by Vantage Point | Jul 16, 2026
Advocacy Tools: Power Mapping and Understanding Your Allies
This combined advocacy resource introduces two practical tools—Power Mapping and Understanding Your Allies—to help non-profits plan and strengthen their advocacy efforts. Through guided activities and reflection questions, it helps you identify key decision-makers, understand relationships and influence, build stronger partnerships, and focus your efforts where they can have the greatest impact. Whether you are new to advocacy or refining an existing strategy, this resource offers a clear starting point for turning goals into action.
by Vantage Point | Sep 19, 2016
Resource Provided By Vantage Point
Boards have three primary approaches to governance.
According to authors Chait, Ryan and Taylor, not-for-profit boards have three primary approaches to their work in governing organizations: fiduciary, strategic and generative.
Think of three modes of governing as three different types of conversations that need to happen at the board table. These conversations become tools that help board members feel empowered to make the right types of decisions, harness the collective wisdom of the board, and improve board performance.
by Vantage Point | Sep 16, 2016
Resource Provided By Vantage Point
In a vibrant not-for-profit organization, the board chair and executive director are each other’s biggest fans and greatest critics.
Three critical markers reflect the health of this relationship: an openness to provide and receive constructive feedback; decision-making driven by mutual respect, trust and empathy; and a shared orientation toward tackling mission-critical work.
This updated Vantage Point resource, inspired by the findings of Mary Hiland’s 2008 article, The Board Chair-Executive Director Relationship, provides a structured way of gauging the current vitality of your Board Chair-Executive Director relationship, and opportunities to identify the crucial steps to strengthen and improve your partnership.
by Vantage Point | Jul 15, 2016
Resource Provided By Vantage Point
Stretch assignments can be a powerful, but often overlooked type of leadership development opportunity. They involve taking on new projects or temporary roles which are outside your normal scope of duties, and exist in all types of not-for-profit organizations.
by Vantage Point | Jul 15, 2016
Resource Provided By Vantage Point
A 90-Day Leadership Action Plan has three components. The first step is developmental and happens before you begin executing your plan. You begin by articulating a leadership goal; then, you will break your larger goal down into concrete steps and resources; after that, you will identify 30-day and 90-day milestone markers for success.
The second step happens after the first 30-day milestone. At this point, you will review your progress, noting where you have been most successful and adjust your plan, if necessary.
And in the last step, after your 90-day action plan is complete, you’ll do a final evaluation, identifying where you have grown, what you have learned and how you might continue to grow.
