Trusteeship - November/December 2021 - 36

FOUNDATIONS OF CONSEQUENCE
The Five Characteristics
of Great Foundation
Board Members
BY LEONARD RALEY
F
OUNDATION LEADERSHIP has
evolved over the last few decades
and has become both an increasingly
challenging yet meaningful
career path. To help move the profession
forward, it is paramount to consider what
makes a great foundation leader. Two books
that AGB has published in the last year,
Principles of Trusteeship and New Realities
for Public Higher Education Foundations,
inspired me to reflect upon my own career
and some of the lessons learned that I have
learned about foundation leadership. I have
been in this business for long time, and have
had the good fortune to work with all types
of amazing board members. Throughout
the years, I have seen them come and I
have seen them go. They have included
types such as the hard charger, the charismatic,
the cerebral, the data driven, and the
visionary. Reflecting upon that experience,
which includes having led two different
institutionally related foundations and having
worked with colleagues all around the
country, I have identified five leadership
characteristics that last and stand the test of
time, and that great board directors share.
1. A great foundation board member is
a leader.
Mission driven and committed to the foundation's
mission, vision, and values, a great
foundation board member acts with integrity
and the highest ethics; there are no
surprises and there is full disclosure of any
potential conflicts of interest. He or she is a
strategic thinker who sees the " big picture "
36 TRUSTEESHIP NOV.DEC.2021
and understands the importance of not just
representing one or two areas of the university.
A great board member can " see the
view from 30,000 feet " and remember that
their work is supposed to impact the priorities
of the university, and not pet projects
of board members. Many great foundation
board members hail from many different
backgrounds. Some have business experiences
from C-suite and corporate boards
while others are entrepreneurs who started
and ran successful businesses, or had significant
experiences in the public sector.
2. A great foundation board member is
a learner and a listener.
A passion for lifelong learning and listening is
a key trait of a great foundation boar member.
These board members want to learn more
about their foundation work and they do that
by investing in educational opportunities
such as participating in AGB conferences
and webinars and reading AGB' Trusteeship
magazine. He or she is a good listener who
asks insightful questions and invests the
time to learn as much as possibly about the
university he or she serves and about the
entire higher education landscape today.
Many foundation boards have alumni who
serve, and while they often remember their
years at the university fondly, they may not
realize how much has changed since they
graduated. A great board member makes
it a priority to become educated about all
aspects of the foundation's work, is aware of
social issues at both the campus and national
levels (sometimes, students and other
stakeholders have a way of bringing their
issues to the foundation's doorsteps). He or
she understands the importance of keeping
up with national and international issues and
looks to our professional associations, such as
AGB and the Council for Advancement and
Support of Education (CASE) for data and
help to identify emerging trends and issues.
3. A great foundation board member is
a grateful giver of time, treasure, and
talent.
Not only does a great foundation board
member have a record of demonstrated
philanthropy and willingness to help
fundraise as appropriate, he or she is
also fully engaged to help the foundation
achieve its goals. (It is not just about
writing a check.) Such a leader also has
a history of volunteer service on other
boards. The best board members view the
foundation as a destination board-often
Trusteeship - November/December 2021

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