Little things add up to something big

Often I’m asked to work with the staff and board of a social profit organization to help them create an annual fundraising plan or better define their funding gap message or help them better define the board & staff relationship.

When I begin work with these organizations I often find that what I’m REALLY being brought in for is to help ease frustration. The staff has grown frustrated with the board or key volunteers who are not taking action in the way the staff wants. The board or key volunteers, while passionate about the work of the organization, don’t quite know what action to take, which sometimes results in them being “checked out.”

In my careful observation of their work and communication I often see the same issues over and over. I believe most of these frustrations can be eliminated with more specific communication that focuses on the details of each goal and measures for success as they relate to real people.

Here are a few actions that focus on those details that can make a huge difference:

PASSION RE-TREAD

Staff:

• Create the ability for all board members to see your mission in action and to learn a story of a client by actually meeting someone your organization serves

Volunteer Leadership:

• Hunger for the connection to clients & the mission. Routinely have one board member tell a story of a real person (client) at each board meeting. Hold board meetings in different locations where you can be connected to the special people served by your organization.

GOALS & ACTION ITEMS

Staff:

• Take GREAT meeting notes. Highlight goals and actions. Always list the person accountable and a “by when” date of accomplishing the action. Spend less time on notes that are a “he said, she said” recap. Provide your powerful, action-focused notes quickly following all committee and board meetings (within 2 days).

Volunteer Leadership:

• READ the notes. Do what you said you’d do, by when you said you’d do it. If the timing doesn’t work…contact the appropriate staff person and “re-promise” with a date that works for you. These are your goals. Take action on them.

MEASURES & ACCOUNTABILITY

Staff:

• Provide reports that clearly show goals and team activity. These can be charts, bar graphs, or whatever visual display best shows the progress (or lack thereof) being made on the agreed on goals. These should be provided to the volunteer leadership so that a “peer to peer” discussion on progress can take place.

Volunteer Leadership:

• Request the charts and details about agreed on actions (e.g. making thank you calls to all donors $200+). Read the reports at board or committee meetings and discuss YOUR own activity regularly. Use the data to discuss what is working with the goals and actions and what needs more attention or discussion.

GOVERNANCE

Staff:

• Work with board leadership to clearly define accountabilities with an annual board agreement. Also identify and provide structure for very clear goals for new board member identification, recruitment and orientation.

Volunteer Leadership:

• Within the board or your committee pay attention to who is doing what. Are all board members or committee members providing value? Showing up at meetings? Does everyone know what is expected with regard to board involvement, especially with regard to fundraising? (Six Steps to Exceptional Nonprofit Boards)If not, invite help, guidance, and input from the staff and others outsider your group to put together a framework of participation (Get a sample board agreement here). Seek to ensure every board member and community volunteer feels like a helping hero and has a clear picture of what is expected.

Each of these areas deserves much more time than I’m devoting here. Suffice it to say, attention to the communication between staff, board, and community volunteers is critical.

The fundraising action planning sessions and other workshops I deliver allow you an opportunity to delve more deeply into each of these topics. And, you can certainly tackle these areas yourselves.

Recipe for success: Awareness and clear, authentic, honoring communication about the small, but powerful details.

This post was included in Withism’s from Lori: Boldness, Clarity & Wisdom for Fundraising Professionals Making a Difference (Volume 1), now available in paperback, on Kindle, and Nook.