Nonprofit Boards Reckon with Sexual Misconduct

(from Nonprofit Quarterly) As more individuals come forward to share their stories of sexual harassment and assault, they are exposing the institutions and institutional cultures that have allowed such behavior to go unchecked for years, if not longer. Recent headlines involving nonprofits includuing Oxfam, American Red Cross and The Humane Society reveal that nonprofits are not immune to either the presence of sexual misconduct or its mishandling by leaders. Boards must go beyond compliance-driven politicies and think more deeply about how to cultivate organizational cultures that refuse to tolerate harassment or exploitation of any kind, according to Anne Wallestad, president and CEO of BoardSource.

Wallestad advises boards to ask themselves:

• Are we doing enough to provide leadership and guidance to the staff about organizational values, policies and expectations?

• What do we know about how our chief executive is leading the staff, and how do we know it?

• How are we, as a board, ensuring that we are not part of the problem?

Much more at Nonprofit Quarterly 

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