Is Your Nonprofit CLOSED?

I have worked directly for, partnered with, consulted, and supported as volunteer and/or donor countless nonprofit organizations over nearly twenty years. They have varied in size, scope and cause. And just because an organization was large or had been around for decades didn't mean it was “open for success”. For a nonprofit to be successful toward achieving its mission, it must take down the proverbial CLOSED sign. Here are a few traits of a closed nonprofit and tips on how to open for success:

Resists Partnerships. Being a large organization or one that has had much success toward achieving its mission may not see any benefit to partnering, particularly with smaller shops. The organization likely has a decent reputation among the general public (and funders) so it doesn't see the need for partners. Though partnerships may be needed or necessary, partnerships should also be about opportunities. Partners provide new perspective, new energy and new relationships. Additionally, most funders prefer to support collaborative efforts. Organizations open for success are open to formal and informal partnerships.

Avoids Change. There is nothing wrong with dedicated staff whose passion for the cause has resulted in tenure that has lasted years or even decades, but what happens if longtime staff is not encouraged (or better yet required) to engage in ongoing professional development? They become complacent. Their creativity diminishes and eventually ingenuity becomes a dirty word. This is typically a top down issue in nonprofits. An organization that is closed to new ideas and innovation likely has a board of directors comprised of the same set of people who have been on the board for years or decades (I've seen this!). Organizations open for success have and enforce board term limits. Identifying and securing new, highly-skilled, passionate board members is an ongoing effort. These organizations encourage new ideas from board members and staff, invest in staff training, and require staff to not only attend conferences but to seize opportunities to present!

Lacks Diversity. While countless studies prove the benefits of diversity in the workforce and service and advocacy for groups historically discriminated against is the mission of many nonprofits, far too many organizations have little or no diversity among their staff and board. Workplace diversity refers to the variety of differences between people in an organization and goes far beyond race. It encompasses race as well as gender, ethnicity, age, personality, tenure, education, background and more. I have visited the websites of numerous organizations where pictures of the staff are included with their bios. All of the staff are the same color, about the same age, and have the same socio-economic and educational backgrounds. In addressing an issue or opportunity, can a group of “clones” offer a variety of perspectives and solutions? Can true debate exist among people who look alike, talk alike, and think alike? Organizations open for success are intentional about diversity. They strive for a staff that creates a diverse collection of skills, experiences and perspectives. They recognize that the more they reflect the world around them the better equip they are to serve it.

Michelle Nusum-Smith, an experienced nonprofit leader, consultant, coach and trainer, is a self-proclaimed “Do-gooder who helps do-gooders to do good.” Michelle is the owner and principal consultant at The Word Woman LLC, a nonprofit consulting company. She has nearly 20 years nonprofit experience, including program development, financial management, fundraising (including grantwriting and individual donor cultivation), human resource management, marketing and public relations, board relations, and event planning.

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

DISCONNECTED: Nonprofit Staff and the Strategic Plan

I’m still brimming with energy and excitement after spending a full day helping a nonprofit’s staff to close the gap between themselves and the organization’s strategic plan.

When assessing the situation prior to the staff retreat, I could use only one word to describe the relationship between the staff and the strategic plan: DISCONNECTED. Unfortunately, this isn’t unusual. More often than not, frontline staff have no involvement in the strategic planning process and are offered no formal opportunity to understand how its purpose is connected to their day-to-day work. 

A strategic plan is an organization's roadmap for defining its strategy or direction and making decisions on allocating its resources to pursue this strategy. Thus, it is critical for the people “on the ground” to understand the plan and how their work directly connects to its success.

We kicked off the day with two core components to any strategic plan: VISION and MISSION. 

Well-written vision and mission statements are the foundation of any successful strategic plan. The targeted goals, strategies and the day-to-day work (activities) of the organization must be designed with an eye toward the organization's vision and mission.

I asked, “Does anyone know the vision statement?” No response.

I followed up with “Does anyone know the mission statement?”  I heard various versions of the mission statement but no one could tell me the exact mission statement. After a review of the organization’s vision and mission statements, we went to work.

• We reviewed the targeted goals in the strategic plan.
• Each program manager presented their program goals – demonstrating how they tied back to the goals in the strategic plan.
• In breakout sessions, each program identified one priority goal in the coming year. Then each program manager worked with his/her staff and some support staff to map out the following to address the priority goal:

- The goal.

- All necessary resources.

- Activities to be completed.

- Targeted audience(s)/beneficiaries.

- Short-term, intermediate and long-term outcomes.

- A non-management staffer reported for each program. 

By the end of the day, the staff were not only CONNECTED to the strategic plan, they had completed a hands-on activity that enabled them to see how their role connects to the organization’s vision, mission and strategies for getting there. Here are a few of their comments:

• “ ...feel like I have a stronger vision of where we are going…that is shared by all.”
• “...the most productive strategic session...”
• “It was great to see the whole office working together (AKA on the same page).”

Even the most passionate people are less effective when they don’t know where they are going – when success isn't clearly defined for them. So I’m overflowing with excitement because this passionate group is now positioned to hit “the mark” because they have a shared understanding of where it is.

Is your staff connected to your strategic plan? Please share below activities you use to keep them connected.

If your staff and strategic plan are disconnected, send an email to info@thewordwomanllc.com to schedule a free consultation. I’d love to learn about your organization and work with you to close the gap.

Heartbroken by what a "Do-Gooder" said

I take doing good VERY SERIOUSLY.

I am very passionate about the "do good sector" AKA "nonprofit sector". Having worked in nonprofits and with Do-Gooders in a myriad of capacities over nearly 20 years, I know that Do-Gooders are often underpaid and overworked, but they keep digging in because they are committed to the mission and vision of something better. We, Do-Gooders, put our hearts into the work we do.

So, it was heartbreaking for me to hear a "Do-Gooder" who holds a leadership position at a nonprofit (whose name will go unmentioned) tell other Do-Gooders, "We get paid from other people's misery."

I was shocked!! I could not control myself from immediately correcting him by stating, "No, we get paid to work toward achieving a mission. We get paid to help people."

I'm pretty certain he didn't mean the statement the way it came out, but he said it. And he said it to a group that included young Do-Gooders. I couldn't risk them walking away from the discussion thinking there was any validity in the ugly statement made about the great work they do every day.

Have you ever encountered a similar situation? If so, how did you handle it?

Do-Gooder, keep doing good!

Self Assessment: The critical step in responding to an RFP

Grants, grants, grants…and more grants! I get it. For most nonprofits, grant funding is a major source of revenue; so when a grantmaker issues an RFP (Request for Proposal) for which a nonprofit has even the slightest bit of relevant experience, it is tempting to dive right in and start preparing a response. But this temptation must be resisted, particularly if the RFP is issued by a federal government agency.

Preparing any request for grant funding requires an investment that may not result in funding, but preparing a response to a federal RFP requires a significant investment. So nonprofits need to know that they are making a wise investment when deciding to prepare a response to a federal RFP that will shift the attention of key staff, require weeks to properly prepare and likely require coordination and partnership with other organizations.

How should a nonprofit go about determining if responding would be wise? Well, the great thing about most RFPs is they spell-out specific details of the work to be performed and the qualifications and experience the grantmaker believes are ideal to perform the work well.

An RFP will typically include a section entitled “Scope of Work”, “Purpose” or “Purpose and Scope” that describes the specific work the grantmaker wants the selected grantee(s) to perform. It will also include a section entitled “Eligible Applicants” or “Eligibility” that describes who is able to receive the grant. And finally, there will be a section entitled “Selection Criteria” or “Criteria” that describes the standards by which applicants will be judged. All three of these sections will help a nonprofit to determine if responding would be wise; however, the eligibility and criteria sections are the most important because they enable a nonprofit to quickly determine if they have what grantmaker prefers in a grantee.

When an agency issues an RFP it’s very much like when a homeowner seeks a contractor to perform work on his home. If a homeowner wants to put in ceiling fans throughout his house, he likely already knows in which rooms he wants the fans, when he wants the work to start and by when he wants it finished, and he may very well already know the exact fans he wants put in. But he definitely knows he wants a licensed, insured electrician with experience installing ceiling fans who will perform the work within his budget. Thus, he doesn’t want a plumber, interior decorator or other professional who happens to have experience working in a house to put in his ceiling fans. He also doesn’t want to receive responses that suggest he put in a pool or remodel his kitchen.

When a nonprofit focuses all or most of its attention on the scope of work sections and jumps right in preparing a response, the nonprofit often ends up investing invaluable time and resources responding to an RFP for which they may have little or no hope of winning.

Need help assessing your readiness to respond to an RFP? The Word Woman LLC can help!

The Do-Gooder's Prayer

Volunteers: "An Extra Pair of Hands" or "Lifetime Supporters"

I’m working with an organization to help them improve their volunteer management systems, particularly how they manage interns. For this organization (like most), volunteers add critical value to their programs and leverage their ability to meet the pressing needs and demands of those they serve. However, this organization (like many) is not consistent at treating volunteers like what they are – in-kind donors who have the potential to become monetary donors and lifetime supporters. The nonprofit/volunteer relationship must be mutually beneficial for it to be successful. Nonprofits must be intentional about giving their volunteers a valuable experience – an experience they will likely share with their friends (people who likely share their interests, professionalism and skills). 
    
I recently read Jacquelyn Smith’s piece, Internship Wish List: The 12 Things Students Value Most, on Forbes.com, reporting the results of a research study in which 65,679 undergraduates in the U.S. were asked what they’d most like to receive from an internship. The following quote details key findings and provides a compelling answer to the question: How can volunteer management help or harm a nonprofit’s ability to recruit quality volunteers?  

“Students want internships [volunteer opportunities] that allow them to grow, stretch and contribute. They want to be in a learning environment. When companies treat interns like an extra pair of hands or a fill-in for a vacationing employee without investing in the content of the intern assignment, this usually leads to a very unhappy, unfulfilled intern. That unfulfilled intern shares her experience with friends on campus and soon the company offering the internship is having trouble finding talent for positions there. Best in class companies develop each intern assignment with documented details about the assignment, deliverables and key measurable goals.” 

Think about how your organization manages volunteers. If you were to poll your former and current volunteers, would they put your organization in the “best in class” category or say they feel like “an extra pair of hands”?   

Do you currently seek feedback and input from your volunteers? If not, you’re missing out on invaluable information and an opportunity to move from assuming you’re “best in class” to ensuring it.  

Need help with improving your volunteer management? Contact me today to schedule a free consultation. 

Keep doing good!

All the best,
Michelle Nusum-Smith
Founder and Principal Consultant at The Word Woman LLC

Does your fundraisin​g strategy need a reboot?

Last week, I attended an event for nonprofit fundraisers. The participants included both newbies and seasoned fundraising professionals. Interestingly, both the newbies and the veterans expressed similar challenges in achieving their fundraising success. I heard things like: “My board just wants to me 'get the money” and “Everyone is expecting me to bring all the money in by myself.”

The comments I heard suggested that each of the nonprofits was missing a critical component to fundraising success: a culture of fundraising.

Fundraising is not the job of a single person or single department. Fundraising is EVERYONE’s responsibility.

Does a culture of fundraising exist at your organization?  It does if the following statements are true.

• All staff members understand their responsibility to generate support for our organization and know how to ask people to support our work.
• Our diverse board of directors actively engage in fundraising, regularly asking for money from individuals and corporations with whom they have affiliations.
• We have systems and processes in place to track donations, manage donor relationships, and ensure regular communication with donors.
• We have a strong corporate identity (brand) that reflects our high-quality, professionalism and impactful, mission-focused programming.

Were all of these statements true for your organization? If yes, congratulations!! If no, contact The Word Woman LLC now to get your fundraising reboot started today!

Nonprofit Grants: "If you buy today, we can keep the lights on."

All winning grant proposals have something in common: They prove the proposed activity is needed and demonstrate how the activity aligns well with the giving priorities and interests of the grantmaker.

A nonprofit can submit a very well-written proposal but if it doesn't align well with the grantmaker's interests, it won't get funded.

Most nonprofits have two need categories to consider -- operating (capacity) needs and beneficiary (client) needs. When it comes to generating support for their operating needs, nonprofits must be more like for-profits. For both nonprofits and for-profits, there are costs to do business, but you've never gone into a for-profit business and had the salesperson use their costs to do business to persuade you to make a purchase.

For example, would you  purchase new furniture because the salesman said, "If you buy today, we can keep our lights on"? Of course not. So why would a grantmaker to do so in response to a similar statement from a nonprofit?They wouldn't. 

In a furniture store, you'd want to hear something that would convince to buy their furniture instead of going somewhere else. You'd be interested in hearing about quality, comfort, warranties, stain resistance, etc. You'd want to hear how purchasing the furniture there would help you to achieve your goal to get new furniture while also providing your peace of mind that it would be a good investment. That's what would compel you to write a check, not hearing how their lights could be turned off at any minute.

A nonprofit must know when to submit a proposal to support their operating needs and when to submit a proposal to support their beneficiaries' needs. This is usually clearly explained in a grantmaker's funding guidelines. But in either case, a nonprofit must demonstrate how their beneficiaries will ultimately benefit because no grantmaker's giving priorities include utility bills, staff compensation or Internet service.


Michelle Nusum-Smith, Founder and Principal Consultant at The Word Woman LLC

Is your nonprofit seeking new funding? Do you need board development guidance? Are you thinking of starting a nonprofit? Do you have questions or need some general advice? If you answered yes to any of these questions, schedule a FREE 30 minute consultation by clicking this link and completing the form at the bottom of our Contact Us page.

3 Tips for an Effective Nonprofit Board

In working with existing and planned nonprofit organizations, I am often asked about board member recruitment and how to get existing board members to be more effective.

It's simple...
You get out of boards what you put into them.

Board recruitment is not to be taken lightly. Investing time and energy into identifying and securing commitments from highly skilled and passionate people is only half of it.

Every board needs a strong foundation. There must be detailed and well-understood policies and procedures that outline how the board is to function. These policies and procedures should be followed at all times.

During the recruitment process, board prospects should receive written, detailed position descriptions that outline what is expected of them -- time commitment, skills commitment, and financial commitment.

Board development must be intentional. If it is not, even board members with the best intentions will eventually become unproductive and ineffective.


Here are 3 tips for an effective nonprofit board:

• Ensure that the organization's bylaws are current, followed and continue to be effective in meeting the needs of the organization. Bylaws define how a nonprofit organization will be managed and how it will run. When followed, the policies and procedures outlined in bylaws help boards to govern effectively. 

• Each prospective board member should meet with the Executive Director and/or a board representative for a thorough discussion about what will be expected of him/her before any offer or acceptance of board membership. The prospect should also review the position description for the specific role they would occupy (i.e., Secretary, Vice-Chair, Member-at-Large) and have any and all of their questions or concerns addressed. This is also an ideal time for the Executive Director or the board representative to review the conflict of interest policy.

• Remove unproductive board members sooner than later. Like the old adage says, One bad apple spoils the whole bunch. Any board member who continuously fails to fulfill his/her responsibilities as outlined in their position description or doesn't fully comply with the policies and procedures outlined in the bylaws, should be asked to resign. If you allow a board member to regularly miss meetings, to not make a contribution equitable to that of the rest of the board, or to serve in "name only", the board members who are giving 100% will eventually feel resentful and become less productive.

There is a direct correlation between a nonprofit's success and how well its board functions. 

Michelle Nusum-Smith, Founder and Principal Consultant at The Word Woman LLC

Do you need board development guidance? Are you thinking of starting a nonprofit? Is your nonprofit seeking new funding? Do you have questions or need some general advice? If you answered yes to any of these questions, schedule a FREE 30 minute consultation by clicking this link and completing the form at the bottom of our Contact Us page.