Nonprofit Spark - Renee McGivern

A primary responsibility of a non-profit board is to create policies that support the use of best practices in the organization. What are basic policies every non-profit board should approve? How are these different from policies that staff create? My guest this week is Paula J. MacLean, author of the Canadian best-seller, Great Boards Plain and Simple (http://Great Boards Plain and Simple http://silvercreekpress.ca). We hone in on conflict of interest, committee and financial oversight policies, and even a "what kind of board are we?" policy. We also discuss an approach to getting all the policies written so other board work is not impeded.

On this show, I speak with Nancy Engelken, executive director of Housing Colorado (http://www.housingcolorado.org)! who describes how she considers the strategic plan and fundraising plan in the budgeting process. I also speak with Jason Spessard of LarsonAllen (http://www.larsonallen.com/Nonprofit_and_Government/?ekmensel=15074e5f_6_9_41_7)accounting form who describes the benefits of outsourcing non-profit bookkeeping and non-profit accounting functions. There's something here for large and small non-profit leaders who want a fresh point of view about non-profit financial management.

Many non-profits are great about consistently educating constituents about why their organization's work matters. They often fall short on their advocacy work, however. Meeting with legislators and testifying about a bill is often done at the last minute. Little time is taken in the months prior to speak with and get in the world of legislators to find common ground. On this show, I speak with Jeff Mikulina, executive director of Blue Planet Foundation (http://www.blueplanetfoundation.org), which is based in Honolulu, Hawaii, about his success as an environmental advocate. Blue Planet Foundation is committed to ending the use of fossil fuels on Earth. Jeff describes essential elements of advocacy and how it's integrated into all facets of his organization. He also clears up the confusion lots of people have about whether non-profits can lobby. This show pairs well with the April 18, 2011 Nonprofit Spark (http://webtalkradio.net/2011/04/17/nonprofit-spark-%E2%80%93-using-media-advocacy-to-cause-sustainable-change-041811/)podcast about media advocacy.

This week's show is about non-profit management. Specifically, my guests and I explore delegation and letting someone go. What are the elements of effective delegation? How do you balance handing over a project and making sure it stays on track? What should you do when you realize you've got a staffer who isn't a fit for the work she's been hired to do? My guests this week, Jerry Hauser of The Management Center (http://www.managementcenter.org), and Monique Ayotee-Holtzel of Teach for Americ (http://www.teachforamerica.org)a, describe a delegation cycle they use to assign and review work. They talk about their own experiences and mistakes in managing people and also, a progressive discipline process to address performance problems. Hauser is the CEO of The Management Center (http://www.managementcenter.org), based in Washington, D.C. It's mission is to instill the management practices that make it easier for nonprofit leaders to produce outstanding results. Ayotee-Holtzel is executive vice president of alumni affairs at Teach for America (http://www.teachforamerica.org)which is based in New York, NY. Its work is focused on growing the movement of leaders who work to ensure kids growing up in poverty get an excellent education. If you've ever worried about or been accused of being a micromanager, this show is for you!

It's easy to get into legal hot water as inexperienced and overburdened staff people add copyrighted text, images and graphics from other sources to your organization's website. The people who created that content in the first place call it theft. On this show, I speak with Clinton Forry (http://www.content-ment.com), a nationally-recognized content strategist in the financial services industry, about how important it is to govern your website's content, much like your board governs your organization. We talk about ways we get into trouble, and a method for staying out of it. We don't describe the specifics of copyright law, licensing and the like. Rather, we offer a way of thinking about your website so it's a manageable, useful communications tool that makes potential donors, volunteers and advocates feel good about connecting with you. I also speak with Darrell Benatar of UserTesting.com (http://www.usertesting.com)which is a very affordable, quick and helpful useability testing service that has ordinary people visit your site and offer honest, recorded feedback about it. It can be quite a shock to learn that your site isn't as easy or useful as you think! Also, user tests can be a great way to make your case that less is more when it comes to content!

Non-profit marketing and communications goes well beyond writing web content and sending e-newsletters. You also need to explore online marketing tools like Facebook, Twitter, blogs and more: non-profit social media. And don't forget search engine optimization (SEO) to help potential non-profit volunteers, donors and advocates find you on the Web. How about turning to a free non-profit resource for help? On this show, I interview Eric Facas of Media Cause (http://www.mediacause.org), a new non-profit that has enlisted more than 600 volunteers to offer non-profit advice about $10,000 Google Grants, SEO, and social media. Media Cause's non-profit assistance is quick and free. It's easy to post a project challenge on the Media Cause website. You can even ask a Media Cause consultant to explain what all of this is about so you can talk intelligently to your boss or non-proft board about it. Media Cause provides terrific non-profit help.

It’s the week of Thanksgiving, that unique American holiday, so Host Renee McGivern is replaying an episode from August 1, 2011. It’s packed with ideas and solutions that get more practical as the show progresses. Volunteering on a dysfunctional non-profit board drives you crazy and makes you wonder, “Why do I put myself through this?” This week’s show addresses dysfunctional board meetings and non-profit governance. Susan Mogenson of Brown Dog Consulting (http://www.browndogconsulting.com/)is an expert on non-profit governance. There’s no dysfunction that she hasn’t seen and helped boards solve. She provides practical advice and a context for thinking about the role of the board; a lack of clarity about this role often is a source of the dysfunctional behavior. Allan Teichman is the volunteer board president of the Canadian Actors’ Equity Association (http://caea.com/EquityWeb/default.aspx). He gets into the nitty gritty of practices his board uses so it’s effective and fulfilled. Both guests use the Policy Governance model of John Carver. (http://www.carvergovernance.com/) Allan discusses how the model helped turn his board away from drama and conflict. We’ll play an original song, The Boardroom Blues, for you as well! This show is full of great advice from beginning to end.

Because nonprofits can create materials using desktop publishing software, we assume that printing that material is a breeze. But ask printers and they'll say many non-profits have no idea what they're doing. My guest this week is Dee Conklin, the owner of Palliser Printing (http://www.palliserprinting.com)in Invermere, British Columbia. She describes common problems that printing customers make and how to avoid them. She also talks about how important a relationship with a local printer can be, particularly if you're going to ask for donated services. Dee also happens to be the mayor of nearby Radium Hot Springs (http://www.radiumhotsprings.com)and so she talks a a bit about local non-profits and seeking grants. Finally, she and her husband own CasaVino (http://www.casavino.ca), a cozy wine bar located on the main floor of their home. I recently vacationed in Radium Hot Springs and while there, met Dee and sipped a lovely glass of wine with her as we chatted about local politics and publishing.

The most effective non-profit leaders and fundraisers are masters of communication. They use words that all types of people understand; they save jargon for conversations with experts in their field. On this show, I interview Tony Proscio (http://www.tonyproscio.com/), a communications consultant and contributor to the useful online tool, The Jargon Finder (http://commnetwork.org/). We discuss how you'll know if you've fallen into the jargon trap, and tricks professional communicators use to make sure their words create a connection with donors and volunteers. By the end of this show, you'll be able to look at your own writing and websites and see where you fail to be clear. You can then rework your content so your audience hears and responds to the great work your non-profit does.

Contributions from foundations, individuals and government sources can ebb and flow with the economy. It makes considerable sense, then, to create a social enterprise in your nonprofit that helps sustain the organization in good times and bad. According to Rolfe Larson of Rolfe Larson Associates (http://www.rolfelarson.com), the strongest non-profits in the 21st century will have a solid moneymakng strategy in addition to a traditional fundraising strategy. What are the characteristics of non-profits with successful social enterprises? What kind of board members do you need? Do you have to have a business degree to make it work? On this show, Rolfe Larson provides a very helpful overview of what it takes to initiate a social enterprise in your organization. Rolfe not only consults with non-profits about this but has written a book on the subject: Venture Forth! The Essential Guide to Starting A Moneymaking Business in Your Non-profit Organization. (http://www.fieldstonealliance.org/productdetails.cfm?PC=118)

Handheld bidding devices add a cool factor to silent and live auctions but are they worth the expense? How do you make sure they help you net more money than last year's event? On this show, I speak with Sherry Truhlar of Red Apple Auctions (http://www.redappleauctions.com), an auctioneer and certified meeting planner who discusses when it makes sense to use these handheld devices and when it doesn't. She also describes an effective way to incorporate them into the live "ask" at your event so donors are seen and recognized despite people's attention on the devices. It's a lively conversation!

As many as 75% of non-profit executive directors will be retiring in the next five years. Are you ready for a search process? On this week's show, I speak with Phyllis Hockett, board president of the Utah Nonprofit Association (http://www.utahnonprofits.org), about the search process that board has undertaken to replace the retired executive director. The process includes members and staff but is being developed on-the-fly; there was no succession plan to work from but you'll get ideas here for your own plan. Hockett also is the co-founder of Pathway Associates (http://www.pathwayassoc.com), a consulting firm that primarily serves non-profits in Utah and the Rocky Mountain region of the U.S. My second guest is Michael Gurtler of Safe-Wise Consulting (http://www.safe-wise.com). He provides a basic overview of non-profit risk management and some ideas of how to manage risks within the context of your organization's day to day operations.

It's a common complaint: Why doesn't the media feature my nonprofit or cover the issues we care about? On this week's show, we explore how you should connect to reporters, share your stories and engage the community in caring about your issues. My guests and I take the mystery out of working with the media and provide some very concrete advice and a great example of effective media relations. My first guest is Cynthia Wallace of Media Storytelling Consulting (http://www.mediastoryconsulting.com/). She is a media relations consultant from Austin, Texas who has been a reporter, editor and producer for major news outlets in the U.S. She describes well how journalists think and what they need from you to tell great stories. My second guest is Thom Clark, president of Community Media Workshop (http://communitymediaworkshop.org/), a Chicago-based nonprofit that works to diversify the voices in news and public debates. He talks about his organization, provides tips for working with reporters, and an describes an upcoming Become a Spokesperson Rockstar (http://www.gifttool.com/registrar/ShowEventDetails?ID=1253&EID=10285)webinar that you’ll want to register for.

On this week’s show, I focus on two Minnesota-based organizations to explore examples of nonprofit innovation and community engagement. They demonstrate nonprofits’ amazing ability to be nimble and creative in response to the constituents they serve. They're passionate, common sense leaders and you'll get some great ideas from them. My first guest, Angie Miller of Community Action Duluth (http://communityactionduluth.org), piqued my interest because in an economically depressed community, she has managed to identify and ramp up two major initiatives in the organization in the past couple of years. They’ve created new revenue streams that were unimaginable just five years ago. My second guest is Jill Kilibarda, the education and civic engagement program manager for Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity (http://www.tchabitat.org). She’s kicking off a bookclub this week to engage advocacy volunteers in reading about and discussing books about homelessness and substandard housing.

On this show, I speak with the Brook McDonald, the president and CEO of The Conservation Foundation (http://www.theconservationfoundation.org), a highly effective nonprofit that is a superb example of what it means to be "stakeholder-driven." The dictionary defines stakeholder as a type of organization in which all the members or participants are seen as having an interest in its success. As I speak with Brook McDonald, you’ll hear how being stakeholder-driven permeates internal and external facets of the Foundation's work. Involving lots of stakeholders takes the Foundation longer to accomplish conservation projects, but the relationships patiently developed across communities over time result in more contributions, continual growth and most importantly, a greater impact on the world.