Mediation/Nonprofit & board
Nonprofit & board conflict
Conflict that's putting the mission at risk.
Board versus executive director. Founder versus the organization they built. Staff who no longer trust leadership. Nonprofit conflict is personal because people are there for the cause — and that's exactly why it needs handling with care.
Sounds familiar?
The situations this page is for.
- A board split over strategy, a hire, or the executive director
- A founder struggling to hand over decision-making, or to delegate duties
- Staff and leadership at a standoff
- A merger or partnership between organizations that has stalled
- Volunteers, members or a community in dispute with the organization
- Harm within the organization that a policy can't repair
How we'd help
The decision, and the relationships that have to survive it.
Mediation for organizations is confidential and voluntary, and it works at two levels: the decision that needs making, and the people who have to keep working together afterwards.
The mediator helps the people involved say what they need, hear what others need, and build an agreement the whole organization can stand behind. Where the conflict has damaged trust across a team or a board, restorative practices provide a structured way to acknowledge harm and repair it.
The outcome is decided by the participants, not imposed — which is what makes it stick.
one paragraph in the mediator's own voice about this kind of matter — experience, and how a session is run.
Common questions
What people ask before they call.
How do we start?
One person gets in touch. You do not need the other party's agreement to make the first call — part of what we do is help bring the other side to the table.
Who from the organization takes part?
How the mediator decides who is in the room — board members, staff, founder, all of them?
How long does it take?
Typical number of sessions for this kind of matter, and how long each runs.
Is it confidential?
What is said in mediation stays in mediation. Nothing is shared outside the process unless the participants agree to share it.
Who pays?
Who usually pays, and whether costs are split.
How much does it cost?
Hourly, per session, or per matter? A range, or "quoted after the first conversation" if fees vary.
Can we do this remotely?
Virtual, in person at the Bowie office, or both — and whether the parties need to be in the same room.
Can this be done during a board meeting or retreat?
Whether the mediator facilitates on site, and what that looks like.