“I didn’t sign up for this!”

“I didn’t sign up for this!” is a statement no volunteer, especially a nonprofit board member, should utter. But, it happens and happens often because far too many nonprofits neither recruit nor onboard their board members properly.

When it comes to a lack of action among board members, the focus is typically on fundraising. But let’s focus on performing their special duties. For example, who sends out the board meeting announcements, tracks attendance, and takes the board meeting minutes at your nonprofit?  Most Bylaws state it is the Board Secretary. Yet, at many organizations, the staff performs these duties.  

Now, you might be thinking, “What’s wrong with the staff doing it?” Well, a lot.

 For starters, having the staff perform the Board Secretary’s duties is a violation of the Bylaws. Additionally, it devalues the role and experience of the volunteer elected to serve as the Board Secretary. Further, it is a slippery slope when Board’s decide “minor exceptions” to the Bylaws are acceptable. These exceptions leave the Board and the organization vulnerable. Blue Avocado points out in its Bylaws Checklist, someone could claim that you are in violation of your own bylaws. And Ellis Carter in her CharityLawyer blog reminds us, “Officers and directors of nonprofit corporations who ignore the nonprofit’s articles of incorporation and bylaws are setting themselves up to be on the losing side of a lawsuit that could hold them personally liable for the consequences.”

Annually nonprofit boards have their members revisit and sign the Conflict of Interest Policy, but many only review the board member roles and responsibilities at the time of recruitment. For many others, a formal review the board member roles and responsibilities actually never takes place. Thus, board members can legitimately say, “I didn’t sign up for this!” It’s very difficult to hold a volunteer accountable for performing duties they never agreed to perform. To avoid any discrepancies with board duties, boards include a review of the Bylaws and Board members position descriptions, both officers and members at large, to the annual meeting agenda. Each board member should review and sign their position description. TIP: The Board Secretary should maintain these and all documents signed by the board.  

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

“Thank You” – two small but POWERFUL words

From the time we are able to speak, we are taught the importance of showing gratitude. Can you recall the moment when after receiving a gift, a treat or a kind gesture that an older person in your life looked at you and asked, “Now, what do you say?” At first, you could only repeat them back “Thank you.”  But soon you discovered saying thank you after “Now, what do you say?” gained you an affirming broad smile, glowing eyes, and a head nod. You smiled, too.

You learned that saying thank you not only made the person you thanked feel good, it also made you feel good. No matter how old or how young, no matter how small or great the gift or gesture, saying those two words -- thank you -- meant a lot. So you were happy to say it and would say it often.

The power those two little words have to make someone feel good are great, but the power not hearing them is equally great, if not greater. Just ask anyone who has ever held a door for someone and didn’t hear those two little words. If it has ever happened to you, you know not hearing thank you can adversely affect someone both mentally and physically. In fact, social media is full of videos, graphics and posts on this issue.

So, if someone can be adversely affected because they don’t receive a thank you for what might be considered a small gesture (holding the door), it goes without saying that donors of time, money and other resources expect to be thanked. It may not be possible to thank each donor in person or by phone, but each should be personally and promptly thanked. If your fundraising plan does not include a systematic approach to personally thanking your donors, your plan is incomplete.

Here are some tips for personally thanking donors:

• Donors of larger or ongoing gifts should receive a personal call from the Executive Director or a board member.
• Donors of smaller gifts should receive a personalized thank you note in their donation acknowledgement.
• Donors of time (volunteers) should be thanked early and often during their service. Volunteers might also receive a formal thank you during an appreciation event.

No matter who they are or what they give, make sure you thank all who support your organization. That includes your staff and board members.

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

"A Labor of Love" ~ Celebrating Do-Gooders

In honor of Labor Day, I've launched "A Labor of Love", a collection of photos celebrating Do-Gooders in action! The official site for the collection will be on Pinterest but an album will also be maintained on The Word Woman LLC's Facebook page.

Email your photos to info@thewordwomanllc.com. Include your name or the name of your organization, program or project and any other information and how to get involved if it's an ongoing project. 

#Keepdoinggood  #ALaborOfLove

Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/michellenusumsm/a-labor-of-love/

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/TheWordWomanConsulting

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

Helping a Deeply Passionate Board With Clashing Ideas to Find Its Magic

I was recently asked to facilitate a leadership training and strategic planning retreat for the executive board of a volunteer led organization. The request came with an urgent plea to help the board to refocus and increase its accountability for delivering tangible (measurable) impact.

The process started with a customized, anonymous survey I sent to each member of the board. After several days of no responses, I checked in with my point of contact and asked "Is this an indication of what I can expect the day of the retreat?"

Clearly, this group would require kid gloves.

Finally, I started to see responses. Ultimately 4 of the 10 responded. The responses were as I had expected -- very little consistency. In one case where I had asked them to rate the group (poor, fair, good excellent) on its success in addressing a purpose (goal) outlined in their bylaws, each respondent gave a different answer. That was telling! For a moment, I feared I wouldn't be able to move the group from where they were to where I was asked to take them. 

But the optimist in me said, "Keep moving forward! You can do this!"

So I developed a full-day session that included interactive training, discussion, self-assessment, team building, setting of clear goals, identifying of agreed upon activities, and finally, personal goal setting. All of this would take place in what I told the group was "safe space". Participants were encouraged speak freely and listen actively but at all times use R-E-S-P-E-C-T.  

Though a low-energy, disconnected group begrudgingly entered the room lacking a clearly defined vision, they were in no short supply of passion and genuine commitment to their cause.

With each discussion and activity over the course of the day, the board gained more and more clarity as they developed a shared vision.  It was beautiful to witness!

By the end of the day, they were a force to be reckoned with! Their energy was bubbling over, members were taking pictures of my notes from the white boards (despite my promise to submit a formal report), and each one expressed how much they enjoyed the time we'd spent (even on a gorgeous day).

A few days later when I was reviewing their evaluations, I couldn't help from blushing when I read, "Thank you for your knowledge and skills and your magic in getting this board together."  There was definitely magic in the room, but it had always been inside that incredible board. It was my honor to help them bring to it out.  

Could your board use some help to bring out its magic? Let's talk.

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

Do-Gooder's Dilemma: Choose Pay or Passion

It’s no secret -- I am passionate about doing good and helping others to do good. Over the years, I've met Do-Gooders of all walks of life whose passion for doing good is so great it could literally be felt just being in their presence. Sadly, far too many Do-Gooders feel forced to choose pay over their passion.

For example, take this excerpt from a Do-Gooder's blog post:

“One year was not enough at KU (University of Kansas). I left unfinished, but my passion was not financially sustaining. I started my job search with the intent to find a balance between being happy in my job and the work I was doing and being financially secure. It was one of the most difficult decisions of my life. Choosing pay over passion, I still question if I made the right choice.”

As I read the post, I reflected on the countless number people I’ve met over the last 20 years whose hearts were drawn to human service, advocacy, youth service, animal rescue, teaching and the list goes on, yet they work in a corporate position or some other role that “pays the bills”. That is why I am on a crusade to enlighten and empower as many Do-Gooders as I can with wealth building principles and strategies that can allow them to do their heart’s work without worrying about their bills.

I am hosting a series of free wealth building workshops. The next one will be Monday, August 24th at 6pm in Baltimore. For details on this and future events, go to this link (thewordwomanllc.eventbrite.com) and join me in a fun and informative session. Bring a friend!  

Warmly,

Michelle

 PS – Go to https://studentaffairscollective.org/samobile-1400-miles-away/ to read the full blog post. After you read it, let me know what you think.

Why 4 Funders Invited a Nonprofit To Apply Then Turned Them Down

I recently offered to review the grant proposal that an organization had submitted by invitation to four different grantmakers and had been denied funding by each of them. In speaking with the CEO prior to reading the proposal, she eloquently described the problem and the project. I looked forward to reading the proposal. Sadly, it went on and on but totally missed the mark.

From jargon that I couldn’t follow to never actually asking for funding, it wasn’t hard to see why the grant proposal was denied. In addition to the missing an ask, the proposal was also missing a clear, concise description of the problem and a well-defined description of the solution (proposed project). When I arrived at the end of the proposal, I had no idea what they were proposing to do, how much it would cost, how long it would take, or what success would look like. I’m sure that the grantmakers arrived at the same place. No funder, not even one predisposed to their cause, could award a grant in response to that proposal.

Though eloquent in presenting their cause verbally, the CEO’s ideas didn’t translate on paper. When it comes to grants, you may never speak directly with the funder so the ability to articulate the problem and solution in writing is critical. At a minimum, your grant proposal should answer the following questions:

What is the problem/opportunity?

Do you have third party data to substantiate your claim that there is a problem/opportunity?

Who will you serve?

How will you serve them?

Where/When will you serve them?

Who will deliver the service(s)? What are their qualifications?

What do you hope to achieve?

How will you know you’ve achieved it? What does success look like?

How much will this cost?                   

Keep doing good and creating opportunities for people to do good with you!

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

3 Well-Intended Recruitment Strategies That Sabotage Nonprofit Boards

There are many reasons nonprofit organizations should engage in ongoing and active recruitment of new board members; however, there are two reasons that tend to drive the recruitment strategies of most, especially small and newly formed organizations: The bylaws require a minimum number of board members, and the board is responsible for ensuring the nonprofit has adequate financial sources.

Nonprofits that focus on filling seats and filling the bank instead of identifying board prospects with a passion for (or at least a genuine interest in) its mission and purpose, use well-intended recruitment strategies that ultimately sabotage the board. Here are a few strategies that though they may be well-intended, do more harm than good to a nonprofit board and its organization:

Who’s Who Recruiting

In every community, there are people whose names open doors. And getting those people on your board isn’t a bad thing. However, their names alone won’t be enough to meet all of the responsibilities of a board member. So like everyone else, recruiting of these people should have less to do with their name and influence and more to do with their passion for or interest in your cause. If not, you will likely find their commitment is limited to allowing you to put their name on your marketing materials and making an occasional call on behalf of the organization.

Serving on a nonprofit board requires just that --- service. If you are going to recruit a “Who’s Who” to your board, ensure that they are fully committed to serve. During the recruitment process, provide the prospect with a copy of the bylaws and a copy the board member position description which outlines all of their responsibilities. Review these with the prospect and ensure that they agree to meet all of the outlined responsibilities before voting them onto your board.

I Can Twist His Arm

In board recruitment, “no” means NO! In developing your board prospect list, there will be individuals you feel would make an invaluable addition to your board. It may be because they have a skillset your board desperately needs, their passion for your cause, their influence, or their capacity to give significant financial support. Whatever the reason, you want them! But when asked, they say no. What should you do?

Some nonprofits take the twist their arm approach. This is particularly the case where the prospect is a friend or close acquaintance of the person doing the recruiting. They keep asking and asking and asking until the prospect finally says yes. But what kind of board service can you expect from someone whose arm had to be twisted? In most cases, the minimum is their maximum.  If a board prospect says no, respect their decision. Offer them other ways to get involved, such as volunteering on a committee. Getting them involved in a way that requires less commitment could increase their passion for your cause and result in a more committed board member in the future.

Term Limits-Shmerm Limits!

One of my biggest pet peeve when it comes to nonprofit boards is the lack of term limits or the lack of enforcement. Term limits (and there should be limits) are there to ensure a nonprofit’s leadership remains fresh, energized and committed to the nonprofit’s mission and purpose. Board service requires a commitment of time and resources. When it comes to time commitments, members attend board meetings, committee meetings, events and other activities. When it comes to resources, board members commit to both making personal donations and soliciting and securing gifts from others. And if every member of the board isn’t serving at the same level, those that give the most in their time, talent and resources can easily burnout.

Additionally, a lot can change in someone’s life over a few years. For example, life experience can change one’s passions and interests. Term limits are designed to prevent board members who have burned out or whose interests have changed from feeling obligated to continue on the board. And yet it happens. I’ve had the experience of attempting to secure a gift from a board member whose service had continued without interruption for 45 years! Naturally, when asked to give, he informed me that he and his wife focused their philanthropic activities on supporting cancer research. Life experience had changed their passion and interests. Despite having the capacity to give thousands of dollars, he gave me a check for $100.

No matter how tempting it is to ignore them, enforce your board’s term limits. Allow board members the opportunity to recharge their battery and return in the future, or to serve an organization whose mission better matches their new passions and interests.

Keep doing good and creating opportunities for people to do good with you!

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

Four Steps towards Starting a Nonprofit

When thinking of starting a nonprofit, there is a fundamental question you must answer and answer correctly? That question is why?

“Why do I want to start a nonprofit?”

A nonprofit organization is a business, just like a for-profit; however, a nonprofit is formed for the purpose of fulfilling a mission to improve the common good of society rather than to acquire and distribute profits.

For a nonprofit to launch, grow and be sustainable until it achieves its mission; the founder must put the cause before him or herself. Can you honestly say, “It’s not about me.”?  

If you said yes, you are ready! So, let’s get started!

1.    CAUSE: What idea, cause, issue or concern has you thinking of starting a nonprofit? (Example: Children who don’t qualify for free lunch go hungry because their parents can’t afford to pay the daily reduced rate.)

___________________________________________________________________

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2.    MISSION STATEMENT: What would your nonprofit aim to do to address your cause? (Example: To ensure no child misses lunch at school because of their inability to pay.)

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3.    VISION STATEMENT: What would happen if you achieve your mission? (Example: Hunger-free schools where each child is well-nourished and prepared to learn.)

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4.    BOARD DEVELOPMENT: Who will support your vision?

Having the right people on your Board of Directors is critically important to not only the launch of your nonprofit but also to its long-term sustainability and overall impact. Now that you have the first draft of your Vision Statement, you can begin reaching out to prospective board members. These are people who will share in and support your vision. You should have one-on-one discussions with people who offer skills or expertise your nonprofit needs to achieve its goals. These people will need to agree to give of their TIME (attend meetings), TALENT (volunteer their expertise and skills), and TREASURE (donate generously to your cause). Though you will want to recruit at least five board members, you’ll need to reach out to at least twice as many prospects. List below the names of ten people who might support your cause by serving as a board member. Among those your recruit should be a lawyer, accountant, and someone who directly or indirectly will benefit from your nonprofit. In the example above, you might recruit the parent of a child who misses lunch because the family budget is limited.

NAME	ROLE/EXPERTISE	BEYOND ROLE/EXPERTISE, WHY THIS PERSON?
1)	Beneficiary Representative
2)	Lawyer
3)	Accountant
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
10)

Congratulations, you are four steps closer to starting a nonprofit! Are you ready to take the next step? The Word Woman LLC can show you how. Contact us at info@thewordwomanllc.com to schedule a complimentary 60 minute-consultation.   

Keeping doing good!

The Chicken Little Approach to Fundraising

Most of us have someone in our life who it seems only calls when they need something, and that something is most often money. After a few of these calls, just the sight of their number on our caller ID makes us both anxious and annoyed.

Ever roll your eyes and ask, "What does he want now?" even before you answer?

And even though you hope things will be different whenever he calls, Chicken Little always immediately jumps right into describing his latest crisis and how much money he needs in order to get out of it. At the end of his monologue, you are faced with a decision -- do you help him out one more time or do you say no and hope it all works out for him.

If you say yes, you might be left feeling used, unappreciated, and regretful -- especially because you know he'll be calling you to get him out of the next crisis. If you say no, you might be left feeling guilty -- especially if the "life and death" situation turns out to be real and not an exaggeration.

I think we can all agree that as an acquaintance, a friend and even as a family member, no one likes to be treated like an ATM. The same is true of donors. Nonprofits must protect their donors from fundraising (even in times of crisis) that might leave them rolling their eyes and asking "What do they want now?" 

Cultivate genuine relationships with donors by keeping them engaged and communicating with them not only during fundraising campaigns but throughout the year. Below are some examples of ways to cultivate genuine relationships with prospective and current donors:

• Call to make an introduction and gather information about the donor and their interest in your organization.
• Meet a donor for coffee/lunch to gather information about the donor and their interest in your organization and share updates on your progress.
• Maintain an up to date mailing list and regularly (but not too often) communicate with donors through e-mail, e-news and direct mail.
• Invite donors to your events (not just the fundraisers) and other activities, as appropriate.

Always update donors on your organization's progress, particularly the programs the donors has supported. And if there is a crisis and a donor provides support, be sure to report back to the donor sooner than later what happened and express again and again your sincere gratitude for their support.

Keep doing good and creating opportunities for people to do good with you!

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

8 Simple Ways to Make Volunteers Feel Appreciated

No matter the size, every nonprofit needs volunteers to operate and to achieve its mission. From the people that serve on the board and those who support special events to those who serve in an ongoing capacity, EVERY volunteer is invaluable. But does every volunteer feel invaluable? Unfortunately, the answer is no. Of course, there isn't a single nonprofit that doesn't recognize how invaluable their volunteers are yet many still fail to make their volunteers feel appreciated.

So, in honor of National Volunteer Week (April 12-18, 2015), here are 8 simple ways to make your volunteers feel appreciated:

1. Give each volunteer a written position description with clearly defined duties and responsibilities as well as the time commitment.
2. Assign a contact person to each volunteer and give the contact a copy of the volunteer’s position description. Give the volunteer a written copy of their contact’s information and instructions on when and how to appropriately make contact. If possible, have a backup contact.
3. Provide volunteers with ongoing opportunities to ask questions and gain clarity.
4. Provide ongoing opportunities and encourage volunteers to provide feedback.
5. Sincerely and personally say “Thank you”.
6. Privately and publically acknowledge each volunteer’s contribution.
7. Provide each volunteer with a token of appreciation, such as a certificate and/or small gift.
8. Host a fun, social volunteer-centered event that includes activities suggested by your volunteers.

Keep doing good and creating opportunities for people to do good with you!

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