Five Pitfalls Of Non Profit Board Governance

IN THIS ISSUE Where's HEG Working? In The News Solutions For Your School 5 Pitfalls To Avoid For Board Success Toolkits BUY & SELL SCHOOLS      HEG provides consulting services in connection with the sale of Private K-12 Schools globally, and Language Schools & Career Colleges in Canada, including:   Career Colleges: 1). Solo Career Business College based in British Columbia with EBITDA of +$100,000. (School No. 1063) 2).Nursing College in California in final stages of receiving accreditation and seeking investors (School No. 1077) Language Schools: 1).  Group of successful Language Schools based in key urban centres Canada with EBITDA of approximately +$750,000. (School No. 1037) - Signed an LOI 2). Highly regarded Language School and Career College with a popular Work/Study Program in British Columbia. (School No. 1031) - Signed an LOI 3). Successful Language School and Training College in Western Canada with EBITDA of approximately +$80,000. (School No. 1097) - Signed an LOI 4).Solo centrally-based Canadian language school with EBITDA of +$100,000 that is the leader in its region. (School No. 1022) K-12 Private Schools: 1). Growing K-12 international school of 450 student in SE USA with EBITDA of $950,000. (School No. 1011) 2). Thriving K-12 private international school of 450 students in Vietnam with EBITDA of +$1.4 million, (School No. 1034) 4). Prestigious day/boarding high school in NE USA on 120 picturesque acres with enrollment capacity of 500 students and I-20 Visas to recruit international students (School No. 1055) - Signed an LOI 5). Special needs high school in Texas with revenues of $500,000. (School No. 1097) Contact HEG by email or phone if you would like to find out more about these schools or would HEG to provide consulting services in connection with the sale of your school.   ONLINE STORE Visit Our Store For Helpful Toolkits TESTIMONIAL "HEG  is a very professional team that brings a myriad of talents to private schools and are quite focused and results driven. They work efficiently and are task-driven. As a start-up school we have so many items in our punch-list to complete and Doug and the HEG team came in and helped us with almost every aspect of the operations in a very short time frame. They are flexible and a joy to work with. I would recommend them to any group that wants to start a world-class international school or improve the performance of your established private school." -- Dr. Jorge Nelson, Head of Chadwick International School

Message From HEG's President I'm just back from working with clients in the New Orleans region. What  a fantastic part of the world with its vibrant culture and lifestyle. However, I write this article now while looking out the window at classic Vancouver weather...rain. It's remarkable to think that this will stay the same for the next five months (though it does mean snow on our local ski hills). I know many of you in the NE USA are dealing with the challenges of the recent inclement weather and hope that you're fairing well with the storm. As I've shared in earlier eNewsletters, our firm focuses on three areas: 1.     Starting Schools and/or setting up branch schools;  2.     Improving/operating established schools; and  3.     Buying and selling private schools. In most cases, the successful schools we work with promote a number of common attributes to ensure the sustainable operation of their high performing schools: ·         Clear and Shared Mission, Vision, Goals, and Objectives ·         High Standards and Expectations for All Students ·         High Levels of Collaboration and Communication ·         Curriculum, Instruction and Assessments Aligned with State Standards ·         Frequent Monitoring of Learning and Teaching ·         Focused Professional Development ·         Supportive Learning Environment ·         Effective School Leadership One overriding characteristic is effective board leadership. Today, I'm taking a different approach by sharing five pitfalls boards need to avoid to ensure that they stay focused on healthy board practices.          To your success,   Doug Halladay President Halladay Education Group   Where's HEG Working Right Now? Here's an update of what HEG's working on:    Market Study and Business Plan for a new Faith-Based Non-Profit Private K-12 School in BC  Market Study and Business Plan for a new Private K-12 Non-Profit International School in Oman Market Study and Business Plan for a new Private For-Profit High School in California  Strategic Plan/Action For a Private Non-Profit K-8 Adventist Preparatory School in Florida   Strategic Plan For An International Private For-Profit School in Latin America Market Study and Business Plan For A For Profit International IB School in Asia  Formation of a new Private K-12 Canadian For-Profit International K-12 School in Saudi Arabia    Providing consulting services to school owners in connection with the sale of their Canadian Career Colleges, Language Schools, and Private K-12 schools globally  If you're interested in our firm's consulting services, and would like to discuss your needs further, please contact Doug Halladay by email  or call directly at 1-604-868-0002.  In The News Rising Enrollments And Waitlists At BC Independent Schools More students than ever before are attending B.C. independent schools this year, especially in northern B.C. where preliminary reports suggest an enrolment jump of more than 12 per cent. I wrote a story about this Monday after speaking to Peter Froese... Africa's Growth Sparks Controversial Rise Of Private Secondary Schools  Gems Education, a private school group operating in 10 countries, is embarking on a major expansion in Africa, attracted by the continent's strong economic growth. In September, the company opened its first secondary school in Africa in Nairobi, Kenya...  Monster Storm Sandy Creates Challenges For Boarding Schools In Northeast Responsible for roughly 345 students - 270 boarding students and 75 day students - Proctor Academy, like many New England boarding schools, can't just close its doors like a typical business, or send kids home like public schools. Regardless of a... With New iPads, Apple Targets Education Opportunity With new iPads, Apple targets education opportunity. Summary: Apple announced the fourth-generation iPad and first-generation iPad mini, giving the company its strongest tools yet to convert the education market into believers. Andrew Nusca. By Andrew... Solutions For Your School STARTING A SCHOOL Our experienced team can provide step-by-step 'turn-key' services to start your school in the USA, Canada, &  Internationally. Click here for more info.  STRATEGIC PLANNING  We're experienced developing Strategic Plans for schools globally. Our plan can focuses your school's mission, build consensus, donor confidence, & define priorities for your Board & Staff. No school should be without one. Click here for more info. BOARD GOVERNANCE WORKSHOPS Great schools have great boards. Can you afford not to ? Our governance workshops & online board performance surveys fine-tunes your board's & focuses your priorities. Click here for more info. SCHOOL EVALUATION Are you sure your school is doing the best it can? Our In-Depth Performance Review assesses your school's performance against benchmarks & provides snap-shot right away. Click here for more info. BUYING AND SELLING SCHOOLS  HEG provides consulting services in connection with the sale of K-12 Schools, Language Schools, & Career Colleges in Canada, US, and Internationally. Click here for more info. Five Pitfalls To Avoid For Board Success As part of our consulting services working with private school around the globe,  we participate in a number of board development workshops. While every organization is different, there are several traits that are always a "must-have" for leadership roles within any organization or company. Whether you're a seasoned non-profit leader, corporate manager, or member of a rising institution, your board will likely benefit by avoiding the following pitfalls.   1). Setting Tuition Based on Threshold of Pain The reality is that parents have a threshold that they're willing to pay for tuition. However, it more effective to base your tuition (and increases) on priorities of your strategic plans annual goals versus just hoping tuition increases won't upset parents and meet your budget. Basing your tuition on both your current operational and future strategic costs will better reflect financial commitments as well as reflecting back to parents where revenue is being directed (now and in the future). 2). No Criteria in Selecting Board Members Have you ever sat at a board meeting a month before your AGM and someone says "Does anyone know a current parent who might be interested in being on the board?" If you do, you're probably hearing the alarm bells ring. Yes, being on a board can be time consuming, but rewarding if run properly. The first step in finding capable board members is to set-up a Committee on Trustees who will be responsible for determining the profile you're seeking in relation to the priorities of your strategic plan. This avoids the pitfall of filling a spot just because they're a parent at the school. Of course new board members should share common characteristics as well (Work, Wisdom, Expertise, Wealth, Leadership, Clout). 3). Keep The Same Board Committees Year-After-Year You want to avoid keeping the same board committees and members year-after-year with no outside participation. What effective boards do is establish committees based on the annual priorities of their strategic plan and engage stakeholders outside the board to participate in the committees with their expertise to achieve the goals. 4). Have No Interconnected Agenda For Board Committees It's not enough that you have board committees - you need to ensure that they understand their role, function, and a clear picture of their agenda for the year as well as their deliverables at specific board meetings. This avoids having board meetings becoming too focused on current events or the Head of School's report. The Executive Committee should establish the annual calendar noting the actions of each board committee and the board meeting they will report at for approval (not just review of another report). 5). Use A Generic Board Evaluation Process Each spring your Committee on Trustees should prepare a specific survey that measures the performance of the board committees based on the implementation of the annual board agenda of the strategic plan as well as individual trustee's performance. Next Step Doug, if you would like to find out more about how we can help your board to continue to improve their performance or provide a vibrant board retreat, please contact HEG directly by email at info@halladayeducationgroup.com or directly at 1-604-868-0002.   HEG Recommends Here are two of our most popular toolkits which will help you to either  start your own school or develop your own strategic plan.   STRATEGIC PLANNING TOOLKIT  Learn how to develop your own Plan with step-by-step instructions contained in a detailed Workbook & Manual, along with $500 worth of bonus CD's. It's all here to help you develop your own plan. Click here for more details. START-A-SCHOOL TOOLKIT Are you still struggling with starting a school? Experienced school leaders share how they started their school from the ground up. You'll also receive our bonus CD ($150 value) on developing your strategic plan. Click here for more details. To your success, Douglas Halladay President Halladay Education Group Inc.   P: 604.868.0002 E: info@halladayeducationgroup.com www.HalladayEducationGroup.com P.S. Don't forget to check out our Online Store and our popular Strategic Planning and Start-A-School Toolkits.They're affordable and practical.     You are receiving this because you signed up at HEG's website or you told us you wanted to subscribe. We will never distribute your address to anyone. Period. We promise.

Board Governance Workshop For Private Schools

TEDDY ROOSEVELT SAID "THE TEST OF OUR WORTH IS THE SERVICE WE RENDER."  Service on the board of a private school or non profit isn't simply an honor granted in recognition of your professional achievements or the fact that you're the only one left standing the last AGM. It involves legal obligations and a significant responsibility for the stewardship of your school's mission and assets, the educational experience of your students, and careers of your staff. You and your fellow trustees have the primary legal and moral responsibility for the governance of your non profit and ensuring that the mission of your school is carried out. To achieve your mission, you must maintain the confidence, moral, and financial support of your members, donors, volunteers and stakeholders. These critically important aspects of non profit governance depend on you and your fellow directors effectively governing your school based on best practices, and a clear understanding of your roles and responsibilities. It's important for you to pay close attention to these responsibilities because non profits are garnering greater attention today. Non profits are being called upon to play greater roles in their schools. And your community has higher expectations about the conduct of your board. If problems surface, it is only natural to ask, "Where was the board?" Are your trustees prepared?  RESPONSIBILITIES OF AN EFFECTIVE BOARD A non profit's board of directors is responsible for defining the school's mission and providing overall leadership and strategic direction for the school. Their responsibilities include: Determining and articulating the school's mission, vision, and values Recruiting and selecting the school's Head of School Supporting and assessing the performance of the school's Head Ensuring that the school engages in planning for its future Determining the programs that the school will deliver to implement its strategies and accomplish its goals; monitoring the performance of these programs to ensure their value Ensuring that the school has financial and other resources adequate to implement its plans Ensuring the effective management and use of the school's finances Enhancing the school's credibility and public image Ensuring organizational integrity and accountability Assessing and developing the board's own effectiveness   GOVERN MORE AND MANAGE LESS Do you have a "great" board? What makes an effective board...what's their secret to long-term success? Research shows that great boards have a set of common attributes that clearly separates them from others. Effective boards need to govern more and manage less and focus on: Developing a strategic plan and following it through an action plan  Linking board agenda to strategic agenda Monitoring success of the school's initiatives and adjusting course as needed Developing clear expectations and plan of action for Trustees to support the plan Directing the Head of School to prepare strategically via an annual operational plan Establishing committees to monitor goals Structuring meetings to policy and strategy, not day-to-day operations Annually assessing the performance of the board and committees based on the plan's priorities Focusing on policy, organizational strategy, and the relationship between budget and priorities Using board committee to monitor strategic initiatives and reporting to board for action Every board should take the time to fine tune their practices to ensure that they leading the school effectively and coordinating the combined resources of their board members and Head of School. Is your board firing on all cylinders?  PRACTICAL WORKSHOP TO IMPROVE BOARD PERFORMANCE If you'd like to proactively improve your board's performance for the coming school year or plan a retreat to fine tune your board for this fall, you should seriously consider our board governance workshop. Our workshop will provide feedback to analyze and develop a clear set of strategies to guide your school's leadership with ongoing development. Whether you require training in strategic board structure and function, need an objective expert opinion on a particular issue, or would like our assistance in formulating your board's agenda, the workshop will move your Board forward.   OUR ONE-DAY WORKSHOP INCLUDES: Facilitation of a one-day workshop that assists your board in developing strategies and tactics to close your performance gap for the governance of your school. A comprehensive 360° online "Board Performance Self-Assessment Survey" that candidly and anonymously assesses your board's performance. An interactive presentation on best practices of school governance. Participation in hands-on case scenarios that highlight effective board practices and engage discussions on parallel issues of your own school, which apply research to your own situation. Utilize the results of your Board Performance Self-Assessment Survey to build a profile of your board's performance gaps based on a comprehensive analysis of your confidential responses to the online survey and identify areas needing immediate improvement. As part of the process, Board members will candidly discuss and reach consensus on issues surrounding the performance of the board and lay the groundwork for long-term improvement. Board Performance Report: This will include working with board members to development a "Board Performance Report" that provides a comprehensive overview of the board's survey results, issues, and a plan of action for improvement. The report identifies areas needing immediate focus and the 'roll-out' of a set of multiple strategies to enhance the board's overall development.   Next Step If you would like to build a better board to effectively lead your school, and would like to find out more about HEG's board governance workshop, please contact Doug Halladay directly by sending an email to info@halladayeducationgroup.com or calling HEG at 1-604-868-0002. Be ready for the coming school year by having your board retreat booked in your calendar now. To your success,  Douglas Halladay President Halladay Education Group P.S. Don't forget to go to our secure Online Store to invest in our Strategic Planning or Start-A-School Toolkits.They're affordable and practical.