We sat down with Doug Nelson, President and Managing Director of The Discovery Group, to talk about important issues relating to board governance and strategic planning for social profits. Douglas founded The Discovery Group with a vision to bring together a group of talented and compassionate leaders. Together they are aligned with his belief that the social profit sector represents individuals and communities coming together to change the world for the better. Collectively, they spearhead inspired strategies to help nurture that change. Described by the media as a ‘fundraising phenom’ and a ‘true innovator,’ Douglas unravels complex challenges in aligning governance and philanthropic performance. His work is award-winning in the areas of governance, culture, advocacy, and innovative granting, and he has raised nearly $1 billon for organizations in Canada and the United States. Douglas is also host of the leading social profit sector podcast, The Discovery Pod. With a photographic memory for baseball statistics, Douglas had a childhood dream to be the first baseman for the Toronto Blue Jays. These days, he can be found remarkably often at a Bob Dylan concert.
Doug and Robin Jones, Enkel's marketing leader, talk about the importance of alignment and board governance between the board of a social profit and its leadership. The conversation then evolved to look at issues relating to risk and fiduciary responsibilities. Doug shared his views on how a board can assess its performance relating to financial stewardship and responsibility and provided some advice for Enkel's nonprofit clients looking to understand the board's role in managing risk.
