Well-organised NPOs are always more impactful and sustainable than those that are poorly organised. Paying attention to the organisation is crucial not only for administrative efficiency but, much more importantly, for enhanced impact and sustainability. A surprisingly common leadership approach that refuses to attend to the organisation is what I call the Panglossian approach. Dr Pangloss (in Voltaire’s Candide) famously held that we always live in the best possible world. The pessimistic P...

The King IV Report on Corporate Governance for South Africa (King IV) was published on 1 November 2016 and includes a sector supplement for non-profit organisations. One implication is that the corporate governance environment in South Africa has changed. NPO boards should consider whether this development necessitates any changes to their existing governance practices. This brief article recommends five governance practices, underscored by King IV, that should be added to agenda items for NP...

The hardest of NPO Board decisions is how to face an organisational existential crisis There is no doubt that the COVID pandemic has wreaked havoc among non-profit organisations. Many NPOs now face the harrowing prospect of deciding whether to keep going or to close down. Boards of Trustees are well-advised to approach this juncture with utmost care. I got to thinking about this after a call from the chairperson of a small NPO that faces this very situation. This was not a call about getting...

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), in their Strategy 2020 document, states that: “A disaster or crisis may arise as a sudden emergency or it may be slow onset. In either case, it is our basic obligation to be well prepared to use all effective means to help, according to the different needs of men, women and children – wherever and whenever this is needed.”Boards should lead the way in equipping well-prepared organisations to navigate crises. The avia...