AGB's Conflict of Interest Statement

AGB recently released a statement about governing boards and conflict of interest, a document we've been developing for awhile. 

Conflict of interest isn't just about money.  Jobs, politics, one's children - any number of situations could create a conflict of interest for a trustee.  Rather than focus on the overwhelming breadth of possibilities, though, the AGB statement encourages board members to bolster the effectiveness of their current conflict of interest policy.  It outlines 12 principles that our panel of experts deemed the most timely, and it offers a few questions boards can ask to spur conversation.  The Chronicle of Higher Ed called it "straight talk;" we think it is the right time.

The concept of conflict of interest can seem vague when discussing it in the abstract, but when a board is faced with the real deal, that nebulous idea suddenly is very concrete and pressing.  I encourage all boards to take the few extra steps to ensure that your policy is ready for primetime.