Power to the People: Engagement Governance

At the Nonprofit Governance Conference a few weeks ago in Tacoma, Judy Freiworth presented a radical vision for inclusive governance.  She is calling it “Engagement Governance” and has developed her ideas in dialogue with numerous practitioners nationwide.  They are currently looking for a few organizations interested in being test cases for the implementation of the model, in which many aspects of governance are opened to broad constituency involvement.  She argues that this approach results in better decision-making and healthier organizations. I enjoyed her remarks, and found the approach thought provoking.  For most organizations, I think limited, targeted forays into shared leadership and governance are most advisable.  For example, broad engagement in planning can energize an organization and bring in new ideas and perspectives that are invaluable and clearly result in a better plan. Although I see challenges associated with broader involvement, I think it is an ideal that we should all strive toward, and for this reason I encourage you to read her article in Nonprofit Quarterly, and consider how you can shake things up a little at your organization.<