The Board Call - "We're in Crisis!"

AKA: The Moment You Realize You're Sitting on a Dumpster Fire

It always starts the same way.

A call. A board crisis. Nervous energy. A hint of panic.

“Hi, Jim. We, uh… we might need your help.”

That’s code for: The executive director just left (or was pushed), the finances are a mess, staff morale is in freefall, and the board just realized no one knows how to steer the ship.

One call turns into three. More board members join in. Everyone is well-intentioned, but I can feel the tension, the uncertainty, and the hope that maybe I'll have some magic answer they haven’t thought of.

And then I ask for the basics: “Can you send over your latest financials?” Cue the awkward silence. The paper shuffling. The email attachments with vague filenames like “FinalFinal_Budget_2024_v4_REVISED_DRAFT.xlsx.”

But here’s where things shift.

Because as soon as I dig in, the fog starts to lift. Maybe I spot a $60,000-a-month consulting retainer no one remembered approving. Or deferred revenue that’s been counted twice. Or the fact that you’re 60 days away from not making payroll and didn’t even realize it.

It’s bad news — but it’s clarity. And clarity is a relief.

This is the moment I love: when panic turns into purpose. The board starts to breathe again. We’re no longer just spinning — we’re diagnosing, prioritizing, and moving forward. We’ve just gone from “Oh no” to “Let’s fix this.” That shift? It’s called hope.

If You're a Board Member and You're Making The Call, Here's What You Need to Know:

1. Speed is your friend.

This is not a three-month executive search. Hiring an interim is fast — like two to three conversations in two weeks. The building is smoldering. Time to call the fire department, not get to know their life story.

2. Don’t tidy up the crime scene.

Please, I beg you — don’t sugarcoat it. I will find the dirty laundry, so just tell me where it is. Be honest about everything: the financials, the lawsuits, the staff drama, the media articles you’re hoping I haven’t read (spoiler: I have). I’m not judging. I’m diagnosing. And I can't help if I don't have the truth.

3. Bring the paperwork.

Come to that first call with:

• Your most recent 990s

• Audits (even the one from 2020 you don’t want anyone to see)

• Balance sheets, income statements, and cash flow reports

• Annual budget

• Any board minutes that contain useful context

This isn't me being a finance nerd. It's about finding where the smoke is coming from. Good decisions require good data.

4. Tell me the story behind the story.

What really happened with the ED? Why is staff turnover so high? What relationships are strained? Who on the board is secretly trying to run the org? What’s the “real” reason behind that budget line item? Spill it.

Transparency isn’t weakness — it’s leadership.

5. Help — and then step aside.

You’ve done your job. You’ve kept the doors open. Now, it’s time to step back into governance mode and let the interim lead. I’ll loop you in where needed, but if every decision still runs through the board… nothing’s really changed. You don’t fix a burning house by holding a committee meeting about which fire extinguisher to use. You hire the firefighter and get out of the hallway.

So, to all the board members out there nervously dialing that first number: don’t worry. You’re not alone. You’re not the first. I've likely seen worse. And this isn’t the end of your nonprofit’s story.

It’s just the start of your comeback.

Subscribe, follow, and send this to that board member who keeps forwarding you ominous emails with the subject line: “We should talk.”