Month: August 2013

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The Fundraising Development Steering Committee

A nonprofit fundraising committee

…OR WHATEVER YOU WANT TO CALL IT !!
Most non-profit organizations have (or surely should have), standing committees for finance, investment, marketing & PR, nominating and evaluating board members, and (where needed) building & grounds. From long experience, for some unknown-to-me reason, there is not usually a fundraising steering committee in place devoted to ensuring that the funds needed to sustain the organization will be raised.

Your organization’s fundraising should be led by a Development Committee accountable to the Board of Trustees. That Committee should work from a document which outlines its duties and describes the policies the group will implement. The Committee should be led by the Trustees but comprised as well of non-board individuals having influence and/or affluence.

The Development Committee Has The Responsibility of Overseeing All Fundraising Activities

Annual Fund — Develop and maximize fundraising potential by coordinating all campaign divisions, identifying additional opportunities and recruiting key volunteer leadership

Project Sponsorships & Underwriting — Guide projects, services and programs for contributed support by identifying likely prospects, suggesting the best means to make presentations, and establishing benefits, services and recognition to prospects and donors

Government Grants — Maintain and initiate contacts with appropriate government officials to increase the possibilities of special grants and other support

Endowment & Planned Giving — Determine the feasibility of a projected solicitation campaign to secure permanent endowment funds for certain programs and services and basic operations and encourage the constituency to consider planned giving vehicles, such as trusts, insurance policies, and bequests to help ensure the long-term health of the organization

Capital — Identify capital projects as required by need and planned strategies for growth as mapped out in the long-range strategic plan. Ensure the feasibility and chances for success of proposed asset purchases

Special Fundraising Events — Work with the organization’s volunteer leadership, the groups which usually take on and totally produce Special Events (Galas, Auctions, Dinners, etc.), to offer direct support and encouragement, but always keeping in mind that those groups must have as much autonomy and freedom as possible to fully carry out “their” events.

Suggested Agenda For Regular Meetings Of The Development Committee
(A) Set policies, priorities & goals for fundraising programs for the current fiscal year

(B) Review in detail the ongoing performance of each particular campaign activity
    — Evaluate to original objectives to determine if “on track”
    — Make comparisons with previous years, where applicable
    — Introduce modifications and adjustments

(C) Review overall performance -vs- objectives
    — Determine reasons for campaigns not meeting goals
    — Provide reasons why campaigns exceeded goals

(D) Identify and rate all prospects for support

(E) Recruit key volunteer leaders and solicitors

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Have a question or comment about the above posting?
You can Ask Tony.
There is also a lot of good fundraising information on his website:
Raise-Funds.com
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Have you seen
The Fundraising Series of ebooks ??
They’re easy to read, to the point, and cheap ($1.99 – $3.99) ☺
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If you’re reading this on-line and you would like to comment/expand on the above, or would just like to offer your thoughts on the subject of this posting, we encourage you to “Leave a Reply” at the bottom of this page, click on the feedback link at the top of the page, or send an email to the author of this posting. If you’ve received this posting as an email, click on the email link (above) to communicate with the author.

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A Good Communicator

Colleagues Laughing in a meeting

We have all attended quite a few webinars, events, courses – some very good and some not so good ones. In comparing them, were the good ones due to communicating knowledge well and the not so good ones lacking in communication and knowledge?

The good communicator – Prepares for the topic ahead of time. They also begin with:

  • a solid introduction, by giving a heads up to the attendees of what the event will consist of,
  • what will be presented,
  • when Q&A occurs,
  • finds out the level of knowledge of attendees,
  • what attendees expect from the speaker,
  • manages time accordingly,
  • maintains a high level of energy and demeanor, and
  • shows no frustration shown by the audience.

The not so good ones – lack all or some of the above attributes when it comes to speaking and presenting the course. The presenter is there to help the attendees, not to frustrate them. The attendees are there because they are somewhat frustrated by a lack of knowledge in a certain area, and the presenter is supposed to fill that void.

Therefore, to succeed:

  • What is highly needed is knowing the subject matter. Even if you are a great communicator, if you do not know the material, and some extra knowledge that allows you to answer questions, then a successful session or lecture will not occur.
  • Using a few ‘umms’ – sometimes a speaker cannot help but do that even when they are knowledgeable when they are nervous, but as they move on and the audience is attentive, then those ‘’umm’ moments will cease.
  • Lecture at a normal speed – speak as if chatting with a friend – then the audience will be able to follow the lecture. Too slow will be boring and put them to sleep and too fast will not allow the audience to absorb what is being said.

To help the presenter, it is always good to also supply the audience with some documentation; either a quick reference sheet, or an outline of the presentation. This way, the audience feels more connected to the subject as well as the speaker, and will not feel that they might get lost.

Other ideas are;

  • For important ‘how to’ steps, the presenter could demonstrate processes whenever possible and supply links on the sheet that will redirect them to review what steps were taken.
  • For further reading material, as well as more tips, the presenter again can supply a link to some manuals, documents or resource material and reviews that consists of more detailed information on the subject.

When it comes to Q&A time, always listen and try to understand what the real question is being asked. If the audience is enjoying the lecture, individuals will assist and reword what is being asked so that the question can be answered appropriately. Also, if an answer is not known, then there is nothing wrong in saying, the question will be looked into and a solution researched.

So to answer the original question of ‘..were the good ones due to communicating knowledge well and the not so good ones lacking in communication and knowledge?’.

The answer should be ‘yes’ to both questions because there is a distinction between what is a good communicator and a poor one. It depends on the amount of knowledge presented, the ability to answer questions, and listening to the audience.

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Metaphors for Work – Motivation, Engagement, and Inspiration

businessman-excited-because-achievement-business

I love the work of Matthew Fox, the expelled Catholic priest. In his book, The Reinvention of Work, Fox suggests the metaphor for work as a “Sacred Sacrament”.

He defines sacrament as “a holy revelation of the hidden mysteries of the Divine – mysteries so sacred they require metaphor and symbol if we are to talk about them.”

How you describe your work can motivate and engage you or disempower and drain you. Images, descriptions, and symbols carry messages that have a subtle but significant impact on your motivation and work culture.Surf's Up Metaphor

Creating New Work Metaphors

Many people still think of work as ‘punching the clock’ or ‘working for the man’. What images come to mind for your work? Do you think of it as a garden, a jazz band, a giant machine, a gerbil wheel…..

Here is a short excerpt from chapter 5 ‘Creating New Metaphors’ from my book, Path for Greatness: Work as Spiritual Service. It provides ideas for re-imagining how you work.

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“Fox suggests work can be seen as a sacrament and that we can move between different sacraments. For instance, leadership can be seen as an ordination. We confer upon leaders certain powers and privileges, but with that comes responsibility for taking care of the group and bringing the group to a higher level of existence. Likewise, teamwork can be seen as a marriage. Each member comes with her own individuality and offers it to the team. Yet as with a marriage, the team will take on a life of its own that needs to be nurtured and maintained. Fox writes, “Sacramental work serves the cause of the Great Work of the universe, a work of interdependence and compassion.”

One activity for beginning to see your work differently through metaphor is to envision an activity that you enjoy doing. It may be a hobby or interest that you pursue, (e.g., hiking, weaving, quilting, cooking, rock climbing, dancing, scuba diving etc.) What you want to do is to create a spiritual metaphor for your work that reflects your work in a creative, passionate, meaningful way.

How can your work or activities be viewed in ways that are uplifting and life-renewing?

What other images do you have that are inspiring and energy-sustaining?

Use these images to help structure your work or symbolize your work environment.”

If you are looking for new ways to motivation, inspire or engage your employees, find images, symbols or words that spark their creativity, passion, and larger purpose. Ask them for images or metaphors for their team that help them focus on the best of who they are together.

What you focus on matters.

Choose those images that remind you of the gifts you bring and the positive impact you have on others.

May your work serve a higher purpose and renew your spirit.

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For more ideas to energize and inspire your work week, see Linda’s website – www.lindajferguson.com/blog/

If you are feeling stuck in a rut, unmotivated, bored or overwhelmed with your work, consider job coaching with Linda. She’ll inspire, encourage, and support you to shift how you work. If you want to change jobs, Linda can focus and sustain your energy to find or create new work that better suits your interests and skills. Schedule a free consult to see how you benefit from job coaching with Linda- ljfergusonphd@gmail.com

 

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What’s Your Hiring Batting Average?

We-are-hiring-collections-

“By and large, executives make poor hiring decision. By all accounts, their batting average is no better than .333. That means one-third of such decisions turn out right, one-third minimally effective and one-third outright failures. In no other area of management would we put up with such miserable performance” – Peter Drucker, leadership icon.

Every new employee you bring in to the organization either raises the performance of the business as a whole (enabling you to grow and prosper) or lowers it (slowing the business down and imperceptibly dragging it toward decline and failure).

For a small growing company or agency, getting the right people with the right skills is critical. Every hire has an impact but when you are 1 of 10 people versus 1 of 500 people the impacts are as different as the requirements of the position.

Is Your Hiring Like Flipping a Coin?
Several surveys have indicated a national average of hiring accuracy – that’s the measure of how many recruits remain with the company a year after they are hired – is somewhere between 42% and 58%. This means that the average organization is flipping a coin on every hire.

Related: 40 Great Interview Questions For Hiring the Right Person

Imagine if your organization could increase that to 80%, 85% or even more than 90%. This would create a major competitive advantage regardless of the size of your organization.

How Can YOU Hire Better?
Here are four suggestions:

  • First the focus has to be on defining what is necessary to be successful in a particular position. Especially the critical positions.
  • Once the positions are selected it is time to “listen” to the job and take its measurements. You can create a multi-dimensional model or Job DNA of what the position requires.
  • Use assessments to look under the hood of a potential candidate or employee. People are like icebergs: 90% or more of their mass is under the surface. Assessments allow you to get a glimpse of what lies beneath.
  • Provide interview skills training to hiring managers and human resource staff. Interviewees go to classes to better understand how to answer the questions that interviewers are going to ask them.

Related: 40 Great Interview Questions For Hiring the Right Person

Management Success Tip:

Jack Welch, the former CEO of GE, said, “All we can do is bet on the people we pick. So my whole job is picking the right people.” How well are you picking the right people? Make sure you get the right people with the right skills on the right bus who are all going in the right direction.

Do you want to develop your Management Smarts?

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Reddit Black Hat Marketing Tactics Exposed

marketing-team-having-a-meeting-on-a-strategy

Do your crisis management plans include being blackballed by the competition?

So-called “black hat” tactics, often effective but unethical, or even illegal, ways of achieving goals, do exist in the world of PR and marketing. While, for the most part, reputable organizations have a policy of not putting shady tactics to work, employees looking to cut corners or get a leg up on the competition can easily be tempted into joining the dark side, as can desperate business owners and those who simply lack ethics.

Even though Reddit is quickly joining the mainsteam, it still maintains a reputation of being friendly to those who dabble in the grey areas of the web, and as such it’s not an entirely surprising place to find questionable tactics being put to use there, and exposed as well!

Yesterday, PR Daily’s Michael Nolledo reported on one of the black hat tactics being used on Reddit, essentially the practice of having your competition banned from the site, as exposed by a self-purported search engine marketer who goes by the name, “Friggersly.”

The conversation Friggersly reportedly came across reveals a candid discussion that outlines tactics for knocking down a competitor. Here’s a snippet:

[17:10] Personally I prefer just making a load of accounts off one IP then trying to make them look savvy.
[17:10] They’re going to get caught at some point but that’s the point.
[17:10] Post in all kinds of s— subreddits but make sure you’ve got the target site being used on all of them.
[17:10] Make it look like you ALMOST know what you’re doing.
[17:11] Then keep that up for a few weeks.
[17:11] Then BAM
[17:11] Banned.
[17:11] Yeah that’s how I do it.
[17:11] Got one in progress today and another on the list for next month.
[17:11] Takes f— all time too. Just do it for an hour or so a day.
[17:11] Then before you know it none of your competitors can use Reddit.
[17:12] hehe mean 😉
[17:12] But yeah it works 😛
[17:12] Can’t argue results.
[17:12] You guys do this often?
[17:12] moreorless

Although this online conversation cannot be readily verified due to the covert tactics involved, knowing there’s potential success in such a calculated takedown effort is a scary thought. (Of course, this conversation could itself have been falsified; you never know on the Internet.)

While it is POSSIBLE that this conversation could have been falsified, the original Reddit post, and accompanying replies on the topic, are quite in depth, and sound awfully believable if you’re familiar with the way Reddit works.

Competition is fierce these days, making it important to cover your butt with a bit of preemptive crisis management. Victims of tactics like these may find themselves suddenly banned from a website on which they have spent months crafting communications and promotions, with little recourse except to plead their case to busy moderators who are taking on a hefty workload for no pay.

The best thing you can do to prevent becoming a victim of a scheme like the one described is to keep an accurate log of all online marketing and PR activities. Not only will you have plenty of proof that’s you’re operating above the board to provide site owners or moderators with should an attacker sully your good name, but you’ll also have a clear representation of the hard work you’ve put in that can be shared with clients when you have those, “what exactly are we paying you for?” conversations that anyone working on the web is all too familiar with.

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For more resources, see the Free Management Library topic: Crisis Management
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[Jonathan Bernstein is president of Bernstein Crisis Management, Inc., an international crisis management consultancy, author of Manager’s Guide to Crisis Management and Keeping the Wolves at Bay – Media Training. Erik Bernstein is Social Media Manager for the firm, and also editor of its newsletter, Crisis Manager]

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How to Build a High Performance Team

a-team-working-together-to-achieve-a-goal.

Learning how to build great project teams is a skill like any other business tool. The catch phrase: “great leaders are born, not made” really isn’t all that accurate in today’s business environment. Creating good, effective, high performing teams takes practice.

What is a high performing team?

In today’s business world, it’s not good enough for one person to excel at his or her job. The most valuable employees are those who are able to create teams that get the job done right, quickly and with a minimum of drama. The era of the “lone warrior” in business is over. Today’s successful companies nurture leaders who create high performing teams that know how to get results. A high performing team can deliver a product, report or client solution on time, under budget and anticipating the client’s and the boss’ needs.

Building high performance teams

How do you create these highly-functional, yet positive work groups? It’s as simple (or as complex) as being the best you can be, choosing the right team members and empowering your team members.

1. Create a high-performing you.

As a team leader, you have to first focus on you. In fact, Josh Bersin of Forbes found that the best performing organizations link leadership strategy to business strategy. To be a great leader, you don’t necessarily need to be the tallest or the loudest person in the room, you just need to be the most confident. More than once I’ve seen a five-foot-tall woman hold a room full of grown men at rapt attention because of her confidence and her positive energy.
In many ways a team leader is like a parent. The members of your team will look to you for guidance, to set the tone and to be an example for the group members. If you’re tense and stressed, chances are your team will be stressed and tense also. Conversely, if you start the day with a smile on your face and a calm attitude, your team will follow suit. As team leader, you not only need to be confident, you need to be consistent, trustworthy and fair. Make sure you’re up to the challenge before you start selecting individual team members.

2. Get the right people for the team.

Choosing the right people to work on your team is something of an art and a science. Before you approach the first person, sit down and envision what you’d like the team to look like. It might even be helpful to write down your vision. You’ll want team members whose abilities and personalities all complement one another.

Looking After Your Prized Staff

Of course, team members need to have at least the minimum skills required for the job, but that shouldn’t be the only consideration you look for in choosing your team. Good team members know how to work well together and bring a positive energy to the group. Sometimes, the most qualified person isn’t the best choice for your team, especially if that person thinks he knows everything because of his seniority and isn’t willing to listen to the rest of the group. In an article called, “The New Science of Building Great Teams” by Alex Pentland communication is the key factor in high performing teams.

“… we’ve found patterns of communication to be the most important predictor of a team’s success. Not only that, but they are as significant as all the other factors—individual intelligence, personality, skill, and the substance of discussions—combined.” Harvard Business Review, 2012

Also remember that ego has no place in a good team. Look at professional sports teams. In general, the most successful teams are those without the one or two stellar players. Rather, they are the teams who have a group of players who know how to work together well.

Of course, once you’ve chosen your team, it’s essential that you communicate the team’s goals, client contacts, time line and other critical information with the team members.

3. Empower the team.

A good team isn’t a group of robots. You need to give your project team the authority to make decisions. As team leader, you don’t want every member having to come to you with every little day-to-day decision. Sometimes, you’ll be working with remote teams, where members will have to decide issues without you, because of time differences or other logistic barriers. You may not –and probably won’t–agree with every decision your team makes. However, without empowering the group, you stifle creativity and initiative. What’s more: any decision is better than having time make the decision for your group.

A true high-performing team knows what you’re thinking as team leader and what the group as a whole is thinking. Ideally, individual team members should make decisions based on those parameters, not their own opinions. As team leader, you’re responsible for creating the environment where team members feel comfortable making decisions. It may take some getting used to, but by delegating some of your authority, you’ll have more time to realize your own goals.

Creating great, high power project teams isn’t complicated, but it does take planning and care. To be effective in your team collaboration, make sure that you first create a high-power persona for yourself, one that you’re comfortable with and that will inspire confidence in your team. Next, choose the right team members and lastly, empower those team members to give them the room they need to make fast, accurate decisions.

About the Author

Taylor is a writer and manages a web development team at Project Manager, an online project planning tool. He has experience working in small businesses and assisting larger businesses with ERP software and project delivery.

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Governing an entrepreneur – a dilemma

Board meeting in a conference

Zander has joined the board of a privately owned company that is growing rapidly and has plans to list within the next year or two. He is excited by the prospect of the IPO and determined to do a good job as a director, even though he has no prior board experience.

He is finding the role unexpectedly difficult as the CEO, who is also the founding entrepreneur and chairman, is very independent and views the board as a nice think tank – but not as an authority over him. On a few occasions the board has met without seeing up to date financial reports because the CEO was, by his own admission, “too busy building the business to worry about administration”. Whilst the business does appear to be going well Zander is worried that he is not discharging his duty.

Zander had a coffee with the CEO to discuss his concerns. At that meeting, the CEO let slip that he had set up a board because the company had reached a growth threshold where a board was required rather than because he felt any need for guidance or control.

At the latest meeting it became apparent that the capital structure of the company was changing and that new investors were being invited to take up shares. The board had not approved a prospectus or information memorandum or any valuation of the company. The meeting became quite disorderly as the two professional non executives expressed their concerns and the CEO refused to divulge information because it was ‘his company’ and he didn’t think they should know how much he got from the sale.

Directors’ fees were due for payment a week after the meeting but have not been paid. The CEO is not returning calls or replying to emails and Zander is wondering what he should do.

How would you advise him to proceed?

Many readers of this blog will be familiar with my newsletter The Director’s Dilemma. This newsletter features a real life case study with expert responses containing advice for the protagonist. Many readers of this blog are practicing experts and have valuable advice to offer so, again, we are posting an unpublished case study and inviting YOU to respond.

If you would like to publish your advice on this topic in a global company directors’ newsletter please respond to the dilemma above with approximately 250 words of advice for Zander. Back issues of the newsletter are available at http://www.mclellan.com.au/newsletter.html where you can check out the format and quality.

The newsletters will be compiled into a book. If your advice relates to a legal jurisdiction, the readers will be sophisticated enough to extract the underlying principles and seek detailed legal advice in their own jurisdiction. The first volume of newsletters is published and available at http://www.amazon.com/Dilemmas-Practical-Studies-Company-Directors/dp/1449921965/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1321912637&sr=8-1

What would you advise?

Julie Garland-McLellan has been internationally acclaimed as a leading expert on board governance. See her website atwww.mclellan.com.auor visit her author page athttp://www.amazon.com/Julie-Garland-McLellan/e/B003A3KPUO

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Get your Grant Proposal Team Engaged: The Importance of People

An engaged grant proposal team

I recently finished a government grant proposal that had only a two-week deadline. Of course it required many hours, day and night and over the final weekend to complete. And, as you may have guessed, it was submitted at 2:00am on Monday.

It would be nice if I could take sole credit for this accomplishment, but that would not be accurate. As the proposal manager, I worked closely with a dedicated team of consultants and employees who put in as much time and labor as I did. It was a forceful reminder that in proposals, as in life, the most important resource we can call upon is the people around us.

This is hardly a piercing insight, but it is one that grant proposal managers and organizations may forget, often with unanticipated/undesired consequences.

There is a mountain of research demonstrating that nonprofit employees are likely to stay longer at their when they: (1) are matched well to their positions; and (2) feel respected and valued by management.

Sybil F. Stershie, president of Quality Services Marketing, tells her clients that there are three important points that organizations should learn: 1) “Mission matters;” 2) “The people-behind-the-mission matter;” and, 3) “Passion for the mission can’t be taken for granted – once engaged doesn’t mean always engaged.”

She recommends three approaches to develop committed and satisfied employees. I’ve added a fourth, and suggest how to apply them to government grant proposal development.

Four Approaches to Engagement
• Proposal teams must feel connected to the nonprofits that employ them.
• Proposal members must feel connected to fellow team members.
• Permanent staff and consultants must feel connected to each other.
• Proposal teams must involve young people if they want them to stay, learn,
   and advance in their professions.

The alternative to these four elements is a vicious cycle that begins with the inability to build successful grant proposal teams and ends with people leaving because they do not feel connected. This is not a staffing problem. It is an organizational problem.

Promoting Engagement
Here are some basic ways to can promote engagement and connection in your grant proposal teams:

   • Start every proposal effort with a kick-off meeting.
   • Get the support of senior management before you begin.
   • Provide the proposal team with adequate resources, especially office space.
   • Provide the team with a detailed schedule and proposal outline at the beginning.
   • Communicate frequently with everyone.
   • Solicit advice from everyone.
   • Listen and learn.
   • Mentor and coach those who need more assistance.
   • Lead by example. Arrive early and do what is most important.
   • Work as a team and through the team.

Find ways to connect everybody in your proposal team and you are likely to produce competitive proposals. It is that simple, and that difficult.

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Dr. Jayme Sokolow, founder and president of The Development Source, Inc.,
helps nonprofit organizations develop successful proposals to government agencies.
Contact Jayme Sokolow.
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Look for Jayme’s ebook on
Finding & Getting Federal Government Grants.
It’s part of
The Fundraising Series of ebooks
They’re easy to read, to the point, and cheap 🙂
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