Tango Nonprofit Academy

NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION BUSINESS ESSENTIALS

DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION TRAINING AND MENTORING PROGRAM 

Introduction 

Contemporary modern-day nonprofit organizations are not “charities.”  They are complex highly regulated operating enterprises with responsibilities,  issues and exposures as broad and as deep as those faced by comparably sized business/for-profit organizations.

Nonprofit sector organizations have always needed able governing board members, but the need for board talent – especially business talent — has increased because of the growth in complexity mentioned above.

Another issue facing the nonprofit sector is the lack of racial and ethnic diversity on nonprofit boards of directors.  According to a 2017 study undertaken by Boardsource,[1]  the boards of directors of nonprofit organizations are no more diverse racially and ethnically than they were 30 years ago.  

Corporate employers have an interest in demonstrating their commitment to social responsibility in the communities in which they operate; addressing issues of diversity and inclusion among their employees; and in the enhancement of the knowledge and skills of their employees so that they can better contribute to the profit and success of their employers. 

Proposal

TANGO has developed a course of instruction designed to teach the “business essentials”that people serving on modern nonprofit organization boards of directors should know, and the personal skills necessary to put the knowledge into effect.   The knowledge and skills will simultaneously benefit nonprofits in the community and the companies by which trainees they are employed.  They will be better employees.

The business essentials are applicable in a wide variety of nonprofit andbusiness settings and include:  the nature of corporate enterprises, the nature of the board/management relationship,  the importance of procedural and substantive diligence, basic federal taxation principles, investment  management and markets,  the role of independent financial auditors,  business affiliations,  and mergers and acquisitions.

The personal skills include (in the context of nonprofit board meetings but applicable in all business settings) the clear and concise organization and presentation of information,  the importance of consensus building among voting bodies, the confidence to ask questions and raise points for discussion, the ability to order ones’ thinking, and precise communication skills.  

The course consists of the following five elements:

Element One.  A Textbook:
The TANGO Nonprofit Method which was created for this project and purpose.  Each student would receive a copy, and a copy is  included with this proposal.

Element Two.   Online lectures:
Our website provides access to fourteen recorded online  lectures (with slides)  which  parallel the TANGO Nonprofit Method textbook Chapter by Chapter.  Each student would receive a password to access the lectures, and it can be made available to  persons reviewing this proposal.

Element Three:  Live interactive lectures/seminars:
The material  would be brought to life in a series of interactive lectures and/or seminars.  These sessions will be led by Jack Horak  (the author of the textbook)  and Fred Jenoure (the director of  TANGO’s board diversity initiative).  Between them Jack and Fred have over 80 years of involvement in the nonprofit sector in different professional and volunteer capacities.  They will use this real-world wisdom to create an active and engaged classroom atmosphere with the students playing the role of a board of directors in a real-world environment.  The program can be adjusted to be delivered in short sessions over time or in a concentrated manner.  

Element Four:  Diversity and Inclusion.
The live sessions will emphasize the importance of the principles of diversity and inclusion within the board of directors (and the entire organization).  The topic will be discussed at a high and thoughtful level at appropriate times with the goal of examining past failures and developing new systems to address and to correct the problem. 

Moreover,  it is our specific goal to attract students/trainees from minority racial and ethnic groups to the course to help correct the continuing lack of diversity among nonprofit sector boards generally. While we will encourage all students to consider board service and assist them in locating a suitable organization, our emphasis will be on persons from racial and ethnic groups that continue to be under-represented on nonprofit boards.  We can do this by referrals to other board placement organizations or by direct communications with the over 1,400 TANGO nonprofit members who are always looking for well trained and able directors.

Element Five:  Mentoring:
Fred and Jack will make themselves reasonably available to assist the people who have completed the  course with questions, dilemmas, or concerns they may have with respect to or in connection with their board service.  The mentoring would likely take the form of emails and telephone conversations, though in-person meetings are possible too.  TANGO can also reach into the many business organizations in the TANGO Partner network to recruit individuals to act as mentors.

The Value Proposition