Black, White and Sometimes… Grey
Estimated Reading Time: 3 minutes
By Melanie Lockwood Herman
Executive Director
On Sunday I had the good fortune of visiting The Phillips Collection, a wonderful, too-often-missed museum in the heart of Washington, DC. I was lured by the opportunity to see a special exhibit (“Variations on a Theme”) of the work of Jasper Johns.
Before proceeding to see “Variations on a Theme,” I entered the first gallery space inside the museum, which featured the work of Antony Gormley in an exhibit titled “Drawing Space.” The Gormley exhibit was striking in several respects, but what drew my eye was the contrast of inky black images on stark white paper. As I proceeded to the Johns exhibition on the second floor I was immediately drawn to the monochromatic works featuring the color grey. While Johns is known for his use of color and experimental printmaking techniques, the pieces I found most intriguing were those featuring layers of grey, with images and motifs depicted ever so subtly. As I toured the exhibit and leafed through my newly acquired copy of the Art Institute of Chicago book Jasper Johns: Gray, I learned that Johns has created pieces in a wide range of grey media, including oil and acrylic paint, collage, aluminum, ink, lead and more.
Reflecting on the creative use of grey got me thinking about black, white and grey in the nonprofit world. Many nonprofit leaders either see or struggle to see the issue of “risk” in black and white. These leaders look for definitive “best practices” and policies or strategies that will provide auditable assurance that the organization is crossing every “t” and dotting every “i.” Yet other leaders appreciate the inevitable shades of “grey” in nonprofit life. A “best practice” ideal in one nonprofit context may be unworkable and therefore inadvisable in another. In other cases a practice deemed “best” and therefore appropriate may not stand the test of time. For example, less than a decade ago it was common to find strict policies prohibiting personal use of an organization’s equipment embedded in personnel manuals and technology codes of conduct. Today’s “bring your own device” movement turns that black and white prohibition of “personal use of organization property” upside down.
If you are looking for black and white rules that you can cast in stone or memorialize in ink, many sources are at your disposal. Countless consultants and management texts continue to offer definitive views on “best practices” in risk management. Yet if your nonprofit exists in a world that never ceases to change, and you aspire to hanging on tight and riding the waves of change without getting soaked, you may be better served by seeing your risk management program in shades of grey.
At this year’s SUMMIT in Chicago our expert faculty will be exploring the many colors and shades of risk management practice, including the “grey” areas. Brand-new sessions for this year’s conference include:
- A workshop on “bring your own device” trend and the associated risks, titled “Call Me” — Personal Devices at Work…Smart Savings or Unacceptable Risk?
- A panel session featured seasoned legal advisors titled “I Am The Law” — Ask the Lawyers; and
- A workshop exploring the complex transactions unique to nonprofits titled “It’s All About the Benjamins” — Advanced Accounting Issues for CFOs
I hope you will make time in your busy schedule this August 26-28 to join our team to explore the all too important “grey matter” in the discipline of nonprofit risk management.
Melanie Lockwood Herman is Executive Director of the Nonprofit Risk Management Center. She welcomes your ideas about any risk management topic, feedback on this article and questions about the Center’s resources at Melanie@nonprofitrisk.org or 703.777.3504. The Center provides risk management tools and resources at www.https://nonprofitrisk.org/ and offers consulting assistance to organizations unwilling to leave their missions to chance.
“First let me congratulate you on a conference well done. I had a great time at the Nonprofit Employee Benefits Conference and walked away with some valuable tools and questions that we’ll need to be addressing in both the short and long term. Thanks to you and your staff for all you do to provide us with quality resources in support of our missions.”
— Scott Brown, Mohonk Preserve
“BBYO’s engagement of the Center to conduct a risk assessment was one of the most valuable processes undertaken over the past five years. Numerous programmatic and procedural changes were recommended and have since been implemented. Additionally, dozens (literally) of insurance coverage gaps were identified that would never have been without the work of the Center. This assessment led to a broker bidding process that resulted in BBYO’s selection of a new broker that we have been extremely satisfied with. I unconditionally recommend the Center for their consultative services.
— Sidney Abrams, BBYO
“Melanie Herman has provided expert, insightful, timely and well resourced information to our Executive Team and Board of Directors. Our corporation recently experienced massive growth through merger and the Board has been working to better integrate their expanded set of roles and responsibilities. Melanie presented at our Annual Board of Director’s Retreat and captured the interest of our Board members. As a result of her excellent presentation the Board has engaged in focused review which is having immediate effects on governance.”
— Pamela Mattel, Basics Promesa Systems Inc
“The Nonprofit Risk Management Center has been an outstanding partner for us. They are attentive to our needs, and work hard to successfully meet our requests for information. Being an Affiliate member gave us access to so many time- and money-saving resources that it easily paid for itself! Nonprofit Risk Management Center is truly a valued partner of The Community Foundation of Elkhart County and we are continuously able to optimize staff time with the support given by their team.”
— Jodi Spataro, Community Foundation of Elkhart County
“The board and staff of the Prince George’s Child Resource Center are extremely pleased with the results of the risk assessment conducted by the Nonprofit Risk Management Center. A thorough scan revealed that while we are a well run organization, we had risks that we never imagined. We are grateful to know that we have now minimized our organizational risks and we recommend the Center to other nonprofits.”
— Marti Worshtil, Prince George’s Child Resource Center
Great American Insurance Group’s Specialty Human Services is committed to protecting those who improve your communities. The Center team has committed to delivering dynamic risk management solutions tailored to nonprofit organizations. These organizations have many and varied risk issues, hence the need for specialized coverage and expert knowledge for their protection. We’ve had Melanie speak on several occasions to employees and our agents. She is always on point and delivers such great value. Thank you for the terrific partnership and allowing our nonprofits to focus on their mission!