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The “Better Place” Strategic Retreat

“Are you leaving your Not for Profit a better place than you found it?”

If you’ve ever taken any of our training classes or attended any of our seminars, one of our top themes has always been to “leave your organization a better place” than you found it. While this simple phrase is easy to understand on a surface level, it literally contains volumes of benefits that may not be so apparent. While we are often asked to expand on the topic – which we do in great detail during our tailored retreats – here are a few words that just might pique your interest.

Not for Profit boards can be very challenging.

Managing a Not for Profit board has been likened to herding cats, or worse yet, presiding over an orchestra where no one seems to be playing the same music – if they are even playing at all. Some say it is the nature of the beast. Board members may have been chosen for subject matter expertise and leadership skills. They may have been chosen because they were friends of friends. But it often seems that the vast majority are with you simply because they donate the big bucks. While this can work just fine, the reality is, if you make the time and effort to engage your board members and rally them around the Better Place concept, you just may find that you can reap exponential rewards.

Oh, and the liabilities are real.

At the same time, while legal liabilities with financial consequences for NFP board members do exist, few if any NFP board members understand the risks. Few, if any, ask the questions that need to be asked.

There are often diamonds in your own backyard waiting to be discovered.

Things change, circumstances change, donors change, organizations change, people retire or move on. So, it is imperative that board members and volunteers maximize the time they actually spend together working on various philanthropic pursuits.  Yet so few boards work in a coordinated effort. Fewer truly understand just how amazing they could be if only they spent the time and effort necessary to learn more about themselves and their own capabilities. Think about how amazing it would be for the board to actually spend time thinking of ways to “put it all together.” It rarely happens.

If it were really only about the money – if “raising cash” were the only goal – few philanthropists would stick around.

And the last thing you want to do is position your NFP as constantly looking for handouts. Especially during economic downturns, NFPs must be focused on a balanced approach to development. Obviously, fundraising is essential to supporting the work of most NFPs. But donors and board members alike need to see and feel that there is more going on than just begging. Now, more than ever, you need to keep people excited and proud of their involvement. Philanthropists may give to feel good, to make a difference, to leave a legacy, to be remembered, to give back, to boost ego, but ultimately it is never just about the “cash.” Therefore, the key is never to forget that you need to make people feel good about donating their time, money, and effort.

Fundraising with a marketing mindset.

At the same time, you also need to get smart about fundraising. Gone are the days of banging on doors, strong arming companies, banging on heads, harassing people, and cajoling. Worse yet would be to take leading donors and opinion leaders for granted. Instead, some of today’s leading NFPs are attracting funds from supporters by focusing on providing value for their donors. Think in terms of tangible benefits to the contributors – “value propositions” to borrow a sales term. Does their involvement with you help them meet any of their goals? Can you create a joint program that helps elevate their brand? Will you be able to do joint promotions that help them achieve strategic metrics? Literally, what’s in it for them and their brand (whether personal or business), beyond the tax deduction? Again, it is imperative to remember to make them feel good about being involved with you.

Red Flags that your Board is headed for trouble

Too many boards have one or more of the following internal challenges at play:

• board members aren’t being tapped for their brainpower
• there is a lack of diversity of disciplines and talent
• meeting agendas are set by management and don’t include the board’s needs
• the board itself is under the control of a strong clique
• many members just want to “show up” and do their time
• some members rarely show up
• formal “onboarding” for new board members doesn’t happen
• headstrong management steam rolls over the board
• no one has reviewed and updated the D&O coverage
• members are afraid to contribute opinions for fear of criticism
• the lines between management and board are dangerously blurred
• factions secretly or openly disparage other members
• bylaws are not followed
• no one has read the bylaws
• members are unclear of their fiduciary duties
• members think that because you are an NFP, they are “safe”
• hard probing questions are not asked
• board members are unclear on independence issues
• there is no independent governance committee

All great accomplishments start with a small step in the right direction

Think back to any of the achievements that make you most proud today, and you will realize that each and every one of them, started with a small kernel of an idea – a small step in the direction of your goal. Likewise, when you finally decide that your NFP board can (or should) be so much more, your first step is done. Congratulations!

Now what?

Based on decades of experience, we have found that the best place to begin is with a dialogue among the board members.

Paradigm shift

It takes a lot for board members to move out of their comfort zones. Some will embrace the move, others will resist, most will simply watch. Yet once our Better Place process is implemented, everyone who participated will have been exposed to a new mindset, full of potential and opportunities. They will also have been shown new ways of thinking about their roles, their commitments, and their responsibilities. Since all board members participating will also present a short but detailed overview of their own personal goals and business objectives, a new fresh sense of community and a better understood network will often arise.

How does Better Place work?

The reason our clients say that they value our approach revolves around the fact that we don’t tell you what to do. Instead, we facilitate meetings in a controlled environment that cultivate growth and development. Our expertise is in bringing out the best in your number one asset – you and your board members.

“Leaving the organization a better place” is an all-encompassing mantra. It is a mindset. It is a program for development. It is a way to gage what you do and what you spend your time on in relation to the good of your organization, now and in the future. It may be a subtle goal at first. It may seem over-simplified or under-simplified. And it may be simply misunderstood and misinterpreted. But over time, as its essence becomes ingrained in everybody and everything, it can have some very powerful consequences.

All of a sudden, everyone at the organization has a piece in the success and growth of your organization. Everyone understands their roles at their levels. The class structure remains while the barriers – them and us – are removed and replaced with an all-encompassing goal.

While space constraints won’t permit us to expand upon the many steps and practices involved, correct implementation of the “leaving your NFP a better place than you found it” program is designed to lead to:

• a strategic mindset
• more people joining in on growth and development
• less confusion about what needs to be done
• abundant transparency
• frank and open discussions designed to move the organization’s goals forward
• creation of board “ambassadors” and messaging
• the formation of a marketing friendly environment
• a clearer understanding of current board skill sets and what areas may need bolstering
• establishment or recreation of effective board committees
• a higher level of collaboration
• a better understanding of risks and rewards
• conversations about liabilities and protections
• higher degrees of respect and cooperation
• an increase in opportunity sightings

The wonderful aspect of the program is that it works equally as well for smaller charities as it does for larger departments and organizations.

In a simple way, asking yourself “am I leaving the organization a better place than I found it?” has a profound effect on your thought process. You may find yourself starting to see the ramifications of every thing you do. Or don’t do. That’s when it gets really interesting. Actually paying attention to what potentially happens to your organization when you don’t meet a goal or deliver on a promise is not only instructive, it can be very motivating. It may give you that extra push you need to go that extra mile.

The secret is FOLLOW-UP

The secret to success with any program is very simple, but it’s often the hardest part to accomplish – pure and simple it is “follow-up.” And lots of it.

When participating in the “Are you leaving our NFP a better place than you found it?” program, you will learn to

• be able to quickly say “yes” or “no” to requests for your time
• make the most out of networking events
• create deeper inroads with contacts
• capitalize on organization memberships
• build and grow trust amongst your contacts and especially your donors
• meet far more efficiently and effectively
• shift the emphasis from small and limited goals to the big picture
• hold everyone accountable starting with yourself
• see situations from a position of power and potential
• look at bylaws and governance from a macro perspective
• investigate what needs to be done to better protect the board
• develop a best practices task force

WARNING: This is NOT a “fix everything in a day” program. There are plenty of consultants running around hawking those kinds of wild claims. And if you (yes – you) don’t intend to actively participate, walk the walk, talk the talk, et cetera, then this program is probably NOT for you. Our program is NOT suitable for NFPs where the Chairman or CEO hires us to implement the program but then won’t support it, or will only support it in words but not deeds.  Save your money. This is an ALL-IN program with plenty of follow-up and commitment. Period. We know this may come off as somewhat harsh, but believe us when we say that without support and follow-up at all levels, especially the very top, any program is doomed. These days, nobody has time to waste. However, since you’ve read this far, you are most likely exactly the kind of professional who will best understand what we are saying. You’ll even value the fact that we try hard to separate the “casual wishers” from those that are ready and committed to making profound and lasting changes to their organization. And you will excel at living the message.

Think back at all of the great concepts and ideas that you have come across in your career. How many did you follow-up on? How many times did you attend seminars and retreats, got all excited and motivated, and as you settled back into your daily routines, your drive and your resolve to “change the world” started to fade until it was less than a whisper? Frankly, it happens to most of us, most of the time. By the way, that’s why so many consultants run around selling an endless line of training – few, if any attendees, actually follow through. Just look at all the binders and handouts you’ve collected over the years. Most people rarely ever refer back. So, baked right into our program is mandatory professionally facilitated follow-up over the course of one year – extendable for additional periods, as necessary.

Let’s agree that it takes about a month or so to change a habit. Using this metric, our program has incorporated a follow-up program that is designed to frontload the creation of new habits and then to spread out those new understandings across an entire year. Now that’s empowering. If you are interested in more details, please contact Walter Timoshenko walter.timoshenko@TotalBrandMarketing.com.