William D. Pawlucy

William Pawlucy, MPA, CAE, IOM is president and founder of Association Options, a global consulting company. Bill works with nonprofit organizations and nongovernmental organizations across the United States and globally in Jordan, Palestine, Israel and Turkey, where he consults with the Center for International Private Enterprise to help strengthen democracy and private enterprise in the region. He also has served on the national Board of Examiners for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award and offers board resources, strategic planning, executive recruitment and other services at Association Options.

Articles by William D. Pawlucy

• Why leadership development committees trump nominating committees

  An organization’s leadership is fundamental to its success. Great leadership leads to great governance,…

  Wednesday, June 09, 2021

• Why board orientation is fundamental to the success of your organization

  How many times have you heard, "we don’t need a board orientation; it is a waste of time," as your…

  Wednesday, February 17, 2021

• 10 signs of a well-honed association

  An association president said, "we will never again be so unprepared as we were when the pandemic hit.…

  Thursday, July 16, 2020

• Elements of a recovery plan

  In our first article, "The metrics guiding nonprofit recovery," we took a broad look at five key economic…

  Tuesday, June 30, 2020

• The metrics guiding nonprofit recovery

  What are the signs or metrics for recovery, and how do we take this information and make good business…

  Wednesday, June 24, 2020

• Vital signs to monitor for association recovery

  "If my association went for a health checkup today, there would be some serious health issues," said…

  Thursday, May 07, 2020

• Project management essentials for project success

  A project is an activity with a specific goal in mind and a clear beginning and end. Unlike ongoing services…

  Wednesday, January 08, 2020

• 10 things to start and stop doing in 2020

  We cannot continue to do what we have done in our nonprofit organizations and expect to provide value…

  Monday, November 04, 2019

• The life cycles for governance and management

  Two board members walk out of the association’s planning session. One of them says, "Great session,…

  Friday, June 28, 2019

• Structural systems and processes to sustain an association

  Every association has a framework. A solid and well-built framework promotes sustainability and a strong…

  Tuesday, April 16, 2019

• Gap analysis improves associations

  The dictionary defines a gap as an incomplete or deficient area. A gap analysis is what an organization…

  Friday, February 22, 2019

• Is your board getting bogged down? Take back control

  Your board meeting is stuck and your three-hour agenda is in jeopardy. What do you do? Rather than allow…

  Wednesday, June 20, 2018

• Building a dashboard for performance that your board wants to see

  "Directors should regularly ask at the board table, 'How will we measure success on this project or event?'…

  Wednesday, June 06, 2018

• Your board’s information curve

  ​Your board members have a fiduciary duty to members in three areas: the duties of care, loyalty and…

  Wednesday, November 01, 2017

• How to find quality of life as an association executive

  "I am on and available to my board 24 hours a day, seven days a week," one association executive told…

  Wednesday, October 04, 2017

• Information digestion: Prepare the board without overloading them

  "Help! My board wants a big packet of information prior to a board meeting. But they don't read it, and…

  Wednesday, July 26, 2017

• Lots of programs, lots of confusion: Evaluate, understand, bundle, repeat

  One member said about the programs and services of his nonprofit, "I feel like I am walking in a fog…

  Wednesday, April 19, 2017

• Building a sustainable nonprofit organization

  According to the United Nations report, "Our Common Future," a sustainable nonprofit organization is…

  Wednesday, March 01, 2017

• The universal language of strategic planning

  ​A strategic plan is the universal language to success and performance of any organization, anywhere…

  Wednesday, January 04, 2017

• Assessing the mission impact factor

  In strategic decision-making for your organization, the question of return on investment typically arises.…

  Tuesday, November 29, 2016

• 7 tips for managing your most precious resource — time — in 2017

  The most precious resource in the world is not gold but something more valuable — time. As we all know,…

  Friday, November 11, 2016

• The connection between leadership and dysfunction

  What does dysfunction look like? How do we fix it? What characteristics are necessary in a good volunteer…

  Wednesday, September 07, 2016

• Relevance and value: Focusing the board on what matters most

  ​Relevance and value. These two words, when combined, are powerful in any organization that is looking…

  Thursday, August 11, 2016

• Measuring performance is the key to performance excellence

  A question that should always be asked at the board table is, "Why are we discussing an initiative if…

  Wednesday, July 20, 2016

• The success or failure of your event rests with your venue

  Conferences and other face-to-face events were given the death knell as we ushered in the digital age,…

  Thursday, July 07, 2016

• The board assessment in 3 easy stages

  Assess. Improve. Repeat. Sounds really simple, but in a recent study conducted by BoardSource, "only…

  Wednesday, June 22, 2016

• 10 cost-saving tech tools to help nonprofits

  Nonprofit technology budgets are shrinking, but the need for robust technologies is growing. Organizations…

  Wednesday, June 01, 2016

• A quick guide to Robert’s Rules of Order

  ​Have you ever attended a meeting and felt like nothing was achieved? Using meeting rules of order…

  Wednesday, March 30, 2016

• 12 rules to live by in the board room

  ​Have you ever sat in a board meeting gnashing your teeth and saying to yourself, "When is this meeting…

  Wednesday, March 09, 2016

• Cooperate or die: Building a collaborative board

  ​It is so easy to say, "Our board is going to be collaborative and work better together this year."…

  Wednesday, February 17, 2016

• Disruptive innovation for nonprofits in 2016

  As we enter another year, how do we innovate and disrupt in our nonprofit organizations in order to increase…

  Wednesday, January 13, 2016

• Review, refresh and realign your committees for success

  Year over year, the priorities of a nonprofit organization change. As major planning takes place, why…

  Wednesday, December 09, 2015

• Failing to use data is failing your nonprofit organization

  ​You research your mortgage options, your car loan interest rates and schools for your children, but…

  Tuesday, November 24, 2015

• A governance reboot is necessary for 2016

  The bad news: You have an ineffective board of directors. The good news: They know it and ask for help.…

  Wednesday, November 04, 2015

• Jump the curve with your nonprofit organization in 2016

  What do we need to do in 2016 not only move our organization forward, but also to "jump the curve" in…

  Wednesday, October 21, 2015

• 10 skill sets to look for in your next executive director

  Losing your executive director is not only possible but will happen sometime in the future. To be ready…

  Wednesday, September 30, 2015

• The biggest mistake any nonprofit should avoid in 2016

  A Harvard Business article lists the 17 fundamental traits of organizational effectiveness. The first…

  Wednesday, September 16, 2015

• Dwindling volunteers: How to keep your most important resource

  ​At least 80 percent of nonprofits in America rely on volunteers for their workforce. In fact, most…

  Wednesday, August 12, 2015

• It’s time to barbecue the ‘sacred cow’ in your organization

  Sun-setting programs in a nonprofit organization is almost always more difficult than if the program…

  Wednesday, July 15, 2015

• How technology has made a major impact on the nonprofit membership model

  Nonprofit organizations are only as valuable as the value they provide to their members. That fact won't…

  Wednesday, June 24, 2015

• The board adopted the strategic plan — now what?

  So, you just wrapped up a stellar strategic planning session, and the board adopts the new strategic…

  Wednesday, June 10, 2015

• Don’t get stuck in mud: Help your board develop a sense of urgency

  A Harvard Business Review article from 2008 features a quote every nonprofit organization should have…

  Wednesday, May 20, 2015

• Managing your expectations and workload during strategic planning

  Every day there are many nonprofits in the world moving through the beginnings of a strategic plan. In…

  Wednesday, May 06, 2015

• What nonprofits can learn from a taekwondo master and a piano teacher

  It is amazing how everyday life can help shape our thinking in areas we never thought would be impacted…

  Wednesday, April 22, 2015

• What nonprofits can learn from Chipotle

  I was in a fast-casual Mexican restaurant the other day, Chipotle. While in line, I was thinking about…

  Wednesday, April 08, 2015

• Why do we waste time at board meetings?

  How many times do we say that we want our board of directors meetings to run more efficiently? Poorly…

  Wednesday, March 18, 2015

• 3 ways to make them remember your event long after it is over

  Why do we have one-time attendees at our events and never see them again? Delivering value goes far beyond…

  Wednesday, February 25, 2015

• Why should they volunteer?

  According the most recent Bureau of Labor Statistics report, "Volunteering in the United States — 2013,"…

  Wednesday, February 18, 2015

• Are you the ‘up periscope’ for your nonprofit organization?

  ​The nonprofit world is seeing a downturn in volunteerism, a squeeze on its revenue streams and rising…

  Wednesday, February 04, 2015

• Success in succession: Planning for the future

  Imagine losing your organization's chief paid staff member or executive director. An unexpected vacancy…

  Wednesday, January 28, 2015

• The first 100 days: How to help ensure success

  Imagine being hired for the most important job in an organization with no training, no standard operating…

  Wednesday, January 07, 2015

• Past president’s syndrome: What will your former leader do in 2015?

  In 2015, a large number of organizations will undergo some type of board change. But what happens to…

  Thursday, December 11, 2014

• New year, new goals: Helping build a presidential platform

  According to the National Center for Charitable Statistics, there are 1.5 million nonprofits in existence…

  Wednesday, December 03, 2014

• Innovation or evolution in your organization?

  How important is innovation versus evolution? Do nonprofit organizations today innovate or evolve? Successful…

  Thursday, November 13, 2014

• All about the results? What nonprofits should measure and why

  Performance excellence in a nonprofit cannot occur without performance measures. After the strategic…

  Wednesday, October 29, 2014

• What happens to key actions and decisions after a board meeting?

  How much time, care and preparation do we put into board meetings? If we attempted to put a value on…

  Wednesday, October 15, 2014

• Organizational change happening? Don’t forget your bylaws

  Bylaws are a set of rules that provide the framework for your organization, but they are sometimes overlooked…

  Wednesday, October 01, 2014

• Coalition Building 101: How to look intelligently at a merger or partnership

  In a two-year period, the Foundation Center logged in a total of 679 coalitions/collaborations, with…

  Wednesday, September 17, 2014