{"id":585671,"date":"2017-03-01T14:55:37","date_gmt":"2017-03-01T19:55:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/joangarry.com\/?p=585671"},"modified":"2022-06-27T10:29:40","modified_gmt":"2022-06-27T14:29:40","slug":"nonprofit-questions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/joangarry.com\/nonprofit-questions\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Questions Every Nonprofit Should Be Asking Now"},"content":{"rendered":"

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When Donald Trump became POTUS, the world changed. It\u2019s no longer business as usual.<\/p>\n

Nonprofits across the country have spent much of early 2017 trying to understand what this change means for them. Will proposed spending cuts impact the mission? Will non-governmental funders step up? Will there be more people in need?<\/p>\n

Regardless of your political bent, whenever there is a big change it can feel scary. Even paralyzing.<\/p>\n

Strong and smart leadership is needed at nonprofits now more than ever.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Towards that end, there are seven questions that every single nonprofit leader \u2013\u00a0staff and board \u2013\u00a0should be asking itself right now.<\/p>\n

Here they are\u2026<\/p>\n

1) Does everyone in our organization \u2013 board and staff \u2013 know how to speak effectively about the nonprofit?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Some organizations are easier to explain to folks than others. But even the easy ones don\u2019t always get it right. Storytelling plays such a critical role in successful leadership. A nonprofit ambassador who can tell a compelling and emotional story can invite folks to know more and do more.<\/p>\n

2) Does the Executive Director and board chair have a strong and effective working relationship?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I believe the thing that makes nonprofit leadership unique \u2013 more than anything else \u2013 is the concept of \u201cshared leadership.\u201d To build a thriving nonprofit, the staff and board leaders must be like co-pilots of the same jet. They must work as thought partners who drive the organization forward together, understand their roles, and are determined to do right by the organization.<\/p>\n

In fact, I say a strong relationship between the ED and board chair is the single best sign of a healthy nonprofit<\/a>.<\/p>\n

3) Do we have a strong strategic plan?<\/strong><\/p>\n

An earlier US president once said, \u201cPlans are useless but planning is everything.\u201d Strategic planning has a bad reputation. Done wrong, it can suck the life out of the people involved. But it doesn\u2019t have to be like that. A good strategic plan breathes life into the organization and its stakeholders. And it can absolutely be done on a budget.<\/p>\n

4) Do we have the right approach to fundraising?<\/strong><\/p>\n

At its best, fundraising is about an invitation to join you in the remarkable work you do. It\u2019s about building relationships that last. It\u2019s also an art and a science, which means you will make mistakes and a lot of people will say no. And that\u2019s OK.<\/p>\n

Most people are not natural fundraisers. They need to be trained. This is true for your development staff, your ED, and your board. You have to know who to ask and how to ask. Do you?<\/p>\n

And, are you overly reliant on a single source of funds? If yes, big danger!<\/p>\n

5) Do we have all the right people \u2018on the bus\u2019?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Nothing destroys an organization faster than having people who are unmotivated, toxic, or it in for the wrong reasons.<\/p>\n

Do your leaders have the right attributes? Do you know what they are? Great nonprofit leaders have certain skills and work on honing core attributes.<\/p>\n

6) Do we keep our superstars happy and motivated?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Nonprofit folks are rarely in it for the money. Some \u2013 like your board \u2013 are even volunteers. So if it\u2019s not about the money, how do you make sure your best folks never want to leave?<\/p>\n

But sometimes folks do leave. The only constant in life is change. People will come and go \u2013\u00a0even your superstars. Leadership transitions are the most destabilizing forces in the life of a nonprofit. They can rock an organization to its core. Do you have a deliberate succession plan?<\/p>\n

7) Do we know what to do if there\u2019s a real crisis?<\/strong><\/p>\n

This is an area so many nonprofits avoid until it\u2019s too late. Ignore at your own peril.<\/p>\n

SO HOW DID YOU DO?<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n

Do you feel confident after answering these seven questions? Or are you feeling a little queasy?<\/p>\n

If these questions made you feel even more<\/em> anxious, please allow me to help you.<\/p>\n

Here are 2 ways I can do just that.<\/p>\n

Option 1: Hire me<\/strong><\/p>\n

Yep, I\u2019m available to help you one-on-one.<\/p>\n

Need to figure out how to get some new folks on your board and transition some folks out? Or you\u2019re dealing with a crisis and need guidance? I can help you do that.<\/p>\n

Or perhaps you\u2019re looking to establish a more effective partnership between the staff and board leadership? I can help with that too.<\/p>\n

I work directly with staff and board leaders to help them clean up the mess. Because yes, nonprofits are messy.<\/p>\n

If you want more information on how we might work together, or even if you think a quick one-time session with me could help you untangle a particular knot, please visit this page on my website.<\/a><\/p>\n

But I also know that working with me can be prohibitively expensive for many. I wanted to have a much bigger impact, even for those who can\u2019t afford to hire me one-on-one.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s exactly why I wrote a book.<\/p>\n

Option 2: Read my book<\/strong><\/p>\n

My new book, Joan Garry\u2019s Guide to Nonprofit Leadership<\/em><\/a> has a chapter dedicated to answering each of the seven questions listed above.<\/p>\n

But it\u2019s not a typical \u201cclinical\u201d nonprofit leadership book.<\/p>\n

Yes, it’s instructive. But it’s a lot more than that. It has a sense of humor. It draws on my personal experiences as an ED, a board leader, a volunteer, and a donor. It helps that I\u2019ve played every position on the nonprofit field.<\/p>\n

The very first line in the book is, \u201cI could have killed my development director<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Like I said, this isn\u2019t your average nonprofit leadership book.<\/p>\n

Through compelling stories, I cover things like:<\/p>\n