While we are fortunate to serve public, private, and nonprofit organizations of all sizes, one of my favorite things about our work at Project Partners is helping to grow fledgling nonprofit organizations. Small organizations that are just starting out are often led by people with the same characteristics: huge hearts, major passion for their cause, and limited resources. We recently had the opportunity to partner with a local organization that was in this exact situation.
When working last month with a founding Executive Director client who had a need to expand and diversify her organization’s board of directors, she conveyed to me that they felt a bit stuck. While they had a wonderful board that had served the organization well for many years, she shared (with a laugh), “we’re out of ideas!”
I started my job with Project Partners in January and am loving being a part of this fabulous team. I quickly learned that even though we are a small company, we maintain a very large project portfolio! One thing that has allowed me to jump right into all of the incredible work with our clients is the fact that our files are robust, well-organized, intuitive, and easy to access. During this era that has been dubbed “the great resignation” it seems that staff turnover feels inevitable. However, encouraging your team (and yourself!) to keep impeccable records can ease the pain of losing someone special, while also shortening the learning curve for anyone new to your staff. Some specific examples to keep in mind:
When it comes to success in nonprofit work, it’s hard to overstate the importance of having effective and engaged board members. These key volunteer leaders set the strategic vision, ensure adequate resources, and plan for the organization’s future. Project Partners knows that the health and sustainability of a nonprofit can depend on the performance of its board. That’s why we highlight board development as one of the five key focus areas in any strategic planning we facilitate.
When a former board chair of an education foundation client made a case for boosting their board’s performance via the work of a Governance Committee, I immediately thought, “This is good information worth sharing to our broader nonprofit community.” With her permission we’re passing along the following advice for you and your board members:
On April 14th, Chris Strayer, Executive Vice President of the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce hosted a webinar titled “Nonprofit and Community Resources” featuring Leah King, President and CEO, United Way of Tarrant County and Mitch Whitten, Executive Vice President of Marketing and Strategy, Visit Fort Worth. We listened in and gleaned these excellent tips and resources for you.
