Nonprofit Board Governance NYC Style

Nonprofit Board Governance NYC Style

By Tom Wilson Major Gifts Guru

In a recent article in The New York Times, the New York Philharmonic noted that banker Gary W. Parr, 52 and deputy chairman of Lazard, will be the next chairman. He succeeds Paul B. Guenther who became chair in 1996 and indicated he was seeking to retire from this position several years ago.

As you know, I’m not a believer in board term limits, but I’m not quite sure how the New York City arts world works in terms of board chairs duration and responsibilities. 13 years is a long-time to be volunteer leader of an organization.

And yet, one of my hospital clients in the Los Angeles area has had the same board chair for 25 years.

If your board chair likes the job, is giving generously, and raising money for your organization, then I guess they can stay. If you want great major gifts, keep your best board members . . . forever.

What patterns have you seen? I welcome your comments.

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