Leadership and Governance in Times of Crisis: A Balancing Act for Nonprofit Boards

Abstract

How has the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the roles of nonprofit boards? We reflect critically on the leadership and management activities of boards to understand the implications of the current crisis on governance. Employing a contingency approach to governance, we present a model of boards of directors’ leadership and management roles under four governance configurations as organizations navigate through the stages of the pandemic. We suggest that organizations with governance configurations that are more suited to predictable environments will generally experience greater shifts between management and leadership activities as they move through the stages of the COVID-19 crisis.

Resilience in Arts and Cultural Nonprofit Organizations: An Analysis of the Covid-19 Crisis in France

“…Their activity has collapsed (Kim & Mason, 2020 ), especially in the sports, leisure, arts and cultural sectors (Plaisance, 2021a ). Their governance has sometimes been interrupted despite its crucial role in crises (McMullin & Raggo, 2020 ). Three issues in particular stand out.…”

Nonprofit Advocacy Coalitions in Times of COVID-19: Brokerage, Crowdfunding, and Advocacy Roles

“…Recent work on the COVID crisis already showed important consequences for the functioning of nonprofit organizations (Kim & Mason, 2020; McMullin & Raggo, 2020; Young et al, 2020). Our findings confirm that advocacy coalitions play a vital role in supporting nonprofit organizations to cope with the consequences of a global pandemic.…”

“…They are however challenged to continue these critical roles in the context of the physical distancing and lock down measures enforced by the government to stop the spread of COVID-19. Recent work already confirmed the significant impact of the COVID-19 crisis and state-enforced lockdown measures on the management and work environment of nonprofit organizations (Kim & Mason, 2020; McMullin & Raggo, 2020; Young et al, 2020). As social workers and professionals from these organizations often engage in direct face-to-face contact with their clients, they are forced to rapidly adapt their daily practices in accordance with state regulations enforcing social distancing.…”

Examining the COVID-19 Response of Canadian Grantmaking Foundations: Possibilities, Tensions, and Long-Term Implications

“…The article contributes to the emerging literature on the Canadian philanthropic sector's response to the social and economic ramifications of COVID-19 (see Akingbola, 2020;Barr, 2020;Cho & Kurpierz, 2020;Lasby, 2020;McMullin & Raggo, 2020). It pays particular attention to major changes in policy and practice instituted by grantmaking foundations with equity and social justice mandates, 1 and the ways in which this crisis response may influence the evolution of philanthropic foundations post-COVID-19.…”