The Invisible Yellow Line

Book excerpt: The key to a healthy nonprofit organization is a harmonious board-staff relationship. Easier said than done The Invisible Yellow Line: Clarifying Nonprofit Board and Staff Roles is a fun, upbeat, and down-to-earth manual that walks you through the process of clarifying the roles of the board and staff. If you've ever watched a football game on TV you be familiar with the yellow line that's visible to viewers, but invisible to the players on the field. Using the "invisible yellow line" metaphor, Jean Block guides you through clarifying roles in governance, management, finance, planning, human resources, resource development, and recruitment. Since it's a workbook, it will enable nonprofit leaders--both board and staff--to roll up their sleeves and work through each key area. It explores the different roles of board and staff in several key nonprofit management functions. Chapters include a worksheet that can start a conversation of best practices that will help more clearly define the key roles of board and staff in your organization. Block suggests, in the Introduction, that each key player to review the assessments individually and then combine the results into one assessment to form the basis of useful conversations about how to define these roles in the organization. Chapter One: The Invisible Yellow Line. Chapter Two: The Invisible Yellow Line in Governance. Chapter Three: The Invisible Yellow Line in Management. Chapter Four: The Invisible Yellow Line in Finance. Chapter Five: The Invisible Yellow Line in Planning. Chapter Six: The Invisible Yellow Line in Human Resources. Chapter Seven: The Invisible Yellow Line in Resource Development. Chapter Eight: The Invisible Yellow Line in Board Recruitment. Chapter Nine: The Invisible Yellow Line Test. About the Author Jean Block began her nonprofit career when she was thirteen years old, raising money through a backyard carnival for CARE. She was hooked. She has served as board leader, chief executive, and development director for several local, regional, and national nonprofits. She is now a nationally recognized speaker and trainer on nonprofit management, board governance, fundraising, and social enterprise through her two consulting companies, Jean Block Consulting Inc. and Social Enterprise Ventures LLC. At this printing, she has authored a number of books on nonprofit topics. About the CharityChannel Press In the Trenches(tm) Series You'll know an In the Trenches book not just by its cover, but by the author's fun, upbeat writing style. But don't be fooled by its down-to-earth approach and ample use of sidebars. In the Trenches books are authoritative and cover what a beginner should know to get started and progress rapidly, and what a more experienced nonprofit-sector practitioner needs to move forward in the subject.