by Susan Detwiler | Jun 10, 2009 | miscellaneous
The role of an Executive Director is to acquire and husband all the resources of an organization, so those resources can best serve the mission. These resources may be dollars, good will, facilities or, most importantly, the people who are making a difference.
In the past few years, I’ve been asked several times what an executive director does. At Hillel, students and parents can see the Program Director in action; but what did I do? At Tri-State Bird Rescue and Research, people can see the work of the veterinarians and technicians; but what did I do?
If a job can have a mission statement, then I believe the mission of an Executive Director is to acquire and husband all the resources of an organization, so those resources can best serve the organization’s mission.
Like other good mission statements, this one is simple and can be phrased in one sentence. But dissecting it shows that its very simplicity holds a myriad of ramifications.
First, defining resources. Resources may be dollars, good will, facilities, leaders, or the important people who make the mission a success. An Executive Director needs to recognize that all of these are part of what makes the organization work. Focusing solely on dollars to the exclusion of the people, or focusing only on the building to the exclusion of community relations is unbalanced. You end up fighting fires if you ignore one of the resources while focusing solely on another.
Next, acquiring resources means building relationships with others who can give you the resources you need. Donor relations and foundation relationships are part of resource acquisition “ to get funds. Developing job descriptions is part of resource acquisition “ hire the best people. Reviewing new facilities and engaging a good real estate broker is part of resource acquisition “ find the best location. Being visible and participating in community functions is part of resource acquisition “ acquiring good will and willing board members. Acquiring resources is a key part of the job of an Executive Director “ it’s important to remember that it doesn’t just mean dollars.
What about husbanding resources? According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the definition of the verb ˜husband‘ is to use, spend, or apply economically; to make the most of. Applied to the role of Executive Director, it means making wise decisions on how to use the resources at hand. It means knowing when to spend more in order to achieve great things, when to spend less in order to preserve assets. It means creating a budget that balances the needs of the organization and understanding the impact on the mission when cuts have to be made. It means knowing when to spend on air fare in order to meet with a major donor, and knowing when to expend good will in order to save the organization from mission creep.
The Executive Director is the Board’s partner in driving and fulfilling the Mission and Vision of the organization. It is up to the Executive Director to acquire the resources necessary to fulfill the mission, and use them wisely.
PS….When you don’t have an Executive Director, you should consider an Interim. See this post for more about Interims.
by Susan Detwiler | May 31, 2009 | miscellaneous
Where do your donors come from? How did you meet them? How did you meet the person who introduced you to them?
In a previous life, I ran a for-profit market research consulting firm, focusing on medical and healthcare information. This is a fairly specialized field, but it suited my medical device industry background.
About 5 years into the business, I decided to figure out how I was getting new clients. Where did they come from? What prompted that call? How did they hear about my services?
I decided to conduct a genealogical study of my client base.
First, I ranked each client by the amount of business they gave me. Then, for the top clients, I walked backwards through our relationship. When did I get my first job from them? Why did they call me? How did I first meet them? How did they first hear about me? What was the very first contact?
Time consuming? Oh, yes. But it was one of the most worthwhile exercises affecting the future of my business. I discovered that ultimately, about 80% of my business was initially generated by my attendance at one of two particular industry association conferences. I met many clients directly at one of the conferences. A few others had first heard of me because of a session or workshop I had presented there.
What I called second generation clients were those who had been referred to me by one of those first two groups. Then there were third generation clients; those who were referred by one of those second generation clients.
In other words, even if I’d never met client Z at that conference, that conference ultimately led to my work for client Z.
Armed with this new knowledge, I was able to focus marketing dollars and energy on those two industry conferences. I made sure that I attended each and was visible at each. I made sure my existing clients and prospects knew I would be attending. I approached the organizations putting on the conferences and offered to write for their trade journal. Just as important, I allowed myself to stop spending money and time on less efficient venues and activities.
Every dollar that comes into our nonprofits is precious, and I’m not advocating giving up the annual appeal, the 5k runs, or the donor boxes at the door. But I am suggesting that you take the time to do your major donor genealogy. Take advantage of institutional memory that may reside with a long-term employee, board member or past-presidents.
Have them help you conduct a major donor genealogy. Work backwards and consider how you first met this particular donor. Who introduced you? Is there a friendraiser in common among your donors? Is there a function in common? While a major donor is a huge asset to your nonprofit, even greater is a major donor who refers others to your cause.
Then take action. Focus your board and yourself on the most efficient routes to major donors and put yourselves in their path. It’s a powerful way to leverage your time, dollars and energy.
by Susan Detwiler | May 22, 2009 | miscellaneous
The new Star Trek movie has brought back a lot of memories. I grew up on Star Trek “ not just the show, but the idealistic vision of a future in which a United Federation of Planets could boldly go where no one has gone before, seeking out new life forms and new civilizations. Conquest was wrong. Help was right. People got along.
I recently had a conversation with my son about the original Star Trek, and how it differed from subsequent versions. In the original Star Trek, each show was a parable, a small morality tale, in which we were being taught about right and wrong. True, the writers were sometimes heavy handed with their messages. Nevertheless, through the interplay of the emotional Kirk, the logical Spock, and the pragmatic and sometimes cynical Bones or other characters, we saw different sides and different approaches to the same situation. Usually, the resolution came about through some combination of the first two, aided by the actions or intervention of the other characters.
I wonder how many nonprofit executives and philanthropists received their initial grounding in the possibilities of a better world through watching Star Trek. Is the idealism that surrounds so much of our work the product not just of faith and parenting, but also those small glimpses into a better world? Like M&Ms coated in sugar candy, the ideals were coated in action, costumes, and amusing interplay between characters whom we came to know and predict. We thought we were just watching a fun show, but we were being molded.
In retrospect, I suspect that I was affected by Star Trek; not just by the shows themselves, but by the implicit approval given to those messages by my parents as we watched together.
So I wonder, how many others in our field received the same messages from Star Trek, and ultimately decided that we can make the world better?
by Susan Detwiler | May 18, 2009 | miscellaneous
One of the great things about the nonprofit sector is how collegial it is. After the last post about Finding That Nonprofit Career, I turned to colleagues on LinkedIn and asked them what books they would recommend to people contemplating the switch from the private sector. Especially helpful were colleagues in the Association of Fundraising Professionals and the Chronicles of Philanthropy groups. I recommend that if this is a field you are interested in, you start watching the discussions on these two particular groups on LinkedIn.
One of the first to respond was my own business colleague, Jeff Metz of Bloom Consulting. Others were Andrew Brant, Sandra Larson, Ann Gwinn and Jeff Kern, all with experience in the nonprofit field, and almost all with prior experience in the private sector. Thanks to all for your assistance. Here’s the list developed from their contributions, and my own thoughts.
Managing the Non-Profit Organization: Principles and Practices from Peter Drucker is my own personal favorite. Several others also mentioned Drucker, who took his expertise researching and consulting to private firms into the nonprofit world. Other books originally written for the private sector are also important to the nonprofit world. Two that others suggested are:
Managing as a Performance Art by Peter Vaill
Made to Stick by Heath & Heath
And I would add:
The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell as a way of viewing the social dynamics in your organization.
Recommended books specific to nonprofits are:
Strategic Planning for Public and Nonprofit Organizations by John Bryson
Field Guide to Leadership and Supervision for Nonprofit Staff by Carter McNamara
Forces for Good by Crutchfield & Grant
The Executive Director’s Survival Guide by Carlson and Donohoe
Recommended publications specific to finding nonprofit careers:
The Idealist Guide to Nonprofit Careers for Sector Switchers
The Idealist Guide to Nonprofit Careers for First-time Job Seekers Both from idealist.org
In the fundraising field “ and so many positions in nonprofit work require some fundraising skills:
The Zen of Fundraising by Ken Burnett
Asking – A 59 minute guide by Jerold Panas
The Ask by Laura Fredricks
Major Gifts by Julia Ingraham Walker
Securing Your Organization’s Future by Michael Seltzer
Donor Centered Fundraising by Burke
And there was one textbook in the bunch:
Nature of the Nonprofit Sector by Ott
Thanks to everyone for being so helpful! And good luck to those making the switch.
by Susan Detwiler | May 13, 2009 | miscellaneous
Congratulations! After much soul searching, you’ve decided to seek a career in the nonprofit world. You have experience. You’ve managed people. You have credentials in your field. You want to use them to make the world a better place.
Good for you! My own experience, and that of others who have made the switch, point to a few things that may help you get that new job. First of all, make sure you have a good sense of what kind of nonprofit you want to work for. Similar to advice for getting on a board of directors, you should research the different causes that interest you. Working for a nonprofit is hard work. What makes it worthwhile is knowing that you really care about the mission.
To get a good feel for nonprofit work and the people involved, pick up the phone and set up informational interviews. When I made the switch from market research consultant to nonprofit agency executive, I spent several months taking my resume to people in different positions, asking them about their work, their preparation for the job, and what they saw in my resume that would be useful to a nonprofit. And, of course, I asked for referrals. Their advice was invaluable.
As with the private sector, whom you know is at least as important as what you know. If you have a connection to a nonprofit consulting firm, you may wish to let them know that you’re looking. For example, in the course of a year, Bloom Consulting works with many different nonprofits. As we work with them, we hear of positions that are going vacant, new positions that are being developed, and short-term needs for professional talent. There are also few jobs boards — Idealist, Chronicle of Philanthropy, for example — that specialize in the nonprofit world, as well as executive search firms within the sector.
When the time comes to interview for a position, be prepared to discuss your commitment at least as much as your skill sets. People who have lived and breathed nonprofits their entire lives are used to dealing with others like themselves. They will want to hear about your commitment to the mission, as much as “ or perhaps more than “ the skills you can bring. Society talks about ˜the bottom line’ and usually means a financial profit. When a nonprofit talks about the bottom line, they are talking about people served, meals delivered, children vaccinated, animals rescued. It is a shift from a solely dollars and cents mentality to one in which the social product is the bottom line.
Be aware of the constraints nonprofits work under. Nonprofit executives are well aware they need marketing, HR, planning, accounting, whatever skills. They know it¦they just don’t know if they can afford it. More than one job seeker said that he sees many nonprofits that don’t know how to promote themselves; why don’t they hire a marketing professional? Indeed, many nonprofits know they need marketing help. But if the question is whether to spend money on promotion or spend money on food for orphans, the first instinct is to feed the orphans. It may not be the best use of the money in the long run “ increased promotion may be the key to greatly increased donations “ but it’s a hard choice to make.
Some of the best advice I ever received came from the very generous people who gave of their time and knowledge to help me make the switch. The informational interviews in Ohio, Indiana, New York, and DC gave me tremendous help as I worked through my own process of transition. Despite their crowded schedules, these generous nonprofit professionals gave of their time and knowledge — and their contacts. Through them, many doors opened for me. More recently, I asked colleagues for recommendations to pass on. The Association of Fundraising Professionals group in LinkedIn was particularly generous. Trying a professional internship is one suggestion that I heard several times. If an internship isn’t available, consider a short-term engagement to fulfill a particular project.
Nonprofit professionals are particularly generous with their experiences. I hope their advice helps you, as well.
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