Resources
How to Report on Risk to Your Board
Have you been asked by the Board to provide a risk report or briefing? It’s natural to be a little nervous about that. But an open dialogue about risk can build trust, shape strategy, and help your nonprofit better execute on its mission. Here are some steps to help you have a great discussion about … Continued
We Don’t Know: The Life-Changing Power of Being Uncertain
“The big trick is to be relaxed about uncertainty and, if possible, to even enjoy it… It’s difficult to have an epiphany if all you want revealed is what you already know.” – John Hunt, The Art of The Idea By Melanie Lockwood Herman Warm Spring weather foreshadows bright green shoots in my garden and … Continued
What Your Board Needs to Know About Cyber Threats
By Melanie Lockwood Herman Risk is top-of-mind for many nonprofit boards these days. Board members understandably want to grasp the top risks facing an organization and have confidence that the management team is prepared to weather the downside risks it cannot avoid. And based on our work with nonprofits across a wide spectrum of missions, … Continued
What Your Board Needs to Know About Cyber Threats
By Melanie Lockwood Herman Risk is top-of-mind for many nonprofit boards these days. Board members understandably want to grasp the top risks facing an organization and have confidence that the management team is prepared to weather the downside risks it cannot avoid. And based on our work with nonprofits across a wide spectrum of missions, … Continued
Don’t be Dispassionate: How to Use Emotional Impulses to Make Better Decisions – Full Article
By Glenn Mott “Heuristic / you risked it.” —Hank Lazer Recently, I had an opportunity to read a special issue of the Harvard Business Review called “The Brain Science Behind Business”—a compilation of previously published articles about neuroscience. Reading these articles got me thinking about the role of heuristics in risk management. Heuristics refers to … Continued
Risking It All to Save the World: An Analysis of Risk Management Practice and Risk Leadership in the Nonprofit Sector
The risk management discipline continues to evolve and gain traction across the nonprofit sector, with organizational leaders recognizing risk management as a mechanism for loss prevention, quality improvement, informed decision-making, and mission advancement. Using results of two recent surveys conducted by the Nonprofit Risk Management Center (NRMC), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit committed to enhancing risk management … Continued
Revamp Your Risk Register
By Erin Gloeckner Of the conventional, commonplace risk management tools, the risk register seems to reign supreme. Typically a chart or spreadsheet that details risk information and management controls, I sometimes wonder why template risk registers continue to pique the interest of teams that have tailored and customized other aspects of their risk management programs. … Continued
Risk Oversight & Risk Reporting to the Board
Quench your board’s thirst for assurance that your staff teams are carefully managing risks at the operational level. Learn to deliver a compelling risk report to your board that inspires confidence and productive conversation. Also learn about the board’s risk oversight role, and gain practical tips for engaging your board in your ERM program. This … Continued
Risk Leadership Resources for Nonprofit Risk Champions
November 30, 2017 Explore this RISK eNewsletter filled with risk leadership resources What Star Trek Taught Me about Risk Leadership There’s not exactly a Starfleet Academy for nonprofit risk professionals, like in the beloved television and film series, Star Trek. So how will you know when you reach the status of a commissioned officer, ready … Continued
Boards on Board: Managing Governance Risk
Volunteer boards are vital partners at all nonprofit organizations. An important aspect of any board’s role is to safeguard the mission and assets of the organization. Join Melanie Lockwood Herman, executive director at the Nonprofit Risk Management Center, as she shares strategies to help streamline risk management and compliance at the board level. Watch this … Continued
The Garden of Risk Oversight: Positioning the Board to Cultivate Strategic Risk-Taking
By Melanie Lockwood Herman When considering the myriad risks facing a nonprofit organization, one could identify many risks that should be safeguarded against, mitigated, or prevented if possible. Strategic risks are another animal altogether, or more appropriately, a garden of risks that—if properly tended to—will grow to fruition and advance the nonprofit’s mission and vision. … Continued
Risk Oversight
This webinar explores the topic of risk oversight and the board. Learn what the term risk oversight” means, and how risk oversight intersects with the board’s legal and fiduciary responsibilities. Join us as we take a close-up look at several risk oversight frameworks, and explore how to custom fit a risk oversight capability to your … Continued
Risk Aware Boards
This webinar explores the topic of governance risk. What risks arise from the work of the board? How does the responsibility of a nonprofit board differ from that of a for-profit board? What steps are recommended to engage the board without frightening members and encouraging risk-averse positions or policies? By the end of this webinar, … Continued
Calibrating Your Nonprofit’s Risk Appetite: Candid Conversations at the Board Table
Many nonprofit leaders report a sense of being either risk takers” or “risk averse.” Yet it is unusual for the entire leadership team to share the same level of comfort with highly uncertain outcomes. This webinar will explore the concept of “risk appetite” in a nonprofit organization. Topics to be discussed include: how to engage … Continued
Risk Oversight: Who, What and How
Who’s “minding the store” in your risk management program? Although many nonprofit leaders intuitively understand the need for risk oversight, designing a custom-fit framework takes time and attention. This webinar will explore the concept of risk oversight, including who exercises ultimate authority and responsibility for risk in a nonprofit, what methods of oversight work well … Continued
The Board’s Role in Risk Management
Risk is inherent in nonprofit organizations as in every other sector of the economy. One of the roles of the board is to ensure the systematic identification of the risks that threaten the mission and survival of a nonprofit organization. What is the board’s responsibility for risk management and how can board members discharge this … Continued
Risk Oversight: Who Dunnit?
By Erin Gloeckner When I first heard the term risk oversight, I imagined a risk manager following clues in a deerstalker hat like Sherlock Holmes. I thought risk oversight meant chasing down the villain who allowed the risk to materialize. But risk oversight is not about blaming people when downside risks materialize. Those responsible for … Continued
Engaging the Board in Forecasting and Managing Risk
Ideally, you want managing risk to be second nature to your board and senior managers. Sign on for this 1-hour online program and then point the board towards an enlightened understanding of risk and risk taking. Learn how to keep the board fully apprised of your agency’s risks without causing undue concern or worry. Watch … Continued