<\/p>\n
True story. Amy Graves picks up the phone and calls one of the many friends of her organization, BCT Brooklyn Children\u2019s Theatre<\/a> in Brooklyn.<\/p>\n Her goal is simple \u2013 to check in and see how he and his family are doing.<\/p>\n That\u2019s it. Good ol\u2019 fashioned connection. Something we are all pretty damned hungry for these days.<\/p>\n They chat \u2013 he\u2019s doing OK under the circumstances. He asks how she\u2019s holding up.<\/p>\n Amy shares her own family update and then lets him know they have decided to engage kids in making movie musicals in lieu of the cancelled live performances. Rehearsals by Zoom are working out surprisingly well and families are excited about the new concept and maintaining an end of year accomplishment.<\/p>\n He thanks her and Amy thanks him. They end the call the way I\u2018m ending every call now \u2013 please stay safe and healthy. He says that he knows nonprofits are struggling and he was going to talk to his wife \u2013 he wants to help. He asked if Amy would call him the next day.<\/p>\n You can imagine that it was one of the first calls Amy made. : ) And this is what she heard.<\/p>\n \u201cI spoke with my wife yesterday and we really want to help. We\u2019d like to donate $50,000 and we\u2019ll be sure to get you the donation quickly.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p>\n I\u2019d like to tease out the lessons in this story and show you five ways your board can be helpful to your organization right now. This is what the best boards are doing right now.<\/p>\n Because how you navigate this crisis will also define how you emerge.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n No, it\u2019s actually not about the donation. First and most importantly Amy absolutely did not call to ask for money. And she never did ask.<\/p>\n She called this donor in an effort to reach out to the folks closest to her small nonprofit. So if it\u2019s not about the money, then what is it about?<\/p>\n 1. Relationships<\/strong><\/p>\n Relationships are everything in a nonprofit. Cultivating, stewarding, nurturing your relationships with staff, board, volunteers, donors, members of your community. I\u2019ll keep saying it until everyone hears it.<\/p>\n There is NOTHING transactional about your work.<\/p>\n There is NOTHING transactional about fundraising.<\/p>\n It\u2019s about inviting folks to know more about your work. And once you bring them close, you develop a relationship with them, you tell them what\u2019s going on, you ask their advice. And they come closer.<\/p>\n That\u2019s how this nonprofit thing works if you\u2019d like your organization to grow.<\/p>\n 2. Connection<\/p>\n <\/strong>People are isolated and frightened. With every passing day there is a greater chance that someone you know will be suffering. When you hear they are turning the largest convention center in NYC into a COVID-19 hospital (14 miles from my dining room table), it\u2019s terrifying.<\/p>\n In these circumstances, we\u2019d typically gather, come close to each other. Did you know that after 9\/11, William Sonoma could not keep roasting pans in stock? I know because my wife ran the Food Network at the time. In early October, she predicted that would happen and I didn\u2019t quite get it.<\/p>\n And then there was a major news story about nesting. People were gathering in each others\u2019 homes cooking meals and feeling that sense of comfort, of security, of connection.<\/p>\n Not only can we not do that this time, it\u2019s actually life threatening. We can\u2019t have the thing we crave most in scary times. Connection.<\/p>\n When Amy called that donor just to check in, it was as close to nesting as they could get. A virtual cup of coffee.<\/p>\n 3. Meaning<\/p>\n <\/strong>Millions of people are on lockdown. Shelter at home. Whatever we are calling it.<\/p>\n Maybe they can work some but maybe they are not working at all. I told my wife we need to slow down the whole decluttering thing because we\u2019re going to run out of closets before we get sprung.<\/p>\n Millions of Americans are focused inward. Literally and figuratively. And absolutely nothing is better for your frame of mind, your emotional health, than helping someone.<\/p>\n Literally. Studies show that people who volunteer are healthier<\/strong><\/em><\/a>. Volunteering offers you meaning and purpose.<\/p>\n By the way, the same is true of charitable contributions. When my dear friend Julie Anderson told me, \u201cIt makes people feel good to give money to causes they care about,\u201d I became a very good fundraiser because the money supported our good work at GLAAD for sure, but I also was offering folks the opportunity to feel a sense of purpose.<\/p>\n When Amy told the donor and his wife the \u201cmovie musicals\u201d story, it reminded them of how meaningful the work is and ignited in them a sense of purpose they derived from being connected to the organization. This drove their additional gift. Sure it was about need. But at some deeper level, that donor was motivated by his own need for meaning.<\/p>\n Especially now.<\/p>\n Hibernate<\/strong><\/p>\n This is the most common reaction and of course it runs counter to our three lessons above, doesn\u2019t it?<\/p>\n The assumption here is that people are focused on whether they have sufficient toilet paper or whether their aging parent is OK (the aging parent they can\u2019t visit because they are on lockdown themselves).<\/p>\n People ARE focused on those things for sure. But it\u2019s also true that they need connection and meaning. And you as staff and board leaders can offer that.<\/p>\n Freeze<\/strong><\/p>\n Panic can lead you here. As I\u2019ve been hearing from all corners of the nonprofit sector, lots of folks have no idea what to do. They are frantic that the organization won\u2019t be able to help as many people, that the staff members they admire so much might get laid off, and the idea of asking for money creates total paralysis.<\/p>\n If you see yourself as either an ice cube (frozen) or a grizzly bear (hibernating), please read on.<\/p>\n Believe me. The best boards are doing\u00a0neither<\/em> of these right now.<\/p>\nIT\u2019S NOT ABOUT THE MONEY<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
THE TWO WORST THINGS YOUR BOARD CAN DO RIGHT NOW<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
FIVE ACTIVE STEPS YOUR BOARD MEMBERS CAN TAKE THIS WEEK<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
![<\/a><\/p>\n4. Pick One or Two Folks To Worry About $<\/p>\n<\/strong>In times like this, the entire board wants to talk about money or the lack of it. This can easily drive the full board into ice cube or grizzly bear mode.<\/p>\nBut that will not ignite thoughtful or creative conversations. It’s not what the best boards do. So let\u2019s just select one or two folks and deputize them – let them partner with the Executive Director to think about money. And let\u2019s have them help the staff think about a Plans A, B and C. Not just review financials and worry about cash flow.<\/p>\nThe board’s deputies should be part of a braintrust to develop a few scenarios. And by the way, I bet someone in your community who is at home looking for a bit of purpose would love to help.<\/p>\n5. A Board \/ Staff Happy Hour<\/strong><\/p>\nDo you know how hard it is to work for a nonprofit right now? Princeton Senior Resource Center creates programs to ensure that elders in the Princeton area don\u2019t suffer from a feeling of isolation. Imagine you work there. How do you feel knowing how isolated your clients are? It\u2019s really hard.<\/p>\nI hear way too much about the tension between board and staff. Let\u2019s use this time to create a real sense of team, of shared purpose.<\/p>\nIn big organizations, I hear \u201cI don\u2019t really know the board members. They are just names of powerful people on a list.\u201d Seems like just the right time to get to know one another. (See lessons 1 and 2 above.)<\/p>\nSo there are five things. But you have to start with the lessons. If you start every conversation with relationship, connection and meaning<\/strong><\/em>, you will set the table for smart and creative conversations.<\/p>\nOne last thing. See that picture above?<\/p>\nDoes it inspire you to see that woman in the slicker? Me too.<\/p>\nIn a world that can feel short on leaders, sometimes you find them standing in the rain directing traffic. And when I think about her, it gives me some hope.<\/p>\nAnd that is good for what ails us.<\/p>\nNAVIGATING THE CRISIS<\/h2>\n<\/p>\nOver the coming weeks and months, I\u2019ll be focusing on how I can best support nonprofit leaders during this surreal time in our history. From how to engage your board to maintaining your sanity to nurturing your donors to the power of the \u2018fireside chat,\u2019 I\u2019ll be offering advice I hope you will find uniquely helpful at this time.<\/p>\nMy team and I will monitor comments below especially closely so I encourage you to comment with a topic you\u2019d like me to add to the list. I may not get to all of them but it will allow me to feel the pulse (I know it\u2019s racing) of readers and it should result in content that is more resonant, applicable and supportive.<\/p>\nI hope you\u2019ll jump onto my email list so I can let you know each time a new post goes live. Please know how much I support you and let\u2019s hope we\u2019re on the other side of this as soon as possible.<\/p>\n<\/div>](\"https:\/\/joangarry.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/90356644_10156771815271400_3449132791961223168_o-1.jpg\"){kind=link}