How do nonprofits find good board members? How do they cultivate good decisions from the boardroom? These are some of the questions that the Institute for Excellence in Corporate Governance at UT Dallas will address at a seminar for nonprofit board members next month.

Richard Leblanc

Dr. Richard Leblanc, author and professor of law, governance and ethics at York University in Toronto, will address corporate boards during a talk next month.

The event, “How to Create Effective Nonprofit Boards: The Necessity of Governance and Leadership,” is scheduled for Tuesday, March 6, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Executive Dining Room at the Naveen Jindal School of Management. Co-sponsors include the Center for Nonprofit Management, Communities Foundation of Texas and Dallas Social Venture Partners.

Author Dr. Richard Leblanc, professor of law, governance and ethics at York University in Toronto, will share insights from his research on the boardroom and from the hundreds of interviews he has conducted with sitting board members.  

Leblanc co-wrote Inside the Boardroom: How Boards Really Work and the Coming Revolution in Corporate Governance and also co-authored 20 Questions Directors of Not-for-Profit Organizations Should Ask About Board Recruitment, Development and Assessment.

“With diminishing revenues and growing demand for services, many nonprofit boards have had to grapple with a range of difficult decisions,” said Institute for Excellence in Corporate Governance Director Dennis McCuistion. “As nonprofits face extraordinary circumstances, having a strong, effective board is even more critical to their success.”

Inside the Boardroom by Richard Leblanc

Dr. Leblanc co-authored Inside the Boardroom.

Some of the topics that will be covered include:

  • Does your nonprofit really need a functioning board?
  • How do we know if we have the “right board?”
  • Who should lead the board and what are the two major types of board chairs?
  • What are the five types of functional board members and how should they be identified and recruited?
  • What are the five types of dysfunctional board members and how should they be avoided or “evaluated out?”

Cost of the program is $90 and includes breakfast, lunch and a copy of Leblanc’s book. Registration and more information about the event are available at the Institute’s website. Campus visitors may stop at the Visitor’s Center to receive a parking permit. Metered parking is also available in Lot M West, immediately south of the Jindal School building off East Drive. See a campus map for details.