Author: Carter McNamara

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The Biggest Mistake that Nonprofits Make…

group-of-people-working-on-a-CFC-fundraiser-campaign

… in the Combined Federal Campaign…

is to run a stealth CFC campaign. If a nonprofit has done all the work to become admitted to the CFC, and then they keep it a secret, it shouldn’t be a “surprise” when the results are not as good as they hoped.

With apologies to Jeff Foxworthy, You Might Be Running A Stealth Campaign If:

1. The CFC logo and 5 digit code are not on your nonprofit’s home-page.
2. Your email “signatures” do not include the fact that the nonprofit participates in the CFC, and they omit the CFC code.

3. There is no section on the website describing what workplace giving is, and the benefits to the nonprofit for donations made through workplace giving.

4. You don’t have a communications plan for reaching anonymous donors.

5. You don’t have a communications plan for reaching current supporters that have a Federal “connection,” meaning that in addition to current Federal employees, your current supporters may have children, parents, friends, spouses, etc. who are Federal employees and thus able to give via the CFC.

6. Your nonprofit’s buildings, windows and/or real estate that are visible from the street, don’t have signage with the CFC logo and your CFC 5 digit code.

7. There is no mention of the CFC in any of your nonprofit’s materials: newsletters, annual reports, special reports, etc.

8. At your recognition events, the CFC donors and volunteers are not recognized or thanked.

9. Your nonprofit’s fundraising database has no code for CFC donors.

10. You don’t ask current supporters who are Federal employees to give via the CFC through payroll deduction. (Payroll deduction often dramatically increases the size of a gift, even from the same person).

There are five stages in a CFC campaign, and the solicitation period is just one of the stages. It’s important to have a communication plan in place that allows you to develop relationships with your current CFC donor pool, as well as with potential donors.
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In the next post in the series, we’ll take a look at the unique aspects of the CFC and some specific ways to increase your nonprofit’s visibility.

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During his 25-year career in the Federal sector, Bill Huddleston, The CFC Coach, served in many CFC roles. If you want to get involved in the Combined Federal Campaign, maximize your nonprofit’s CFC revenues, or just ask a few questions, this is the guy to contact …
Bill Huddleston1@gmail.com .

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Company Culture: It Cannot Run and It Cannot Hide (from Social Media)

An-office-team-rejoicing-after-a-successful-task

The following is a guest post from Anne Marie Smith.

Let’s play a quick word association game. What is the first word or feeling that comes to mind for each of these companies?

  • Fannie Mae
  • Enron
  • Disney
  • Starbucks

If you’re like most people, your attitude about the first two is the polar opposite from your attitude about the last two.

Company culture is the feeling or “vibe” that people—your employees, shareholders, vendors, customers, and potential customers—have when they think about or interact with your organization. Your company’s culture starts with you, the CEO or owner of the business. Initially, you determine and communicate (or not) the culture of your company. Left un-nurtured to develop on its own, culture can become a living, breathing organism that can breed the warm fuzzies, apathy, negativity, or even downright spite.

So what does your company culture have to do with social media? Although the culture starts with you, your people and your customers are its main communication conduit. Your managers communicate the culture to their staffs, who then communicate it to your customers, who then communicate it to the rest of the world via Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter, Yelp, blogs, chat rooms, and the thousands of other social networking sites of today (and tomorrow). Social media is the cocktail party of yesteryear. Sharing opinions and experiences with other people is now the norm, so your culture cannot run and it cannot hide.

What’s more, the people that are the most vocal and who are apt to share their experiences with friends, family, and the universe will be:

  • Your very satisfied fans (10 percent of your customers)
  • Your extremely unsatisfied and angry mortal enemies (another 10 percent of your customers)

And guess what? Seventy-eight percent of consumers trust peer and online recommendations. Social media has become the Better Business Bureau on steroids.

Consumers that have had a bad shopping experience are likely to inform at least nine other people about it via word of mouth. Multiply that by the internet factor and the results can be astounding. “If you make customers unhappy in the physical world, they might each tell six friends. If you make customers unhappy on the Internet, they can each tell 6,000 friends,” says Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon.com.

Take the example of a musician named Dave Carroll and United Airlines. The musician’s guitar was damaged by the airline’s baggage handlers. He spent nine months trying to get United to pay the $1,200 it cost to repair the guitar. They refused. So Carroll wrote a song about it called “United Breaks Guitars” and posted it on YouTube. The video went viral and, within four days, was viewed over 1.5 million times. Traditional media picked up the story, so whoever hadn’t heard about it on the internet learned about it on the national news. Carroll himself was interviewed by Today, CNN, Jimmy Kimmel, and scores of other TV shows around the world. United attempted to prop up what was left of its tattered reputation by donating $3,000 to the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz. Too little, too late.

The takeaway? Here’s the formula you, your managers, and your employees need to live by:

Culture + Perception = Reputation

If your culture doesn’t include and model “the ultimate customer buying experience” or you don’t have a “Customer is Everything” value that your organization lives and breathes, your customer-facing employees may do or say something that will be announced to the digital world the next day and pounced on like vultures on road kill.

The upshot is you need to create a “Reputation Management” strategy that involves listening to your customers, thinking about consequences before acting, engaging your customers in conversation about what kind of buying experience they want, and measuring customer satisfaction.

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For more resources, see our Library topic Nonprofit Capacity Building.

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Anne Marie Smith is President of 60 Minute Strategic Plan (www.60minutestrategicplan.com), developer of a web-based strategic planning tool. Anne Marie has over 25 years experience as a successful consultant, manager, and business owner. Before joining 60 Minute Strategic Plan, Anne Marie was co-founder and President of a high-growth business communications company that was on the Inc magazine 500 Fastest-Growing Privately-Held Company list for two years. A dynamic speaker and instructor, Anne Marie’s passion is helping other business owners achieve and excel. Anne Marie holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communications. She is co-author of 60 Minute Strategic Plan, a top-ten selling book on strategic planning on Amazon.com.

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The CFC is the Most Donor Friendly Means of Giving

solicitors-with-a-donor-in-a-CFC-campaign.

In a CFC campaign, each Federal employee gets a pledge card with a long list of charitable organizations, and many folks check the boxes of more than one. Most donations are by designation to specific non-profits, and most donations are made by payroll deductions.

CFC campaigns are in the fall, payroll deductions begin in January, and the Federal employee’s year-end payroll statement lists the amounts donated to their chosen nonprofits.

Why People Give

Findings from Gilmore Research provides these statistics:
● 60 percent will give when asked by someone they know well
● 40–50 percent will give to a fundraising activity when asked by a co-worker
● 10–20 percent will give to a cause they learn about from the media (print,
   radio, TV, telethons)
● Fewer than 10 percent will give when solicited by a stranger at the door,
   on the phone, in print ads, or in a letter.

Benefits of Workplace Giving Campaigns

When you consider the above, the benefits of workplace giving campaigns become readily apparent. In workplace giving:
● People are giving to people, people they know;
● They are being asked to give by their co-workers;
● The CFC creates a campaign atmosphere, with individual and group
   recognition;
● They are being asked by “enthusiastic” solicitors.

The CFC Is The Most Donor Friendly Means Of Giving !!

The Federal employee, with one pledge card and one transaction
● Can donate to multiple charities with just one pledge.
● Gives money to the non-profit before it ever hits their checkbook
● Accrues no interest charges from credit card donations
● Feels secure—their personal information is never on the Web
● May remain anonymous if they wish … and through the CFC they have
   the option to have or not have their contact information passed on
   to the organizations they support.

Developing Lifetime Donors

In the non-profit world, when you ask who are our most important people, depending on who you ask, you’ll get different answers: “Our clients, our volunteers, our staff, our donors….”

But it’s easy to make the argument that a non-profit’s donors are their most important constituency, because without them, the non-profit ceases to exist.

The CFC provides a unique way for you to develop lifetime donors. Once they get in the habit of donating to your organization, these individuals can continue to provide support for multiple years, if not decades.

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In the next post in the CFC series we’ll take a look at one of the biggest mistakes made by CFC charities, and the simple ways to avoid them.

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During his 25-year career in the Federal sector, Bill Huddleston, The CFC Coach, served in many CFC roles. If you want to get involved in the Combined Federal Campaign, maximize your nonprofit’s CFC revenues, or just ask a few questions, this is the guy to contact … Bill Huddleston1@gmail.com .

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What is the CFC and Where to Apply: The Nuts & Bolts

A-CFC-workplace-giving-program

In workplace giving, workers solicit funds from their co-workers, and the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) is the Federal government’s workplace giving program.

The CFC is a mandatory, completely voluntary program – and that’s not a contradiction.

It is mandatory because every U.S. Federal agency in the world must conduct a CFC campaign between Sept. 1 and Dec. 15 of each year.

It is voluntary because all of the organizing and soliciting are done by volunteers. And, there are many safeguards built in to prevent coercion from management about donating. This means that all of the nonprofits participating in CFC have anonymous volunteers helping their development efforts.

In the CFC, more than 97 percent of the monies raised are designated to specific nonprofits, and the vast majority of the donations are through payroll deduction.

Office of Personnel Management (OPM)
OPM is the Federal agency authorized to write the regulations to facilitate fundraising on behalf of charitable organizations through the solicitation of Federal employees and military personnel.

OPM regulations state that “The Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) is the only authorized solicitation of employees in the Federal workplace on behalf of charitable organizations.” In effect, a non-profit has only one way to solicit Federal employees for donations.

Think of it this way: this is a potential donor pool of more than three million employees who work for the same employer, an organization that already has a program in place that helps non-profits raise money.

In terms of actual giving, if the CFC were a foundation it would be the 10th largest in the US.

The CFC Recognizes Three Types of Charities…

National, International, and Local — plus federations for all three types.

National and international charities must apply directly through OPM, and local NPOs to a local board in each region, called the “Local Federal Coordinating Committee” or LFCC. National and international applications are due in January of each year, local applications in late winter/early spring.

The CFC Application Process and Eligibility

General Requirements:
1. The organization must be designated as a tax-exempt non-profit organization
   under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
2. An application to participate in the CFC must provide specific information
   about their auditing, governance and program functions.
3. Applicants must also provide a completed and signed copy of their IRS Form
   990 for their most recent fiscal year.

Requirements for financial statements are based on the size of the non-profit, and can be found at the www.opm.gov/cfc website.

The Federation: A Special Type of Organization
Federations are umbrella organizations that are composed of NPOs with a common theme/purpose, (health orgs, arts orgs, etc.). The Federation submits the application to the CFC, and often creates comprehensive marketing materials targeted at federal employees.

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In the next post in the CFC series, we’ll see why the CFC is the most donor friendly means of donating to non-profits for Federal employees.

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During his 25-year career in the Federal sector, Bill Huddleston, The CFC Coach, served in many CFC roles. If you want to get involved in the Combined Federal Campaign, maximize your nonprofit’s CFC revenues, or just ask a few questions, this is the guy to contact … Bill Huddleston1@gmail.com .

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The Combined Federal Campaign: Debunking The Myths

An-office-CFC-fundraising-campaign-officer-with-a-colleague

This is the first in (what’s likely to be) a long series of postings about the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC).

Workplace giving, with the CFC, is the only type of non-profit fundraising that is subsidized, low-risk and high leverage. If you’re not familiar with the CFC, let me share a few facts and debunk a few myths.

1. Myth   It’s hard to get into to the CFC.
   Fact    94% of nonprofits that apply are accepted.
The CFC actually has an “open admissions” program. If you meet the criteria, you’re in. And, in general, the 6% that don’t get in are the ones that don’t follow the instructions.

2. Myth  The CFC doesn’t raise significant money.
   Fact    One billion dollars of unrestricted funds in the past 5 years.
CFC donors have contributed more than $200 million to thousands of local, national, and international non-profits. CFC monies are unrestricted, reliable and predictable. In terms of actual giving, if the CFC were a foundation, it would be the 10th largest foundation in the United States.

3. Myth  The only place that has Federal employees is Washington, D.C.
   Fact    89% of Federal employees live outside of the DC region.

4. Myth  The CFC is only for the “big guys” (National Nonprofits).
   Fact    40% of the funds raised go to local nonprofits – the “little guys.”

5. Myth  There’s a lot of red tape.
   Fact    No more than any grant application, much less on the “back end.”
The regulations were substantially streamlined in 2006, so even if this was the case before, things have changed. There is zero red tape for the non-profit after the funds are received — (not bad for a government program!)

6. Myth  Some “expert” is going to decide if our non-profit gets any money.
   Fact    Donors designate more than 90% of CFC dollarsto specific nonprofits.

7. Myth  CFC Donors are fickle
   Fact    Most CFC donors are multi-year donors to the same nonprofits.
How many ten year grants have you gotten from foundations that support your organization? CFC donors are consistent !!

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My next posting on the CFC … “What is the CFC and Where to Apply”

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During his 25-year career in the Federal sector, Bill Huddleston, The CFC Coach, served in many CFC roles. If you want to get involved in the Combined Federal Campaign, maximize your nonprofit’s CFC revenues, or just ask a few questions, this is the guy to contact: Bill Huddleston1@gmail.com .

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Summary Principles for Staying Sane When Leading Others

A male leader giving a speech to colleagues in an office

Everyone in management has gone through the transition from individual contributor to manager. Each person finds his/her own way to “survive.” The following guidelines will help you to keep your perspective and your health.

1. Monitor your work hours.

The first visible, undeniable sign that things are out of hand is that you are working far too many hours. Note how many hours you are working per week. Set a limit and stick to that limit. Ask your peers or boss for help.

2. Recognize your own signs of stress.

Different people show their stress in different ways. Some people have “blow ups.” Some people get very forgetful. Some people lose concentration. For many people, they excel at their jobs, but their home life falls apart. Know your signs of stress. Tell someone else what they are. Ask them to check in with you every two weeks to see how you are doing. Every two weeks, write down how you are doing – if only for a minute. Stick in it a file marked “%*#)%&!!#$.”

3. Get a mentor or a coach.

Ideally, your supervisor is a very good mentor and coach. Many other people have “been there, done that” and can also serve as great mentors to you.

4. Learn to delegate.

Delegating is giving others the responsibility and authority to carry out tasks. You maintain the accountability to get them done, but you let others decide how they will carry out the tasks themselves. Delegation is a skill to learn. Start learning it.

5. Communicate as much as you can.

Consider the following guidelines:

a. Have at least one person in your life with whom you are completely honest.

b. Hold regular meetings with employees – all of them in one meeting at least once a month, and meet at least once every two weeks with each of your direct reports. A common problem among new managers and supervisors (or among experienced, but ineffective ones) is not meeting unless there is something to say. There is always something to communicate, even if to say that things are going well and then share the health of your pets.

c. Err on the side of too much communication, rather than not enough. New managers and supervisors often assume that their employees know as much as they do. One of the first signs of an organization in trouble is that communications break down.

6. Distinguish between what is important and what is urgent.

One of the major lessons that experienced leaders have learned is to respond to what is important, rather than what is urgent. Phone calls, sick employees, lost paperwork, disagreements between employees all seem to suddenly crop up and demand immediate attention. It can seem like your day is responding to one crisis after another. As you gain experience, you quit responding to the crisis. You get an answering machine or someone else to answer the phone. You plan for employees being gone for the day – and you accept that people get sick. You develop a filing system to keep track of your paperwork. You learn basic skills in conflict management. Most important, you recognize that management is a process – you never really “finish” your to-do list – your list is there to help you keep track of details. Over time, you learn to relax.

7. Recognize accomplishments.

Our society promotes problem solvers. We solve one problem and quickly move on to the next. The culture of many organizations rewards problem solvers. Once a problem is solved, we quickly move on to the next one to solve. Pretty soon we feel empty. We feel as if we are not making a difference. Our subordinates do, too. So in all your plans, include time to acknowledge accomplishments – if only by having a good laugh by the coffee machine. Do take time to note that something useful was done.

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Carter McNamara, MBA, PhD – Authenticity Consulting, LLC – 800-971-2250
Read my weekly blogs: Boards, Consulting and OD, Nonprofits and Strategic Planning.

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Some Unique Nonprofit Board Models (Part 2 of 2)

Work colleagues having a meeting in a relaxed workspace

(See Part 1 of 2)

Relationship Model

Steven Block proposes a model that, instead of having a rigid, top-down structure of roles and hierarchy of the traditional policy model, provides for Board and staff members to work together with great priority on generating relationships and value from those relationships.

The Executive Director and staff play an important role in bringing matters to the group (a group of Board members and staff) and their opinions are greatly valued. Board and staff share experiences together, for example, rituals and meals, to develop relationships. Board members are not expected to take part in activities outside Board meetings. They can be there to assist staff. Committees are not used .

Nested Boards

While it is not necessarily a new perspective on Boards, nonprofit leaders should understand this Board model because they might encounter it when collaborating with other nonprofits. Nested Boards exist in associations or “umbrella” organizations that have members, or subgroups, that also are organizations.

An example is a national organization that has chapters in various regions or states. Advantages to this arrangement are that the members benefit from the guidance and resources of the umbrella organization. The umbrella organization benefits from the structured involvement and representation of the various subgroups. Members of the organization’s Board of often are members of the Boards of the various subgroups.

There can be a continual tension in the arrangement. Subgroups want the autonomy to serve their local constituents, yet want the benefits of their affiliation with the umbrella organization. Likewise, the umbrella organization wants the dedicated participation and contributions of the subgroups, yet wants the subgroups to effectively manage their own operations in their own locales. See The Dynamics of Nested Governance in Nonprofit Organizations: Preliminary Thoughts .

Policy Governanceâ Model

Although it is not new, Carver’s Policy Governanceâ Board is another prominent Board model. (“Policy Governance” is a commercial product and registered trademark of Carver Governance Design, Inc.) The model is designed to ensure that Board members always operate in a fashion that maintains strong, strategic focus for the organization.

Board members enforce clear policies that determine the “ends” for the organization to achieve and they set very strict limits within which the Chief Executive operates. This structure is characterized by few, if any, distinct officer roles or Board committees.

Nonprofits are encouraged to use trained consultants to implement this model. Similar to other models, there are very strong critics and proponents. This model is not referenced throughout the guide because of its commercial and highly technical nature. See Carver Policy Governance Model.

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Carter McNamara, MBA, PhD – Authenticity Consulting, LLC – 800-971-2250
Read my weekly blogs: Boards, Consulting and OD, Nonprofits and Strategic Planning.

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5 Leadership Skills for Project Managers

Guest post from Claudia Vandermilt:

As a project manager, your teams rely on your leadership skills to guide and encourage productivity and project success. When provided with quality leadership, team members often respond positively; they build stronger relationships and rise to project challenges brought forth by their leader. Arm yourself with these five critical leadership skills to help propel a winning team:

1. Provide Structure

From the very beginning of a project, you must have a structured outline of your vision for the team. Each person should be clear on your mission, the timing and how you plan on achieving project success.

Create a project-specific document, in addition to the standard documents outlining roles and responsibilities. In the document, include team biographies, each person’s role and a personal anecdote; knowing something personal about each other, such as a team member’s home town or college alma mater, provides an opportunity for group bonding.

Additionally, each team member should be tracked and rated; follow their performance regarding specific assignments and their overall-project contribution.

 

2. Communicate Clearly

Communication is key and can make or break the success of your project. Clear, consistent communication can be a challenge; the days of only communicating via phone and email are long gone.

Technological advances such as Facebook, Twitter, smartphones, video conferencing and other social networking tools allow for team members all over the world to maintain real-time knowledge of project components. It is up to you to leverage these technologies in the most efficient way, and to make sure that the communication channels you use are locally available and culturally accepted.

3. Lead by Example

All project managers must foster a positive environment. In order for project success, all members must feel confident in executing their responsibilities; you must project a winning attitude and make decisions based on the best interest of the team. Make yourself readily available to team members, and always deliver project components on time (or early). Lead your team by example, and they will respond accordingly.

 

4. Encourage Trust

Trust between team members is vital to project success. The most important factor in building trust is based on completion of commitments. Whether commitments are based on planned tasks or verbal promises, team members must be encouraged to follow through in order to gain trust within the group dynamic. Team members should respond in a timely fashion to all requests, and offer to assist others when needed.

5. Motivate

All teams need a strong leader to motivate them through a project, regardless of the size or length of the project. It is your job to find the best ways to properly motivate your team. Recognizing team members for going above and beyond the scope of their responsibilities creates a cyclical response; your positive reinforcement motivates their work ethic. Make sure to verbally thank your staff, and consider rewards such as a bonus, vacation time, team dinners or gift cards. Keep rewards simple, and make sure all team members who strive for success are recognized.

With these five essential leadership steps, you’ll increase efficiency and team performance, and encourage early deliverables leading to successful project completion. Engaging and connecting with your team helps facilitate these skills and builds stronger, more positive relationships.

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For more resources, see the Library topic Project Management.

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Claudia Vandermilt works with Villanova University as a copywriter on professional education, online certificate programs and career training. Villanova offers master certificates in project management, human resources, six sigma and other prominent fields.