Cookie dough, chocolate bars, entertainment books and gift wrap — 20 years ago, the Waldorf school David Sobon’s son was attending had students peddling all of these wares, yet they couldn’t fundraise even $10,000 in a given year. Frustrated that these “ridiculously painful fundraisers” were being placed on his child’s shoulders, the then-30-something decided on a whim to host his first live auction — which eventually led him to launch David Sobon Auctions. 

Board members are introduced and then immediately expected to get along, share ideas and be productive. But that’s a difficult pattern for boards to follow effectively. So what makes a stellar board member?

After two decades of working in the nonprofit industry, Robin Chronister, an executive assistant for Mother Lode Rehabilitation in Placerville, noticed a gradual but clear change in the nonprofit sector.