Last month, we were delivering a strategic plan draft to one of our clients, an executive director of a small nonprofit. As the sole paid employee, supported by dedicated volunteers, she works tirelessly to empower underserved youth to reach their full potential. At one point, tears welled in her eyes. “To see our three-year plan laid out like this for us makes me emotional. It’s been on our list for so long, but with everything I must do to keep the programs on track, I never was able to take the time to get it done!” she said through a sniffle. This is not the first time a nonprofit leader we serve has become emotional and I doubt that it will be the last.
The work to advance community causes takes heart and soul in the form of management of time, money, personalities, partnerships, and funders. Keeping all those plates spinning successfully can wear a person out, sometimes taking an emotional toll as well. When the need is great, the good work is never done. So often, when success is achieved, there is pressure to do even more – raise more money, grow programs, expand territory – often without resources in place to facilitate those goals. To complicate matters more, the job can often feel like a lonely uphill battle. This is especially true for nonprofit leaders with no staff or a very small one.
In this case, as the only staff member, the Executive Director handled programming (at multiple sites), fundraising, community relations, administration, and board/volunteer engagement. While she is supported by great community partners and board members, the responsibility to produce results falls largely on her. When we teamed with her for several months for the strategic planning assignment, she had an instant ally and partner. One that could not only relate to her situation but also provide instant expanded capacity to do the work that was needed to guide the organization into the future, with an eye toward scaling up both programming and staff hiring.
So, what can be done to relieve stress and return some joy to the role of your Executive Director? Here are a few ideas:
Make sure board members are recruited to a job description and take an active role in the program of work. Too often, Executive Directors leave board and committee meetings with a long list of to-do items with little commitment from volunteers. This good work takes a team effort.
Encourage your Executive Director to set clear boundaries between work and personal lives, allowing for self-care. We worked with one Executive Director who does not answer work emails, texts, or phone calls after 5:00PM (unless it’s an emergency) and her board members are in full support. They understand that it is a great way to prevent burnout in their valued staff leader.
As part of your Governance Committee work, identify a liaison that checks in with the Executive Director on a regular basis, to assess workload, job satisfaction, and support needed for success. If tasks are identified that could use more hands-on support, the liaison can make those requests of the board.
Recognize tenure, results, efforts, partnerships, birthdays, work anniversaries and more, not only privately, but in meaningful ways where your stakeholders can join in. Additionally, nominate them for community awards. Fort Worth Inc., Fort Worth Business Press, Fort Worth Chamber, Fort Worth Hispanic Chamber, AFP, and others provide low-cost opportunities to recognize the good work that they are doing.
Always keep an eye on infrastructure and administrative capacity when expanding programming. Programming grants are more abundant (and often more “fun” to write) than funding proposals that build capacity or pay for additional staff members. However, program obligations can quickly get unwieldy if they grow faster than your organization does. Set your team up for success, starting at the top.
When hiring additional employees is not an option, or when seeking help for a specific priority project, consider contracting with nonprofit professionals like us, as we can provide the exact expertise and added capacity needed at just the right time, with no hassle. As one client recently shared with us, “I always admire you, your work, and your extended team – talent, skill, and competence with no drama or red tape.”
What steps will you take to support your leadership? Adding capacity for your Executive Director will pay off for your community cause, and I predict you may see tears of joy and appreciation as well!