January Frontline Perspectives

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November 2019

January 2021

Bryan Orander, President, Charitable Advisors

Wait! We Changed Boats?

In mid-December, our team at Charitable Advisors led a short webinar on “preparing and planning for 2021.” We encouraged each nonprofit leader to reflect on what they had learned from 2020, and what they will carry forward as priorities and plans in 2021.

You probably don’t think of your organization as a ship but there is a useful analogy in considering that in pre-pandemic times, we set goals and executed toward completion while complaining about variables that now seem minor. Many nonprofits kept their focus on raising the money needed to power their organization through the year and into the next. When your organization is a speedboat, you set a course, fill it with gas – and go!

Since last spring, many of our organizations have been operating in a new environment with more unknowns and less control. More like a sailboat. We can set a destination, but the weather (environment), wind direction (funding), navigation and sailing skills (staff and board), and predictability of speed or schedules have changed. Even if our boat is seaworthy, we have to approach our voyage in a different way. Some ideas to consider:

Plan shorter term, with the long term in mind.
Encourage your people (crew) and ensure you’re bringing them along on the adventure.
Encourage staff creativity and provide a safe space to “try it.”
Assume your plans will change and direct your staff to figure out a Plan B or Plan C in advance.
Overcommunicate with staff, board, funders, and partners.
Consider new partner relationships and strengthen the ones you already have.

To learn more, please contact Bryan Orander or 317-752-7153.

Nonprofit Pandemic Resource Page - Every nonprofit leader is dealing with the impacts of the pandemic. Charitable Advisors is continually reviewing available information, adding it to our resource page and sharing it in the Not-for-profit News.

You Need Strong Board Members to Move Forward

If you haven’t yet discovered Joan Garry, you are missing out on great insights for your board and leadership role. With the pandemic throwing off calendars for many boards, you may still be recruiting new board members to begin 2021.

In a recent Chronicle of Philanthropy article, Garry identifies six keys to attracting board members that you see as just beyond your reach, as you reframe board service as an opportunity and not an obligation. Compare this to your current process:

Select a first-rate recruiter.
Market your organization as a winning team.
Explain how important the job is.
Emphasize how much they will learn and grow on a personal level.
Frame board service as professional development and a means to hone leadership skills.
Remember that service is a gift and a privilege.

Link for Chronicle subscribers

Board Interview Questions (and those you wish you could ask)

After you start the conversation, you still need to determine whether a board prospect is a good fit. Here are some useful and humorous thoughts on interviewing potential board members.

See: Critical interview questions for nonprofit board members (JoanGarry.com)

We want to recognize board leaders

For most board members, board leadership roles come with a commitment and investment of time and resources to support a cause they care about. However, for the individual who steps up to serve as board president or chair, the role comes with the assumption of overall responsibility for the nonprofit and guiding the organization’s path forward.

As we continue to share news of board leaders who have taken the helm, we encourage you to recognize and thank these individuals for tackling the role, because as a community member you recognize the value of his or her investment to help keep the sector strong.

If you want to announce your organization’s new board leader, please send name, position and a head shot HERE.

We are open to other ways we can support and recognize board leaders. Send us your thoughts or tell us a story about a board leader who has made a difference in your organization. Share your ideas with Bryan Orander, president.