance-related skills and experiences do self-employed people have?

04/07/2026

The service mix at The Board Doctor is changing. In this third and final article for LinkedIn, I describe the changes and invite leaders of small nonprofits to explore how we can work together to make sure you have the knowledge, confidence and support you need to be successful in your efforts.

The service mix is changing at The Board Doctor. Though the change was needed because of my family circumstances, we think these new offerings better meet the needs of leaders of small nonprofits who are also stretched thin and under pressure. See what you think! https://lnkd.in/eGvtKUVg

03/30/2026

Hot off the preses. Here is Part 2 of my 3-part series for LinkedIn on changes that are going on for me personally and professionally. Even if you don't have a LinkedIn account, you should be able to read the article by clicking through where it wants you to log in. As always, our family invites questions.

"Cath! I need your help!" I hear that several times a day now. Could be anything.

03/27/2026

If your board is struggling with too much getting done by too few, lacks clarity about its role, or is otherwise failing to function as well as it could, join us to learn how a board self-assessment can help turn things around. The event is free but registration is required: https://nonprofit-vitality.circle.so/WebinarRegistration

03/20/2026

Who among us has not had a good eye roll when the word "committee" came up? 🤣

They make us laugh. They make us cry. Sometimes they make us want to holler. But board committees don't have to be dysfunctional. This month's newsletter includes original strategies from me, a downloadable set of committee descriptions, and curated material from other nonprofit leaders with ideas f...

12/22/2025

Sometimes it can be hard to know whether your board is basically on the right track or needs some focused attention. The Board Doctor's Wellness Test was designed to provide a quick check. 10 questions about some of the most common governance-related maladies affecting boards. https://lnkd.in/eDTRjg-d