Grateful to Youth Today for publishing my recent article on Finding Your North Star Through Strategic Planning.
Nonprofit leaders and board members face countless challenges, and strategic planning can sometimes seem like a daunting undertaking. There is hope, and a path to a far more energizing and effective plan! If you begin with the 3 P’s of purpose, people and process, you can set your organization on a path toward a successful outcome.
Highly effective nonprofit Boards embrace strategic conversations around critical issues relevant to the mission of the organization. They recognize that the limited time the Board spends together as a team is valuable, and devote that time to discussion rather than simply a recitation of reports.
What has the attention of nonprofit Boards these days? Here are just a few critical issues that highly effective nonprofit Boards are discussing as a team:
Bloomerang recently released the 2018-2019 State of the Nonprofit Workplace Report. Among the key findings:
Salary was among the top 5 most important employee benefits, but employees ranked paid time off and paid family leave even higher.
Approximately 30% of respondents report working multiple jobs to make ends meet
Women earned less in salary than men across all categories, including based on years of experience and organization size
About 35% of nonprofit employees predicted they wouldn’t be working at their current organization 2 years from now.
According to a recent survey from Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), 25% of fundraisers report confronting ethical dilemmas at least 6 times per year.
"From a list of common ethical challenges, respondents also identified ethical issues on which they need more guidance and resources. Donor control and restrictions on how gifts can be used was identified by almost half (48%) of respondents as a critical issue, followed by conflicts of interest (41%) and “tainted” money from donors (40%)."
The National Philanthropic Trust released their annual Donor Advised Funds Report. Key findings include:
The number of Donor Advised Funds (DAFs) grew 55.2% in the past year. The actual number of DAFs in the United States is now 728,563. This total should surpass one million in 2020.
Grants made from DAFs increased 18.9%, making them philanthropy's fastest growing vehicle.
Imagine the dynamic conversations your Board could be having as they grapple with these or the countless other issues critical to translating your vision into reality. If your Board is ready to take the first step towards towards elevating its effectiveness or bringing these discussions to your Board room, let's connect!
As summer turns to fall and leaves change, we have ushered in one of my favorite seasons of the year — college football season. In addition to the game itself, many are drawn to college football because of the traditions and pageantry that accompany rooting for your favorite school.
This past weekend, my family made our annual football weekend trip to Notre Dame. This is an extremely meaningful tradition for us, and one we look forward to every year. As we walked around campus, I was reminded of the value of traditions. From listening to the band play the fight song, to eating at a favorite dining hall, to donning your team colors, traditions bind us together. Likewise, traditions also hold special meaning for organizations and team members:
Traditions build a sense of belonging.
People possess an innate desire to be part of something larger than themselves. It compels each of us to serve in our own way, from Board members to staff members, volunteers to donors. Traditions cultivate that sense of belonging and higher purpose.
Traditions build bridges linking the past, present, and future.
Through the stories, rituals, and habits passed down over time, people gain a unique appreciation of an organization’s history, evolution, and vision as well as a connection to those who have come before, serve now, and will serve in the future.
Traditions both reflect and reinforce values and culture.
The primary way in which individuals experience the values and culture of an organization are through the actions of those they serve with. Traditions serve to illuminate these values and bring the culture of an organization to life.
Traditions hold space for reflection.
It is easy to get carried away with daily routines and challenges. Traditions provide an opportunity for each of us to pause and reflect, while reconnecting to our vision and the ideals that underlie our commitment to the organization and our teammates.
When was the last time you asked your team about the organizational traditions they value? What is the equivalent of the “fight song” and treasured campus memory for your organization? I invite you to reflect with me this month on the traditions that inspire your organization and team.
