Not-for-Profit

Governance that supports the mission

Foundations, NGOs, INGOs, associations and mission-driven organisations. Board evaluation and governance review adapted to the accountability you actually carry — to funders, partners, members and beneficiaries.

0+Board evaluations delivered by our team
0+Interviews with board members
0+INGOs supported
The starting point

What mission-driven boards carry

Important fiduciary duties, complex stakeholder relationships and a culture of their own: a complex and demanding governance framework.

  • Accountability in several directions at once
    Funders, partners, members and beneficiaries all have different expectations, and not often the same voice. The board is the only place those accounts can be reconciled.
  • The right mix around the table
    Sector knowledge, independence of mind, legitimacy and governance expertise rarely arrive in the same trustee. Composing a board is more an art than a science.
  • Mission drift
    Funding cycles, operating complexity and stakeholder influence can pull the agenda away from the mission. Sound governance should preserve it.
  • Sustained trust
    No impact is delivered without transparency and stakeholder trust. Both are built, or lost, in the boardroom.
Why Ethics & Boards

What we bring

An evaluation built for mission-driven governance — not a listed-company questionnaire with the vocabulary changed.

A genuine interest in impact organisations
Responsible governance and ethical leadership are not only in our name. Our engagement terms reflect the not-for-profit nature of the organisations we work with.
An independent perspective
No audit work, no executive search: governance is all we do. And no client accounts for a significant share of our revenue, so we can say what we see.
Senior practitioners throughout
Your mandate is led by senior advisors who not only practise governance but have served in INGOs themselves. They understand the culture.
Data and human judgement
Over 100 data points and governance KPIs per organisation, combined with human judgement — recognising that no two organisations are the same.
Adapted, not repurposed
Assessment dimensions built around mission, governance model and stakeholder ecosystem — including accountability to funders, partners, members and beneficiaries.
The offering

What we deliver for the not-for-profit sector

Seven engagements across evaluation, development and governance review.

Board Evaluation & Development
External Board Evaluation
Independent evaluation of the board and its committees, adapted to not-for-profit frameworks — effectiveness, mission alignment, committee functioning and trustee engagement.
Self-Assessment
The board's own review, for ongoing reflection: a confidential questionnaire, results aggregated and benchmarked against comparable organisations.
Individual Performance Assessment
Assessment of the contribution and engagement of individual board members, with confidential individual feedback.
Board & Trustee Development
Training for trustees and senior leadership — governance fundamentals, fiduciary duties, sustainability and board effectiveness.
Governance Review
Governance Review & Remediation
Review of governance structures, policies and practices against recognised standards, with a remediation roadmap and implementation support.
Benchmarking & Research
Peer benchmarking and governance research tailored to the not-for-profit context and comparable organisations.
Governance Support
Drafting of policies, charters and constitutions, and the agendas that support effective governance — including how to recognise trustees who carry more of the work.
Track record

Governance experience across the mission-driven landscape

Since 2010, Ethics & Boards has supported boards across multiple governance models, including international organisations and INGOs.

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Board evaluations by our team
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Interviews with board members
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Countries
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Governance KPIs
Engage our team

Ready for an honest look at your board?

Board evaluation adapted to your mission, a governance review, benchmarks against comparable organisations — tell us where your board stands, and let's discuss it.

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Every week, one governance ratio drawn from Gov360 Data — a measured fact on boards, remuneration or ESG, with the context to read it. Plus our studies and press mentions as they are published.

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