Board Leadership

EIG Academy - Launching August

 

• Find answers your questions by reading the program FAQs.
• Watch the EIG Academy Info Session to learn more.  
• Download program details from the Info Session.

Excellence in Governance 

EIG Principles

Rooted in the Whys
Innovative and effective boards regularly explore and educate themselves about our nation’s historical social context, how old and recent housing policies impact local access to safe, decent and affordable housing. They revisit this knowledge when making decisions, because the communities served by their organization are impacted by interconnected circumstances.
 
Prioritizing Culture, Learning, and Development
Innovative and effective boards realize that how they work together is as important as what they work on; they prioritize board member learning by investing in training, actively invite diverse perspectives, employ meaningful onboarding and recruitment strategies, and regularly evaluate both collective and individual performance.
 
Commitment to Race, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
Innovative and effective boards insist that race, equity, diversity, inclusion (REDI) belong in our boardroom. They value and are willing to get uncomfortable processing new perspectives and ideas, so actively recruiting board members with diverse backgrounds and experiences is a necessity to their success.
 
 Constructive Partnership 
Innovative and effective boards value the interdependence of the board and chief executives, building and nurturing the partnership through honest communication, respectful behavior, following through on commitments, and relationship-building.
 
Fiscal Oversight & Sustainability 
Innovative and effective boards actively strengthen the organization’s financial health and long-term sustainability through generative discussion, real-time data, policy oversight, and fundraising contributions. Decision-making is grounded in thoughtful data analysis, inclusion of informed opinions, and risk consideration.
 
 Spectrum of Strategic Collaboration
Innovative and effective boards cultivate relationships with organizations across local, state, and national levels. They intentionally consider the type and purpose of relationship, what is required of staff and board, and how best to work together to explore and confront the complex social issues addressed by each organization.

Previous EIG Programs

EIG ReConnect:  This unique program offered current and incoming board chairs the opportunity to enhance their individual board leadership abilities and governance knowledge while increasing the success of their organizations. Using a customized approach infused with relevant governance education, each participating board leader created their own development goals to meet the needs of their individual roles, organizations, and communities. EIG ReConnect offered flexible timing to accommodate even the busiest board leaders. Both current and incoming board chairs were able to benefit from EIG ReConnect's customized process and core program components. 

Excellence in Governance Leadership Teams:  More than 50 NeighborWorks America network organizations participated in the original EIG program. Board leadership teams used a performance-based framework combined with EIG Principles to set meaningful goals and define what success looked like for their respective boards.  Participants deepened their understanding of exceptional board governance and worked to increase collective effectiveness and impact.

What Board Members & Chief Executives Say About Excellence in Governance (EIG)

“From cynical skeptic to enthusiastic energizer, [EIG] will transform what you think you know and understand about board leadership.”

“This was time well spent and allowing yourself to grow and learn from peer feedback is great. I would recommend this program to any NeighborWorks group.”

“Be prepared to implement. Don't apply if you don't plan to implement and incorporate change. Learn the value of evaluating your organization and practicing regular evaluations.”

“EIG trainings are excellent and getting to know my EIG group. I feel I made professional and personal friends for life.”

“The experience was worth it just to be able to meet other board leaders and to share experiences. “

“The wealth of knowledge that was available made me feel like I had so many resources to back up what we are working on, or things we need help with.”