Nonprofit Management
Two Experiments in Social Media
Experiment #1: Soliciting Financial and Moral Support
The Question
The first experiment took place on that behemoth of all social media, Facebook. A colleague had invited his contacts on Facebook to mark his 50th birthday with a gift of $50 to an advocacy organization to which he is committed. Wanting to honor his day in some fashion, I followed his suggestion and made my donation of $50 through the organization’s Facebook/Causes page.
More Advice to a New (and perhaps first-time) E.D.
Here are more responses from my colleagues on Linked In to the question, "What advice would you have to offer a new and perhaps first-time E.D.?"
1. Find a mentor that is successful in leading a nonprofit.
2. Learn the difference between the "legislative" style of leadership in a nonprofit and the "executive" style in a for-profit.
3. Become an "expert" on board governance. Good relations with the board are critical and a well functioning board is very important.
5. Be humble, have a learner's heart. Ask lots of questions.
6. Be passionate about your mission.
7. If you are a person of faith, pray.
(BG Allen)
Advice to a New (and Perhaps First-time) E.D.
Besides serving as a management consultant to nonprofit organizations, I am actively involved as a board member in two at present, one of which is underway with a search for a new executive director. Meanwhile, a very dear friend is working her way through her first year as an E.D. So I would like to share with you some advice intended for any new executive director, but especially for one who may have prior business experience in the for-profit world and is entering the nonprofit E.D. role for the first time.
The Surprise Program
The Art of Adaptation
Some organizations have thoroughly delineated methods by which to develop new programs while others are rather more ad hoc in their approach. Either way, the cycle of adaptation typically contains four elements: First, leaders listen to the environment. Based on what they hear, they experiment and innovate. Then, they evaluate and learn what works. Finally, they modify programs as well as future plans. Mastery of this cycle is one of the six practices of high-impact nonprofits according to Crutchfield and Grant in their excellent book, Forces for Good (2008, my recommended resource last month).
The Surprise
Annual Reports
Why
I still believe in the value of annual reports to constituents, even though the trend appears to be in the opposite direction. The trend, if my perception is accurate, is ironic because, over all, nonprofits are being advised to communicate more often and more fully than ever before. Given all the new technologies available today in even the modestly equipped office, it is easier to produce an annual report than ever before too, particularly compared to those ancient days at the start of my professional life, the era of Selectric III typewriters and index card files.
Sayings
Don’t expect what you don’t inspect. (Source unknown)
In any organization, what is watched or counted tends to be what gets done. The lay leadership of a church, for instance, will notice if the minister does not show up for the Sunday service. Yet, they may be oblivious to the fact that the visitors’ restroom could be used as a location set for a CSI episode. If it matters, monitor.
Leadership Teams
The Right Positions in the Right Configurations
The Executive Committee
No matter how small or involved the Board of Directors as a whole is, it is always still prudent to have a formally recognized Executive Committee. Even when boards meet as often as monthly, matters develop that require more immediate, authoritative attention. Moreover, if a board is large or meets infrequently, then it behooves an Executive Committee to plan and prepare for the full board’s meetings so that those meetings are as productive as possible. These situations point to the basic purpose of an Executive Committee – to guide the larger body and to act on its behalf as necessary.
Annual Performance Reviews
First, face the reluctance.
Ah, the annual performance evaluation! Let’s face it. Nobody likes to do them. If the person has done a great job all year, the individual probably knows it and so do you and it all seems rather tedious and time-consuming.
Or, in contrast, if the person has not done such a good job all year, then it is a task you put off in your calendar and at the bottom of the pile of papers on your desk. Who wants to wallow in all that old, bad news? … If you are the least bit conflict-avoidant, you would rather do three drafts of the budget than do a tough evaluation once.
Five Foundational Development Practices
# 1: The Donor/Prospect Database
On Job Design and Descriptions
But First … Why Bother?
There is a reputable school of thought which argues that position descriptions are obsolete as a concept. The theory goes that organizational life is changing too swiftly for time to be spent profitably on the exercise. They become out of date too quickly and are inherently inflexible.
