How can you make sure your board member expertise is put to use, without overloading each individual? Nonprofit board committees make it easy. Committees allow the work that needs to be done to be distributed evenly throughout your board. Clearly, committees can be highly beneficial to a nonprofit board. However, that’s just the beginning of our committee journey. Because they operate somewhat independently from the main board, committees are especially vulnerable to the “5 Dysfunctions of a Team,” as written about by Patrick Lencioni in his book by the same name. Here are the dysfunctions and what your committees should NOT include.

The traditional board book is a long-standing tradition in the nonprofit board meeting. Of course, your board members need a certain amount of information to prepare for the meeting, including the meeting agenda, previous meeting minutes, budget documents, and so on. But is a paper board book still the best way to keep everyone informed?

Nearly every business in the United States is a small or mid-size company. According to the latest Census Bureau data, more than 99% of American businesses have 500 employees or fewer. In order to assess the opportunities and challenges for the national economy, it’s essential to understand the pain points and motivational factors at the heart of the small and mid-size business community. Unlocking those insights was the impetus behind First Citizens Bank’s Small Business Forecast, and the majority of small businesses that took part in the survey see a bright future ahead. As part of the Small Business Forecast, we conducted an online survey of 330 business owners across five U.S. states, each of which employed less than 500 people.

In light of the recent mass shootings in El Paso, TX and Dayton, OH you may be asking the question- would your company know what to do in an active shooter situation? If not, it might be time to put a response plan in place to give you and your employees the best chance at survival. According to the FBI, 45% of all active shooting situations occur in commercial places such as the workplace. While the likelihood of it happening in your workspace is low – an official policy should be standard protocol just like an evacuation plan. Diego Redondo, former FBI special agent and director of public safety and risk management at John Jay College of Criminal Justice recommends that every business should practice a response plan just as they do a fire drill or an evacuation route to ensure the best possible outcome.