The Role of a Charity’s Trustees and Volunteers

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

To the Editor:

As a relatively young CEO of a nonprofit who came to this role 19 months ago from a development position, I read your article “Turning Fund Raisers Into CEO’s” (April 6), with great interest. Based on my personal experiences, I thought the article was accurate in detailing issues facing new CEO’s.

However, I would like to add one comment related to the article. It was stated: “The higher individuals moved up the ranks, the more they tended to make decisions by involving and listening to others, seeking out diverse opinions, and taking longer to analyze options and arrive at solutions.”

I have found that involving and listening to others should not be exclusive to staff, but must include volunteers and board members.

It is important to remember that the board members who hire a new CEO want that individual to succeed. My volunteer leadership is incredibly generous in offering sound advice and counsel. The relationship between staff and volunteers is what makes the nonprofit sector special and I believe that leveraging that relationship to its full potential can lead to great success.

Jeff Finkelstein
Chief Executive Officer
United Jewish Federation of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh