Having spent the week facilitating focus groups across the State of Kentucky, I am reminded of the power of truly listening to people.
Excited to share that I will be leading 2 workshops at this year's Blue Ridge Institute for Community Service Executives in July. My workshops will be:
"From Survivor to Amazing Race: Intentional #Leadership for Dynamic #Boards"
AND
"Build Your #Board into a Championship #Fundraising Team "
Who else will be attending?
http://blueridgeleaders.org/
Harassment and misconduct is a very real issue that nonprofit fundraising professionals and other leaders confront regularly. This is a thoughtful and well written article from the leaders of BoardSource and Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP-IHQ) with practical and important recommendations for nonprofit organizations.
"No donation—and no donor—is worth taking away an individual’s respect and self-worth while turning a blind eye to harassment."
Kentucky friends - On May 17, Anthony Zipple Sc.D., MBA. and I will be presenting a workshop entitled, "Engaging Staff in Turbulent Times." Tickets are only $10 and available at the link below. Join us for an engaging and interactive morning!
About the Event:
Rapid change, uncertainty, and fluidity are the defining characteristics of our world today. While this kind of turbulence presents great opportunities, it can be stressful for us and our staff. Keeping our staff engaged and focused on doing great work in this kind of environment can be challenging.
This workshop will discuss the importance of staff engagement and provide practical tools for improving staff commitment and organizational optimism. Drawing on current research from positive psychology, you will learn about strengths-based leadership, building a growth mindset in your organization, and implementing strategies for helping you and your staff to be more effective… and happier at work.
In 2008, a national study, “Ready to Lead?”, produced by CompassPoint Nonprofit Services, the Annie E. Casey Foundation, the Meyer Foundation, and Idealist.org, found that three out of four #nonprofit executive directors planned to leave their positions within three years.
Does your #nonprofit have a #successionplan in place that the Board is comfortable with? Are you in the midst of a #leadership transition? If you would like to further discuss your organization's transition planning, let's connect!
Highly effective Boards understand that one of their core duties is to ensure that organizational compensation decisions are well-founded and follow generally accepted standards. A compensation philosophy establishes a consistent process by which Board leaders can fulfill this duty. It also serves as a necessary complement to the Board-CEO relationship, and critical tie to discussions of performance and organizational equity.
In developing a Board's approach to compensation decisions, the IRS provides nonprofits a three-step process to determine that compensation is reasonable and not excessive. This process requires Board independence, review of comparable salary and benefits data, and documentation of the factors considered by the Board and the decision reached.
A thoughtful and well-developed compensation philosophy and process positively influences the organization’s capacity to:
Attract key leaders and retain high-performing staff members
Demonstrate a link between performance and compensation
Promote internal and external equity
Maintain satisfaction and morale
If your organization is looking to enhance the thoughtfulness and intentionality of its approach to performance and compensation, let's talk!
"The idea that elite organizations like #foundations have #boards that continue to choose not to reflect and represent the #diversity of civil society sends a message to the growing communities of color that they are not part of the solution and have nothing to contribute to solving the societal challenges we all share."
https://blog.boardsource.org/blog/you-can-diversify-if-you-want-to
#WhatIAmReading
Really enjoyed leading a webinar last week for Bloomerang on the topic of #fiscalsponsorship. If you missed it, you can watch the webinar now at the link below. Would love to hear your thoughts, questions, and experiences with fiscal sponsorship!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbdLKLnOJL0
As #donoradvisedfunds continue to grow in popularity (and profitability) for the institutions that promote them, increasing attention is rightfully focused on legitimate critiques, particularly those spelled out in this article.
#WhatIAmReading
Nonprofit Board governance requires hard work and commitment, but it can be fun too! Honored to facilitate the Board retreat this weekend for Fuller Center for Housing.
Check out this month's e-newsletter for tips for a successful #Board retreat, new #podcast episodes, #WhatIAmReading, and MORE! CLICK HERE to read this month’s newsletter.
Honored to facilitate the #Board retreat this past weekend for South Louisville Community Ministries. These committed leaders came together for an important day of reflection, discussion, and planning. The mission of SLCM is to empower families in crisis in South Louisville to move toward stability and self-sufficiency.
A #Board retreat is an opportunity to reconnect to the mission and vision, evaluate progress, and set priorities for Board engagement.
Spent an outstanding day yesterday facilitating the retreat for the talented Board #leaders of University Club Louisville.
If your Board would benefit from an engaging and interactive retreat, please reach out!
#nonprofit #impact #Retreat #VisionToReality
I recently had the privilege of speaking with Emily Hendershot on Nova Communities Podcast about strategies for building and engaging a highly effective nonprofit Board. Give it a listen and share your ideas and wisdom for building a dynamic Board!
Had a great time leading workshops on nonprofit Board governance and "Engaged Board, Effective Fundraising" last week in Tampa for LawPracticeCLE.
#BuildTheBoardYouNeed
#FromVisionToReality
One of the primary responsibilities of a #nonprofit #Board is to select and support the #CEO. This article provides some great reminders for Board members and tips to strengthen the partnership. How strong is the partnership between the Board and CEO in your organization?
https://trust.guidestar.org/top-6-ways-a-board-can-help-its-ceo
Thought provoking opinion piece from Antony Bugg-Levine, CEO of Nonprofit Finance Fund published in The Chronicle of Philanthropy.
"I’ve learned that standard practices on the money-giving side of philanthropy often impede effectiveness, stemming from the foundation world’s aversion to risk and persisting because of power dynamics that make it difficult for grant makers and grant seekers to learn from each other."
What additional questions would you pose?
https://www.philanthropy.com/article/Questions-I-Wish-I-d-Asked/245437
Enjoyed a great morning with the talented members of Fundraising Executives of Metro Louisville discussing "Leading From Within: Authentic #leadership as Vision's Ally." So many talented leaders in this group!
“A good Board is a victory, not a gift.”
– Cyril Houle, Governing Boards
Good boards, like victories, rarely come together by chance. Rather, they are the product of shared commitment to the mission (and to each other), thoughtful planning, and critical processes. Among their many responsibilities, board members are charged with ensuring the organization has the resources necessary to accomplish the mission. For many board members, fundraising is the broccoli in their entree of responsibilities — that part of the meal we know is good for us, but we would just as soon avoid (apologies to all the broccoli fans).
The good news is it doesn’t have to be that way. It is possible for even the most reluctant boards to develop a team culture that embraces fundraising as an essential ingredient in mission success. Here are a few key steps to help transform your board into a championship fundraising team:
CLICK HERE to read the rest of my blog article published by Bloomerang.
Check out this month's e-newsletter for tips to elevate Board fundraising success, information about our new nonprofit leadership podcast, and more! CLICK HERE to access!