6 Questions A Foundation Board Should Ask Its CEO

Serving on the board of a philanthropic foundation isn’t just about approving grants. It’s about being a good steward of resources and sharing responsibility for the foundation’s impact. Too often the focus tends to be on board meeting preparation and the efficiency of these meetings. Take a moment to break from the routine and consider asking your foundation CEO these questions to help the organization focus on the big picture.

1. How does this fit within our strategy?

Let’s say your CEO announces, “We’re going to engage in a county-wide campaign to increase public transportation.” That sounds like a great idea, right? Who could be against public transportation? That’s not the real question — the question needs to be “why?” Asking “why” is not implying that an idea is bad — it’s getting to the substance of why your foundation must specifically be involved in this work. How does it fundamentally help meet your mission? What is the documented strategy where this work fits? Asking “why” helps your CEO and staff revisit the overall purpose of the work and keeps you focused on the long game.

If you don’t have clarity on your strategy, then it’s easy to get lost on what I call the bandwagon byways — all the shiny philanthropic objects that come flying at you: equity, trauma-informed care, emotional intelligence, collective impact, etc. These are all important, but you need to examine them against your strategy and see whether they will help you get to your desired future state. And if you have no strategy, you need one.

2. What’s our progress on our strategic plan?

When was the last time you looked at your foundation’s strategic plan? Do you know how to locate it? If your answers to those two questions are “I don’t know” and “Nope,” then you need to talk with your CEO. There’s a lot of work during the run-up to quarterly board meetings, but often a large break in communication and thinking in between. Strategic plans should be living and present. At every meeting, you should be looking at your goals, strategies and accomplishments and be able to say, “Here’s where we are, and here’s where this new effort fits into it.” Every foundation’s strategic plan needs to be relevant and present so that everyone is aligned and working toward the same vision.

3. How much time do staff spend preparing for board meetings and what does that cost?

I have worked with foundations on projects that absolutely stalled because of an upcoming board meeting. Staff members will say they’re not available for three weeks because they’re preparing. If your board meetings are held four times a year, you’re wasting a total of 12 weeks simply doing meeting prep. That’s three months! And it doesn’t even include the recovery period when staff are exhausted and unproductive, trying to get through a backlog of 300 emails. If you, as a board member, were to calculate the hourly rate of that meeting prep and add 25% for benefits, you would be horrified to understand how much it costs to pull off a board meeting.

The point is to figure out what the board really needs to know. Ask your CEO what changes you can make internally to make meetings more efficient and a better use of time. Maybe the staff has authority to approve grants up to a dollar amount outside of board meetings. Is it necessary to print out each grant application along with a one-page summary, a paragraph summary and a one-sentence summary? Reduce the writing, copyediting, printing and more.

4. What can we do to reduce the cycle time of grantmaking?

In today’s constantly changing environment, it’s becoming even more important for funders to be nimble and responsive. Due diligence remains critical, but you need to find ways to help your foundation streamline the process so you can get more investments to more groups in need. Here are some examples:

Consider rewriting your lengthy grant application to only ask for information you truly need. If it’s not going to help you evaluate an investment, don’t ask for it.

Think about the practices you’ve created to be a good steward that might be increasing time spent unnecessarily. For example, site visits are a great way to see work firsthand, but you aren’t required to do them and they certainly don’t need to take an entire day. Try inviting all applicants to have a meet and greet with the CEO and board members instead.

Letters of intent were created as a way to avoid too many grantees from filling out the long application, but many have now just ended up adding yet another step in a lengthy grantmaking process. If it’s not adding value, remove it.

Talk to your CEO about approving grants on a rolling basis instead of quarterly. The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation makes grants on a rolling basis up to and including $1M with only president — not board — review, allowing them to be both responsive and timely in meeting needs.

5. Are we taking enough risks?

Foundations need to be comfortable with risk. This doesn’t mean to forgo due diligence, but it does mean a recognition that not all investments will have the expected result. But in order to support innovative ideas and create transformational change, funders should be willing to take prudent risks. Create an analysis to put your idea through each time to evaluate the risks: cost/benefit, whether it fits strategically with what you’re trying to do, how hard it would be to implement, etc. A wonderful resource to better understand the risk to spur innovation in this field scan, Fostering Innovation in Philanthropy.

6. How can we be more helpful to you?

One of the best ways to find out how to support your CEO is to simply ask. Foundation CEOs are often trying to make it easy on the board and hesitate to let them know anything is wrong. Staff are so busy keeping the balls in the air that they don’t think about ways the board could help.

There are plenty of ways for board members to provide support outside of the quarterly board meeting. Maybe your foundation is getting involved in a collaborative project that has become political and created disagreement—show up at the local City Council meeting to share your support. What doors could you open for your foundation simply by introducing your CEO to 10 people? Take opportunities to anticipate what might be different in the future of your community and anticipate needs. Do you foresee that a large local industry may move or shutter operations? Will a boom in births mean a future strain on community schools? What can your foundation do now to prepare for that?

Many board members are concerned about pushing back on the ideas that foundation staff and CEOs create. Yes, you should trust your CEO and staff and their knowledge of what’s happening on the ground. But so you can all be better connected to the mission and remember what you’re trying to accomplish together. As a board member, your job is to be a good steward of resources and share the responsibility of the foundation’s work. Don’t forget that sometimes that means asking the tough questions.

Additional Reading

6 Questions to Ask Your Doctor Before You Turn 50

Turning 50 is a milestone that we all look forward to reaching, but let’s be honest, it’s also scary AF. For many of us, getting a doctor checkup is not high on the to-do list, but with this big birthday on the horizon, it’s more important than ever to check in with your primary care physician (or, first get a PCP) and make sure you’ve got a clean bill of health.

“I can tell you from personal experience, the worst part about turning 50 years old is thinking about it,” says Jerrold S. Gertzman, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Capital Health Medical Group and family medical specialist. The good news? “Fifty is not really all that old. Your primary care physician can work with you to not only live longer but to live well longer.” After all, it's much easier to keep people healthy than to get someone healthy once they become sick, Dr. Gertzman says. “Preventing disease and preventing chronic medical conditions is the key to living well longer. Working with your primary care physician is the first step to a longer and more youthful life.”

Here are the questions you should ask your doc as you approach the big 5-0:

The recommended age for a colonoscopy if you have no risk factors is now 45, so this is definitely a must. Dr. Gertzman says this screening test for colon cancer is so important because if caught and diagnosed early, it is often very treatable. He also says that mammogram and gynecological screenings such pap smears and pelvic exams are necessary for women, and that both men and women should have a lung cancer screening if they are a former or present smoker. Additionally, you should ask about blood work and urine tests to screen for cholesterol, liver functions, diabetes, kidney function, thyroid disease, anemia. Delana Wardlaw, MD, a family medicine physician with Temple Health says that prostate screening is also essential for men at this age.

Even if you’re set in your ways as far as the foods you like to eat, and the idea of working out seems daunting, Gertzman says there’s still a lot you can do in this realm to protect your health. “Your primary care physician can work with you to make gradual changes to the way you eat and to how you introduce more activity into your life. Small changes can have a very positive impact on your health.”

Dr. Wardlaw agrees that it’s important to make sure you’re getting enough fruits and vegetables, whole grains, protein and dairy products which are good sources of calcium and vitamin D. She recommends trying to exercise 150 minutes per week at moderate or high intensity. “But any activity is better than no activity, so be sure to find some way to move,” she advises.

“High cholesterol is major risk factor for heart attack and stroke,” says Wardlaw. “Everyone should know their numbers for total cholesterol, good cholesterol (HDL) and bad cholesterol (LDL).” She says the goal is to lower your total cholesterol and LDL and increase your HDL.

Dr. Gertzman says you might consider medication and changes to your diet if your cholesterol levels aren’t optimal, but your doctor can advise on what is best.

The average age of menopause is 51, says Wardlaw, so this is definitely something that should be on your radar. “Women should speak with their physician to determine what options are available to them, including diet, exercise, vaginal lubricants, hormonal therapy and low dose anti-depressants.”

“Once a woman has gone through menopause, which is one year without a menstrual cycle, if she develops vaginal bleeding she should notify her physician right away,” cautions Gertzman, as this could be a sign of cancer in the uterus.

Family history is not a guarantee that one will get the same conditions as their family member, but it is important to know the conditions for which one may be at risk, says Gertzman. “Then you can take steps to mitigate those risks.”

“A positive family history of many diseases can increase one’s risk for heart disease, diabetes, breast cancer, colon cancer and prostate cancer,” says Wardlaw. “Follow the basics of a healthy diet, avoid tobacco and excessive alcohol, discuss family histories with your family members and see your physician so you can have your recommended screenings.”

“See your primary care physician at least once a year for a wellness visit which allows the detection of subtle changes that will allow us to identify conditions prior to symptom manifestation,” says Wardlaw. “You may not be aware of an elevated blood sugar, blood pressure, elevated cholesterol and/or signs of depression (to name a few) which can all be detected at your wellness visit.” The earlier a condition can be detected the higher likelihood the condition can be better controlled and or reversed, she says.

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