My suggestion is that the root cause of lack of commitment to an embedded, consistent innovation capability is due in very large measure to our unquestioning commitment to our legacy membership model. This is the model that says our non-profits are in business to give our members whatever they want, in order to support and satisfy their personal interests.

A great many individual members join non-profits because they have a very personal interest that they want to pursue, and they want the non-profit to support that interest. ASAE & the Center’s research project, “Decision to Join” pointed out that this was one of the top two reasons for joining a non-profit, and very closely ranked with the other top reason, ie, support for the public interest and discipline.

The point is this: in organizations that see their driving purpose as supporting individual member’s personal interests, there is very little necessity for new ideas or change. Once a non-profit launches an initiative in support of some members personal interests, all that is desired is that the non-profit keep doing it–year in, year out. Supporting individual members personal interests is a status quo situation, regardless of the type and rate of change in the outside world. Just about every experienced executive understands that one the camel has its nose in the tent, it is not long before the camel starts to live permanently inside the tent.

When governance attempts to deal with this situation, they are characterized as “out of synch” with what members want. Let’s get a grip.

The problem that needs solving is not getting governance in synch, it’s dropping our legacy membership model, and developing a new one that supports new ideas and innovation.

Let’s start supporting governance that is facing and attempting to do just this. This is the proper role of governance.