
Being a co-leader with your nonprofit board with Mary Hiland
09/19/23 • 36 min
In episode 81, Carol Hamilton and Mary Hiland discuss the challenges and strategies of nonprofit executive directors working with their boards. They explore the importance of leaving a legacy and sharing knowledge, and how it inspired Carol to start her podcast, Mission Impact. Mary's book, "Love Your Board," is also discussed, focusing on the primary sources of trouble for executive directors when working with their boards. The conversation delves into the dimensions of capacity, connection, and culture within a board. They highlight the significance of building trust in board relationships and challenging assumptions in board recruitment. Additionally, they emphasize the need for emotional connection and individual check-ins with board members.
Episode Outline:
(00:08:52) Dimensions of Board Challenges (00:15:11) Building Trust in Board Relationships (00:21:39) Challenging Assumptions in Board Recruitment (00:27:55) Board Member Engagement
Guest Bio:
Mary Hiland Ph.D. is a nonprofit governance expert and leadership development consultant dedicated to helping nonprofit leaders lead effectively. Mary has over forty years’ experience in the nonprofit sector – both as an executive and as a board member. She has been consulting and coaching nonprofit leaders for 20 years. Mary is a speaker, published author, researcher, and a business professor at her local community college. She is author of the #1 international best-seller: Love Your Board! The Executive Directors’ Guide to Discovering the Sources of Nonprofit Board Troubles and What to Do About Them (2021) And Mary is a contributing author to four other nonprofit leadership books. Mary is the founder and host of the podcast: Inspired Nonprofit Leadership
Episode Links:
Hiland Consulting: https://www.hilandconsulting.org/
Inspired Nonprofit Leadership:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/inspired-nonprofit-leadership/id1446218521
Talk with Mary: talkwithmary.com
Alliance for Nonprofit Management: https://allianceonlinecommunity.org/
Be in Touch:
✉️ Subscribe to Carol’s newsletter at Grace Social Sector Consulting
💻 Give us feedback on the show
📚Find the books referred to on Nonprofit Mission: Impact
👥 Like what you heard? Please share the podcast with a colleague or friend
🌟 Help more people learn about Nonprofit Mission: Impact by leaving a rating & review.
😀 Connect with Carol Hamilton ➡️ LinkedIn
In episode 81, Carol Hamilton and Mary Hiland discuss the challenges and strategies of nonprofit executive directors working with their boards. They explore the importance of leaving a legacy and sharing knowledge, and how it inspired Carol to start her podcast, Mission Impact. Mary's book, "Love Your Board," is also discussed, focusing on the primary sources of trouble for executive directors when working with their boards. The conversation delves into the dimensions of capacity, connection, and culture within a board. They highlight the significance of building trust in board relationships and challenging assumptions in board recruitment. Additionally, they emphasize the need for emotional connection and individual check-ins with board members.
Episode Outline:
(00:08:52) Dimensions of Board Challenges (00:15:11) Building Trust in Board Relationships (00:21:39) Challenging Assumptions in Board Recruitment (00:27:55) Board Member Engagement
Guest Bio:
Mary Hiland Ph.D. is a nonprofit governance expert and leadership development consultant dedicated to helping nonprofit leaders lead effectively. Mary has over forty years’ experience in the nonprofit sector – both as an executive and as a board member. She has been consulting and coaching nonprofit leaders for 20 years. Mary is a speaker, published author, researcher, and a business professor at her local community college. She is author of the #1 international best-seller: Love Your Board! The Executive Directors’ Guide to Discovering the Sources of Nonprofit Board Troubles and What to Do About Them (2021) And Mary is a contributing author to four other nonprofit leadership books. Mary is the founder and host of the podcast: Inspired Nonprofit Leadership
Episode Links:
Hiland Consulting: https://www.hilandconsulting.org/
Inspired Nonprofit Leadership:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/inspired-nonprofit-leadership/id1446218521
Talk with Mary: talkwithmary.com
Alliance for Nonprofit Management: https://allianceonlinecommunity.org/
Be in Touch:
✉️ Subscribe to Carol’s newsletter at Grace Social Sector Consulting
💻 Give us feedback on the show
📚Find the books referred to on Nonprofit Mission: Impact
👥 Like what you heard? Please share the podcast with a colleague or friend
🌟 Help more people learn about Nonprofit Mission: Impact by leaving a rating & review.
😀 Connect with Carol Hamilton ➡️ LinkedIn
Previous Episode

Celebrating several nonprofits in my life with Carol Hamilton
In episode 80 of Nonprofit Mission: Impact, Carol Hamilton goes solo to celebrate several of the nonprofits that support and enrich her life.
Nonprofit organizations play a crucial role in enriching our lives and communities in various ways. Carol discusses:
- Several organizations that support her brother who is deaf, autistic and developmentally disabled and help her and her family advocate for him, helping him live as fulfilling a life as possible.
- Organizations that have been part of making her local river, the Anacostia, less polluted and more fun to kayak.
- Organizations that make biking in DC better.
Important Links:
The Arc of Montgomery County: https://thearcmontgomerycounty.org/
By Their Side: https://www.bytheirside.org/
The Sibling Leadership Network: https://siblingleadership.org/
The Anacostia Watershed Society: https://www.anacostiaws.org/
The Anacostia Riverkeeper: https://www.anacostiariverkeeper.org/
Washington Area Bicyclist Association: https://waba.org/
Be in Touch:
✉️ Subscribe to Carol’s newsletter at Grace Social Sector Consulting
💻 Give us feedback on the show
📚Find the books referred to on Nonprofit Mission: Impact
👥 Like what you heard? Please share the podcast with a colleague or friend
🌟 Help more people learn about Nonprofit Mission: Impact by leaving a rating & review.
😀 Connect with Carol Hamilton ➡️ LinkedIn
Next Episode

The Evolving landscape of nonprofit work with Danielle Marshall
In episode 82 of Nonprofit Mission: Impact, Danielle Marshall and Carol Hamilton have another ‘learning out loud’ conversation where we delve into the evolving landscape of nonprofit work, focusing on key themes:
🔥 Burnout and Beyond: We kickstart the discussion by addressing the prevalent issue of burnout, which has long haunted the sector. Discover how it has been exacerbated by recent events and how individuals and organizations are tackling it head-on.
🌟 Redefining Success: We dive deep into the changing definitions of success. It's no longer just about productivity and traditional measures. Learn how individuals are crafting new narratives and aligning their actions with their values.
💡 Deepening Impact: Explore the shift from relentless scaling to strategic deepening. We uncover innovative approaches to maximize impact, even with limited resources.
💼 Resource Reallocation: Get insights into how nonprofits are rethinking resource allocation. It's not just about budgets but also about investing time, human resources, and energy more intentionally.
🎯 Mission Focus: Discover the power of niche specialization. What are you doing to hone your focus to prevent mission drift and build confidence in your abilities? Do you have time built into your day or week for intentional and quiet reflection and strategic thinking?
🤝 Collaboration and Partnerships: We explore the art of collaboration and how nonprofits are building meaningful partnerships, passing tasks, and referrals, all while fostering trust and growth.
🌈 Well-Being and Productivity: Learn about the importance of individual and team well-being. How are you incorporating joy and playfulness into your life – inside and outside of work?
Timestamped Outline:
(00:03:47) Reevaluating values and redefining success during the pandemic (00:07:37) Fostering Internal Cohesion for Organizational Success (00:10:09) Redefining success through thoughtful resource allocation (00:14:19) Narrowing focus for increased impact and success (00:22:33) Creative thought organization with mind mapping
(00:36:59) Redefining emergencies and prioritizing strategic thinking
Guest Bio: Danielle is an inclusive leader focused on strengthening collaboration among teams, leaders, and stakeholders to foster problem-solving, create solutions, and improve culture. She finds her inspiration in leading systemic change work that promotes equity and inclusion.
Danielle founded Culture Principles in response to a persistent need to operationalize Racial Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion metrics, centering REDI goals and creating accountability systems. She supports clients through her Mapping Equity Framework focused on Unearthing Knowledge, Elevating Strategy, and Transforming Sustainability. She centers her work around organizational assessment, racial equity learning intensives, and the development of racial equity action plans. Understanding that each organization arrives at this work from different perspectives, she utilizes assessment in building a customized strategy for each unique partner.
Previously Danielle served as a non-profit leader for 20+ years and today works on strategy development that enables nonprofits to achieve equitable mission-driven results. Danielle holds a Master's degree in Industrial-Organizational Psychology from Louisiana Tech University and draws on her background as an I/O psychologist in applying a racial equity lens to organizational policies, practices, and programs. She is a Certified Diversity Professional (CDP)/ Executive Coach (ACC).
During her playtime, you can find Danielle traveling, knitting, and kayaking in all 50 states.
Episode Links:
● Reflection tools:
o Link to weekly review on Grace website
o Link to 6 month review on Grace website
● https://www.culture-principles.com/
● https://www.linkedin.com/in/danimarshall/
Be in Touch:
✉️ Subscribe to Carol’s newsletter at Grace Social Sector Consulting
💻 Give us feedback on the show
📚Find the books referred to on Nonprofit Mission: Impact
👥 Like what you heard? Please share the podcast with a colleague or friend
🌟 Help more people learn about Nonprofit Mission: Impact by leaving a rating & review.
😀 Connect with Carol Hamilton ➡️ LinkedIn
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