Evaluation of Board Governance

Over the years, stakeholders at UJA-Federation of New York have repeatedly questioned whether its current board governing structure is ideal, given the unique nature of its large constituency and broad mission. UJA-Federation of New York therefore requested that the Capstone team evaluate its board governance, identify its strengths and weaknesses, research alternative models, and offer suggestions for improvement. To this end, the Capstone team conducted a literature review on the subject of board governance and its best practices, investigated alternative board models adopted by comparable nonprofit organizations, created and distributed a board self-assessment survey to all 161 board members, and interviewed a quorum of board and staff members at UJA-Federation of New York. On the basis of its research, the team identified several board models (and suggestions for the current model) which could be implemented by the client to enhance the quality of governance and the engagement of board members.