“The building is gone but the Church is still here” was the immediate thought of Pastor Jim Wilson as he watched his church structure burn to the ground in 1998. Pastor Wilson realized that as the leader of the congregation, he needed to take action to manage the crisis and to lead his congregation to a new vision of the future that might be quite different than the past. His choice of leadership style, his gathering a team of leaders around him and his creation of a strong vision for the future are lessons that nonprofit and for-profit leaders can learn from through this case. The case chronicles the story of leadership and change management that led BUMC from the ashes to a new building and a strong, growing congregation.

The case brings to light several critical issues in nonprofit management: change management, leadership and vision, changing demographics and environment, and crisis management.

“The building is gone but the Church is still here” was the immediate thought of Pastor Jim Wilson as he watched his church structure burn to the ground in 1998. Pastor Wilson realized that as the leader of the congregation, he needed to take action to manage the crisis and to lead his congregation to a new vision of the future that might be quite different than the past. His choice of leadership style, his gathering a team of leaders around him and his creation of a strong vision for the future are lessons that nonprofit and for-profit leaders can learn from through this case. The case chronicles the story of leadership and change management that led BUMC from the ashes to a new building and a strong, growing congregation.

The case brings to light several critical issues in nonprofit management: change management, leadership and vision, changing demographics and environment, and crisis management.

This case examines the leadership challenges associated with budget shortfalls in a young nonprofit organization. The school leader must decide how to close the budget gap and implement the decision. Case A focuses on the decision making process and the associated communication between the school leaders and the teaching staff. The staff is dissatisfied with the decision and writes a letter of complaint to the Board of Directors. Case B focuses on the Board of Directors’ reaction to the letter and the situation’s resolution. This case is useful for helping students understand the importance of communicating effectively with multiple stakeholders to achieve success. Students will also learn the importance of a strong CEO-Board partnership.

This case examines the leadership challenges associated with budget shortfalls in a young nonprofit organization. The school leader must decide how to close the budget gap and implement the decision. Case A focuses on the decision making process and the associated communication between the school leaders and the teaching staff. The staff is dissatisfied with the decision and writes a letter of complaint to the Board of Directors. Case B focuses on the Board of Directors’ reaction to the letter and the situation’s resolution. This case is useful for helping students understand the importance of communicating effectively with multiple stakeholders to achieve success. Students will also learn the importance of a strong CEO-Board partnership.

In mid-2008, David Miller, the CEO of the Madison Children’s Foundation (MCF), is beginning to contemplate the future of the organization. As the founding CEO, Miller has been the face of MCF since its inception in 1993. The foundation has a strong track record of success and has established a reputation as a “change maker” and “partner” in the community, having made grants of more than $60 million to local organizations. Although its grant-making has increased, MCF’s staff has not grown over time. The board has changed composition over the past six years, adding more community residents and “working” board members. The board succession plan is fairly well organized, with a nominating committee and a good understanding of skill sets needed and the expectations for board members. However, there is no CEO succession plan. Board members have been raising the question in a non-confrontational manner for the past two or three years, and now Miller believes the time has come to create a CEO succession strategy for MCF.

The critical questions raised by this case include:

What roles do/should CEOs and boards play in initiating and implementing a leadership succession process?

How does the implementation of a leadership succession process affect the senior staff at an organization?

How should external stakeholders be engaged in the leadership succession process?

In mid-2008, David Miller, the CEO of the Madison Children’s Foundation (MCF), is beginning to contemplate the future of the organization. As the founding CEO, Miller has been the face of MCF since its inception in 1993. The foundation has a strong track record of success and has established a reputation as a “change maker” and “partner” in the community, having made grants of more than $60 million to local organizations. Although its grant-making has increased, MCF’s staff has not grown over time. The board has changed composition over the past six years, adding more community residents and “working” board members. The board succession plan is fairly well organized, with a nominating committee and a good understanding of skill sets needed and the expectations for board members. However, there is no CEO succession plan. Board members have been raising the question in a non-confrontational manner for the past two or three years, and now Miller believes the time has come to create a CEO succession strategy for MCF.

The critical questions raised by this case include:

What roles do/should CEOs and boards play in initiating and implementing a leadership succession process?

How does the implementation of a leadership succession process affect the senior staff at an organization?

How should external stakeholders be engaged in the leadership succession process?

Change is hard for all but perhaps more difficult for school leaders and other nonprofit organizations. The role that culture plays in a mission-driven organization can often be an impediment to change. This case uses a unique education institution, St. Martin dePorres School of the Cristo Rey Network, to illustrate the importance of culture in implementing change. It demonstrates how leaders can articulate a vision and create a strategy to change an organization and move toward success.

The case focuses on the leadership team of Principal Mike Odiotti and Assistant Principal Judy Seiberlich and how they used cultural change as the key driver to school success. That success was defined by improved academic performance, greater accountability for students, teachers and staff and stronger empowerment of constituents. It includes an overview of how the school’s leadership team used data to drive decision making.

This case is ideal for MBA students, executives in nonprofit management or school leadership and can be used to illustrate change management, nonprofit leadership, culture change, mission-driven strategy or school leadership. It addresses critical issues that organizations face and provides tools and tactics that can be applied to mission-driven enterprises.

Change is hard for all but perhaps more difficult for school leaders and other nonprofit organizations. The role that culture plays in a mission-driven organization can often be an impediment to change. This case uses a unique education institution, St. Martin dePorres School of the Cristo Rey Network, to illustrate the importance of culture in implementing change. It demonstrates how leaders can articulate a vision and create a strategy to change an organization and move toward success.

The case focuses on the leadership team of Principal Mike Odiotti and Assistant Principal Judy Seiberlich and how they used cultural change as the key driver to school success. That success was defined by improved academic performance, greater accountability for students, teachers and staff and stronger empowerment of constituents. It includes an overview of how the school’s leadership team used data to drive decision making.

This case is ideal for MBA students, executives in nonprofit management or school leadership and can be used to illustrate change management, nonprofit leadership, culture change, mission-driven strategy or school leadership. It addresses critical issues that organizations face and provides tools and tactics that can be applied to mission-driven enterprises.