YOO HOO, BOARD MEMBERS!

Kelly Kleiman, respected fundraising consultant and theater critic, caused a bit of a stir this week with a piece she wrote for the Stanford Social Innovation Review blog about another smarty pants group of for-profit executives running to the rescue of not-for-profit management.

Sour subject, but a fun read: “This approach ignores the fact that nonprofit markets usually consist of clients who are not profitable to serve—because if they were profitable to serve, the for-profit sector would be serving them.”

I won’t repeat her observations. You can find her here: http://www.ssireview.org/opinion/entry/everything_old_is_new_again_and_nonprofits_should_stay_that_way/

The group Kelly cites, Palindrome Advisors, is a match.com for nonprofit board member acquisition. The Chicago Foundation for Women is doing something similar with “Board Boot Camp,” with two important distinctions: CFW is training women in nonprofit governance before the match and they aren’t requiring a major contribution.

Get this: Palindrome “Advisors” have to serve on a nonprofit board of directors for 1 year – an appreciation for stability, I presume. Further, Palindrome requires those volunteers to have “skin in the game” to the tune of at least $1,000.* “Founding Palindrome Advisors and Palindrome Hubs (those donating over $5k or taking leadership roles) will be acknowledged throughout the Palindrome program and in our national press initiatives. Remember, Palindrome is also a nonprofit (501c3), so this is tax-deductible.” Does that sound familiar?

Thanks once again, Big Business Geniuses!

*Palindrome Advisors plans to hold those funds in escrow and will contribute a portion of the initial pledge to the non-profit depending on the wish of the volunteer board member once a match with a nonprofit is made.