David's Blog
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.
Foundational Concepts in Fundraising
The Fundraising Cycle
Fundraising can be understood as a continuous cycle of four segments, cultivation, solicitation, recognition, and documentation. All four segments are critical to being effective.
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.
Constituents - Don't Take Them for Granted
Who Are They?
In every organization, some constituencies are obvious. National advocacy groups and local faith communities both count members. Clinics and hospitals monitor patients. Schools study student enrollment and try to stay in touch with their alumni. Many nonprofits whose business model is fee-for-service rely on third party referral sources. Nearly all nonprofits of whatever sort know they have donors and recognize, in theory if not altogether in practice, that it is important to keep in contact with them. After all, the next gift is always easier attained from a past donor than from a prospective one.
Steadfastness of Purpose
When I wrote about courage of commitment some while ago, I identified two elements of it, namely boldness in the face of opposition and perseverance in the face of exhaustion. Both of these are fundamentally moral qualities – qualities of character.
Though the concepts are closely allied, I see steadfastness of purpose somewhat differently. By this phrase I refer to the practice of staying true to and clear about one’s aim. And doing so, it seems to me, is essentially a matter of critical thinking applied regularly and consistently to operational decision-making. It is what helps us stay on course toward realizing our organization’s vision and avoid that pesky weed which is forever popping up in the nonprofit garden, mission creep.
How to Hire a Web Designer
This is from my friends at Green Bird Media. I share it with you here because websites are as important to nonprofits today as mimeographed newsletters were fifty years ago.
We often see customers after they have had one or two failed and expensive design launches. As a rule, we can usually see the problems were built into the hiring or communication process right from the start. We thought we would share some great strategies and tips on how to hire a web design team that will suit your site's needs.
