Support Center is a part of a community of nonprofit consultants, coaches, trainers, facilitators, and navigators who collectively work to make individuals and organizations stronger, better led and managed, and more inclusive and impactful. It is a calling as much as a profession, and recently we lost one of our peers, Michael Davidson, who was known for years for working with nonprofit boards and helping to found Board Strong (formerly Governance Matters).
In the remembrances of Michael, we were reminded of these words from Leonard Cohen that Michael included in his email signature.
Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack, a crack in everything
That’s how the light gets in.
In his work with individuals and boards, Michael recognized many of the fundamental imperfections of boards. It can be disorganized, unclear, and full of cracks. But those cracks–whether it’s a lack of clarity around the purpose of the board or a lack of board diversity– are opportunities to let the light in. And more often than not–if we let the light in–we can move towards improved boards and stronger organizations.
So if you’re reading this–whether you had the pleasure of working with Michael or not — please consider what you can do, and what “bells can you ring.” While our mission-based work is imperfect, each day we encounter new opportunities to let the light in.