ConsultJane

Utilized wisely, your development committee can be the strongest committee on your board.  In a peer-to-peer relationship, they can lead an active participation in fundraising.   Working with staff to brainstorm and prioritize roles for board members in the development process, presenting to the board and then holding them accountable can only be done through a strong development committee.

Think about it for a minute.   You are an employee for a major company.   Do you think you can pressure your boss into doing what you know is best?    You can coax, you can present, but you do not have the muscle to implement.   Once I realized that as a nonprofit leader, I understood the power of a committee.   While I can be good at the strategy or bringing quality donors to the table, there is something magical about a board members role.   A thank you call from a board member is like seven contacts from you.   A board member, who makes a major gift and asks for an equal gift, is more powerful than you asking.   A referral gets me past an office assistant at the speed of light versus my repeated calling and writing.  

So how best to utilize a committee to support your work.  Look at your development program, your goals, your challenges and brainstorm ways that board members can help.  Such as;

·        Give gifts themselves

·        Suggest donors, open doors by referrals, or setting up appointments for staff

·        Host a stewardship or cultivation party at their house

·        Make thank you calls to donors

·        Touch base with people who have lapsed in giving to ask if something is wrong

·        Add personal notes to holiday cards or appeals

·        Actively solicitate 

·        Engaging in the programs when feasible

Next, meet simultaneously with your development and board chair to prioritize a list of ways that board members can help with the development process.   Be transparent on your strengths and weaknesses, your challenges and where you could use help.   People tend to help more when they don’t think we are superheroes.   I have received more help since I learned to humble myself.   There are so many ways boards can play a role.  

After you have a list, talk to your chair and development committee about each member on your board and what role he/she might be good at.  Take the list to your development committee for review, comments and most importantly signing up for key tasks.   When your development chair and board chair, plus one or two other members, have clearly put their mark on assignments, encourage them to bring the list to the board and then follow-up with each member for their role.   Repeat this process at least semi annually if not quarterly!

As new board members come in, make sure the list is included in your orientation manual.  Let them know it is a critical part of their service from the very beginning.

A third of them are working.  Celebrate!   Make sure you include kudos and call outs of participation in the board reports presented by your development chair.  Work with your chairs on progress reports, assignments, follow-ups, goals and strategies.   Every board meeting should include an update.  Keep development and relationships front and center always through their peers.    If you only focus on the money, you will create an environment that will be a disservice to your organization.  

Continually emphasize that the best development program is about relationships and building donors and not just donations.   Promoting relationships builds a long-term development program.  

Another tool to utilize this committee is development staff.  Reporting to an executive director is one thing, but getting recognition for progress by a board is another.  Mentor the growth of development staff by actively engaging them in the development committee and utilizing the committee’s feedback in the evaluation process. 

How to evaluate a development director will be another discussion at a later date.  

Communication is the top skill all executive directors need to develop and continually work to improve.   How do you rate your skill in that area?   In what one quality do you attribute your skill in that area?

As I reflect back on my development of communication skills, a few thoughts come to mind.

As a young leader, I thought it was most important to communicate my vision, my story, my passion for our mission.   I learned that passion is everything, be enthusiastic and share the message!!   As I grew into leadership, I started understanding that listening my way into a shared vision and mission was the most important tool.   As a younger development officer, I approached a donor with a great project that I was sure he would like and fund.   I prepared and enthusiastically presented.   He said yes!  Score.  Yet something inside me realized I missed the mark.  Puzzled, I started asking him questions and really listened to try to figure out why I felt I missed something with such a quick yes.   I listened my way to a gift that was three times larger than my presentation.  That was a huge eye opener for me in communication.  I had assumed I knew him.   I had failed to really listen from a neutral standpoint.

Developing the listening end of the communication skillset is still a work in progress and will probably be for the rest of my life.   I still find myself listening to formulate an answer.   Thinking that I need to be on my toes and give a quality answer, means that I miss half of the conversation.   I see it all the time in leaders.  They want everyone to know they have the answer and the vision. 

Listening to answer is seen in your eyes.   

Focus on the current conversation and think before speaking.   Watch as you talk to your staff.   Ask questions or give them a thought, watch the eye contact and see how well they listen.  As I experimented, I was amazed at how much that shows up in their eyes.   Try it!!

Listening your way is also important in becoming a quality mentor.  As a new leader, I gave an evaluation to a development officer.  I was way to blunt and sharp with her and immediately she became very defensive.   I believed in her ability yet knew she had to move beyond a few really bad habits to become fully effective.   Boy did I mess up in that evaluation.  I talked and “evaluated” versus asking and listening my way to coaching her.   The intent in my communication during her evaluation was missed by a mile.  Had I asked more questions, listened more and communicated at a deeper level; it would have ended differently.   I could have empowered her more and built a stronger employee versus a defensive one.

I learned that listening with good eye contact helps in keeping my brain from jumping ahead.  I focus on what their eyes are telling me as well as their mouths.   Then I watch the body language as I speak.   These visual tools help me in communicating effectively.  People like and respect being heard!   For me, good communication is a work in progress and I find that true for many of the executive directors and development officers I coach.  During my years of coaching I have witnessed great progress once it is practiced, as I hope you as a reader will too.

I am often asked two questions about development committees that I will attempt to provide some perspective on.

1.       We are a small board, should we still have a development committee?

2.      How do I as staff engage with this committee?

In my earlier years, I would have answered the first question much differently. I struggled with such a committee early on as I reacted this way.

1.      Committees being way more work than doing myself.

2.      I know how to fundraise; teaching is time consuming.  It is just me, I don’t have time!

3.      All they want are more reports.  I need action.

Today I recognize my old patterns as arrogance and foolishness.   I would get discouraged by seemingly having to do the work myself anyway and pretending it was the committee.   Through the years, mentors and great board members helped me understand the power and how to best utilize committees.   So let me share some of what I learned.

Development committees are essential.   Think about it for a minute.   What is the one thing that will bring your programs or organization to a halt?

In the organizations in which I was involved, that answer was cash flow.  Without cash flow programs do not exist.   And naively depending on government funding or grants alone for cash flow is a tragedy waiting to happen.

With cash flow being at the core, what message do we want to send to the board, our funders, our new recruits?   Fundraising is optional?   Giving is nice?  Trying to focus board members on giving and getting gave me stress and excruciating headaches.  I suffered several consequences throughout the years trying to pressure arrogant board members into giving and getting.  Until I learned the secret of the development committee.  How about you?

A development committee focuses on the bread and butter of a nonprofit. This standing committee constantly reminds board members of the relationship between donors and cash flow. It keeps fundraising at the forefront of each board meeting through reports and action items. 

Does this mean the rest of the board is off the hook?   Absolutely not!

It means rather than staff beating their heads against the wall to make board members participate, it is a peer-to-peer pressure.  Committee members bring a stronger and more compelling call to action.

Think of it this way.   You are a teenager.   Are you going to listen to a coach or a parent?  Who is more influential?   If you think a parent, we might want to have a different conversation.

The development chair is as critical of a position as a board chair.   Together they can be the determining factor in the success of your organization.   As you implement a development committee, even a 1-2 person one, insist on a good job description, emphasize a solid selection process and establish close working relationships with staff immediately.

That brings up the second question.   What is the staff role in the development committee? 

Stay tuned!

My daughter likes puzzles.   As I was helping her one day, I got frustrated. She was fitting pieces together so effortlessly, and I was struggling to fit a single piece.  A piece looked like a match but was not!  When she looked at the picture on the box, I thought she was cheating.   She explained, she needed to keep the whole picture in mind.  When she changed location, she looked at it from a different perspective.   Wow, I thought, that is development, good thing I am better at it than puzzles. 

Yet it made me understand why some executive directors struggle with fundraising, especially major gifts.  

Most Executive Directors and their board members seem to believe that is all about the way you ask.   I recall attending a meeting where a prominent business leader was speaking.   During the question part, an executive director stood up and asked him to support their cause.   Another time, I was at an event for an organization when the board chair of another organization stood up and did a pitch for their organization.  They thought they were fundraising. Yet, they were only forcing puzzle pieces together!   And forced so hard, it would tear things to get it back on track. 

We have our mission – our picture and it has lots of components.  The puzzle is not complete until all the pieces fit together and fundraising is a major part that takes many different perspectives.   Take major gifts for example.

Picture a puzzle that has a large blue-sky section with floating clouds.  My daughter would gather all the cloud pieces and build the sky around them.   Some correlations to think about with major gifts;

The cloud pieces would be all of the donors who stand out with potential to be major contributors to our cause . 

The pieces with some cloud and a lot of blue, are the people who give consistently with smaller capacity.  

Pieces that are mostly cloud are perhaps our best prospective donors or influencers.

What shape or color are these clouds?   Are they light and fluffy or ready to rain? How many clouds are there?

How do they fit into our overall picture? What might their overall picture look like?

What tends to happen in major gifts is we try to force pieces together.   We do not know the prospective donor, but we think they should give toward our mission.  We try jamming them in instead of taking the time to see where they may fit. Just like looking at the puzzle from a different perspective, look at your donors the same way and ask — how do we connect them? How can we leverage the other pieces?   Get curious about your donor pool.

I often tell a story of a prospective major donor – a wealthy individual, who had only given small amounts of money.   As I worked to understand him and what was important to him, I was able to slide him effortlessly into the major gifting puzzle piece by listening.   I did not try to force this role upon him by asking too early.  Instead I built a relationship.  I took the eyes off me and looked at the bigger picture from his perspective.

So next time you think that major gifts are such a difficult task, think about how the puzzle could fit together and build a relationship with your donor that helps you understand where they might fit into your mission picture.

Planning your way to success!

As I perform development or organizational audits on nonprofits, I have noticed one thing that separates those who are making progress and those who are not.

Yes, we did a strategic plan and have one – somewhere

Yes, we have policies – I think

Yes, we have procedures in a manual – old ones anyway

Yes, we brush our teeth  – had to throw in. 

Yes, we completed a development plan – couple years ago

Let’s take a look at these quotes.   See if you can find a common denominator that might be the challenge for nonprofits.

“Setting a goal is not the main thing. It is deciding how you will go about achieving it and staying with that plan.” ― Tom Landry, Hall of Fame football coach

“Our goals can only be reached through a vehicle of a plan, in which we must fervently believe, and upon which we must vigorously act. There is no other route to success.” ― Pablo Picasso, painter

“Unless commitment is made, there are only promises and hopes; but no plans.” ― Peter F. Drucker, author and educator

“Every minute you spend in planning saves 10 minutes in execution; this gives you a 1,000 percent return on energy!” ― Brian Tracy, author and motivational speaker

“Plan your work for today and every day, then work your plan.” ― Margaret Thatcher, former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

“A clear vision, backed by definite plans, gives you a tremendous feeling of confidence and personal power.” ― Brian Tracy, author and motivational speaker

“Plan your next move because every step contributes towards your goal.” ― Sukant Ratnakar, author and motivational speaker

“Without goals, and plans to reach them, you are like a ship that has set sail with no destination.” ― Fitzhugh Dodson, author

“Although it’s admirable to be ambitious and hardworking, its more desirable to be smart-working.” ― John Maxwell

“Speaking from my personal experiences, setting goals, along with a detailed action plan, has actually changed my life from one cast in frustration to one of purpose.” ― Catherine Pulsifer, author

See what I see?

How about words like…deciding how you will go about achieving, vigorously act, commitment, execution, work your plan, backed by definite plans, plan your next move, plans to reach them, detailed action plan

The separation point.   Action.   What are the steps?  How much will that cost?   Who is going to do it?  How are we going to do it?   By when?

We talk about a strategic plan like it is accomplished.   We did it.  No wonder, our days go by without achieving our fundraising goals.

When I ask to see the annual action plan (based on the board’s strategic plan), I often get blank stares.   I asked how they report progress based on strategic goals – more shrugs. 

Action plans are ways to ensure your vision is made concrete.  It outlines the goal, strategy, objective, responsibility, timeline and budget.  Think of it like a road trip — we know where we are going, but what is the route, how much will it cost, how long will it take, who is going with us?

Yes, action plans are fluid documents.   Just like a road map if you are driving across the country.   The detours, the traffic jams where google reroutes you, the flat tire, the unplanned stop at that beautiful scenery spot, the expenses add up quicker.    

The beauty of action plans is three-fold in my opinion

1.       The planning itself.  Done well it builds camaraderie and shared vision among staff and the board.

2.       The reality check. The plan shows where gaps are in staffing, budget, workloads, board member needs, volunteers, etc.   

3.      The commitment check.  

Take the strategic plan that the board has given you.   Break it down by goal.

1.      Define objective of that goal

2.      Key tasks/steps toward achieving progress on each goal this year.

3.      Deadlines and milestones to celebrate wins

4.      Person responsible for leading the key tasks

5.      Board roles defined in action – what do we need from them?

6.      Identify resources needed – budget, additional personnel, volunteers

7.      Monitor, evaluate and update progress and deviations

If you need help in auditing where you are at and how to design an action plan, I am delighted to help.

Enjoy the journey and bask in the destination!

Share with us your favorite quote!

As I chat with executive directors about fundraising and especially major and deferred giving, here are some of the push backs I receive:

1. I do not have time

2. I do not have a development person

3. It is easier to get grants than individual major gifts

4. We don’t have the money to focus on this area

5. We have a plan but have not implemented

6. I struggle with fundraising

Sound familiar?

Let’s talk more about the push backs.

First and foremost, if you are a non-profit and serving a mission, your number one focus needs to be paying the bills that allow you to offer the gut wrenching, important and ever so critical mission. Raising money has to be in your calendar. You are the leader. You set the priority, the urgency, the goals. Your organization mirrors you. And in many cases, so does the board. You cannot simply delegate this to a team. It has to be central to your role, when it is important to you, it is important to the whole organization. Does that mean, every day, it is a topic on your mind? Ah yes!! The devil in the details? It is the way it shows up on your calendar. I am always happy when I work with an executive director and that light bulb comes on. Knowing when it has to be you, and when it can be delegated.

So, you do not have a dedicated development person. In my book, every person on a non-profit payroll is a development person. Ever read the book, Who Moved My Cheese, by Spencer Johnson, MD? When you set the tone that donors are important and that we need to spend a few minutes each day in communication, in listening, in extending grace, and in caring not only about our mission, but about those who are on that journey with you, magic happens. Simple things, like answering the phone. How many times have I hammered that first impressions, dialogue, and questions are valuable? Greet each phone call with that in mind. That philosophy will spread to your team. Sigh or body language says oh dear not now when a donor calls the office. That will be mirrored in program staff and others. When program staff, volunteers, or you are out in the field, pictures speak volumes. Yes, I understand boundaries with that. But when you take a minute to snap a picture for Mr/Mrs donor, it catches on and others start looking for opportunities to showcase what they are accomplishing. When you ask in a staff meeting, “how can we show appreciation?” it catches on. When you are all pulling to identify communication tools with donors, it is not as hard. When others are thinking in terms of donations, they become stewards in the community. Set the expectation, and lead the way.

Why is it so hard to get major gifts versus grants? Grants are typically fill in the blank applications and typically program specific. While grantors also require care and communication, individuals require more of a relationship. You can get a bank loan without the banker being a close friend of the organization as long as you meet certain criteria, but you will not get a donation from their leader without a relationship. Gifts of all levels are expressions of faith and commitment to your work. When you approach with this mindset and show gratitude, it becomes a culture in your organization. When it becomes a culture, relationships are established. One of the easiest way to lose a major gift, is lack of attention to small details and lack of communication. When I hear that organizations are behind in thank you letters because they do not have time, I simply shudder. WHAT do you mean, you don’t have time to write a thank you?! What does that say to the team – those that pay our salaries are insignificant. I am so offended when I don’t get a thank you or one that has an electronic signature. Really! I took the time to write the check, go to your website and type in my credit card but you are too ungrateful to sign a letter? What is that communicating? Sometimes my small, regular donors have grown into my largest donors. Why? because I valued them as a team player in my mission. I keep a quote on my desk about a missing key in an typewriter as a reminder of this. Email me and I will share with you. It is not as hard as you think to get major gifts. Great donors are out there. But they expect and deserve our time as leaders, our communication, our listening to their goals, our patience and our caring. They know when they are a pain, a necessary evil.

We don’t have money to focus on this area. I really cringe at that answer. Quite the catch 22 isn’t it. What business or household can say that they do not have money for their number one priority and survive long term. But hold on, it doesn’t have to be expensive. You would not believe how many times, I took pictures of even random things that I knew donors liked, and texted or emailed them saying I thought of you when I saw this. Bam, a touch point, showing them I cared, I listened, and I want to know who they are. If I find an article that is something we talked about during a phone call, write a quick note and send. I pick up the phone and reach out, send an email on a birthday or when something really great happens in our organization. “I just wanted to share some great news….so blessed to have you on our team making thing like this happen.” Eblasts and social media have made communication inexpensive and easy as well. Have you considered sending news out first to those who are major donors and then the rest? Expensive. I beg to differ. Impactful – yes. It is a relationship, not a slick brochure. When I do development program audits, I see this lack of connect between strategy and action as one of the biggest holes.

We have a plan that we have not implemented. Sorry, but that isn’t a plan. That’s a bunch of words written on a piece of paper. Maybe even cut and pasted from an internet plan. Take the time to digest with your team, the boards vision, and the strategy. Then come up with an action plan that is doable, that holds us accountable, that is realistic and not only makes you feel better, but it makes life easier. It takes the stress off your plate as you think through ways in a dedicated planning time to incorporate the mindset and action steps of fundraising into your daily life.

I struggle with asking for money. I get that – it is one of the top 3 fears in the country. When the relationship is there, communication flows through to hearts, and it just works. I like to say when the impact reaches the hands, heads and hearts of our extended team, it is an honor and pleasure to make the dream a reality and does not feel so painful. We get so focused on the shared excitement of what we can accomplish together; we move beyond the dreaded ask. It just feels right.

Executive directors. The buck stops with you. This is one area that simply cannot be totally delegated. It doesn’t work. And if you do, you may be the biggest nightmare for your development team. I have shown directors how to create the culture, how to be the example, and how to incorporate in the exhaustive to do list. You got this. Be the example.

Recently I was asked a question – what would you do if your board said we cannot fundraise during a pandemic?

I would suggest to the board that my strong inclination would be to continue the development process!  Full speed ahead.   Then I would work to bring them along through questions and discussion to illustrate my point.

I would help them see the answer as it relates to their own businesses or profession.   Depending on the board members, I would make points through different questions by asking in the spirit of learning and fully exploring the topic of fundraising during COVID.   Perhaps starting with the development committee, your chair or a leader of the board?    I have learned through my career that when it can be the boards idea, it is so much better than mine.   Sometimes I just have to ask questions and give them an opportunity to impart their great wisdom.    While I am not in your shoes, here are some questions that I may bring up.

Sales:   Are their respective businesses stopping sales?   Having no contact with customers period?  What will happen to their business if no one buys?   Will their clients wait for them to pick sales back up or move on?   What happens to a broker if he cannot make any sales, an insurance agent? 

Our mission:  What do we tell the community in which we serve – that they are not worthy of us moving out of our comfort zones to fight for them?   That our mission is not strong enough to withstand a pandemic?     Or they are not worthy of people investing even if it means less than normal?   Or that we are too afraid to ask?

The donor:  Why do we think we can speak for other people?    Personally, I may be struggling, have fear or frozen by uncertainty, but others may not and feel compelled to help during this time.   Why can we make that judgement call?  Would we be communicating that we don’t believe they are successful enough to give?  That they are not strong enough to weather this storm?   Could it be conceived that as an ED, I lack confidence in them as a person or I lack confidence in our organization?   Will they think you are a COVID tragedy because you did not reach out so they re-direct their giving?  (Well that non-profit wasn’t stable enough to make it, time to move on).   How would you feel as a donor if you didn’t hear from us?

The majority of board members will say that stopping sales would be the kiss of death for their business but that is different as they are “for profit”.   Well?   I would simply state that our mission is not strong enough then and ask questions about mission.   If we are not important enough to fight for than why do we exist?   If they push back on that, move on to the donor.   Will it appear as if we are judging where others are financially?

Fundraising is the lifeblood of nonprofits like sales are to for profits.   You cannot stop.  

Help board members see how stopping will cut the hamstrings of your organization.   Emphasize once again that fundraising is only one part of building a development program.   While we might shift our focus and strategy, shouldn’t we keep the program going full speed ahead?

My focus?

The very basis of the development program is relationships.  The actual ask is only one part of the program and I would walk them through that process once again.   I would recommend leaning into the relationship component.   Donors are partners, so reach out to them, care about them, be transparent, be vulnerable together and strengthen the relationship.  During a really tough economic time, I reached out to a donor who had missed his normal timing of a gift.   I simply called to see if he was ok.   He was amazed that I called as no one else had.   He said he had just been so focused on his life that he forgot.  He sent me his annual gift with an added zero and it became the start of a very good relationship with progressive zeros.

NGO’s that have been nurturing relationships with donors, communicating consistently, and utilizing technology will weather this crisis fine as long as they continue the same tactics of relationships, communication and utilizing technology.  Know your donors!   Be the ultimate connector not the lead fundraiser.  Asking good questions and making note of answers in databases, will help meet your donors where they are.  What is their number one need and desire?   Are they still giving because they are so concerned about the world and have a burning need to help?   Are they grateful that during this solitaire time, you took the time to reach out to them?   Are they really struggling and need someone to reach out?   Will showing we care keep the relationship strong so they return as donors when they can?

Honest communication needs to be front and center. 

Call your past donors simply to let them know you are pushing forward and asking how they are weathering the storm.  Board members can easily do this as they do not have to ask, they just have to communicate and listen!  

Fundraising in times of adversity!

I have been asked lately about fundraising during this time.   Should we?  YES!  How?

As I reflect on fundraising overall, I remind people that fundraising is a relationship between your organization and people who love your vision and mission.   That mutual goal doesn’t disappear when times are tough.   Typically, that relationship can be enhanced.   But how?

Communication!  A lot of communication!

During this pandemic, have you cut ties to your parents, siblings, or friends?    If you haven’t then why would you cut ties with your donors?

To me, the most important part of the communication during challenging times is expectation.   When a relationship exists, even informally through social media, we have to alter our expectations as we each face adversity together.  We may not reach our ultimate goal together, but we can reach a goal that meets both our challenges.

The sob story of your woes and budget challenges is not compelling.  I cringe when I see NGO’s singing the poor me story.   Your mission and what the organization needs to fulfill it during this time is what compels people.   That is what brought them to you in the first place.  That is what they have normally funded.   If every time you heard from your family member during a mutual crisis, it was all about losing their car, not making a house payment, not making ends meet and nothing about you, how would you feel?   Guilty?  Hopeless? Wanting to avoid?  While it is important to be transparent, stay on the positive side.   With your help through this adversity, we will continue….

 We must still ask for gifts – people still want to help and sometimes when they feel the world is collapsing, they really want to help.  Give them the grace of asking and acknowledging that while it may not be at the same level, each and every gift during this time is critical.  Make sure they feel valued! Make sure they know your mutual mission will be impacted by their gift.  

As Chany Ockert noted in her blog on Thriving During Fundraising Slumps, “remind yourself not to make the decision for the donor. Often we mask our own uncertainty or fears or discouragement with statements like, “It’s just not a good time to ask.” But, that becomes a self-fulfilling prophesy.”

During 2008, my major gift fundraising was focused on personally reaching out to people.   They know I am a fundraiser and why I typically reach out.  Either in person, email or on the phone; I honor that all of us are having our own struggles and let them know I understand that.   First and foremost, I reach out to see how they are doing.  Depending on the communication, I may simply update them or ask for a gift to help as much as they can.   If they cannot make a gift, I make sure they know I still value them.  Something like, “I know you will give when you can.   I just wanted to let you know that I have respected, appreciated, and noticed your generosity, and I am always grateful for your moral and financial support.   I am glad that you are well and hope you will keep in touch. When this crazy time passes, I look forward to signing that thank you note once again.  In the meantime, keep us in your hearts as we will you.”

When we create a long-term fundraising program, it is not just the donation.   It is the donor, the person, who is in the fight for our mission, with us.   They become our organizational family and thus, communicating at a higher level than normal becomes important. 

I think the most interesting part of 2008 for my organization at that time was that our program remained solid.  We communicated through all the different channels we had and people gave.  Research has shown that people do give during tragedy and not to just the organizations that are directly impacted.   (See the Better Fundraising Company article) The deep feelings we hold inside us for the tragedy is often expressed in helping the organizations we love even more.   I cherished the notes I received that said they couldn’t give as much as last year but wanted me to know they felt my passion and wanted to be in the fight with me.    As I got the notes, emails and calls, I was very grateful and convinced that when we put our best foot forward, invite others to join even in tough times, they will.   For those who could not give, I was understanding and gave them confidence that our paths would cross again.  While today’s pandemic is not the same as 2008, it is similar.  I think the one difference is that people are craving communication, connection and a burning desire to help.  I hope you will give them that honor.

In a most recent article entitled, “Fundraising in a Pandemic and Economic Downturn: What Will Happen, How You Can Succeed,” Jeff Brooks summarized with this paragraph.

“Your donors will be more bonded with your organization compared to other organizations that didn’t treat them as well, which means retention rates and average gifts will increase.”  Check out the article from the Better Fundraising Company.

Communicate well and frequently! If you need help, I am here!

Two leadership changes can greatly impact our non-profits and both should be taken very seriously.   Today, I will touch on the transition of a board chair.

Many non-profits wait until the transition time is upon them to address a transition and that is often,  “who wants to fill this seat next, or whom can we convince to take it.”  Scary!

A board chair sets the culture of an organization.   That position leads the values, the partnership with staff, the commitment to governance and strategy.   Leaving that position to twisting an arm to take it, will greatly impact an organization.

When I first encountered the power of a bad transition, it was a huge wake up call for me.  The whole organization culture shifted.   My work was harder, more stressful and our productivity as a team was compromised.   Daily life and board meetings were filled with drama, power plays and lack of decisions.   Board members were allowed to micro-manage and disrupted all the staff.  As executive director, I spent more time reacting than being proactive as each new day brought in a set of changes and shifts in direction.  It was difficult to navigate and the board chair was at the heart of the chaos.    She had no experience, very little leadership skill and defaulted to whims of strong board members.    She was a wonderful person who was very passionate about the organization but played havoc on staff morale.

What can you do differently?

A solid selection criterion followed by transitional mentorship, training and influence by a current strong current chair or governance committee would be much more strategic.   Start planning a year out from the transition by conversations with the chair, executive or governance committees of the importance of the transition and how to be more strategic in accomplishing.   Sometimes, I see a vice chair being groomed for the position or a six-month time frame of a co-chair to actively mentor the new person and help determine the fit into the culture.  I would encourage the governance committee to actively interview the proposed chair to ask culture and leadership questions.   Much like the executive director, this position is too critical for a sloppy process.

Whatever you decide, make your decision very intentional.   Explore ideas like:

1.  A separate job description for the chair
2.  Leadership experience or how to develop
3. Culture and value alignment
4. Partnership mentality
5. Consensus versus dictation mentality
6. Influence versus easily influenced
7. Passion for the organization

For executive directors, play an active role.   This position is your partner and will be the person who makes your life easier.    Only through an active partnership with the board and staff can a non-profit truly succeed.  This culture starts with the leaders.  Then once selected, play a role in training.

Training needs to be as intentional as selection.

The majority of our chairs are coming from the private sector.   They do not have experience leading a non-profit.   I find that carving out time to really have an in-depth discussion with the new and the old chair is very helpful.  Here are some important topics to cover in that meeting.

1.  Governance including conflict of interests, bylaws, committee responsibility, leading meetings, consensus building
2. Partnership versus hierarchal thinking and how important it is for the executive director and the board chair to be in sync and the plan of action to ensure the relationship stays strong
3. Board dynamics and influencers and how to address positioning and conflict
4. Strategic and annual action plans
5. Giving and getting pace setting. The role of the chair in development success.
6. Mentoring and how best you as ED like to be mentored
7. How best to prepare for meetings of the board and committees.   How to signal or help challenges as they arise in the meetings.
8. Staffing roles and why it is important for the executive director to manage, and the importance of the chair running interference on this with the board.
9. Current or foreseeable future challenges
10. If you serve a third party entity like a hospital, park, etc, it is important to meet with their leadership and establish roles and chain of command.

I have found asking new board chairs to spend a day in the office, ask questions and see how hard staff work and what they are dealing with daily is very helpful.    It helps form more of a partnership mentality although the chair has to be very careful not to set the stage for staff running to him/her with issues.  

As you look to the future of your organization, be very intentional about the culture especially in times of transition in order to successfully navigate change.

How do I position the organization for a successful transition?

First and foremost, regardless of why you are leaving the organization, be very strategic about helping the next person in line.   This will leave a legacy that will live well beyond your influence and help the next leader achieve greater success for the mission in which we passionately led. (believe me, I know how hard this can be in some circumstances)

Make a notebook for the new person that includes valuable things such as,

1.  Strategic plan and where you are at with it, challenges and opportunities as you see them.  An operation plan for the year if you have one
2. Overview on staff and their values, gifts and struggles from your viewpoint
3. Overview on programs with opportunities and challenges
4. Quick look at the top donors to focus on and anything you don’t want in the database
5. Overview of board members and their strengths and weaknesses from your opinion
6. Key passwords or where to find key information
7. Insights on overall opportunities and obstacles that you think would be helpful

Second, let them know that they can reach out to you.   I have never left a job without an invitation to reach out if needed.    Whether or not you leave in the best of terms, the new person is not responsible.

Board members!!   As an executive director, it is our job to help the board transition this leadership position to ensure the well being of the organization that touched our souls. Let’s take a look at some thoughts for the board’s journey on finding a new executive director. Here are some thoughts for your board members.

First and foremost, take a time out from the immediate, get a body into the position mentality – a board member, a staff person, a program officer, anybody!   You could set your organization back.   There are interim opportunities out there with people who know how to operate a non-profit.  Not only will that keep the organization running more smoothly, but it will allow for you to take a step back, communicate with that interim position for a third-party review of the organizational needs and strategic plan, and be strategic in your next hire.

Transition is also a good time to review the culture, values and workings of the organization.   I worked with an organization that promoted from within, only to discover the person totally shifted the mission because of her values, not the combined values.  Yet another organization hired a board member, and when the new ED arrived, staff thought going to board members was an acceptable process and eroded the strength of the new leader.  These organizations struggled as a result.   

I suggest finding an interim solution preferably from the outside without any expectation of getting the job.   Then creating a committee for the search and focus on questions like the ones listed below. 

• Are we on track with our strategic plan?   Do we even have one?  
• What core skills are missing in our current staff setup that could be a key trait for a new leader? 
• What values are critical to us as a board and how will we include that in our interview?
• How does the board reward and motivate good leadership?
• How can we improve our partnership with a new leader?
• What are our expectations of this person?   Realistic?
• How will we create a culture of learning, growing and mentoring the new leader?
• What leadership skills are the most important to our board?
• What questions can we ask in interviews that identify mindset, values, leadership strength, and alignment with our collective mission?  
  • Questions like:

1. What are your four key values that guide your life?
2. How does the mission of this organization fit with your values?
3. Describe what you think are the qualities of modern-day nonprofit leaders?
4. Think of a time in your life when you failed.  Describe how you handled and what you learned?
5. Describe a time when you balanced donor expectation with board demands and employee care?
6. Describe how you mentor employees and build leaders on your team?
7. How have you meet or exceeded goals that were challenging in the past? Explain
8. How do you grow as a professional?
9. Describe the culture you would like to see
10. How do you show your team you value them? 
11. How do you see your role in relationship to the board’s role?

The executive director position is key to the success of the organization.   This person becomes the face of the organization.   It is not a position that can be filled short term by a volunteer or an untrained staff member without consequences.