At AFP Lead in Houston, Nonprofit Leadership Alliance students prepare for leadership liftoff

pbencomo — Wed, 02 Nov 2022 22:35:00 +0000

posted by

Gabriella Billett
President, Nonprofit Leadership Alliance Student Association at ASU

On Wednesday, October 19, a group of 12 students from Arizona State University traveled to Houston, Texas, to attend AFP Lead 2022. AFP Lead is a national conference where the best and brightest fundraisers gather to learn and share about their successes and trials in the nonprofit sector. The group of students from ASU are all a part of the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance Student Association (NLASA), working towards the Certified Nonprofit Professional credential, and have been fundraising for months to be able to travel and attend this wonderful conference. I was one of the lucky students who was able to travel and learn so much from the professionals at the conference. We are so thankful we were able to not only learn more about how to further our careers in the nonprofit sector, but were able to take a break from the heat and actually wear sweaters in the cool Houston air.

Thursday morning we woke up early and ventured to the hotel where the conference was held. Our students were separated from the larger group and put together with a room full of ‘emerging leaders.’ We spent the day grouped with new leaders in the nonprofit sector learning vital skills for leadership and management. We listened to lectures, participated in reflections and had the chance to hear about real life experiences in the sector. We closed out the day by networking with some of the most experienced fundraisers in the nonprofit sector.

Friday morning, the conference began again bright and early (at least to college students). Each of us were able to curate our own schedule and attend sessions that we each felt called to. Our students attended everything from “Self-Care and Wellbeing as a Leadership Practice” to “Advocacy in the Nonprofit Sector.” Each session helped our students learn more about themselves and the future of the sector. On Friday we also got the opportunity to work with other NLA students from universities all around the country to discuss hot topics around the nonprofit sector, which we presented on our final day. We spent the evening grabbing dinner together as the ASU NLASA and getting to know each other even better.

Saturday, our team woke up, packed up and headed to the conference to have breakfast and network. The day was similar to the day before in that we each had a chance to pick and choose the sessions we wanted to attend. We were given the chance to make the conference what would be most beneficial to us. At the end of the day we had the chance to listen to the wonderful keynote speaker, Dr. Bennie Lambert, present about his experiences with failure and overcoming it. When the conference was all done, we grabbed our bags and headed to the airport.

As the current President of the NLASA, I had the honor of attending the AFP Lead conference both in 2021 and 2022. In 2021, I was a student new to the nonprofit sector and unsure of my place. I suffered from a severe case of imposter syndrome and was constantly having to remind myself why I was there: I want to change the world.

I went into the experience with an attitude of seeking what benefited me and while it can be good to be selfish with your learning, I approached this year’s experience with a posture of giving back and assessing what I could pour into my team of officers, students, and peers along with myself. As a timid student new to the field and doubting her own abilities, I walked away from my experience in 2021 having gained a new understanding of nonprofit organizations. I learned to network and build relationships along with getting real-life advice from experienced professionals. This altered my confidence when approaching the conference this year. Instead of being intimidated by the seemingly daunting professionals, I was able to maximize my learning by asking questions, engaging in provoking conversations, and interacting with speakers. I made connections that will last and some that may set up my future in the nonprofit field.

Both of my experiences with the NLASA at the AFP Lead conference have caused me to grow immensely both personally and professionally. I have loved assessing this growth and development, and there is one thing that has stayed the same through it all: I want to change the world.

Each student that was a part of this trip will tell you they had a different favorite session or favorite moment. Each of us were able to personalize the experience into something that would stick with us through our personal and professional lives. We are so thankful to ASU and all of our donors for allowing us to have this life-altering experience and set us up for lifelong success.

Though the conference has passed, the hard work continues. We invite you to support our future nonprofit professionals through learning opportunities beyond the classroom at no additional cost to the student. In this hands-on learning environment, we are building a talented and prepared workforce of connected professionals and citizens. The future is here — we are its leaders!

Support the NLASA

How can nonprofit recruiting strategies improve organizational effectiveness?

pbencomo — Thu, 27 Oct 2022 19:49:00 +0000

Illustration generated by DALL·E

posted by
Azra Hussain
Fall 2021 Alumna, ASU Master of Nonprofit Leadership and Management

An important factor that several nonprofits fail to initially consider is how they can sustain programming beyond the initial stages. It should be a high priority for any nonprofit to build itself into a stable entity before trying to save the world. Without stability, the organization will not be around long enough to continually realize its mission. “For the social enterprise movement to realize its potential, organizations will need to invest in the recruitment, development, and growth of their future leaders, just as for-profits do. People provide the real growth capital for any enterprise — and make it possible for them to have an impact,” writes Gerald Chertavian in the Harvard Business Review. Leaders who wish to successfully run a nonprofit and continue to positively impact society in the future will need to focus their energy in three key areas: staff recruitment, fundraising, and donor and staff retention.

Recruiting

An essential part of creating an effective and sustainable nonprofit is recruiting the right people. Top talent is difficult to find and even more difficult to hire. “Managers across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors are increasingly recognizing that employees are their organization’s most important assets and that the most significant source of competitive advantage comes from having the best systems in place for attracting, motivating, and managing their organization’s human resources,” according to Debra Mesch. Being aware of the benefits that a diverse work environment in the twenty-first century has on its staff and community is a fundamental requirement for any organization. After enticing talented individuals, nonprofits need to retain talent.

When hiring, nonprofits compete with the public and for-profit sectors because despite the passionate people have about giving back to society, they still have financial and personal commitments. To attract the talent necessary to create the impact society needs, a nonprofit needs the tools to persuade staff to work in the social sector as opposed to the private or public sectors. “If nonprofits can't get quality employees, their fundraising will suffer, their program delivery won't be as strong, and their expenses might increase due to decreased productivity and efficiencies,” says the Houston Chronicle.

Funding

If donors only wish to support program spending, a nonprofit cannot survive. In terms of fundraising, nonprofits need to be clear when communicating with funders; acting as if the organization has no overhead expenses is not viable. Nonprofits are businesses, and they need funding to cover operating costs for office space, salaries, stationery and more. Nonprofit leaders know this, and it is crucial for them to share it with their funders. Nonprofit leadership will have to educate current and potential donors about the necessity to provide the organization with the revenue needed to function at an operational level or preferably, at an optimal level.

Retention

To search for and hire the right people, every nonprofit should have at least one dedicated human resource (HR) professional. An HR professional brings four important dimensions to managing staff: 1.) recruitment, 2.) review, 3.) compensation, and 4.) professional development. Workplace stress, communication with coworkers and leadership, and the culture of the workplace are all factors that affect staff retention. An organization that implements policies that benefit members of staff such as flexible hours, virtually work environments and the options of childcare support allows more satisfied employees. Having a professional dedicated to creating and managing these policies will free up leadership to concentrate on their mission. “Organizations that build robust infrastructure—which includes sturdy information technology systems, financial systems, skills training, fundraising processes, and other essential overhead—are more likely to succeed than those that do not,” write Ann Goggins Gregory and Don Howard in the Stanford Social Innovation Review.

For a nonprofit organization to improve its effectiveness, it should focus on three main areas: hiring the right talent to achieve their mission and goals, obtaining adequate and continuous funding, and hiring an HR professional to manage the talent from recruitment to retention. These factors will ensure stability for the organization, and better prepare it for current and future clients, staff, and funders.

Azra Hussain is a 2021 graduate of the Master of Nonprofit Leadership and Management program at Arizona State University. She is the co-founder and president of the Islamic Speakers Bureau of Arizona, where she trains speakers and creates educational interfaith events. As a speaker, she presents mainly on beliefs and practices, gender roles in Islam, and conducts Cultural Sensitivity Training for law enforcement, healthcare personnel, and educators. Creative interfaith programs that Azra designs are intended to bring people face-to-face in the same space to interact and get to know one another. She and her husband have four children and have lived in Arizona for over 40 years. She also has a Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies with an Islamic Studies Certificate from Arizona State University.

Learn more by enrolling in the Optimizing Human Resource Strategies in Nonprofits certificate program from the ASU Lodestar Center's Nonprofit Management Institute.

How can nonprofits grow sustainable revenue by retaining fundraising professionals?

pbencomo — Wed, 19 Oct 2022 17:35:00 +0000

Illustration generated by DALL·E

posted by
Christopher Cordes
Fall 2021 Alumnus, ASU Master of Nonprofit Leadership and Management

Increasingly, leaders of nonprofit organizations manage and drive their missions forward in a more complex and less certain world. Factors including lingering COVID-19 disruptions and widening socioeconomic disparities continue to challenge nonprofits’ budgets, resulting in revenue concerns that keep CEOs, executive directors and other nonprofit leaders up at night. Fundraisers and the revenue they generate make mission fulfillment possible (while also helping leaders get more restful sleep!). Society depends on nonprofits, nonprofits require sustainable revenue, sustainable revenue comes in large part from fundraising professionals, and fundraising professionals need more support and appreciation. The compromising of these interconnected pieces has led fundraiser retention to become a growing issue for missions.

According to Independent Sector, increased competition among nonprofits and a perceived increase in the scarcity of donors and available funding make it difficult to raise money consistently. The connection between fundraisers’ longevity at an institution to revenue is undeniable; those with four to seven years at the same organization raised 50% more, and those with eight years raised 83% more than their newly hired colleagues. Prioritizing these professionals’ development, wellness and growth increases job satisfaction; as a result, they stay with the organization and do their best work.

Unfortunately, fewer are sticking it out with turnover rates increasing across the sector. In one study, 51% of fundraisers planned to quit their current jobs and 75% considered quitting in a given year. Turnover reduces current and future revenue and erodes institutional knowledge while diminishing a donor's connection to the mission. Reasons for leaving are many, with the most common factors being poor compensation and benefits, work and life balance, career advancement, professional development and workplace culture.

Investing in fundraisers so they can in turn ask others to invest in an organization seems reasonable, yet few comprehensively take care of their people. Only 54% of organizations implement recognition programs and 35% of fundraisers cited dissatisfaction or disengagement with their current organizational culture. Unsurprisingly, Glennon reminds us that revenue officers are overworked, overtaxed, and overstressed, resulting in 50% of people experiencing burnout. When work-life is out of balance, burnout commonly arises; 90% of emerging leaders cited burnout as a reason they would leave the sector.

Fundraiser talent investment interventions

Retaining valuable fundraisers requires managers to lead by example through implementation of the following strategies. Recommendations help maximize skills and knowledge, incentivize high performance through financial incentives or rewards and address workload and stress issues, to create fundraiser sustainability.

Pay and compensation:

Increase base salaries
Add monetary bonus structure
Add a retirement saving match

Benefits:

Create a sabbatical program
Add remote work flexibility
Add tuition benefits

Professional development:

Professional association memberships
Conferences, retreats, and workshops
Professional coaching support
Employee development stipend

Career advancement:

Internal career paths
Prioritize internal promotions
Fundraiser led career planning
Internal mentoring program

Organizational culture:

Hire a culture coach
Employee-led culture working group
Survey employee needs and opinions
Diversity Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Working Group
Start a recognition committee

Personal wellness sustainability:

Set reasonable goals and clear expectations
Promote a 40-hour workweek
Paternity/maternity leave
Add ergonomic workstations
Mental health insurance coverage

Every strategy may not be practical or feasible for some organizations. In combination, multiple approaches will produce tangible benefits to individuals and the mission.

Concluding thoughts

Given fundraisers’ impact on revenue and budget challenges, nonprofits need to make ambitious and possibly difficult decisions focusing on their crucial human resources. Now is the time to invest in fundraising professionals. Without a long-term view, burnout and turnover will continue at untenable levels. Prioritizing people through talent investment honors them as an essential asset to the mission. Supporting more stability and wellness for the individual will create superior performance and results for the organization. Fundraisers are not asking, they are showing leaders the importance of building equitable salaries, reinforcing mental and physical wellness and providing learning and career paths. Ensuring fundraisers are well-supported and high-performing will enable nonprofits to address society’s most pressing challenges for the long haul.

Christopher Cordes is a 2021 graduate of the Master of Nonprofit Leadership and Management program at Arizona State University. He earned his undergraduate degree from Arizona State University in 2004. As a development manager for the Pat Tillman Foundation (PTF) in Tempe, he executes fundraising programs with corporations and individuals, including PTF’s signature event Pat’s Run. He enjoys adventuring with his amazing wife, their rambunctious twin boys, and their spunky daughter. A native and fifth-generation Arizonan, he enjoys tennis, golf, fly-fishing and exploring the scenic outdoors. Go Devils!

Learn more by enrolling in the Fundraising and Sustainable Financial Management or Optimizing Human Resource Strategies in Nonprofits certificate programs from the ASU Lodestar Center's Nonprofit Management Institute.

What strategies can nonprofits implement to successfully navigate disruption?

pbencomo — Wed, 05 Oct 2022 17:43:00 +0000

Illustration generated by DALL·E

posted by
Vicki MacFarlane
Fall 2021 Alumna, ASU Master of Nonprofit Leadership and Management

While the COVID-19 pandemic may be unprecedented, it is not the only disruption nonprofit leadership will face. Perhaps we will never again see such simultaneous disruption to every aspect of business and personal life, but this is the perfect time to examine strengths and weaknesses specific to organizational resilience. Instead of viewing resilience as an outcome, it is important to understand approaches that generate positive results.

“Incorporating [resilience] qualities into an organizational system equips it to systematically adapt to disruptive challenges. Using resilience as a process, nonprofit organizations can have the capacity to continuously respond to challenges and provide uninterrupted and valuable services,” write Hope Witmer and Marcela Sarmiento Mellinger.

Witmer & Mellinger’s qualities for a resilient organization include: commitment to mission, improvisation, community reciprocity, servant and transformational leadership, hope and optimism, and fiscal transparency. Many of the challenges through the pandemic were not new and will exist long after. Strategically adopting organizational resilience principles will lead to prepared, capable and more sustainable organizations. The following recommendations are based upon present dynamics with expected future significance.

Objective: Intentionally develop organizational resilience attributes

The S. D. Bechtel, JR. Foundation offers three free guides for nonprofit use. These guides lead organizations through a self-examination process to plot a customized course for the future:

The Bechtel Foundation’s seven resiliency factors are:

Purpose Driven (commitment to mission and values)
Clear eyed (realistic and persistent)
Agile (future-oriented, inclusive planning, and adaptive management practices)
Open (intentional communication)
Empowered (embraces shared leadership)
Self-renewal (space created for rest and rejuvenation)
Connected (supported by relationships, institutional links, and community networks)

Recommendations

Train and develop leadership attributes. In their research paper on nonprofit organizational crises, Gilstrap et al. offers six leadership characteristics for disruption including team players “who are strategic, transparent, quick to respond, composed, and prepared.” Leaders must make sense out of a crisis (sense-making), strategic in communication (sense-giving), and view setbacks as temporary and surmountable. Optimism should be identifiable as part of organizational culture. Servant and transformational leadership styles are particularly suited to disruption challenges, with mission-driven approaches that are collaborative, with a focus on team goals. These leadership styles are relational, not hierarchical. They engage personnel with a collective vision, an attribute of resilient organizations.

Enhance staff connectedness. Include staff in resilience training and preparation. Connectivity among an organization’s personnel can help assuage burnout in demanding times. Infrastructure must create physical and emotional safety for activities. Employers must listen to staff, offer flexibility and allow hybrid work options as possible. Seek and create opportunities for staff to find added meaning and connectedness to their work. Move voices in definition of impact and success will develop a more resilient and cohesive organization ready for the next disruption.

Involve multiple voices. An organization’s culture and leadership are most effective through vast engagement. Diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion (DEAI) considerations should remain at the forefront. Improved DEAI efforts increase cooperation and improve collaboration. Involve more voices to generate new ideas and greater synergy, better reflecting the totality of a stakeholder community. All stakeholders have a voice in the Bechtel resiliency factors. Focus on creating training opportunities for employees and volunteers to improve skillsets and to find new ways of supporting the underserved. Enhanced virtual options improve accessibility.

Engage and reengage volunteers. A commitment to mission is inherently altruistic and attractive to volunteers. If volunteer levels are to return to pre-pandemic support, organizations will need to be creative and inventive, assimilating fresh approaches to further engage episodic and casual volunteers and individuals who remain socially distanced. Remember volunteerism offers the potential to enhance well-being. Volunteers may be interested in personal or professional development, or simply the social aspects of volunteerism. Enhance recruitment of volunteers by offering remote and virtual opportunities, communication of needs and embracing interest in addressing equity.

Maintain a contingency fund. Plan for increased investments in staff and infrastructure, including technology. Traditional guidance points to the importance of fiscal transparency, but there is not a singular rule for maintenance of operating reserves. Government support during the pandemic is not available in isolated emergencies. Determine the appropriate financial cushion and work to create, replenish, or maintain reserves. Consider renegotiating lines of credit to enhance the financial cushion available in times of need or opportunity.

Vicki MacFarlane is a 2021 graduate of the Master of Nonprofit Leadership and Management program at Arizona State University and a member of the international Nu Lambda Mu Nonprofit Honor Society. Vicki is the youth programs director for the Colts Youth Organization and director of the Colts Drum & Bugle Corps. Holding a bachelor’s in music education from Wartburg College, she spends her summer months traveling with 200 youth performing in stadiums across the country. An Iowa native, Vicki resides and works along the Mississippi River in Dubuque, Iowa, with her husband, Jeff.

Learn more by enrolling in the Nonprofit Executive Leadership Certificate from the ASU Lodestar Center's Nonprofit Management Institute. This is an exclusive learning and networking experience just for executive directors, senior-level managers and emerging executives of nonprofit and public organizations. Gain the confidence, skills and networks you need to successfully lead your organization into the future. Scholarships are available.

How can nonprofits build public trust through accountability to beneficiaries?

pbencomo — Wed, 21 Sep 2022 16:53:00 +0000

Illustration generated by DALL·E

posted by
Daniel Tyrrell
Fall 2021 Alumnus, ASU Master of Nonprofit Leadership and Management

The Trust Barometer 2021 Global Report reports that businesses are now the only institution trusted by the public, not nonprofits. Reading Tory Martin’s ideas for rebuilding public trust through participation and transparency led me to explore how nonprofits can rebuild public trust through accountability to beneficiaries. Accountability to beneficiaries and their communities, or downward accountability, involves voluntarily opening your organization up to scrutiny by those you serve.

The use of downward accountability mechanisms is growing. Similarly, the concept of empowering beneficiaries and a rights-based approach to development have become more widely used and accepted. Many in the sector may agree with the concept of downward accountability but struggle to effectively put it into practice. Nonprofit leaders frequently named beneficiaries as stakeholders that their organizations are accountable to, but lacked accountability mechanisms that matched their verbal commitments.

Here are a few practical recommendations to implement downward mechanisms (utilizing an ombudsperson, social auditing, participation, etc.) well, and build public trust in the process.

Examine current practices

Many beneficiaries are unaware of existing mechanisms designed to give them a voice and a platform. Don’t make this simple mistake! Tell beneficiaries about mechanisms already in place and share your existing evaluation reports with beneficiaries. Also, make sure your mechanisms align with the nature of your relationships with beneficiaries (short-term vs. long-term).

Change the power dynamic through participation

Without addressing unequal power relations, participation won’t lead to effective downward accountability. Adjust the power asymmetry in your relationships by welcoming criticism, and then use it constructively. Support beneficiaries in participation according to their goals, not yours! Participation is a spectrum with some levels being deep in ownership while others feel more like a sham.

Learn from beneficiaries and peers

Beneficiaries have rated organizational effectiveness lower than the staff, managers, or board members. Prepare to learn from beneficiaries and put new information to use in decision-making. Consider forming peer accountability groups with other nonprofits to learn from organizations with strengths in various accountability relationships.

Prioritize internal accountability and training field staff

Emphasizing internal accountability (to the mission, core values, etc.) has been shown to increase in downward accountability. Meanwhile, an overemphasis on upward accountability can lead to mission creep and losing touch with beneficiaries’ needs. The effectiveness of your downward accountability mechanisms may depend not only on how empathetic your field staff is, but also how well they prepare beneficiaries to engage with the issues covered.

Encourage reciprocal donor communication

Managing multiple accountability relationships is a balancing act. Donors should set an example of voluntarily opening themselves up to feedback. Donors can also make upward mechanisms more flexible by allowing for qualitative feedback from organizations and beneficiaries. Nonprofit leaders can help by guiding donors to focus on long-term outcomes rather than short-term metrics. In fact, the BBB Wise Giving Alliance found donors do want to prioritize long-term goals.

Consider the purpose of accountability to beneficiaries

A mechanism’s result is impacted by whether the mechanism was used to improve performance or enhance public standing. This means that if the purpose of your downward accountability mechanisms is to simply build public trust, they might be perceived as disingenuous and have the opposite effect. Attempts to listen to beneficiaries must come from a desire to truly learn, be responsive to the beneficiary experience, and change if necessary. Public trust may increase as a side benefit to this process. The Edelman Trust Barometer (2021) is based on public perception of nonprofits’ competence and improving programs through learning will certainly hit this mark.

Daniel Tyrrell is a 2021 graduate of the Master of Nonprofit Leadership and Management program at Arizona State University and a member of the Nu Lambda Mu International Honor Society. He holds a B.A. from Bethany Lutheran College (Mankato, MN) in Business Administration and has coordinated human services programs in Asia and Africa for more than 10 years. Daniel resides in Blantyre, Malawi, with his wife and 5-year-old triplets. He consults for local and international NGOs and is interested in helping field operations become more efficient for greater mission achievement.

How can board diversity successfully impact nonprofit growth?

pbencomo — Tue, 13 Sep 2022 23:26:00 +0000

Illustration generated by DALL·E

posted by
Samantha Novak
Fall 2021 Alumna, ASU Master of Nonprofit Leadership and Management

The nonprofit sector is not the first or last entity shifting through the issue of impactful diversity, inclusion and equity within its organizations. However, the role that leadership plays in ensuring the success of creating lasting impact to its beneficiaries and stakeholders through accurate representation of demographics is still to be seen. Board diversity is an essential tool in broadening the impact of DEI in the nonprofit sector.

Board representation

Nonprofit boards currently hold an average of 80% of members representing white men. Looking at the overall demographics of the United States, which has grown considerably over the past ten years in diversity, accurate representation between nonprofit boards and the rest of the United States does not match. As nonprofits are in the business of seeking change within various populations, diversification within leadership in order to ensure the best outcomes of goals for all population demographics comes with the need for additional characteristics within its members.

A diverse board provides additional expertise

Having board members who are able to provide expertise on the issues and needs of the organization's beneficiaries will create a better depiction of the best practices needed to fill those needs. Board members who have shared experiences as beneficiaries provides an added element of knowledge on how to best serve said population. Board members are to be experts in their field. Adding the element of knowledge regarding a range of demographics and consistencies that go along with the diverse population served adds an additional resource through board expertise.

There is a positive correlation between a diverse perspective with board members and producing an inclusive environment

Recognition between a community and those who are pursuing beneficial change requires the understanding of accurate needs and engagement tactics to produce broader knowledge on positive outcomes. When the knowledge of how to deliver the best work and serve a community through understanding cultural practices, demographic challenges and other intricacies that correlate with diverse populations, the reach of expertise becomes impactful.
Diversity increases productivity.

Boards with higher percentages of female members have seen an increase in fundraising performance and engagement than its high male volume boards. Additionally, with an increase in both gender and racial diversity amongst members, board reputation has been seen to improve in organizations across the nonprofit sector. Those who bring the aspect of diversity increase the influence that board members hold within an organization.

Nonprofit performance increases with a board's high regard for the field being impacted

Board knowledge and expertise are an additional resource for nonprofits seeking best practices for programming. Having members who hold a high regard to any field that holds relation to the organization’s mission will increase the resources available, and in turn, drive the organization to host successful outcomes based on knowledgeable experiences. A committed board that supports and provides assistance to the nonprofits they serve is attributed to nonprofit success.

Board diversity is more than just ensuring that the leadership team reflects the call to action on DEI within the nonprofit sector. It provides an accurate representation to those who are impacted the most by the mission and goals of the organization the board oversees. Leadership has the ability to hold significant influence over a group of people. By having a diverse board, the impact of DEI representation starts at the top. As diversity continues to increase across the country, nonprofits must match the call for DEI. Starting with leadership, the impact of diversity will be the norm of need and influence in nonprofit success.

Samantha Novak is a 2021 graduate of the Master of Nonprofit Leadership and Management program at Arizona State University. After being raised in Kansas City, she pursued her undergraduate degree at Missouri State University, where she received her Bachelor of Arts in Spanish and Linguistics. After four years in the nonprofit sector, she returned to Kansas City to work as the director of communications at the Guadalupe Centers Charter School district, whose mission is to educate and empower our school community by providing rigorous and engaging academic and cultural experiences.

How can nonprofit leaders create high-performing teams?

pbencomo — Fri, 02 Sep 2022 18:49:00 +0000

Illustration generated by DALL·E

posted by
Diana Onuschak
Fall 2021 Alumna, ASU Master of Nonprofit Leadership and Management

Nonprofit organizations, and civil societies long before that, have always sought to bring like-minded and motivated people together to build community and solve social issues. Not much has changed regarding why motivated and hopeful people enter the nonprofit sector – to work, volunteer or support. But the challenges we face and the issues we seek to address can change over time – from severely needed social services like food and shelter to rates of addiction and poverty to global crises of climate change and education. No matter the cause, the work sometimes seems insurmountable. Therefore, for nonprofits to continue tackling such complex issues and systems, leaders must seek to create, support and sustain high-performing teams capable of enacting transformative change.

When considering performance in the nonprofit sector, it is difficult not to jump to conclusions about measurable outcomes and impact. However, for organizations to be impactful and meet the goals set by their diverse missions (and their funders), they must first be high-performing. For an organization to be high-performing, its team must be high-performing – capable of strong collaboration and innovation, driven by the mission and filled with trust and mutual respect. High-performing nonprofit teams are resilient, motivated and cared for. Team elements like culture, mission-centeredness, trust, diversity, and self-care are a few factors leading to high-performance teams in the nonprofit sector.

Recommendations for nonprofit leaders seeking to create high-performing teams:

Prioritize all forms of diversity. Investing in all forms of diversity helps to motivate teams and expend mutual respect.
Acknowledge team members’ identities (racial, gender, etc.) and their connection to your constituents. Creating safe spaces for self-identifying brings teams together and improves the quality of service.
Be clear about the mission and preserve its prioritization. Remaining aligned with the organizational mission optimizes transformative behaviors like adaptability and preparedness.
Concentrate on culture. Culture is created when spaces are built for employees to interact, commonly divulging work-related stress and finding comfort from their colleagues who understand the unique stressors of the organization.
Build trust. Fostering and sustaining trust among staff and organizational leaders results in more collaboration and effective coordination and programming.
Understand and respect self-care. Prioritization of self-care must come from the leadership team. With proper attention and vocalization of self-care, burnout is reduced, self-value is cultivated and camaraderie is formed.
Seek opportunities for cooperation. Disassembling competition between nonprofit organizations and seeking opportunities to share resources helps legitimize the organization and build public trust.

As nonprofit leaders, we understand the responsibility granted to us by our constituents, our funders, our supporters and the public. Therefore, we must acknowledge that high-performance has to be achieved internally and at the organization level if it is to be achieved externally via programming and activities. So here is your challenge. Look inward. Get uncomfortable. Talk to each member of your team. Breath your mission. As nonprofit leaders, we know what our organizations and teams are capable of – and we believe in our capacity. So, let us commit here and now to ensure we take the necessary steps to create high-performing teams.

Diana Onuschak is a 2021 graduate of the Master of Nonprofit Leadership and Management program at Arizona State University. She is the director of administration and community engagement at Volunteer Lawyers for Justice (VLJ), overseeing initiatives to provide better service to VLJ clients and volunteer attorneys. Diana is a crucial member of VLJ's leadership team and oversees VLJ's Pro Bono Opportunities listing for VLJ's panel of volunteer attorneys. Prior to joining VLJ, Diana worked at Rutgers University and has substantial experience working and supporting nonprofit organizations throughout the state. Diana received her BS in Environmental Policy from Rutgers School of Environmental & Biological Sciences, with minors in Women’s Studies and Social Justice.

How can nonprofits successfully engage the next generation of donors?

pbencomo — Wed, 24 Aug 2022 16:35:00 +0000

Illustration generated by DALL·E

posted by
Emily Santeler
Fall 2021 Alumna, ASU Master of Nonprofit Leadership and Management

The sustainability of the nonprofit sector relies on cultivating the next generation of donors. Younger individuals from the Millennial generation, as well as some from Gen X and Z groups, will soon become the lifeblood of the nonprofit sector – being transitioned nearly $30 trillion over the next 20 years from their predecessors, the Baby Boomers.

In 2015, 87% of total charitable contributions in the U.S. were made by individuals. Furthermore, 43% of those gifts were made by Baby Boomers while only 11% were made by Millennials, according to Fidelity Charitable. It will be up to nonprofits to direct appealing engagement and fundraising strategies towards young individuals to avoid a detrimental depletion of funds over the next several decades.

Millennials (born 1981-1995) engage differently with nonprofits and face more financial constraints than their predecessors. Additionally, in a study conducted by Yordanos Eyoel, Millennials have reportedly low levels of trust in civil society and demand accountability from organizations. They have historically been left out of the conversation, but want to give their time and resources to make the biggest social impact possible. Steven N. Pyser states, “An organization that fails to engage and learn with millennials can be committing a failure in business judgement.” Luckily, there are several ways nonprofits can go about engaging young people, strengthening relationships between them and an organization, and eventually send them through the donor pipeline.

Recommendations

1. Evaluate what the organization is currently doing to engage young people.

Chances are an organization has the resources necessary to take the first step in engaging younger audiences. Begin by asking what part of an organization’s mission is most appealing to younger generations. Then identify already existing efforts to get younger individuals in the door and determine what’s working and what’s driving people away.

2. Embrace diversity internally and externally.

Millennials want to see organizations take initiative in diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts. They also want to feel welcome when supporting organizations. Leaders must explore internal and external shifts required to diversify an organization based on community needs. For example, leaders might survey who makes up a board of directors or determine if there are groups that would benefit from an organization’s services that currently are not. Embracing diversity has to come from an educated and legitimate place, or people will become disillusioned with the organization.

3. Direct marketing and communication toward younger audiences.

Young people are quickly influencing how organizations communicate and market to all ages, say Feldmann & Yu. To engage with the next generation of donors most effectively, utilize authentic storytelling via social platforms. Messaging should be concise, clear, visual and highlight the impact an individual can make by getting involved. Also, consider asking your younger donors how they wish to be reached.

4. Create interesting volunteer opportunities.

Millennials are drawn to volunteer opportunities that impact the lives of others and support causes they care about, Sheela Nimishakavi states. Find ways to tap into the talents of young people – focus groups, committees, and mentorships are low-cost options. Directly asking how they would like to be involved is an effective way to engage young individuals and make their voices heard.

5. Explore networking.

Young people today are well-connected because of social media and technology. Research conducted by Kathleen Kelly Janus shows 72% of Millennials are interested in connecting with peers through nonprofit work. Seeking out young community leaders to help recruit those in their networks creates new champions for a mission and potential donors in return.

6. Engage in crowdfunding.

Crowdfunding and giving circles are a favored trend amongst Millennials today. Consider exploring partnerships with corporations that employ large numbers of young people, offering exclusive volunteer, event and networking opportunities in return to employees who make a gift. Creating a collective, online fundraising campaign directed towards the next generation of donors is another way for these individuals to participate in making an impact that’s meaningful to them.

Conclusion

Young people are the future of philanthropy and must be adequately engaged to ensure their support. It is important for nonprofit executives to evaluate the ways in which they currently engage young people and what can be done to improve outreach and stewardship. Fundraisers act as bridges between individuals and causes they care about and this is no different for the next generation of donors.

Millennials have the potential to create transformative change by partnering with nonprofits they are passionate about. By involving them in the conversation and embracing what they have to offer in this moment in time, nonprofits will reap the benefits of their support for decades to come.

Emily Santeler is a 2021 graduate of the Master of Nonprofit Leadership and Management program at Arizona State University. She is the advancement associate for the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. An AmeriCorps alum and recent inductee of the Nu Lambda Mu International Honor Society, Ms. Santeler is experienced in working with arts and education nonprofits professionally. A lifelong resident of Wisconsin, Ms. Santeler holds a bachelor’s degree in music and nonprofit arts management from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. She plans to continue her work fundraising for the arts – applying concepts learned to efficiently and effectively garner organizational support and positively impact those in her community.

Learn more by enrolling in the Fundraising and Sustainable Financial Management Certificate or the Nonprofit Marketing and Strategic Communications Certificate, both offered online from the ASU Lodestar Center's Nonprofit Management Institute.

How you can foster sustainable innovation within your nonprofit

pbencomo — Wed, 17 Aug 2022 16:32:00 +0000

Illustration generated by DALL·E

posted by
Theresa Adkison
Fall 2021 Alumna, ASU Master of Nonprofit Leadership and Management

If you’re like many of us working in nonprofit leadership today, you’re more than likely exhausted and running out of actionable ideas. Between the pandemic and workforce shortages, you are also possibly navigating reduced income, unable to resume all of your normal events and programming, and struggling to compete for funding.

The past two years have been rough for everyone. It’s said that adversity drives innovation, but for many, that well is starting to dry up too soon. So where are all the good ideas? As leaders of nonprofits, we have the power to create the perfect formula for innovation within our organizations. While there are no quick fixes, the effort and energy you put into these solutions now will be the garden for future innovative abundance.

It all starts with your organization’s mission statement. Nonprofits must have a clear and compelling mission statement that states the organization’s reason for being. It must be articulate enough to measure progress against, inspiring enough to move people to action, and still broad enough to withstand the test of time. If it has been a while since you reviewed or revised your mission statement, start here. Make sure you and your stakeholders agree on your nonprofit’s reason for being. With this clarity of purpose, the nonprofit can focus on its culture.

Every new hire is an opportunity to build the organization of your dreams. As nonprofits, we have limited resources, which means limited compensation options. With our staff being the most valuable of our assets, every position needs an all-star employee filling it and every vacant position is an opportunity to find your ideal candidate.

Once the employee is hired, we need to set the stage for building connections and psychological safety. When nonprofit leadership takes the time to build relationships, mentor staff, elicit insights and feedback and demonstrate the ability to act on that feedback, the staff will begin to trust that they have a place and a voice within the organization. Leaders set the tone for this through transparent and open communication with staff and stakeholders. Every person on the staff and every community member has some insight to offer, but they might not be presented unless the leadership communicates the value of these insights and the need of the organization to hear from everyone. This is where participatory practice comes in to play.

Participatory practice is a concept which means giving voice to those in the community who know the issues best, and then planning and organizing solutions to these issues using the resources of the nonprofit to implement solutions. By engaging the community in which we serve, and by including our own staff and volunteers, we are opening ourselves up to the most diverse feedback, insights, and ideas available. However, we must act on this feedback or we risk losing the connection and trust we have built.

Once we have built a culture that is connected and engaged, nonprofit leadership is primed to use the insights of this culture to build a strategic plan that everyone is invested in. The goals must be SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and measurable). If the culture is invested in the goal, the leadership can drive the innovative ideas into reality by communicating the mission and vision of the organization, keeping metrics front and center through regular reviews, and then looping the data back to the community and the employees. This data is necessary to ensure that everyone is thinking about and working toward the same goals. This data is how we measure our impact.

Innovation and impact are not lotteries we hope to win, nor are they a gamble that might someday pay off. Innovation and impact are within the reach of any nonprofit organization that is willing to put in the time and effort into building it. Through intentional mission drive, culture building and strategic planning, innovation and impact will bear the fruit of these efforts.

Theresa Adkison is a 2021 graduate of the Master of Nonprofit Leadership and Management program at Arizona State University. She serves as the vice president of substance use disorders for Triumph Treatment Services in Yakima, Washington. She is a substance use disorder professional and a certified peer counselor who has devoted her career to helping others effected by addiction. Through her unique brand of passionate storytelling and empathetic leadership development, Adkison is raising awareness about this deadly disease and helping her community to address this pressing need. She has a bachelor’s degree from Washington State University in Comparative American Cultures and a certificate in substance use disorders from Yakima Valley College. With her master’s degree completed, she intends to continue to work with nonprofits and improve the lives of those in her community through treatment and awareness of substance use disorder.

How can video strategies revolutionize positive nonprofit community engagement?

pbencomo — Wed, 10 Aug 2022 15:56:00 +0000

Illustration by Yuxin Qin

posted by
Arlene Islas
Fall 2021 Alumna, ASU Master of Nonprofit Leadership and Management

The video landscape is evolving, and the pandemic prompted nonprofits to consider how video is planned, produced, presented and consumed. Video is predicted to account for 82% of all consumer internet traffic by 2022. Nonprofits must not ignore the advantages that video communications have evidenced: programming, fundraising, and maintaining internal and external engagement can be achieved successfully with video when purposely planned.

The key is to utilize the organization’s resources wisely; budgeting for high-quality produced videos may not be a priority when considering the resources available. However, leadership must consider all options and then decide what works best for their particular needs. If people are not given adequate content, they will not share with others and the organization and its mission will fail to engage the community.

To get started, a single video must be prioritized and every aspect of it must be defined before moving on to the next. One question must be asked at every step of the planning process: Is video the best way to communicate the message?

Define the goal and audience

The primary goal should always be high video engagement. However, other goals may include attracting volunteers, creating organizational awareness or fundraising. The goal and audience will help define the length in consideration of where it will be distributed.

Define the message

What needs to be conveyed to the target audience to achieve the specified goal? This is the driver of all content. One of the best ways to share the message is by telling a story. A narrative is what draws people in and makes them watch a video from beginning to end. Brainstorming with team members and stakeholders can help generate storytelling ideas.

Identify the type of video and production

This is where the genre and style of the video are identified. Video content can be any format that features video film, animation, screencast, motion graphics, live action, gifs, photo montages or immersive media. It could be a documentary-style video, an explainer, a testimonial, a message from the CEO or a behind-the-scenes video. It could be live or pre-recorded, produced in-house or outsourced. The target length of the video and the production requirements (equipment, script, locations) will help determine a timeline.

Distribute and promote

Different platforms can reach different audiences. Email newsletters are one of the preferred ways to share content with the organization’s owned audience. If a social media platform changes their policies or protocols, it could affect the organization’s content and strategy. Therefore, it is wise for organizations to own their own content and drive audiences to their own platforms and websites, where it may be viewed without constraints. The video title, description and hashtags must be carefully crafted to reflect its purpose. Furthermore, investing in advertising on social media channels is a great way to increase reach of target audiences.

Innovate and stay informed

As social media platforms update and make changes, nonprofits must adapt, embrace innovation and try to stay ahead. For example, Instagram gave “I Donated” stickers to user accounts that donated on Giving Tuesday 2020. Videogame livestreamers fundraise for charities on Facebook, and Zoom added a donate button. Adding immersive video to the organization’s video strategy is a smart tactic if the message and goal makes sense for the medium, once the content has proven successful engagement.

Gather data, analyze, and repeat

It’s critical to look at the performance and reach of every piece of content that is shared. This will inform how the video strategy must be adjusted every six months.

A good video strategy will help nonprofit organizations communicate their mission, vision, goals and ideas in effective ways. It can help them prompt action and bring communities together in the form of mobilization, advocacy and financial support. Whether a video is or is not created by a professional with high-end equipment, getting the message across by telling a good story is paramount. Video technologies and the platforms where they can be shared on will continue to evolve, and leaders that draw on video strategies will be the ones that reap the benefits for their organizations and stakeholders over the course of time.

Arlene Islas is a 2021 graduate of the Master of Nonprofit Leadership and Management program at Arizona State University. She was recently inducted into Nu Lambda Mu, the International Honor Society for Nonprofit Management, Philanthropy, and Social Entrepreneurship & Enterprise. She is a television director, producer, editor, director of photography and documentary filmmaker. She is manager of video communications at the University of Arizona, where she earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Studio Art in Photography.

Learn more by enrolling in the Nonprofit Marketing and Strategic Communications Certificate from the ASU Lodestar Center's Nonprofit Management Institute. You'll gain additional knowledge and skills in marketing, communication, public relations and social media for the nonprofit sector.