Volunteers are essential to nonprofit organizations, but they can only contribute to an agency’s services when their role has been thought through and fully developed. Of course, over time and with experience, organizations should make appropriate changes in the roles played by volunteers. One of the most common questions heard in the halls of nonprofits is, “Why can’t we get a volunteer to do it?” The underlying thought is that if a volunteer can do a specific task, then he or she can relieve the staff of that responsibility. One might refer to this way of engaging volunteers as an “incremental approach” in which each challenge is faced with a stopgap measure to meet the needs of clients. It is an ad hoc approach to engaging volunteers: they are sought just to fill a void - to serve … [Read more...]
Everyone Should Have “A Day in the Sun”
Acknowledging and recognizing volunteer leaders and staff members in the Jewish community are not difficult tasks. However, there are so many stories of lost opportunities to tell people that their involvement is appreciated, and too often we only thank some staff and lay people for their efforts and not others. For example, we applaud efforts that bring in donations, grants, and - through the use of political clout - government funding. CEOs in particular receive praise for their accomplishments and their commitment to the nonprofit organization, although board presidents are acknowledged for such efforts as well. … [Read more...]
The Dynamic Budgeting Process
The budgeting process is part of the management of a nonprofit that very few people are enthusiastic about - and that includes the CEO, the CFO, the staff, and many of the members of the board. Often lay people and staff alike perceive the experience as tedious, detailed, and sometimes dispiriting because the focus is generally on the agency’s cash flow problems and anticipated shortfalls in available financial resources. … [Read more...]
Respecting Volunteers’ Time
Jewish communal organizations and synagogues recruit volunteers for a variety of assignments from serving on boards of directors to providing direct service to clients. Most agencies offer an orientation to the organization and some training for their volunteers; some require that volunteers complete an in-depth educational experience before beginning their assignments. Some nonprofits ask volunteers to commit to a specific number of hours per month, whereas other agencies only ask them to attend a specified number of meetings per year. The time commitment depends on the organization and the responsibilities assigned to the volunteer. … [Read more...]
Sharing Criticism with a Colleague: Not Always an Easy Process
Several days ago I had a conversation with a colleague who had a dilemma. He was responsible for the implementation of an agency program and in that capacity had worked together with several staff members. One of those professionals was acting unprofessionally, and he was not sure how he should respond to her. His first impulse was to speak with her supervisor. After my colleague told me about the woman’s interactions with other staff members in the agency and I came to understand how her behavior was creating a very difficult situation for those people working with her, I suggested an alternative approach to dealing with the situation. I thought it was a better idea for my colleague to speak directly with the staff person and to engage her in a discussion about her behavior. I speculated … [Read more...]
Responding to a Letter of Rejection: Priorities, Process, Procedure and Politics
This week I received a phone call from a colleague who wanted my advice about how to respond to a grant rejection letter he had received from a foundation. He was assisting a nonprofit organization in preparing a proposal seeking funding for an innovative program reaching out to victims of family violence. After the proposal was rejected he dashed off a letter to the director of the foundation complaining about the funding process, and he wanted to know what I thought he should do next. His reason for contacting me was to discuss the damage control needed to be done in response to his sending the letter, because he thought it might have employed a harsh tone. Having received support from this foundation in the past, he was concerned that this letter might damage his connection to the foundation … [Read more...]
