Board Membership 'fee'​ -- "Only $1000"​

She was so excited. She finally was invited to join the board of an organization whose mission she's been passionate about for many years. In sharing this news, she explained to me "the fee is only $1000".

I gasped and thought to myself, "Why does she think there is a 'fee' to serve in a volunteer position? And then it dawned on me that she was talking about the annual contribution the nonprofit required of their board members.

My next thought was how unfortunately the organization has likely missed out on some really great board members who didn't like the idea of paying a 'fee' for volunteer services (it's all in how you ask that determines if a potential donor leans in or walks away). Then I shook my head as I recalled that she had just said 'only $1000' when announcing the 'fee' -- implying she has the capacity and a willingness to give more.

I always recommend that boards use a strategic approach to determine the financial goals and individual giving of each board member verses setting a blanket amount for all. Though every board member should make a "significant gift" to the organization, the significance of $1000 for one may not the same for another. With diversity in board membership should come an expectation of diversity in board giving. The corporate executive, millennial and retiree should not be excepted to give the same amount. This is especially important to keep in mind because you want all board members to both give AND get donations for your organization.

Michelle Nusum-Smith, a licensed nonprofit consultant, coach and trainer, is owner and principal consultant at The Word Woman LLC, a consultancy that helps nonprofits, government agencies, and individuals to develop the skills, knowledge and resources to achieve their missions to do good. With nearly 20 years of nonprofit experience, Michelle has expertise in organizational development and leadership, board development, program development, financial management, fundraising, marketing, and community relations. She is licensed to offer consulting services for the Maryland Nonprofit’s Standards for Excellence® program. Michelle has the knowledge, skills and tools necessary to work with nonprofit organizations across the country interested in learning about and implementing the Standards for Excellence code.

www.thewordwomanllc.com • info@thewordwomanllc.com • 240-215-4984

I really didn't mean to offend her.

With spring comes renewed energy and commitment to achieve our goals -- both personal and professional. So unsurprisingly, over the last week I've gotten more calls about starting a nonprofit and grant support. 

Unfortunately, some of the callers have already fallen into a trap I see all too often. They thought their passions and eagerness to get started on their own would create the nonprofit they envision. What they didn't understand is there is no such thing as solopreneurship in nonprofits.

Nonprofits aren't meant to be started and can't be sustained by one passionate person -- no matter how passionate they are.

A nonprofit's strong foundation begins with building a team of equally passionate people who may or may not ultimately become the founding board members but who are nevertheless committed to helping to build an organization whose mission inspires them to roll up their sleeves and go to work along side you to bring it to fruition.

In a free consultation call this week, I began asking a prospective client the questions I use to help me assess a prospect's needs so I can determine how to best assist them. This caller was quite taken aback by my questions. In fact, she was offended! As part of my questioning, I always provide some free advice because I'm too passionate about nonprofit success to leave anyone completely in the dark.

Her response? She said she didn't call for advice.

She went on to explain that she expected me to give her my rates and get off the phone and said my questions made her feel like I questioned her seriousness and commitment. I told her that I don't treat the process like ordering from a menu because my goal isn't just to sell services but to actually help my clients achieve their goals. By the end of the call, she let down her defenses and expressed an understanding of the need to focus on building a stronger foundation for her nonprofit. 

Is your nonprofit's foundation built more on passion than best practices?

Do you feel like an "army of one" in your organization?

Are your grant requests being denied?

If so, I would love to help you! I encourage you to take advantage these budget-sensitive opportunities:

• Pay-What-You-Can Nonprofit Training Program
• Grant Writing Boot Camp for Small Nonprofits (Scholarships available)

And for more personalized support, you are always welcome to schedule a free consultation call. 

Michelle Nusum-Smith, a licensed nonprofit consultant, coach and trainer, is owner and principal consultant at The Word Woman LLC, a consultancy that helps nonprofits, government agencies, and individuals to develop the skills, knowledge and resources to achieve their missions to do good. With nearly 20 years of nonprofit experience, Michelle has expertise in organizational development and leadership, board development, program development, financial management, fundraising, marketing, and community relations. She is licensed to offer consulting services for the Maryland Nonprofit’s Standards for Excellence® program and has the knowledge, skills and tools necessary to work with nonprofit organizations across the country.

www.thewordwomanllc.com • info@thewordwomanllc.com • 240-215-4984

I'm faking it.

Over the past few weeks, I have spoken with various people who despite their admittingly not having a clue about what they are supposed to be doing are nonprofit board members and in some cases board officers.

They told me how during meetings they go through the motions as they watch colleagues who have been on the board longer and try desperately to model their behaviors. One said, "Since day one I have been been posturing in hopes that no one discovers my secret -- 'I'm faking it.'"

During each conversation, I put each one of these genuinely dedicated people at ease by telling them, "The people you're trying to impress are most likely faking it, too." 

You see, most people who join a board (even those lucky enough to be courted, recruited and on-boarded properly) never actually receive formal board training. So they fake it. They watch those who were already at the table and follow their example -- assuming it's right when more often than not it is wrong.

We don't know what we don't know.

I included "Nonprofit Board Training" in my Pay-What-You-Can Nonprofit Training Program to ensure current board members, board hopefuls, and those starting a nonprofit can have access to best-practices training regardless of the organization's budget. If you are a current board member, hope to become one, or you're in the process of starting a nonprofit, this training is for you! The next board training will be held on Monday, July 23 from 6-9pm in Baltimore. Reserve your seat for just $15 and join me in my information-packed, interactive training (valued at $180)! Share this opportunity with your full board so you all can gain the knowledge, skills and tools for board success! 

Michelle Nusum-Smith, a licensed nonprofit consultant, coach and trainer, is owner and principal consultant at The Word Woman LLC, a consultancy that helps nonprofits, government agencies, and individuals to develop the skills, knowledge and resources to achieve their missions to do good. With nearly 20 years of nonprofit experience, Michelle has expertise in organizational development and leadership, board development, program development, financial management, fundraising, marketing, and community relations. She is licensed to offer consulting services for the Maryland Nonprofit’s Standards for Excellence® program and has the knowledge, skills and tools necessary to work with nonprofit organizations across the country.

www.thewordwomanllc.com • info@thewordwomanllc.com • 240-215-4984

Fundraising Tips for Your Nonprofit Board

You may have seen my post on Facebook about a meeting I recently had with the fundraising committee of a client's board. They wanted to discuss their challenges and get some guidance and support. One of the first questions I always ask when meeting with an organization about their fundraising is, "What is your fundraising goal?" This committee of two didn't have an immediate answer. Fortunately, the Executive Director was there to assist. However, the amount she suggested was quite low -- $5,000. And I'm pretty sure the "goal" wasn't based on an assessment or strategic planning. 

Unfortunately, this isn't unusual.

For many organizations, the fundraising strategy is "get as much money as you can from whomever and from wherever and we'll make it work with whatever with get". For board members (staff as well), this is a recipe for failure, frustration and burnout.

Fundraising events was a key issue of our discussion. One member of the committee expressed her confusion about how many events they should plan to do. She shared how the last event was a "learning experience" that didn't raise much money. The other member was excited to discuss an event she was already planning. Unfortunately, the focal point of her event had very little (some would say nothing) to do with the mission and purpose of the organization. I explained how although her friends and associates had expressed an interest in attending the event, the organization's core supporters likely would not attend because there is disconnect. We discussed how it would be better to incorporate her activity into an event that would draw their existing supporters as well as her friends and associates.

When mapping a plan to get to anywhere, you must first determine where you want to go. Setting realistic and well-defined goals is the first step towards success in any endeavor.

Overall fundraising goals and strategies should be determined at the board level --- no matter if your organization is only months old or has been around for decades. And committees are where the work gets done. Here are some tips for using committees to position your board for fundraising success:

• A "Fundraising Committee" can do more harm than good. Many boards, recognizing the importance of fundraising will establish a "fundraising committee" as a standing committee of the board. The intent is to ensure some board members are focused on fundraising. Though it is helpful to have a few board members lead the focus on fundraising, often establishing an official committee undermines the fact that fundraising is always the responsibility of all board members. When there is a fundraising committee, board members that are not members of the committee overtime tend to believe they can opt-out of fundraising efforts. A better approach is to establish adhoc committees, such as an event committee, capital campaign committee, or annual fund committee. Adhoc committees are established for a specific period of time to achieve a specific goal and is dissolved when the goal is achieved or time in which to complete is expires. Adhoc committees are more effective because they allow for shared leadership and accountability through rotations of board members as new committees come and go.  

• Board members should not be your only committee members. Many boards fail to recognize the capacity building opportunity committees represent for the board. My client's two-member committee of members with full-time jobs simply do not have the capacity to meet the demands of their committee's charge. Committees are also a great training ground and a recruiting mechanism. For organizations like my client, the board is comprised of two people with limited knowledge, skills and time. They cannot possibly possess all of the knowledge and skills the committee needs and even if they do, they don't have the time to give them. Engaging volunteers and supporters to serve on committees offers many benefits, including: 

• Non-board member committee members lessen the burdon on your board members who should serve on no more than one or two committees. With the exception of the Executive Committee and Finance Committee, a committee generally only requires one or two board members who don't need to serve as the committee chair.  

·         Many organizations will recruit a person "off the street" to serve on the board without any real knowledge about their work style, work ethic or the real value (if any) they bring to the board. Board members, unlike committee members, are given the power (responsibility) to vote on the strategic direction of the organization -- its operations, its financials, its programs and its leadership. Having targeted prospects and others serve at the committee level first will enable the board to make informed decisions before voting on a board member's application. Having a board member serving on a committee first will position them to join the board with an understanding the organization’s needs and a willingness to help to meet them.

·         Having non-board members serve on committees widens the pool of potential supporters and donors and increases the board's capacity to reach them. Each committee member brings to the organization connections and relationships that they can tap into for the benefit of the board and organization. 

Michelle Nusum-Smith, a licensed nonprofit consultant, coach and trainer, is owner and principal consultant at The Word Woman LLC, a consultancy that helps nonprofits, government agencies, and individuals to develop the skills, knowledge and resources to achieve their missions to do good. With nearly 20 years of nonprofit experience, Michelle has expertise in organizational development and leadership, board development, program development, financial management, fundraising, marketing, and community relations. She is licensed to offer consulting services for the Maryland Nonprofit’s Standards for Excellence® program and has the knowledge, skills and tools necessary to work with nonprofit organizations across the country.

www.thewordwomanllc.com • info@thewordwomanllc.com • 240-215-4984

Getting Grant Funding Requires Taking Your “Doing Good” to the Next Level

One thing is true about all “do gooders”, we have no problem with doing. We enjoy getting our hands dirty. In fact, we are often the first to jump into the trenches! We see a problem and we think, “Somebody needs to do something.” And before we’ve finished our thought, we’ve already begun to roll up our sleeves.

This is an incredibly important attribute for anyone seeking to turn an informal charitable activity into one that gets grant funding and grows into a successful nonprofit. Equally as important, though, is ensuring that what you are doing is actually making a difference and can garner funder support.

Whenever I teach fundraising or grant writing, I always use the above image. I think it does an excellent job in demonstrating just how fierce the competition is for charitable donations.

To transition from an informal charitable activity to one that can compete for limited resources (Trust me, she’s not giving up those funds without a fight!) requires going through the program development process and designing an evaluation plan that helps you to both make informed decisions and to continuously improve your program’s effectiveness.

Even those with “formal” programs are often not clear about the effectiveness of their activities. And, if asked about it, they don’t have an answer.

Do you know what success looks like for your activity? Could you prove you have achieved success? If you cannot, you will be little competition for the lady above.

I have had countless conversations over the years with passionate people who saw a problem and immediately went to work to address it. They share how they, “feed the homeless”, “provide after school programs for latchkey kids”, etc. They are all doing great work, but many are not getting funded. When asked about the effectiveness of their activities in addressing the problem they aim to solve, far too many had no answer.

They, with very good intentions, jumped in having given little or no thought to what success would look like.

It is very easy to believe that because we are doing something good, we are making a difference. And perhaps we are. But if we are to make a difference we can prove and gain the support of others, we must have a written plan for success that clearly defines our goals, strategies for achieving them, and methods to evaluate our efforts and our results.

Armed with a plan for success, you can compete and win! Keep doing good!

Michelle Nusum-Smith, a licensed nonprofit consultant, coach and trainer, is owner and principal consultant at The Word Woman LLC, a consultancy that helps nonprofits, government agencies, and individuals to develop the skills, knowledge and resources to achieve their missions to do good. With nearly 20 years of nonprofit experience, Michelle has expertise in organizational development and leadership, board development, program development, financial management, fundraising, marketing, and community relations. She is licensed to offer consulting services for the Maryland Nonprofit’s Standards for Excellence® program and has the knowledge, skills and tools necessary to work with nonprofit organizations across the country.

www.thewordwomanllc.com • info@thewordwomanllc.com • 240-215-4984