Symposium on Board Leadership for Nonprofit Integrity

On April 22, 2005, the Institute hosted an invitational Symposium on Board Leadership for Nonprofit Integrity, with executive directors and board chairs from San Francisco-based organizations in attendance. The purpose of the symposium was to bring together these nonprofit leaders to discuss issues of board accountability in response to the increased attention being paid to ethical concerns and board responsibilities in the nonprofit sector.

The day began with a stage-setting presentation by attorney Thomas Silk of Silk, Adler, and Colvin, entitled Rational Exuberance: An Exploration of the Adaptation of California’s Charitable Sector to Changing Governance Standards. Participants then met in two-hour discussion groups of approximately 10 people each (separate focus groups for board chairs and executive directors) to discuss questions related to the board’s fiduciary role and to issues of board accountability and executive-board communications. An after-lunch session then brought together themes identified in the groups for further discussion and clarification.

The discussion groups, led by professional facilitators, were taped and transcribed for analysis by Institute staff. The symposium report, Board Accountability in Action, features findings and recommendations for action based on those discussions.