As I work with the boards of faith-based organizations across the nation and talk to CEOs of leading ministries, I have the opportunity to learn from what they are doing right. Here are seven of the hottest ideas I've seen lately. These are all emerging best practices that your board can immediately implement to get more done in less time, hold down costs, stay informed, make better decisions, and be more effective as a board of directors.

Hot Idea #4 … Display Graphics Instead of Numbers

Most financial reports come in the form of spreadsheets, usually several pages in length. Instead of printing long columns of numbers, use charts, diagrams, and graphs as much as possible. People can grasp complicated statistical information more quickly if presented in visual form.

To dig deeper as to why this is true, the classic book on this subject is The Display of Quantitative Information (2nd edition) by Edward Tufte (www.edwardtufte.com). Graphical displays of information allow for quicker, more effective and more precise analysis of data. So instead of reporting the number of volunteers this year compared to last, prepare a bar chart showing change over time. Instead of listing expense categories, prepare a pie chart with amounts by each slice. Draw a graph of income this month compared to the income month-by-month for the last three years. Once you have it set up on a spreadsheet or drawing software, each report only takes adding a few more cells of the most recent data.

James C. Galvin, president of Galvin & Associates in Winfield, IL, is an organizational consultant specializing in releasing the potential of faith-based nonprofits. Visit his website at www.galvinandassociates.com or contact him directly at jim@galvinandassociates.com.

Reprinted with permission from the Engstrom Institute; © 2009 Christian Leadership Alliance - (949) 487-0900. Visit CLA's website to see what they offer your organization to help build leaders and enhance organizational effectiveness!