Exploring New Perspectives on Nonprofit Governance

Why did you choose to attend GNE–Virtual?

I was elected to the board of a large, established health and human services organization with revenues of over $200 million and a staff of more than 3,000. My prior board experiences were primarily with much smaller and less complex organizations. Therefore, my main reasons for enrolling in GNE–Virtual were to learn how to best serve as an effective board member in this context and to make meaningful contributions to an organization whose mission I deeply care about.

How would you describe the value of the program to someone who is considering it?

I would highly recommend this program to those already serving on nonprofit boards and to individuals planning to do so. GNE–Virtual is extraordinary in the way it brings together both for-profit and nonprofit cases and provides unique tools for problem solving in nonprofit contexts. The faculty engage you constantly in robust conversations weaving in the case at critical points. Furthermore, the cohort and the materials enhance the learning experience. I found myself problem solving in unique ways that were new to me. It's not your typical traditional class!

What impact has the program had on the way you work?

The program has had a huge impact on the way I approach board governance in a nonprofit environment. Most importantly, I now look at issues in a more holistic, systematic, and comprehensive manner. Both the faculty and the curriculum provided critical insights into problem solving and how board governance relates to the organization's mission and people, funding and management, challenges and successes.

What surprised you most about this learning experience?

For me, the learning continued to fall into place long after I completed the program. There were numerous points that I kept mulling over weeks later. I had many "aha" moments when thinking about how a case may have found resolution or when speculating on potential ways to resolve situations presented in class. It was only after the program ended that I realized that I was just starting to process various pieces of learning.

What aspect of GNE–Virtual was the most transformative for you?

Apart from the class participation and teaching, my loudest "shoutout" is to my discussion group. The conversations we had every morning prior to the start of class were exciting and fun. Each of my cohort members had interesting and distinct points of view that made the cases a lot more engaging and interesting and, in turn, broadened my perspective and understanding of both leadership and board governance.

How was the virtual aspect of the program for you?

The fact that HBS was able to provide this class virtually was a game changer for me. Due to scheduling challenges, I wasn't able to consider enrolling in an in-person program.

By virtue of being virtual, participants enrolled from different parts of the globe and represented various sizes of nonprofits, which made for an enriching experience. Most importantly, being virtual makes this program far easier and accessible for participants with physical disabilities and participants with caregiving responsibilities. In addition to being accessible, the delivery of the program was seamless.

What advice do you have for someone who is about to participate in the program?

Prepare for your discussion groups! Once you've prepared, then you can juxtapose your own experiences with those of the faculty. A great experience for me was facilitating the conversation for our discussion group, which meant that I had to have the case down cold and get people to talk about their experiences.

If you treat the discussion groups like a warmup act for class, you'll enjoy the experience of learning in a very different way—the faculty, your cohort, and the materials will all come alive, leading to a vibrant and truly extraordinary learning experience.