S.T.O.P.

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Its likely that you have heard of a SWOT analysis, but what is STOP? STOP is a survival technique used by various military, para-military, and survival enthusiasts. STOP stands for Situation, Threats, Observations, Plan. For organizations experiencing any sort of hardship or increased challenges, it may be time to STOP.

A formal strategic plan is always preferred, but for any organization that simply needs direction and guidance on how to navigate immediate issues, the STOP approach can be of use. First, identify the Situation. We have to know where we are if we are going to make any decisions. This requires complete honesty about the situation.

Next, look at the threats. What is immediate? Don’t dwell on the negatives, but again, be honest about the real issues. Name the enemy. Failure to identify the threats prevents appropriate response to the issues.

Organize your resources. Take inventory of the assets in your possession and identify how they can be of use in your current situation. These assets may range from people to tools. The key here is to make sure that you know the resources available to address the threats.

Finally, make a plan. A good plan today is better than a perfect plan tomorrow. Find a way to use your resources to address the threats and get from where you are to where you need/want to be. A plan is essential. Even a poor plan is better than no plan. But remember, it is not the plan, but the execution that determines success.

If your organization is in a bind, just STOP. You might be surprised just how far you can go.

What is your Event Fundraising Strategy?

Not all events have the same purpose. Before you decide to host an event for your organization, you first need to follow the following steps.

1. Create a special event that is meaningful to your organization, your board, and current volunteers. Pick something that is important but also that the community will want to be a part of and support.
2. Spend as much time in preparation and in debrief of your event as you do in execution. Spend time finding out how to get the prospect individuals to your event that care about your organization, and can help you accomplish the goals of your event. Make sure to write down the short term and long term goals of the event while everything is still fresh in everyone’s minds. Lastly, talk about pictures and hand written thank you notes and determine who will send them and when they will be sent. Complete the correspondence that night, or set up a time to send out thank yous and/or pictures. Each prospect follow-up should be sent from the person who has the existing or developing relationship with the prospect.
3. By planning, executing, and debriefing in this way for an event, you can create a fundraising strategy as follows: Special Event=Regular Donor=Volunteer=Meaningful Gift=Impact Gift. If implemented correctly you can follow this strategy in a circular motion, time and time again, successfully.

 If these tips are followed correctly the event will:

-Create a sense of community and belonging.

-Ensure responsible stewardship when event evaluation occurs.

-create highly rewarding relationships for your organization.

-Engage Volunteers, board, members, and members of the community.

By Guest Blogger, Kristy D. Burns, Senior Consultant and Fundraising Specialist for Burns & Associates, Ltd. 

No One Wants to "Save" a Sinking Ship

Every organization thinks that they have an important mission and that everyone should support their work. The truth is that not everyone will support your mission, and that is especially true if you are struggling. Furthermore, no one wants to spend their hard earned money supporting an organization that is dying. Asking potential donors to "save" this or that will not inspire them to get out their check books with very few exceptions.

When you want to solicit donations, you should be prepared to show what your organization is doing and how you plan to increase your impact with every gift received. If your organization is having troubles for any reason, and it looks like you may have to close your doors if the situation doesn't change, don't ask people to "save" you. Most people are not willing to give you funds if you are going to fail anyway. Chances are that you won't find a single wealthy person to get you out of the predicament you are in.

Now, before you start arguing with me and saying, "didn't you just right a book called Rescuing the Mission? Don't you help organizations that are struggling?" Yes, yes. I did write the book and yes, I do consult with organizations which are struggling. But even though the results are positive, we don't focus on "saving" the organization. If you want to turn your organization around or build support for your mission, you have to focus on what you have done, what you are doing, and what you are going to do with the funds you have to work with.

Organizations that are able to raise significant funds even when they are struggling to survive are those that focus on where they are going. If you want donors to trust that you are going to be efficient and responsible with their funds, you must be able to explain the reasons you are struggling and how you are going to overcome and improve the operation. Think of donors as investors in your mission. While they may support your cause, they need to know that you make good business decisions and can maximize the impact of every dollar.

Long histories of poor management and ineffective governance make for a very long and difficult road ahead, but not impassable. Take charge of the organization and don't make excuses. In the meantime, keep a positive attitude even if you don't know what is going to happen. Actions speak louder than words. Any lack of sincerity in your demeanor will cause flags to go up to potential donors. Saving an organization means treating the situation at hand as a difficult time. Failure to believe that your organization will get through the tough times will likely result in failure to get through the tough times.

To get a better understanding of this concept, you should pick up a copy of my new book, Rescuing the Mission. It provides a wealth of knowledge about what you need to have to keep a mission alive and shows the true story of a non-profit organization in my home town that was able to adapt and overcome. The donors and investors didn't "save" Geneva Hills, they supported the mission and understood the difficult time as a transition.

Stay positive. Make a plan and be prepared for many difficult days. You can keep your mission alive if you have a worthwhile and viable mission, beneficiaries of the products or services of your organization, and support from the community in which you work and serve. Finding help from a qualified consultant who has helped organizations transition through difficult times could also prove beneficial. You will need to make that decision for yourselves. Just remember that it sometimes takes money to make money. If your mission is worth keeping, do whatever it takes to make sure that it not only survives, but thrives in years to come!

So You Want to Start a Non-Profit

Everyday people are finding new causes to support. These causes range from small local concerns to global or international issues. Occasionally, a person or group of people decide they want to start their own non-profit organization. If this sounds like you, then consider this first.

You don't own your non-profit organization. You may be responsible for it, but you don't own it. By definition, a non-profit organization is publicly owned. You also measure the success of the organization by whether or not you are meeting the needs of the population you serve. Non-profit is sometimes a misnomer. Keeping balanced books is just as important for non-profit organizations as it is for a business.

Many non-profits get special tax status, such as 501(c)3 organizations in the USA. In the United States, the IRS will classify an organization as charitable so long as it fulfills public needs in areas such as science, social services, arts, religious, health, education, civics, environmental, human services, etc. Remember, not all purposes are acceptable for charitable status. Many lobbying organizations, while they may represent and seek to advance social needs, cannot be classified as charitable.

While you can create an informal non-profit, most likely you are looking to incorporate as a new organization. After you file with the appropriate agency, you then need to decide if you are going to seek tax-exempt status. During this process, you will also consider becoming a tax deductible entity.  This will allow donors to your organization to receive a deduction on their tax liability. Be aware that the IRS can take up to 18 months to review and decide on your organizations charitable status.

In order to operate your organization efficiently, you need to remember three key components to non-profit organizations; Board, Administration, and Programming. The board consists of the legally responsible individuals who make decisions about the organization including mission, values, policies, etc. The administration is responsible for carrying out those decisions to the community the organization serves. Programs are how the administration effectively meets the needs of the community.

Setting up your organization properly to begin with will save you many headaches in the future. Before you incorporate your new organization, you should know who is going to be on the board of directors, who are the officers including the chair, and who will be the Executive Director. Typically, the executive director is not a board member. You should also know how you are going to administer your operations, handle staffing and volunteers. It is a good idea to start looking at a potential donor base by cultivating relationships within your community.

If after all of this you still think you are ready to begin the process of starting a new non-profit organization, take a look at the following links. Answer the questions honestly and evaluate your situation. If you decide to go forward, be prepared to seek help in getting started. Burns & Associates will be happy to assist you along the way.


Greenlights Start up Assesment

Non Profit Center Questionaire

Building Better Boards

Boards have the ultimate responsibility for making decisions on behalf of the organization. It doesn't matter how big or small the organization is, the board can make or break the mission. Before you decide to nudge your board into a major overhaul, it is important know if a change is needed. As mentioned in the last post, assessments can help with this process.

If you think something is wrong, but you just can't put your finger on the issues, try looking for potential indicators that something is not quite right. Some common indicators of struggling boards are burnout, high turnover, micro-managing, low attendance and participation, maybe even conflict amongst the members.

The non-profit organization works best when it is highly structured. When structures are soundly developed and maintained, the actions of the members becomes more focused thereby determining outcomes that are positive for the organization. In highly functioning boards, the actions are more important than the blame. In fact, blame is never helpful, only divisive.

Board members who are not willing to put in the time and effort needed to learn about the organization and address the polices and functions of the board will often find themselves working on the same problems time and time again. While keeping meetings short may help the board members feel like participating, their ability to actually tackle problems diminishes significantly when there is not adequate time for dealing with those issues. Longer, more frequent meetings are much more productive than short infrequent ones. If board members cannot commit to the time requirements, it may be time to look for new members.

Remember, telling a frustrated board that they need to change is not going to make it happen. They need to be heard, not told. This is another opportunity for an assessment of the leadership of the organization. This is time to focus on the "how" not the "who."

If Jim is burned out and Sara thinks that Jim is the problem with the board, we need to find out why Jim is burned out instead of blaming Jim for his problems. A high functioning board will find the "who" irrelevant except in the cases where a member is acting outside of the interests of the organization. In this case it is better to assign more specific tasks with deadlines and desired outcomes. This will either get them more involved with the organization or they will likely leave. If they stay, it could be that they felt they were not permitted to help or contribute to the organization.

Focus on the structure. Diversity is great, but don't let desire for diversity to take away from the mission of the organization. That being said, never discount another person or their abilities just because the are different than you!