Free Nonprofit Resources

Board members often arrive at coaching discussions with completely different understandings of what executive coaching actually is—and why it matters for their ED. This comprehensive FAQ provides direct answers to the twenty questions boards ask most often: What is coaching? What does it cost? How do we know it’s working? What if coaching reveals our ED isn’t right for the role? Get the clarity your board needs to make informed decisions about supporting your executive director’s development.

When boards wait for funders and funders wait for boards, executive directors who need coaching support get stuck in the middle. Breaking this standoff requires bringing both stakeholders into shared conversation with aligned expectations and collaborative funding models. This guide explores how nonprofit leaders can build genuine board-funder partnerships around leadership investment—moving from siloed pitches to strategic alignment that creates sustainable support for executive coaching.

When nonprofit boards fail to adequately support their executive directors, they don’t just create individual hardship—they initiate a cascade of risks that can threaten organizational viability. From financial costs exceeding $250,000 per turnover event to legal liability, mission drift, and lasting reputation damage, the consequences of ED neglect far outweigh the investment in proactive support. Learn how to reframe leadership development as risk management and protect your organization’s most critical asset.

Most executive directors approach board education about coaching the wrong way—overwhelming board members with data instead of building understanding strategically over time. Learn the three-phase approach successful EDs use to transform skeptical boards into coaching champions, including how to identify allies, handle objections, and propose pilots that get approved. This isn’t about making a single presentation; it’s about changing how your board thinks about executive support entirely.

Most nonprofit boards dread ED evaluation—and so do their Executive Directors. The process feels awkward, the criteria unclear, and the outcomes unsatisfying. But evaluation done well becomes a powerful development opportunity that strengthens both your ED and your organization. This guide shows boards how to design evaluation processes that integrate coaching, focus on growth rather than judgment, and create genuine partnership around your ED’s development.

Discover the BOARD BRIDGE™ framework for transforming nonprofit board-executive director relationships. Learn the five pillars—Clarity, Communication, Collaboration, Commitment, and Continuity—that create lasting alignment. Includes a practical 90-day implementation roadmap and relationship health assessment tool for boards and EDs ready to move from dysfunction to partnership.

Most nonprofit boards underestimate their responsibility to support executive director development—and the cost of that oversight shows up in preventable turnover, stalled missions, and governance dysfunction. This comprehensive guide helps board members understand why ED coaching is a fiduciary responsibility, how to make the investment case, and what effective support looks like in practice. Learn the BOARD BRIDGE™ framework for building organizational alignment, avoid the three failure patterns that undermine ED success, and discover how boards that invest in coaching create fundamentally different organizations.