Nonprofit YEAH!

Risk management is a really important part of what a board should be doing. We need to think of what CAN go wrong, not what might go wrong that we're pretty sure we can manage. The pandemic has shown that we need to think about the worst, and build it into our future plans.

This is the Covid-19 episode.

How to you move ahead now? What can your organization - staff, board, and funders do to get to the other side of this unimaginable chasm? This episode will give you a few ideas to get people unstuck and start moving.

Bonus content: soothing creek soundtrack in the background.

I tend to err on the side of kindness - I presume everything is going okay. What I know, however, is that we have to be on the lookout all the time for problems on the horizon. In this episode I investigate what it means to be a board member skeptic. A guardian of the mission and protector of the good. Sounds pretty righteous. Check it out!

Are you building your board with an eye to the next 2 - 7 years? What programs do you have coming up? What growth? A capital campaign maybe? This is a story about an organization that started with a vision on the back of a napkin eight years ago, that is now proactively building their board for future success. Strategic planning, governance, leadership, and followership all play a part.

The first time you become the chair of an organization can be daunting. You've watched someone else manage the nonprofit, so should you just do it that way? This episode talks about the wide range of chair styles, and how you can make a difference. You were chosen to lead, so do it the way that feels right to you. Don't be afraid to stir it up!

We are involved in nonprofit work usually because we're passionate about a cause. Because of that, one might think we'd speak passionately. With verve and style, not with terror and sweat. But public speaking is still... speaking in front of large groups. In this episode I'll help with a few tips on how to get up and seize the moment, pace your presentation, and assure people leave with a good impression.

Nonprofits are usually filled with all kinds of excitement, because we do it from passion. Action without some kinds of procedural overlay, however, can lead to messy or even disastrous unintended consequences. We need both process and procedure thinkers and action figures to get it all done. How do they work together? Listen to this episode to get some ideas.

This episode is a mix of good things. Partly it's about when to get stuff done - don't fundraise when people aren't in a giving mood, but do throw parties when people can attend! It's also about the Big Ask - timing, remembering past promises, and making sure you have another person from your board and staff to keep you on track. Check it out!

Tough question: have you outlived your usefulness on a board? Have you lost the passion as a staff member? Nonprofit is different from for-profit in yet another way: if you've lost the thrill, it's time to step aside and make room for new blood, for others excited to carry the organization to the next level. This episode deals with endings, loss, beginnings, and bright futures. Figure out when it's time to make some space.

Two Scoops! This is two topics in one episode, both dealing with your board and money. First is the issue of the old term Give, Get, or Get OFF! Your board should be involved in not just getting gifts, but giving every year as well. We dive into the nuance. Second is setting a gift policy for your board and organization. Check it out!