Building Trust and Values: How Nonprofit Boards Can Lead with Integrity
By Ja’Mel Ashely Ware
What happens when those entrusted to protect a nonprofit's mission become its greatest threat? Nonprofit boards wield immense power over the organizations they govern, serving as guardians of the mission and architects of long-term success. However, when boards act without transparency or proper planning, they risk dismantling the organization. Abrupt reorganizations or leadership changes without clear succession plans or collaborative decision-making jeopardize continuity, destabilize trust, and exacerbate societal mistrust in institutions. To mitigate these risks, boards must adopt systems that foster collective ownership of decisions, as The Theory of Change Framework emphasizes, ensuring stakeholders are informed and engaged.
This issue is not theoretical for me—it is personal. After four years at an organization where I built a successful program and earned a promotion to Director of Programs, I decided to walk away. The decision came during a mass exodus. While I agreed with the need for change, the board handled the transition poorly. They pushed out staff, abandoned the culture, and imposed a framework antithetical to the mission. Lacking empathy and appreciation for staff expertise, the board alienated those who had kept the organization running - gutting the nonprofit of talent and passion, as the values we had committed to were no longer upheld.
Leadership and Trust: A Fragile Balance
Founders' personal investments profoundly shape a nonprofit's culture and mission. Boards that oust founders risk eroding trust internally and externally. Distrust fractures leadership teams, undermines morale, and alienates the communities nonprofits serve.
This dynamic was painfully evident in my experience. The board's abrupt personnel repositioning caused staff and community members to question our direction. Trust is not a byproduct but an intentional outcome of collaborative leadership and transparent decision-making. During transitions, trust holds an organization together. Without it, staff lose morale, communities lose faith, and the mission falters.
The 2024 Edelman Trust Barometer highlights that maintaining trust requires clear communication, especially during upheaval. Boards must view trust-building as a strategic priority, ensuring decisions are collaborative. While including all stakeholders in every decision may not be feasible, meaningfully engaging staff is essential. Staff are closest to day-to-day operations and community needs. Inviting their insights fosters morale and alignment, ensuring those who sustain the work remain committed to the mission. Boards must recognize that transparency and collaboration are ideals and necessities for stability.
Guiding Growth Through Values
Values are a nonprofit's moral compass, shaping decisions from hiring practices to strategic priorities. Transparency, accountability, and inclusivity are essential for building resilient organizations that navigate change.
As SSIR's "Centering Equity in Collective Impact" highlights, decision-making that centers equity ensures leadership reflects stakeholder needs. Board members must bring technical expertise while aligning with the organization's values. At my former organization, the board chair's disconnect from the nonprofit's people-centered mission created a divide between staff and the community, alienating those closest to the mission. This misalignment disrupted relationships, eroded morale, and hindered the organization's ability to achieve its goals.
Boards must balance diversity in expertise with shared beliefs. As The Dawn of System Leadership notes, leadership is not about having all the answers but about enabling others to realize their full potential. Without a shared value system, decision-making risks becoming fragmented, alienating those responsible for implementing the organization's vision.
Leading Organizational Change
Change is inevitable, but how it is managed determines its impact. Mishandling change erodes trust, disrupts morale, and jeopardizes the mission. However, when boards anchor their decisions in shared values and intentionally build trust, transitions become growth opportunities.
To navigate change effectively, boards must engage staff expertise and community input. These efforts reinforce trust and ensure transitions align with the organization's goals. Transparent succession planning, rooted in shared values, provides a roadmap for navigating transitions while minimizing disruptions. Poorly planned transitions, by contrast, weaken the trust and morale that sustain organizations, leaving a ripple effect of disengagement and reduced capacity to serve communities.
My former organization's absence of such planning led to mass staff departures, weakened programs, and a loss of support. These changes rippled outward, reducing the nonprofit's ability to fulfill its mission and damaging its reputation. As The Theory of Change Framework explains, collective ownership of decisions builds resilience. Trust and values must be embedded into every step of the change process to ensure transitions strengthen, rather than weaken, the organization.
Conclusion
By embracing comprehensive oversight, engaging those closest to the mission, and prioritizing trust, boards can safeguard their organizations' integrity and ensure they continue serving their communities effectively.
