Nonprofit Dashboard
In a continuing effort to provide our readers with practical information and tools to enhance strategy planning and management activities here is one that gets our highest recommendation. Lawrence Butler’s book, “The Nonprofit Dashboard: A Tool for Tracking Progress” is absolutely essential reading for enhancing organization and communication of performance measurement information. It is available via BoardSource the premier resource dedicated to increasing the effectiveness of nonprofit organizations by strengthening their boards of directors. What follows is their March 27, 2007 press release on Mr. Butler’s book and how to purchase a copy.
http://www.boardsource.org/AboutUs.asp?ID=70.289
New Tool Keeps Board Members on Right Side of Tracks
For Immediate Release
March 27, 2007
Contact: Angela Sakell - BoardSource, 202-452-6262
NEWSLETTER SIGN-UP
WASHINGTON (March 27, 2007) - BoardSource, the national voice of nonprofit governance, released The Nonprofit Dashboard: A Tool for Tracking Progress, written by Lawrence M. Butler, senior consultant with Maguire Associates. The Nonprofit Dashboard describes how to improve board oversight by communicating critical information to the board in a concise, visual, more compelling way using a "dashboard" reporting format.
"Dashboards can help improve board oversight because they enable the board to focus on key indicators of program success and financial trends. Often, this means more effective meetings, more thoughtful and informed decision making, and better use of board members' time," said Deborah S. Hechinger, president and CEO of BoardSource. "The Nonprofit Dashboard describes how developing a dashboard fits with planning and evaluation and highlights the important partnership between staff and board in creating and effectively using a dashboard."
The book defines the concept of a dashboard, offers guidelines for deciding what information should be presented in it, and recommends different ways to present that information graphically. This new resource educates readers on
- dashboard reports and how they should be used
- deciding what to measure for mission effectiveness
- determining the board's informational needs
- designing the reports, choosing data display formats, and communicating a specific focus
- maintaining a dashboard reporting system