All I Ask

This blog post is written in response to the invitation of this month’s Nonprofit Blog Carnival to write an anonymous letter to board volunteers about something that bugs you.  This is for those quiet volunteers who have so much to contribute.

Dear Board Members,

I’ve been sitting on your board for a while and just don’t feel like I fit in.  When you invited me to apply for board membership, I was excited.  I’ve seen the wonderful work you do in our community and personally know people whose lives you’ve touched.  I was honored that you thought I had something worthwhile to contribute.

Now it seems like I’m not what you are looking for.  I didn’t rush to chair a committee or volunteer to be an officer.  I wanted some time to understand how the board works, and where I could best be of service.  I like time to review the board packet and prepare for upcoming discussions.  It is important to me that we have policies in place that protect the organization and the board. I want to spend time planning for the future and setting checkpoints so we know we are on course.

The things that matter to me don’t seem to be important to the rest of the board.  At too many meetings we make rushed decisions based on a quick verbal report.  A couple of take change members always dominate the discussion.  I don’t share my opinions, as I’ve learned that differences in viewpoint aren’t valued and the loudest voice often wins.  When I did speak up to suggest a board retreat for future planning, most of the board thought it was a waste of time.  I didn’t make that mistake a second time.

It’s obvious to me now that you don’t know who I am and what my strengths are. I have to wonder if you even care. My calm, confident exterior and history of leadership and community involvement led you to believe I’m like you, but I’m not.  I don’t define success in terms of how many fundraising events we put on this year, which movers and shakers sit on the board, or how much recognition we receive.  I define success as using our extensive skills, knowledge and passion for the mission to help more people and build a stronger community.

Have you ever wondered why people resign from the board and move on like I’m going to?  Even if you asked them they wouldn’t tell you the truth.  It’s easier to just walk away and not rock the boat.  How different it might be if board diversity didn’t just apply to visible characteristics like race and gender.  What if diversity also included the go-getter, the detail obsessed, the dreamer, the practical doer, the out-going and the introvert?  What if we learned to truly value the strengths, and differences, each of us bring to this volunteer board?  What if we worked together to give our best and feel the rewards of investing our time in a meaningful way?

It soon will be recruitment season again.  I hope you will take time to really think about what this organization needs to fulfill its vision for the community.  I hope you will take time to ask questions about shared values and what board candidates want to contribute.  Most of all I hope you will work to create a board culture where all views and voices are welcome at the table.

That’s a board I would like to be of service to.

Sincerely,

An Ex-Board Member

The End of an Era or a New Beginning?

In December, a 30 year old youth organization in our community, Havasu for Youth, announced that they were struggling to keep their doors open.  Deep funding cuts from city government and United Way had reduced the operating budget by half.  The strong and supportive community efforts just were not enough to maintain cash flow.

This story is not unique to our community.  Organizations across the country have spent the last few years trying to weather the recession and survive, while need for services increased.  Some organizations closed, while others merged.  Some found opportunity in new partnerships or refocusing programs for greater impact

As a Board Director for Havasu for Youth, part of my job has been to ask tough questions:

• Are we creating impact for the youth in our community?
• Can we create sustainable impact with the resources available to us?
• Who else is working with youth and can we partner?
• If our program is not viable, how do we responsibly close down?

It is difficult to think of closing an organization, to which we have committed so much time and energy.  We hear the stories of how our programs have made a difference for middle school students who learned to cook, peer tutors who learned job skills while helping younger students, and youth we were able to play sports or dance thanks to scholarships.   Each new donation starts us thinking, that maybe we can sustain. Some potential partnerships offer tantalizing possibilities if they can be put in place quickly enough. The roller coaster of emotions is tough on the board and staff.

Have you ever been a part of making these decisions for an organization?  What questions did you consider?  How did you choose to move forward or say goodbye?

Epic Thanks

I came here to my blog directly from making my donation to Epic Thanks http://epicthanks.org

Every year I make a donation to help support Epic Change been making a difference for children and their education, 2 things I am passionate about.  Each year at this time they give me the opportunity to share what I am thankful for and I love reading the outpouring of gratitude from all over the world.

This year I am particularly thankful for my family and the precious time we get to share.  It has been a long, tough year for us but we have survived together.  Together is truly the operative word – whether as an immediate or global family.  Together we can make change, share love and create a better world.

 

 

 

And now for something completely different…

I haven’t written a word here in months.  Part of that was not my fault.  It has been a horrendous year for our family and only now are we getting back in to a routine.  It wasn’t even because I had nothing to say about Community Benefit organizations, because I always do.

The truth is, I also got stuck.  I intended to finish the series of articles for small organizations on the benefits of using a consultant.  Every time I got ready to work on it, I realized I needed to research.  Back burner again.  Today I got up and decided I’m moving on.  I may come back and work on the series at some point in the future.  Or not….

I’ve seen this same thing happen in Community Benefit organizations I’ve worked with.  Great ideas are started with enthusiasm and the best of intentions.  First steps are taken and then everything comes to a crashing halt.  It winds up on the ever growing task list where it will languish on the back burner and eventually fade away.

The difference between my blog debacle and what happens in Community Benefit organizations, is I chose to let something go that was not being productive.  When the decision is made by default due to limited staffing, limited dollars or competing priorities, important ideas are sometimes lost.

I’m a big fan of the “take a step back” school of prioritizing.  When I was an ED, at least once or twice a year our team would look at our current focus and the projects and ideas we would like to work on.  Starting with our vision for the future, we reviewed all of the choices for investing our time.  One of the most important questions in these kinds of sessions was, “What do we need to stop doing”.

Just continuing down the road because that’s where we were headed 2 years ago, didn’t mean that was where time still needed to be invested.  Some of those creative, time-consuming new ideas languishing on the back burner, were now just what we needed.

For today, I have decided it is time to begin anew with this blog and see where the writing takes me.  Hope some of you decide to come along for the journey.

Why should we hire a consultant? Questions are the Key

One of the most important things a consultant can do for your organizations is ask questions.  Lots of questions.  Questions you haven’t thought of.  Questions that stretch you, excite you and can even give you a headache!  Why are questions so important?  Because they are the starting point for helping you find the answers that work for your organization.

Consulting is not a “one size fits all” kind of endeavor.  Some organizations needs nuts and bolts information on daily operations or training for board and staff.  They may be planning for leadership succession or need help with creating a fundraising plan.  The knowledge, experience and resources of a consultant can be invaluable in dealing with the immediate request.

But what if the need isn’t really for a fundraising plan?  What if the consultant also finds out through careful questions that the Executive and Board Chair are at odds, the organization has no plan for its future other than survival, and the Board is in chaos?  Now there is an opportunity to look together at the options that may be most helpful for the organization’s health and community impact.

Annual board retreats and strategic planning sessions are traditional times for asking questions about the needs of the community, the future of the organization and creating the steps needed to achieve identified goals.  A consultant can help frame the questions, provide the facilitation structure to keep everyone focused and provide perspective.   Through the power of questions, organizational leaders are able to work together, sharing their own knowledge, experience and wisdom.

Questions, then are the key to creating the kind of organization and community that you envision.  Next lets consider the kinds of questions you’ll want to ask before hiring a consultant.

But I bought the book…

We’ve all done it in the Community Benefit Sector.  Inspired by a speaker at a conference, or an article about a new governance or fundraising idea, we bought the book.  We just knew we couldn’t afford to hire the speaker to present in our local community or hire a consultant to help us plan for a full implementation.  Surely if we shared the book with other staff or interested board members, we could do at least some of the ideas ourselves.  Right?

Unless your life is vastly different than mine, the book is still sitting on the shelf or long ago disappeared when the board member resigned.  We want things to be different for our organizations and communities.  We want to have time as busy staff and board to look to the future.  What would it take to make that happen?

Amazing as it may sound, hiring a consultant might be just the step that helps you move forward.  Before you protest that there is no money, please consider the following questions:

1.  What is it costing your organization when there is no clear vision or direction for what you hope to accomplish in your community?

2. What is it costing your organization when priorities are set based on putting out fires?

3. What is it costing your organization that there is no community engagement strategy or donor development plan?

Those unseen costs may not show on your financials but they have a profound impact on your sustainability as an organization and your ability to serve your community.

In my next post, I’ll talk more about what a consultant can do to help change that picture and begin the process of achieving the results you want.

Community Shares the Burdens

This morning I asked my Twitter followers to keep Lake Havasu City in their thoughts.  Our close knit town is still in shock from the senseless shootings Saturday night in which 6 people, including the perpetrator, died.  Although the town has grown to over 50,000 since our family moved here, there is a small town feel that many cherish.   When tragedy strikes, it tends to come close to home.

As it always has, the community is pulling together to support each other.  Food is prepared, what comfort can be provided is freely given and everyone pitches in to accomplish the tasks that must be done.

I expected that from my town.  What touched me this morning was a Retweet by @BillNigh of my post asking for support.  When I thanked him, Bill’s simple response was, “We’re community; it’s what we can do to share the burdens.”

Thank you Bill for the support, and the reminder that community exists where we create it.