[Foundation-l] foundation-l Digest, Vol 87, Issue 78

[Mike Godwin]

Sue Gardner writes:


> Would inviting Matt to join create perception problems?
> Probably not among external stakeholders because donors serving on
> boards is fairly normal in non-profit land, but yes among community
> members, because the community is (appropriately) a fierce defender of
> the independence of the projects. Should the board do what it thinks
> is best for the organization and the movement, even if its
> decisions/actions are unpopular? The board decided yes. Should the
> board try to separate the grant announcement from the Matt
> announcement to mitigate community anger? No, because that would be
> disingenuous. And, it might actually increase anger rather than
> mitigating it.
>

In my view, Sue has expressed the reasoning of the Board in a nutshell here.
Remember that the
Board recognized the risks of appointing Matt, and nevertheless appointed
him anyway. The community plays a large role in selecting Board members, and
it is appropriate to keep this in mind when voting on Board seats.
Nevertheless, I think the Board made a hugely intelligent and attentive
decision in appointing Matt, and I think it is best if the community
acknowledges and honors that decision, which comes in part from Board
members the community supports.


--Mike Godwin