What is holding your organization back?

The idea to start a nonprofit typically comes from an individual that has a strong passion for that specific cause. They work tirelessly to ensure the organization is able to open its doors and hopefully become sustainable. The organization is built around their ideas, in the beginning as individuals become involved in the organization they go along with the ideas presented by the founder. As the organization matures, the influence of the founder remains, yet it begins to show signs of what is often referred to as 'Founders Syndrome'.

Signs of Founders Syndrome
Not all things that occur when an organization is suffering from Founders Syndrome is inherently bad. One thing that often occurs is that attendance rates at board meeting tend to be higher on boards that have a founder either as the chairperson or executive director. This is in large part due to the fact that the founder is the primary party responsible for the recruitment of these members. Board members will attend board meetings because of how they believe they will be viewed by the founder for not attending. Whatever the case is for attendance being higher does not matter, attendance is an issue that many nonprofits struggle with, so a founders impact is something that should be seen as positive in this regard.

Another positive that is seen in founder organizations is that meeting agendas are sent out well in advance to the full board. This allows board members to read through materials and come to board meetings prepared to discuss organizational issues. This can also be viewed as negative by some because it can be viewed as a way for the founder to dictate what is accomplished at the meeting.  However, if they are the chair of the board it is their responsibility to dictate what is discussed during board meetings. As a board member it is also your responsibility that any item that needs to be added to the agenda is brought up either before or during the meeting.

Those are positive signs of Founders Syndrome, remember this is not a comprehensive list, rather a few examples that allow you to understand the impact of a founder. The negative signs are typically the signs that individuals involved with a nonprofit organization need to be aware of. One sign that supports Founders Syndrome can be seen in the bylaws of the organization. Typically when the bylaws are created by a founder you will find that board limits are vague or non-existent. This is not always an intentional omission by founders, however it can be problematic for a board. The reason this occurs could be due to the fact that a founder can not see a day when they would not be involved. What founders need to understand is that being involved in something, does not mean having complete control. Term limits should be set up, not only for regular board terms, but there should be term limits for officers of the organization as well.

The final issue that is considered a negative affect of founders syndrome is the impact it can have on an organizations growth. Studies have shown that the size of a nonprofit will often determine if a nonprofit has founders syndrome. When discussing size you typically look at the size of the budget and the number of employees the organization has. The smaller these numbers are the higher the chance of founders syndrome. Obviously the potential for growth will have some bearing on this phenomenon as well. If an organization does not have the opportunity for growth than it would be difficult to focus on the founder as the only issue. However, it is rare that a nonprofit stays the same size throughout its existence. Typically a founder's vision is limited to their original vision, unable to accept the changing environment them.

If you have recently joined a board that has involvement of the founder be certain to check for signs of founders syndrome. Not all signs are inherently bad however, even the things that may seem positive have hidden implications. Board member attendance seems like it would be a positive thing, yet boards are not formed to be the rubber stampers of a founders "early" agenda. Boards are supposed to be the checks and balances system for a nonprofit agency. Without this system the organization becomes a tool for one individual t push forth their agenda. Nonprofits are meant to serve the community's need, not an individuals interest.