The case describes challenges that commonly arise between board and management in not for profits (NPFs), specifically, (a) questions of strategy related to changes in funding; (b) questions of culture related to the informality of relations among board members, management, and staff; and (c) questions of authority related to the disparity in involvement between volunteer board and professional management.
Based on a description of how these challenges played out in an international NGO, an analysis of what was needed to address them, and a presentation of recommendations that were successfully applied, the case provides boards and managements of NPFs a blueprint for how to build stronger collaboration and offers students of NPFs a model for study.