The Anatomy of Foundation First Governance - The Building Blocks

(23 pages)

This enumerates, for the first time, the suggested hierarchy of the 40+ “building blocks” of authority, policy, procedure and governance style "building blocks" which successful non-profit organizations ensure are in place so as to achieve goals and objectives on an ongoing basis. In pyramid format, this presentation permits your officials to view the critical elements of first class governance in a comprehensive, ordered schema and against which you and they can assess your own governance.

The commentary on each building block permits you and your non-profit leaders to clearly visualize how units of authority, responsibility, etc. fit together, support and rely on one another, as with the construction of a building. The 20+ fundamental authority, responsibility, conceptual blocks are arrayed, in priority, with the (suggested) most important “foundation” units, naturally, placed first across the base of the pyramid; then the “lesser,” but still important blocks, continue to be laid one upon another. Once the Foundation units are in place, the 17 Modus Operandi building blocks, the units which address “how your group intends to implement Foundation plans and policies, etc., work together, etc.” take their place, in priority, just as do the Foundation blocks below. The MO building block practices energize and put in play the "Foundation" building blocks, thereby promoting consistency and coherence.

The FFG “blocks” in place also help stablize against disorientations, especially those which can accompany board turnover.

Organizations without the benefit one or two of the Foundation blocks, depending on which, (e.g., no strategic plan, no vision, mission, goals, etc.) or their Modus Operandi blocks (e.g., directors fail to insist on timely project and financial reports, including “status against plan”), likely face continual dysfunction and failure. For example, some organizations have in place a strategic plan (part of its Foundation); however, if its leaders fail to comply with it or be guided by it (violate their Modus Operandi), they will find themselves misallocating assets, or, simply, without focus.