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!