Effective Participation in Nonprofit Boards
George Hu, MBA2
Issue date: 3/6/02 Section: News
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Over forty Board Fellows and other PMP members recently attended a special two-hour workshop on "Effective Participation in Nonprofit Boards." The event, co-sponsored by the PMP Professional Development Committee and the Board Fellows Program, was led by guest speaker Joe Mandato. In addition to a successful entrepreneurial career over the past two decades, Mr. Mandato has extensive experience in nonprofit boards, including large boards like Save the Children.
Mr. Mandato shared much of the wisdom he has accumulated on how to integrate MBA skills into a nonprofit board environment. He confirmed that while analytical and business skills might initially seem foreign to many nonprofit boards, these would become increasingly critical as nonprofits faced more competition to provide similar services. By being patient and consistently bringing business frameworks and viewpoints to an organization, MBAs can slowly influence key decision makers and change their way of thinking to incorporate these issues.
Students also engaged in self-reflection exercises. For Board Fellows, who currently serve on local nonprofit boards, the exercises allowed them to better assess their current situations and brainstorm strategies to meaningfully impact their organizations. For other participants, the exercises allowed them to think through how they might prepare themselves to serve on boards in the future.
Student reaction to the workshop was extremely positive. Feedback included a strong appreciation of Mr. Mandato's contribution, as well as a desire to continue to have similar sessions covering other related topics. Event organizers Jennifer Tye (Board Fellows) and Leena Ved (PMP Professional Development Committee), MBA2s responded, "We were grateful for the strong turnout and enthusiastic reception for the workshop. It's great to see such a strong demand for this type of knowledge at the GSB, and it yet again confirms the passion that the students have for nonprofit issues."
Mr. Mandato shared much of the wisdom he has accumulated on how to integrate MBA skills into a nonprofit board environment. He confirmed that while analytical and business skills might initially seem foreign to many nonprofit boards, these would become increasingly critical as nonprofits faced more competition to provide similar services. By being patient and consistently bringing business frameworks and viewpoints to an organization, MBAs can slowly influence key decision makers and change their way of thinking to incorporate these issues.
Students also engaged in self-reflection exercises. For Board Fellows, who currently serve on local nonprofit boards, the exercises allowed them to better assess their current situations and brainstorm strategies to meaningfully impact their organizations. For other participants, the exercises allowed them to think through how they might prepare themselves to serve on boards in the future.
Student reaction to the workshop was extremely positive. Feedback included a strong appreciation of Mr. Mandato's contribution, as well as a desire to continue to have similar sessions covering other related topics. Event organizers Jennifer Tye (Board Fellows) and Leena Ved (PMP Professional Development Committee), MBA2s responded, "We were grateful for the strong turnout and enthusiastic reception for the workshop. It's great to see such a strong demand for this type of knowledge at the GSB, and it yet again confirms the passion that the students have for nonprofit issues."