Strengthen Your Nonprofit Board
The success of your nonprofit organization depends largely upon the effectiveness of your nonprofit board. Building a strong board of directors is, therefore, essential for any nonprofit that wants to achieve its goals and make a meaningful impact. However, building a strong board is not an easy task. It requires considerable knowledge and dedication.
DCM’s team of national nonprofit board governance experts can help you strengthen your board.
The following are some of the key areas of consultation we can offer:
- Creating a CEO and Board Partnership – Learn how to become strategically aligned and focused on results and achieving your strategic vision
- How to build a diverse board that reflects and values your community
- Learn how to recruit new board members based on competencies and personal characteristics first, skills second
- How to engage your board to create a successful culture of philanthropy
- Address issues of board leadership succession
- The board’s role in strategic planning
- How to address difficult board behavior
Dennis provided a valuable training to our board at which many board members and senior executive staff participated in hearty discussions with great profit to us. Many board members were grateful for his insights and help with several key areas of need. We are grateful for Dennis’ expertise and wisdom with non-profit organizational matters, and the assistance he gave to SCARC, Inc. We would look forward to a further relationship with Dennis and his company for future needs and assistance.
Richard C. Lecher, Ph.D.
President and Chief Executive Officer
SCARC, Inc.
Dennis Miller and his team developed an extremely valuable assessment of our governing board at the Santa Fe Recovery Center. His perceptions and insights resulted in actional recommendations our board understood, embraced, and implemented. Those recommendations led to more effective oversight enabling us to become a more effective substance use disorder recovery organization. Furthermore, Allan Weisberg of DCM conducted 360 evaluations of both the board chair and CEO—one of the recommendations of Dennis’s assessment. These evaluations were comprehensive, they effectively collected the perspectives of the many people who participate in our organization’s success. Allan’s insights into the meaning of the 360 results enabled me as board chair to develop an improvement plan that’s paying great dividends.
Thomas Starke, Board Chair
Santa Fe Recovery Center
The DCM Executive Leadership & Board Governance Assessment Survey and their CEO Annual Performance Evaluation tools enabled our board and CEO to create a baseline evaluation of our current performances and helped us develop a specific plan of action going forward to ensure the sustainability of our mission. I highly recommend them.
Robert Kley, Chair of the Board
Monarch Housing Associates
Dennis Miller provided great insight into building a strong and effective board for Vision Loss Alliance of New Jersey. He has the ability to see opportunities and areas for growth with organizations both big and small, and to deliver the information in a straightforward yet thought provoking manner. Both staff and board thoroughly enjoyed the process as well as the output of our time with Dennis and look forward to working with him again in the future!
Kris Marino, Executive Director
Vision Loss Alliance
Dennis Miller’s presentation on How to Develop a High Performing Board was a hugely enjoyable combination of informative content and open dialogue – with lots of laughs in between. The feedback has been so positive that I have scheduled Dennis to return for another presentation on the Board’s Role in Fundraising at our next Board meeting. I highly recommend Dennis to all nonprofit boards who want to improve their performance.
Christine LaRocca, Esq. Board Chair
Spectrum for Living
My Board had heard it all before and knew what was to happen but did not know how to make it happen. Dennis assessed our organization, conducted meaningful interviews with key individuals and made recommendations that we could begin implementing immediately. His strategic retreat facilitation inspired and engaged every member of our board to recommit to our vision and work towards achieving it with confidence.
Kathy Goldstein, Chairperson, Board of Trustees
CPC Behavior Healthcare, Inc.
Dennis Miller facilitated our board retreat, and he did a wonderful job. Specifically, he helped our board members see the broader needs of the organization, examine how their specific skill sets can best benefit our mission, and created renewed enthusiasm and commitment for their service. He helped us to home in on our vision and lit the pathway to achieve it.
Tracey Wilson Heisler, MA, Executive Director
CASA of Somerset, Hunterdon, and Warren
Dennis succeeded in motivating our board to look at their processes, think about them, and create a plan for making changes to move the organization forward while maintaining the strong visibility, advocacy, and programs NJAMHAA is known for. NJAMHHA will surpass itself in evolving into an even stronger trade association thanks to Dennis C. Miller!
Debra L. Wentz, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer
New Jersey Association for Mental Health and Addiction Agencies
Dennis Miller can ‘talk the talk’ because Dennis has ‘walked the walk;’ he has been there, done that! You know immediately that Dennis is not merely speaking from the theoretical or from a textbook but rather, he has a wealth of rich and tremendous knowledge to draw from when providing counsel. And his communication style is refreshing – Dennis does not mince words…he tells it like it is! In the seat I occupy, it is comforting to know I can tap into that treasure of experience to help advance the mission I am privileged to represent.
Tom Weatherall, President & CEO
Make-A-Wish Foundation of New Jersey
The Importance of Nonprofit Board Leadership
A Guide to Creating a Highly Successful Nonprofit Board
Dennis C. Miller
Good boards evaluate the CEO’s performance; Great board evaluate themselves too.
My goal is to provide you with a proven roadmap to improve your board’s performance. The recommendations in this book are based on decades of nonprofit board governance experience. When implemented, these strategies will help lead your organization toward greater effectiveness and impact.