Extremely grateful for the opportunity to speak at last week’s inaugural nonprofit leadership conference at John Carroll University. Program Director Dani Robbins and Graduate Assistant Hannah Hill and team did a phenomenal job organizing the gathering and it was an honor to join the attendees and other outstanding speakers. I love the vision of the Nonprofit Administration Program — “Developing Unapologetic Social Justice Leaders!”
Please join me at the upcoming Idaho Nonprofit Center Virtual Conference, August 31 - September 2, 2021. I will be presenting a session entitled “Mission Ambassadors” and would love to see you there.
This year, it will include both virtual and in-person components. All aspects have great content to help the nonprofit sector grow. During the conference, all attendees will have the opportunity to fully participate in their chosen breakout sessions through microphone enabled live Q and As, polls, and text chat features.
Early bird pricing closes August 2 with final registration ending on August 21. Learn more about this three day learning event here.
Thank you so much for your time and I hope to see you online!
Congratulations to the Board and Staff of Ronald McDonald House Charities of Kentuckiana (RMHCK) on the approval of their exciting and impactful new strategic plan! Over the past few months, it has been an honor to facilitate the strategic planning process for this amazing team and I am so inspired by their talent, passion, and commitment. Led by CEO Hal Hedley, the mission of RMHCK is to provide the home and support that allows families to stay together while they focus on the healing of their sick children at a critical time. Congratulations RMHCK team!
Reunions come in many different forms and for many different purposes. Class reunions. Family reunions. Team reunions. Many nonprofits are preparing for their own type of reunion over the coming weeks and months -- a Board reunion.
Over the past year or so, nonprofits have adapted to the challenges of the pandemic and most Boards have met virtually. This conversion has brought benefits such as improved attendance, and also challenges such as lack of personal interaction among Board teams. As Boards begin to return to some form of in-person gathering, here are some tips to ensure a smooth transition.
Devote time to relationship building.
While virtual platforms offer outstanding features to ensure effective meetings, many nonprofit Boards have missed that element of social interaction, of getting to know one another as colleagues and teammates. Through departures from and additions to the Board, your nonprofit may have several Board members who have never actually met one another in person. Before diving back into the business of the Board, consider the ways in which you might offer Board members an opportunity to re-engage with one another and develop the types of relationships found in healthy teams.
Tip: Consider a Board retreat or intentionally create other opportunities for Board members to get to know one another.
Assess the current strengths, challenges, and priorities of the Board.
We can’t forget that the past year has been highly disruptive for nonprofits and Boards -- personally, professionally, and organizationally. The health of your Board today may be very different (positively or negatively) than it was a year ago. Rather than assuming these changes will disappear upon a return to in-person meetings, consider pausing to assess that state of the Board.
Tip: Whether through a formal Board assessment or informal checkup, offer Board members the opportunity to reflect and hold a mirror up to the Board team -- what is going well, where are we struggling, and what are our most important priorities.
Develop new norms and expectations as a team.
Just as the strengths and challenges of the Board may have changed over the past year, the norms and expectations of the team may have evolved also. For example, many nonprofits are now evolving to a hybrid platform for Board meetings, where some members are comfortable being in-person and others more comfortable with joining remotely. Is your meeting frequency and schedule still optimal for the team or does it need to be altered? These are just a few of the questions your Board may want to address.
Tip: Board members tend to have greater ownership of norms and expectations they help create.
Know that the road is not always smooth. There may be bumps along the way. Like any team, Boards are challenging! Know that Nielsen Training & Consulting is your partner on this journey and we are here to offer any support or guidance you may need. We want to hear from you as you get the band back together!
Congratulations to the Board and staff of CASA of Graves County and Southwest KY on the approval of their exciting new strategic plan! It has been an honor to facilitate the strategic planning process for this organization that impacts the lives of so many children and families. CASA of Graves County & Southwest KY provides trained community volunteers for court appointment to advocate on behalf of dependent, abused, and neglected children.
Over the past several months, in partnership with Civitas Strategies, we have had the privilege of facilitating the strategic planning process for Evansville Goodwill Industries, Inc. Using the proven Finding Your North Star Tm system, the process included a thoughtful assessment of the landscape, engagement of the Board through a Board strategy retreat, and lively planning sessions with Board and staff leaders. We congratulate Evansville Goodwill Industries on the approval of their bold, impactful new strategic plan!
Honored to facilitate the Board Retreat for the Board and staff team of Alagille Syndrome Alliance. The Alagille Syndrome Alliance is an international nonprofit started in 1993. This talented and passionate team mobilizes resources, facilitates connections, promotes unity, and advocates for a cure to inspire, empower, and enrich the lives of people affected by Alagille Syndrome.
Board Chairs and CEOs may come from different backgrounds almost assuredly reflecting different life experiences, but together they hold the promise of what an organization can become and the impact it can have on the lives of those served. Honored to facilitate a series of workshops with the Executive Directors and Board Chairs of CASA programs from across Kentucky entitled “Pivotal Partners: Board Chair-Executive Director Partnership to Propel Your Mission.” With Executive Directors and their Board Chairs attending as a team, this engaging and interactive program featured critical discussions focused on developing the habits, practices, and relationships necessary to propel the organization’s mission forward. Special thanks to Kentucky CASA Network for sponsoring the workshop and bringing these outstanding leaders together!
Boards play a vital role in fostering a culture of evaluation. Healthy Boards embrace opportunities to reflect on their performance and establish clear governance priorities. Enjoyed facilitating our proven Board Champions Assessment (BCA) Tm yesterday with the outstanding team from Allegany Franciscan Ministries.
Honored to lead a Board development session last night with the talented and committed Board of JFCS Louisville. Through an impressive array of programs and services, JFCS expands possibilities for each person and every family to meet life’s challenges with confidence.
Supporting and evaluating the Chief Executive represents a core duty of a nonprofit Board. A thoughtful, planned evaluation process provides an opportunity to celebrate progress and achievements while also sharing constructive feedback on areas for future development. It should be conducted at least once per year. There are many ways in which a Board can fulfill this responsibility, and no one process will be appropriate for every Board. Rather, it is more productive to focus on a set of core principles when framing a Board’s approach to executive evaluation.
Evaluations tied to written job descriptions and annual goals.
In order to facilitate an equitable process, the review should be tied to identified accountabilities and goals. It should also be consistent with the areas of focus described in the strategic plan. This provides a consistent framework or lens through which the Executive and Board can reflect on performance.
Full participation of the Board.
Depending on the size of the Board, it can be unwieldy to require the entire Board to facilitate the review. Some Boards select an officer to lead the process or house the responsibility within a committee such as the Executive Committee. Others will engage an external facilitator to lead the process. Regardless of who facilitates, a core principle is every Board member should have a meaningful opportunity to provide input. This means that the Board must understand and support their obligation to conduct an annual review and must take the time to reflect on the Executive’s performance and share constructive feedback through the mechanism chosen.
Collaborative process design.
Let’s face it -- because of power dynamics, relationships, and a host of other factors, Executive reviews can be uncomfortable for all parties. This probably accounts for the number of nonprofit Executives I speak with who haven’t had any review in years! One way to make the process more comfortable is to involve the Executive in its design. Key questions Board leaders and the Executive can address together include:
Will the Board facilitate the process or engage an external facilitator?
Will the Board be seeking the feedback of any senior staff members as part of the review and if so how?
Will a particular assessment tool or instrument be used?
How will the Executive be afforded the opportunity to provide reflections and information
Commitment to professional development.
Most Executive evaluations reflect instances of accomplishment as well as areas to further develop. If you refer back to the opening sentence of this article, I note that evaluating and supporting the Chief Executive is a core responsibility of the Board. The two go hand in hand. The review provides a needed goal-setting opportunity for the coming year. Additionally, healthy Boards use the annual review as an opportunity to support the Executive’s leadership growth through investment in meaningful professional development. When planned and conducted thoughtfully, an evaluation can be a tremendous way to strengthen the relationship between Board and Executive and keep needed lines of communication open.
The core principles discussed above represent a guide to help your organization conduct an effective evaluation. If you are interested in additional tools and guidance, including information on a facilitated Executive evaluation process, NTC CAN HELP -- contact us!
4 Pathways to Sustained Collaboration
Collaboration has always been a hallmark of the nonprofit sector. Studies repeatedly show that nonprofits collaborate with one another far more than many suspect. These efforts may take a variety of forms, which is the first important truth to realize about collaboration -- namely, it represents a spectrum of possibilities from associations to partnerships all the way to mergers at the far end of the spectrum. The term I most like when discussing this topic is “sustained collaboration,” as it encompasses the many possibilities along the spectrum.
As the Covid-19 pandemic and other realities continue to impact nonprofits across the country, many are now more intentionally investigating sustained collaborations, either for strategic or survival purposes. While certainly not an exhaustive list, in working with nonprofits I have found 4 common pathways to sustained collaboration.
Increased ability to deliver services.
Many nonprofits have developed an innovative approach to addressing complex community challenges that has proven effective. However, the limitations of their geographic reach, staff capacity, or financial position prevent them from expanding their service delivery. Sustained collaboration with a partner can be a means to expand reach and impact.
This may benefit you if: There is demand for your programs outside your current service area that you cannot meet.
Common strategic vision.
Frequently, two organizations build a relationship over time. They may start by sharing information about their shared mission focus. Over time, they may grow their collaboration to include a partnership on program delivery. At some point, they may sit down and realize there is synergy and alignment in their respective strategic visions for the future. This relationship based model can often lead to highly successful sustained collaborations (occasionally even mergers) because it is built on a strong foundation of trust and shared focus on a common vision for the future.
This may benefit you if: You have identified a current collaborative partner with whom you share a common strategic vision and desire to work more closely.
Increased efficiency.
There is a common refrain many nonprofit leaders have heard repeatedly throughout their career -- “There are simply too many nonprofits in our community and they are duplicating services.” While we can debate the merits of this statement, the duplication that is of most concern and presents the greatest opportunity for sustained collaboration is administrative duplication. Let’s face it -- it takes significant administrative resources to sustain a nonprofit, from human resources to finance to payroll. Many nonprofits have successfully increased the efficiency of their organizations through sustained collaborations to share administrative infrastructure and operations. When structured thoughtfully, this enables nonprofits to focus a greater amount of their limited resources where they can have the most impact, on programs enhancing communities.
This may benefit you if: You seek to gain economies of scale by sharing administrative functions or your organization is vulnerable to key staff losses in administrative areas.
Survival.
It has never been more challenging to lead a nonprofit than it is right now. Many organizations have teetered perilously close to the brink of closure for an extended period of time due to a multitude of factors. While Covid-19 didn’t create the financial challenges pervasive in the nonprofit sector, it certainly has laid them bare and exacerbated them. Recent studies illustrate the urgency of the situation:
Between March and April 2020, the percentage of nonprofits reporting a drop in monthly revenue rose from 70% to 90%.
More than 55% of nonprofits reported anticipating cutbacks in services
More than 44% anticipate more staff layoffs to come
Nonprofit leaders are working to and often past the point of exhaustion attempting to keep their organizations afloat. This has led many to consider the possibility of merger as a survival strategy to preserve the mission.
This may be for you if: Organization business model is no longer viable or streams of revenue have been damaged so extensively that ongoing viability is a concern.
Sustained collaborations are neither easy nor fast, but when entered into thoughtfully can provide benefits that allow for the expansion of services, advancement of a common vision, and preservation of organizational impact. Frequently, engaging with an external thought partner can be a helpful first step in exploring a holistic process that will encompass not only the legal and financial due diligence necessary, but also considerations of governance, leadership, and organizational culture. If your organization is contemplating a sustained collaboration, I invite you to connect with me for further discussion of this important topic.
Realize PPP forgiveness with an informative webinar, step-by-step guide, and access to experienced professionals!
The Civitas Strategies and NTC team has helped over 100 organizations secure PPP funding, with amounts ranging from greater than $1 million to less than $5,000. Learn from our experience!
The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) provided a path for nonprofits and for-profits get the funding they need to survive the COVID-19 pandemic. If you have the loan, you’ve made it halfway- now you need to apply and secure forgiveness. Unfortunately, the process is even more convoluted than the application.
Drawing on our support on the PPP to organizations across the U.S., Civitas Strategies and Nielsen Training and Consulting are offering a limited-time opportunity to help you painlessly navigate the forgiveness process.
The PPP Forgiveness Support Package includes:
Live webinar with the CEO of Civitas Strategies or Nielsen Training and Consulting to learn about the forgiveness process.
Step-by-step guide for filling out your forgiveness request explaining every field on the forms.
Ability to email senior consultants with any questions that arise while you apply for forgiveness. Register now!