When the org chart says one thing, but the room says another.
I help nonprofit CEOs, Executive Directors and boards see what’s really happening beneath a stuck situation, and figure out what to do next.
About Jenn
I’m Jenn Rowell. I’ve spent 20 years leading nonprofits and working alongside boards, executives, and staff through conflict, transition, and growth. I don’t bring theory. I bring pattern recognition and the experience of having been in the room when things got complicated.
Conversations are confidential.
Sound Familiar?
Most governance problems aren’t really about bylaws or policies. They’re about trust, power, identity, and relationships. I focus on four patterns I see again and again:
Founder & Legacy
When one person’s identity has become tangled up with the organization, and no one knows how to talk about what comes next.
Authority & Decision Rights
When it’s unclear who gets to decide, or no one trusts the person who’s supposed to.
Leadership Isolation
When the Executive Director is carrying too much alone, with no one to think out loud with.
Hard Conversations
When a necessary decision is stuck behind history, feelings, and relationships.
HOW I WORK:
My approach follows four questions:
Diagnose: What’s actually happening here?
Clarify: Who owns what?
Intervene: What conversation or decision is needed now?
Build: What has to change so this is less likely to happen again?
Flat fees, clear scope, no open-ended hourly billing.
The Nonprofit Governance Architect Podcast
My podcast about the governance problems nobody puts on the agenda. Short, honest episodes on founder transitions, board dynamics, and the conversations leaders keep putting off.
If you’re reading this and thinking of a specific situation, that’s usually a sign it’s time to talk.
Send me a quick note and I’ll get back ASAP.