Resources
Nonprofit Board Governance
On This Page:
Select Books, Chapters, and Multimedia Products
- Social Enterprise Faculty Seminar Series CDs
“Strategic Alliances: The Power of Partnering Between Nonprofits and Businesses”
“Strategy, Leadership, and Performance Management in the Social Enterprise Sector”
(For information on available nonprofit rates, please contact the Social Enterprise Initiative). - Richard P. Chait, William P. Ryan, and Barbara E. Taylor. Governance as Leadership: Reframing the Work of Nonprofit Boards. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, 2005.
- Harvard Business Review on Nonprofits (Paperback). Boston: Harvard Business School Press, 1999.
Select Articles and Working Papers
- Regina E. Herzlinger. “ Effective Oversight: A Guide for Nonprofit Directors,” Harvard Business Review (July 1994).
- F. Warren McFarlan. “Working on Nonprofit Boards: Don’t Assume the Shoe Fits,” Harvard Business Review (November 1999).
- William G. Bowen. “When a Business Leader Joins a Nonprofit Board,” Harvard Business Review (September-October 1994).
- Barbara E. Taylor, Richard P. Chait, and Thomas P. Holland. “The New Work of the Nonprofit Board,” Harvard Business Review (September 1996).
Search HBS Working Knowledge for cutting-edge research by HBS faculty related to nonprofit board governance.
Search Harvard Business School’s faculty publications and research interest databases on nonprofit board governance.
Select Cases and Notes
- “The American National Red Cross (A)” (408040)
Jay Lorsch, Eliot Sherman, and David Chen - “Boston Lyric Opera” (9-101-111)
Robert S. Kaplan and Dennis Campbell - “Harold Morton and the Rivendell Board (A)” (9-303-114)
F. Warren McFarlan and Ingrid Vargas - “Historical Society of Pennsylvania” (9-597-062)
Stephen A. Greyser and Stephanie Woerner - “Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild and Bidwell Training Center: Governing Social Entrepreneurship” (MCG005)
James L. Heskett, Douglas Freeman, Roopchand Ramgolam, and Joshua Wallack - “Trinity College” (9-397-068)
F. Warren McFarlan and Jaan Elias
Search Harvard Business School Publishing for articles and cases on nonprofit board governance.
Related Events
“Nonprofit Board Leadership: The Four Accountabilities”. A lecture by Professor Herman B. "Dutch" Leonard, at the 2007 HBS Alumni Lifelong Learning event, "Nonprofit Board Leadership" (June 8, 2007).
“Nonprofit Board Leadership: What is the Same and What is Different about Nonprofit Boards”. A lecture by Professor F. Warren McFarlan at the 2007 HBS Alumni Lifelong Learning event, "Nonprofit Board Leadership" (June 8, 2007).
MBA Courses
Leading and Governing High Performing Nonprofit Organizations (Fall and Winter Term)
Professor Allen Grossman; Associate Professor Alnoor Ebrahim
A large number of HBS graduates will engage in the
nonprofit sector during their lifetimes. Leading and
Governing High Performing Nonprofit Organizations
(LGN) is designed to help students become highly
effective nonprofit professional managers and/or board
members. This course will offer an in–depth exploration
of how to create, build and sustain high performing
nonprofit organizations. Many for–profit leadership and
management skills can be successfully adapted to nonprofit
organizations; however, because the differences
between the sectors are often greater than their
similarities, the process can be daunting. Moreover,
many for-profit concepts and frameworks do not
transfer; therefore, new approaches must be developed
for the complex nonprofit operating environment. LGN
will identify, analyze and integrate the concepts and
frameworks that nonprofit organizations need for
outstanding performance.
Executive Education Programs
Governing for Nonprofit Excellence (GNE) is intended for chairs of nonprofit boards and other nonprofit board members occupying significant board leadership roles. This three-day program explores issues of critical concern to board leaders, including strategic planning; managing mission transitions and organizational transformations; achieving financial sustainability; structuring and managing alliances; attaining effective board-CEO relationships; creating a productive board structure; and preserving trust and accountability. Participants also benefit from the opportunity to explore a current challenge facing their organization during peer consultation sessions.
