A Board of Directors is a team, and teams perform best when members feel that they belong and are valued. Honored to lead a session on Building a Sense of Belonging: Inclusive Best Practices for Your Board as part of the 2022 AHIMA Leadership Symposium. The American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) is the leading voice and authority in health information, wherever it is found. They work at the intersection of healthcare, technology, and business.
The bold goals and strategies you establish for your nonprofit are not meant to sit on a shelf, but rather can only be achieved by reviewing, reflecting on, and refining them regularly. Honored to continue our work with Warmshowers by facilitating their Board Strategy Retreat. Warmshowers is a community of touring cyclists and those that support them. Their platform provides the technology for reciprocal hospitality for cyclists and hosts across the globe! So excited to see the continued growth of this outstanding organization.
Leading a nonprofit organization is not only about what you know, but more importantly the ability to bring people together, elevate the voice of the community you serve, and learn with and from others. This fall, I am pleased to be leading a session as part of the inaugural Institute for Transformational Nonprofit Leadership Certificate through DCM Associates — a program that provides nonprofit leaders with the opportunity to develop these skills while connecting with a cohort of fellow leaders.
This program includes seven courses taught by nationally recognized nonprofit leadership executives, coaches, authors, and search consultants virtually over a three-month period in the Fall and Spring.
Each of the seven courses have two components: a one-hour recorded session that you can take at your own convenience from your office, home or mobile app, and a live interactive 90 minute session scheduled by each presenter enabling ample time to address each of the discussed topics discussed and answer any and all questions you may have.
Click below to learn more!
Nonprofit leadership is exhilarating, occasionally frustrating, and sometimes frighteningly lonely. The good news is you are not alone. The Nonprofit Vision podcast is your opportunity to hear from other nonprofit leaders, consultants, and others about topics that matter to you. Is there a topic you want to hear more about? Let us know! Join our online community, participate in the conversation, and subscribe to our Nonprofit Vision podcast on your favorite podcast platform.
Boards are not able to set priorities or address challenges unless they first have a mechanism for identifying them. By providing Board members an opportunity to hold a mirror up to their own performance, a Board Assessment provides a safe and effective means of identifying priority areas and surfacing challenges effectively. Enjoyed spending the day with the talented and committed Board of Child Care Associates facilitating their Board Champions Assessment TM and discussion.
For more information on Board Assessments, please click on our recent article linked below. If you would like to discuss our Board Champions Assessment TM for your Board, let’s connect!
“That was so much fun! We should do that more often!”
EACM Staff Member
Listening to learn from those who are closest to communities served is vital to thoughtful strategic planning. Thoroughly enjoyed spending the afternoon with the staff of Eastern Area Community Ministries yesterday gathering their perspective as part of our strategic planning process. EACM serves families in Eastern Jefferson County, Kentucky who are experiencing a crisis or facing urgent needs. EACM provides emergency assistance with utilities and rent, access to a food pantry, and programming to empower and build self-reliance.
Wisdom. Experience. Meaningful connections. Advisory councils are typically groups of volunteers formed to provide advice or support to benefit a nonprofit’s governing board or staff. When created thoughtfully and nurtured appropriately, an advisory council can be an effective body that advances the mission of a nonprofit. If your nonprofit is considering the formation of an advisory council or you are seeking to re-energize a current advisory council, here are some questions you may want to consider.
How healthy is your governing board?
An advisory council can be a wonderful partner to an executive, but it is not a replacement for a healthy governing board. If your governing board is struggling or disengaged, avoid the temptation to create another team that will need to be nurtured and cultivated. Rather, invest your time and effort in re-energizing your governing board through renewal or replacement of members.
How clear are you on the mission of the advisory council?
While governing boards by their very nature have multiple responsibilities, advisory councils tend to function best when they are created for a specific purpose and given a clear mission. Examples include providing subject matter expertise on a specific topic, leveraging connections to aid in a defined fundraising campaign, or collectively launching or managing a program to benefit the nonprofit. In all cases, advisory councils should have a clear charter with defined expectations, accountabilities, and definitions of success for their activities. Be clear to prospective members why they were chosen and what will be expected of them.
Who will support the advisory council?
Advisory councils require cultivation, nurturing, and support in order to function effectively. Before forming one, nonprofit leaders must ask, “do we have the capacity to support this group, and if so, who will be the point person?” A liaison from the organization is critical in recruiting members to the council, orienting them, and supporting them in their service. Thoughtful agendas, supporting material, and effective facilitation of meetings goes a long way towards nurturing a healthy advisory council.
Can you create a meaningful link between your advisory council and governing board?
Advisory councils tend to function most effectively when they are appropriately connected to the mission of the organization and its governance. Governing board members should benefit from understanding the progress of the advisory council and the council will be more effective if it understands the larger ecosystem in which the organization operates. Consider thoughtful approaches to build relationships and connection between the important work of the advisory council and the governing board.
Advisory councils can make meaningful contributions that help nonprofits translate their vision into reality. By asking yourself and your team these important questions, nonprofit leaders can ensure that their advisory council is thoughtfully conceived, well-supported, and positioned for success.
Do you have questions or wish to discuss your advisory council, board, or nonprofit? Let's connect!
Congratulations to the Board and staff of Walden School on the approval of their strategic plan. It has been an honor and a pleasure working with this amazing team over the past several months to facilitate their planning process. In partnership with families, Walden School provides an educational environment - both academic and social - that fosters a lifelong enthusiasm for learning and challenges individual students to reach their full potential so they may flourish in a diverse and changing world.
The kickoff of strategic planning captures the promise, excitement, and anticipation of what an organization is and can be. Excited and honored to facilitate the strategic planning process with Eastern Area Community Ministries that kicked off this week.
A highly effective nonprofit Board grows together as a team when they unite behind a mission and a bold, audacious vision. An integral part of that growth is the opportunity to step back from the regular business of Board meetings to allow for reflection, evaluation, and critical discussions. When planned thoughtfully and executed well, a Board retreat can be a vital tool that builds trust and strengthens relationships among Board members, while helping to ensure that the Board team is positioned to govern effectively. A retreat may also allow a divided Board to address conflict or pull together to address a critical issue. Here are a few brief tips to make your next Board retreat a success:
Clearly articulate and build consensus among Board leaders as to the "why" of the retreat.
Focus on 1 or 2 objectives; avoid trying to tackle everything in one retreat.
Work with an external facilitator you trust to craft an agenda that addresses the objectives while still allowing time for Board members to socialize and build relationships.
Document key points of discussion and commitments for follow-up
Consciously seek opportunities to inspire the Board team and reconnect to the mission
Have you had a particularly moving or impactful experience at a Board retreat? We'd love to hear about it. If you would like to discuss creating a creating an engaging and inspiring retreat for your Board team, let's talk!
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!”
I am excited to be speaking at the inaugural NE Ohio Nonprofit Leadership Conference on Friday, May 6th, 2022. John Carroll University’s Nonprofit Administration Program, in concert with The Ginn Institute for Corporate Social Responsibility, has gathered speakers from across the nonprofit landscape to discuss cutting-edge ideas about data, leadership, fundraising, justice and equity. I will be leading a session on Finding Your North Star Through Strategic Planning. For more information, click the link below. Hope to see you there!
Energy. Excitement. Anticipation. The kickoff of strategic planning captures all of this and more! A strategic plan informs the direction of the organization, generates heightened engagement and ownership of the mission, and inspires staff, board, volunteers, and the community to envision bold possibilities. Excited and honored to facilitate the strategic planning process for Highlands Community Ministries that kicked off this week.
Honored to lead at session at the annual conference of the Pennsylvania Council of Children, Youth, & Family Services (PCCYFS). We had a fantastic interactive discussion on strategic planning and I enjoyed meeting so many talented leaders dedicated to improving the lives of children and families.
Strategic planning doesn’t have to be a drag, unduly burdensome, or excessively complex. A strategic plan serves as a roadmap to enable an organization to set priorities and measure progress. It informs the direction of the organization, generates heightened engagement and ownership of the mission, and inspires staff, board, volunteers, and the community to envision bold possibilities. Enjoyed discussing a healthy, evidenced-based, and exciting approach to strategic planning on yesterday’s webinar hosted by DCM Associates.
Proposed legislation working its way through Congress right now could dramatically alter the philanthropy landscape, and bring about significant changes that reverberate through the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors. Honored to present a webinar on the Latest in Donor Advised Fund (DAF) and Foundation Reform Proposals for LawPracticeCLE. You can access the webinar either live on April 6, 2022 from 2pm-3pm ET or on demand.
Excited to join a talented panel tomorrow for a free discussion-style event sponsored by Keela entitled “The Secret to Successful Nonprofit Leadership.” Fellow panelists Sabrina Walker Hernandez, Sean Kosofsky, and I will discuss how nonprofit leaders can improve their decision-making skills, navigate current challenges and set themselves up for long-term success. This session is an excellent opportunity to get answers to any questions you have about board fundraising, imposter syndrome, decision-making, compliance, or any specific nonprofit leadership issues. Click below to register for free and hope to see you tomorrow!
Honored to present a session entitled “Not Business As Usual: Translating Vision Into Reality” at last week’s United Spay Alliance Conference. Joined by my friend and colleague Karen Little, Executive Director of Alley Cat Advocates, our session focused on developing a compelling mission, vision, and values and then supporting them with thoughtful business and strategic plans. United Spay Alliance is a national animal welfare organization dedicated exclusively to promoting affordable, accessible, and timely spay/neuter services as the solution to the crisis of cat and dog homelessness.
A Board retreat presents an opportunity for Board members to lift their gaze, reconnect to the mission of the organization, and focus on critical priorities and opportunities that lie ahead. It was a privilege to facilitate a Board retreat with the leaders of The Westhaven Foundation. The mission of The Westhaven Foundation is to serve the community through financial support and volunteerism and to be a catalyst to help others in the community conduct programs of their own.
Enjoyed co-leading a webinar yesterday on strategic planning with my friend and colleague Gary Romano of Civitas Strategies. It was an awesome discussion and special thanks to the Institute of Management Consultants for the invitation.