Frontline Heroes

Management, Money and Abject Terror

2010-06-27T16:26:00.000-07:00

Soooo, apparently the Fear Of Money can throw even the most resolute blogger into a black hole of panic.

Its been over one month since I said I was going to do a nice post making reading financials easy and using this information to be a better manager. The problem is, there is nothing I dislike more than money. Except talking about it. And possibly snakes.

That creates quite a conundrum. However, the synchronicity of the universe took over last night and I have been gently but firmly encouraged to address the real fear many of us have about dealing with finances, whether in a personal, public or professional capacity. Here is my stab at starting to get over this silliness for myself. You're welcome to come along!

Here are the things that scare me about dealing with money:

1) Terminology - I'm only 75% sure I know what certain terms mean. (And I know a lot of SAT words.)
2) Politics - everyone always talks about budget crises and earmarks and pork bellies. How do I deal with politics on top of money? Yuck.
3) Math - Not my strong suit. I'm more of a words gal. Finance requires doing math with very large numbers.
4) Limits - Budgets are about allocating resources. I don't cotton to being limited in any way. I get the concept that I don't have access to unlimited mounds of cash, but being told "No" starts me out on the wrong foot.
5) The Stakes - As I discovered all too frequently as a much-younger-person, if you don't keep track of your cash, you end up in a fine pickle. I don't mind screwing myself over too much, but doing that in a professional context scares the bejeesus out of me.

Well, there you have it. My top 5 fears when it comes to finances. What shall I do with them? The junior therapist in my head says to let that mellow for a while - naming and facing our fears is the first step to overcoming them. I don't have any handy links to connect with these things. They are straight out of my heart and head. So I guess what I will do is spend some time rummaging around the interwebs for some insight from each perspective. Maybe I'll even grow as a manager (watch the sea monkey grow! -- just add water!)

Check back soon! Also, I will also be doing some profiles on nonprofits in my area. I recently met with Desert Communities United Way and got the low down on all the great work being done in the Victor Valley. I'm excited to see for myself! Stay tuned!

Could Deregulated Electricity Funnel Cash to Nonprofits?

2010-05-23T14:35:00.000-07:00

This week I attended a meeting about the deregulation of electricity in California and the possibility of supporting nonprofits through companies that provide this electricity.

Glacial Energy is one such company that provides energy to commercial locations (car dealerships, stores, factories, etc.) in states where there is an open market. (I have no affiliation with this company other than the fact that I heard a broker of theirs talk about it last week.)

The reason I was intrigued was the potential for nonprofits to receive ongoing annual donations from the energy company. If an organization is designated as the charity of choice by the consumer, they are automatically given a donation. It is based on how much electricity the consumer uses and the deal continues as long as the consumer is buying electricity from Glacial. Depending on how many people designated them as their recipient, and how much energy those companies use, nonprofits could get a few hundred to several thousand dollars every year.

I know we are all looking at ways to diversify income even while our organizations have to cut back on staff. So can something like this possibly help?

Reasons I like it:
- Once the organization is designated, my understanding is they keep it. This could mean ongoing and rather passive income for years.
- This could be a way for supporters to funnel cash toward their favorite charity without having to lay out cash themselves - if they are decision makers or influencers in their company, they could make it happen.
- The energy company (and others like it) do this automatically. I like that it is part of a comprehensive corporate social responsibility standard that more and more corporations are developing.

Reasons I am skeptical about widespread success:
- The nonprofit needs to be willing to accept EFT (electronic fund transfers) which means giving the energy company the orgs routing numbers, etc. I don't doubt the trustworthiness of the energy corp - they'd find it rather self-defeating to go plundering nonprofits - but will organizations be willing to do this?
- The amount of energy used (1 million kwh = $1,000 for charity) is a LOT of energy. Say an average sized office building in an office park uses 1/2 a million kwh/year (based on the numbers they gave out at the meeting). That means the charity is only getting $500/year. Better than a stick in the eye, but hardly a long term solution.
- For charities to get designated, people need to know that they can actually do this, and then they need to switch from Edison or PG&E or whatever. At least in California, considering how complicated and restricted the deregulation is, this is a huge barrier to entry. Perhaps in a few years more companies will be able to choose their electricity provider and this will be a more viable option.

Long story short, I love this idea but wonder about immediate success. What do you think?

Photo credit.

Be a Better Manager - Improve Your Communication Skills

2010-05-20T12:18:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Wednesday's updated series "Be a Better Manager."In this 10 part series we will look at a bunch of things we can do to take "management" to a new level.

My major in college was Rhetoric and Communication. In these classes we learned how humans read one another: through the content of the message, through nonverbal cues, through mass media, small groups, interpersonal communication. I loved my classes and continue to find the field fascinating.

One might think that this education and interest would translate into being an excellent communicator.

Uh, no.

Although I do comprehend the mechanisms of how messages are sent and received, I find that I am a woefully inadequate instrument when it comes to understanding and being understood.

Why is that? I am human and a pretty flawed one at that. The list of "challenging" traits could be a mile long but here are some major reasons why I don't communicate well all the time:

- I think I know a hell of a lot.
- I am very sensitive.
- I like the sound of my own voice.
- I enjoy the game of communication.
- I think quickly and assume I know what someone is going to do or say.
- I am really quite shy.
- I am lazy.

Don't worry - I have lots of great qualities too. And these challenging qualities aren't always in full effect. Over the years my know-it-all-ness has toned down a lot. I've developed a slightly thicker skin and have learned to laugh at myself. I've learned to relinquish control over others and their speech so I can just sit back and enjoy. I've parlayed my interest in communications into satisfying work. I've learned (repeatedly) that I cannot anticipate everything and have seen the benefits of hearing others out. I have recognized my strengths in public speaking (which I love) can be applied to small group or one-on-one communication (which terrifies me.) And I've figured out systems to keep me going to the end of the communication task and overcome my natural laziness.

If you do a google search for "communication skills for managers" you will find over 5 million results (in 1/3 of a second!) Lots of great info out there, especially if you haven't had the opportunity or interest in taking a scholarly approach to communication. However, all this information will be useless if we don't identify our own personal challenges to communicating (giving AND receiving information.)

Humans have been communicating for hundreds of thousands of years. Rhetoric developed rather recently with the ancient Greeks. Modern communication and management studies emerged in the last century or two. You may find that a little self-observation and introspection can be more beneficial than taking a random skill building class or reading 10 online articles about communication. Exchange of information is such an innate human skill that you may be able to pinpoint areas of personal growth that will result in improved communication - all without sitting in a class for six hours.

Here are some questions to get you started on the glorious path of self-discovery:

- When do you feel the most frustrated in talking with your supervisor? With your team or volunteers? With your friends?
- When do you feel that you have been totally successful in being understood?
- Do you get defensive when receiving feedback? Do you shut down?
- Are there activities or opportunities you say "No thanks!" to that involve communicating? Are they to large groups? Small groups? Individuals?
- What topics do you feel uncomfortable talking about? Fundraising? Policies? Feelings? Giving negative feedback to people? Receiving positive feedback?

For me, I recognize that my fuse is kind of short and I tend to react big and quick. Recognizing that allowed me to focus some of my self-improvement energy into building a buffer that gives me a moment to assess before I react. This was very powerful when I was working at the shelter. The drama there was incredible, and I was being manipulated by some very talented people. They actually called me "baitfish" because I was so easy to get going. I lost credibility and authority because of that. When I started figuring this out, I first had to laugh at how gullible I was, but then I felt much more calm, in control of the situation and empowered to actually lead. No longer was I constantly battling for respect.

Taking a few minutes to meditate on what your particular foibles and strengths are can get you started on improving your communication skills. Of course it would be a lot easier if we could just read an article or two and figure out the keys, but self-knowledge and growth will go a lot further.

Come back next Wednesday for the next installment of "Be a Better Manager" when we discuss everyone' favorite topic: managing money!

Photo credit.

The Nonprofit Dilemma: No Resources to Raise Funds to Hire a Fundraiser

2010-05-15T11:51:00.000-07:00

I am a member of LinkedIn (I highly recommend putting your professional profile up there!) and there is a discussion I've been following that has me curious. I wanted to know others' thoughts on this as well.

The original question posted to the discussion was this:

New and small charitable organizations are often faced with a chicken or egg scenario - they need to fundraise but don't have the money to pay for fundraisers or consultants. What's your suggestion to deal with this challenge?

There have been some great answers, including pursuing capacity-building grants that are specifically for things like hiring development staff. However, one participant in the conversation is the ED of a small Habitat for Humanity. This poor guy sounds so discouraged and stuck. They have no more money to spend for the next two months, basically, and it sounds like he is doing everything himself. Here is his solution:

We just need someone to donate about $250,000 (a quarter of a million dollars) to us so we can start doing the things that other non-profits are doing (i.e. fundraising). unless something like that happens, we'll be the same non-profit 20 years from now as we are now.

He goes on to share that the Board of Directors doesn't do much, no one in their county is willing to help and the only thing that will ever change their situation is if some major donor decides to swoop in and rescue them. He is doing everything from buying the bottled water to give volunteers to writing the proposals for small grants. This means he clearly doesn't have a lot of time to research and purse major grants. You can check out the entire discussion here.

My first thought is that this ED is out of sync with reality to lay the blame for the struggling nonprofit at the feet of the rich. He is not alone in this opinion - I hear it a lot, especially from those that are not connected to the larger nonprofit sector. However, blameshifting is never productive. While we wait for someone to rescue us, our organizations will fall down around us. There are hundreds of thousands of nonprofits in the US and they all would love to have a quarter million dollar grant fall in their lap. (And rich folks love nothing more than having desperate people circle around them telling them that they should be their savior, right?) The problem still remains that without some cash to pay a fundraiser, how do they get to the big grants?

My second thought is that the ED is doing a lot of work that a volunteer should be doing. I understand that rural areas might present more of a challenge for getting regular volunteers, but even one volunteer for a few hours a week might take some of the pressure off this poor guy. He can send someone to Wal-mart to buy water bottles. A trustworthy high school student could do that. And considering that Habitat is such a universally loved nonprofit, I would imagine that there are churches in the area that might have the vision to help beyond the hammers and nails. What other ideas do you have for how the organization can attract and retain quality volunteers?

My last thought is that dealing with Board Members can be frustrating. I don't envy him the challenge this particular board seems to present. Here is an article about dealing with problem board members. I don't have a lot of personal experience working with board members, but would be very interested in how others have dealt with them. What suggestions are there for getting people moving in the right direction?

What thoughts, suggestions do you have for a small, rural nonprofit struggling to build capacity?

Photo credit.

Be a Better Manager: Leadership

2010-05-13T00:06:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Wednesday's updated series "Be a Better Manager."In this 10 part series we will look at a bunch of things we can do to take "management" to a new level.

In my pursuit to be the best manager I can be and to help you do the same, I've taken a look at a few things great managers think about.

1. Communicating how valuable your team is.

2. Motivating yourself and your team.

3. Building a cohesive team.

This week we are addressing leadership. Here's my issue... The idea of leadership has become both a bit muddled and a bit trite. Leadership, especially relating to people without authority, has absorbed the complementary but not identical idea of integrity or doing the right thing. Innovation, creativity, resourcefulness, all these excellent qualities have also become part of this umbrella word leadership. On the flip side, being a follower has come to mean being a sheep, mindlessly following the pack.

So here are my thoughts on leadership:

1. We need followers too - be both a good follower and a good leader!
2. Leadership can happen in any position - through influence, small teams and in the larger community
3. Leadership is attitude more than action - being the first in, doing the right thing, leading by example

Good followers - they make the world go round!

I imagine that most of us are not executives in our organizations. This means that, regardless of our natural gifts in leadership or authority, we must put the task or mission above our personal ego. We have to learn to be good followers. What are some traits or qualities of a good follower? (From this great book.)
- dependable
- cooperative
- willing to give quality feedback to the leader
- loyal (to a point)
- identifying positively with the group
- critical thinker
- teachable
- resourceful

If you have people that had these qualities on your team, how delighted would you be? Demonstrate your own ability to be a high-quality follower in your organization by acting on and discussing these characteristics.

Below are some great resources on followership. I really enjoyed reading these as it became very clear that being a good follower is key to being a good leader. You are both modeling the behavior for your team and positioning yourself as a smart and invaluable team player in your organization or community. There will be many clients, participants, volunteers and others who may only know you as the face of the organization. If you have a bad attitude about the executive team of your organization, those folks will too.

A lengthy article download with excellent thoughts on leadership and followership. I highly recommend this one!
A personal essay on followership and leadership from the perspective of a new police officer - great insights!
Thoughts on followership and being a team player from a Scouting perspective.
What qualities make a good follower: Shared vision, Can Do attitude

You Don't Have to be the Boss to be a Leader

We have many roles in our lives. Regardless of your title, you can be a leader in your organization, or outside the organization in civic groups, faith communities, among fellow hobbyists, etc. Even if we keep the focus narrowed on the nonprofit you work for, you can wield great influence. John Maxwell's book The 360 Degree Leader: Developing Your Influence from Anywhere in the Organization is built on that very premise. Here are some interesting quotes:

"99% of all leadership occurs not from the top but from the middle of an organization."
"People won't go along with you if they can't get along with you."
"People always move toward someone who increases them and away from anyone who decreases them."
"Successful people find their own strength zones. Successful leaders find the strength zones of the people they lead."
"The true measure of leaders is not the number of people who serve them but the number of people they serve."
"A leader is best when the people barely know he exists." (a re-quote from Lao-Tzu)

The idea of influence is that you can get things done indirectly by being truthful, empowering and idea-generating. Advisors, official and unofficial, are incredibly powerful when leaders listen to them. They can have a comparable impact both upward and downward on the org chart even when we lack formal authority or title.

My personal challenge is that I often think I know better than those in authority. As a frontline manager, I have access to information that the executive team doesn't. I know the look on clients' faces when we announce a change in program. I hear the questions and complaints that indicate a real need in the community. I see the details that are likely to screw up the big new plan. My instinct is to just go off and do my own thing my own way to address these things. That is really short-sighted, though. Better to give honest feedback to the executive team (or whoever the appropriate person is) and demonstrate that I'm not just a yes-man. I've learned that I also have to follow that up by rolling with the leader's plan. The next time around my input will be considered a little more heavily. For an opinionated gal like me it can be a challenge, but I'm learning.

In addition to the influence you can wield from any position in the organization, we also have the opportunity to demonstrate leadership of small groups, taking initiative among our peers and through work in the community.

I've linked here a really interesting handout from a conference called "Be a Leader, No Matter What Your Job Title." The first few pages are simple notes, but thought provoking. On page 6 begins an article on leadership in the library sciences in the new information age. I found it quite interesting, although I'm not very familiar with the industry. Check it out for more ideas.

One point the author, Patricia Glass, makes is this: "What leaders do well is to work with people to turn ideas into realities. What effective leaders do is not unlike what librarians are trained to do: recognize ideas; put ideas in context; add perspective, organization and dissemination."

Stepping Out First

We can practice many of the skills of leadership by being willing to be the first one in, willing to pitch in, roll up the sleeves, get the work done. Willing to embrace changes and experiment with new ideas. As a leader of small teams, volunteers or even the community at large, we can go a long way toward the success of larger projects by volunteering to get the ball rolling. Not only does that win the respect of people, they show it by jumping in line behind us. The attitude of willingness is a key ingredient in my ever-so-humble opinion, and can be cultivated in any role.

Come back next Wednesday for the next installment of "Be a Better Manager" when we communicate about communication!

Photo credit.

Where does Frontline Heroes go from here?

2010-05-10T11:25:00.000-07:00

So moving 400 miles away from the place I've spent the last 12 years (16 if you count my time in Davis) has proven to be a bit more disorienting than I'd anticipated.

I'm learning a lot about myself in the process, what I hope to build in my life, what my ambitions are professionally, what I am capable of. Eye-opening stuff.

The seed for Frontline Heroes was planted after I finished my Masters in Management in 2006 and I left my role as a Rescue Mission Manager to avoid total and utter burnout. I wanted to help others in a way I wish someone had helped me once upon a time. The idea took a long time to germinate into something visible, though, and I'm enjoying the process of seeing it grow into something real. Just like gardening, you never quite know how ideas are going to thrive when you plant them. Water it, fertilize it, protect it, make sure it gets sunshine and see what happens.

Now that a tiny little green shoot has pushed its way through the dirt, I am excited to keep it growing. The first workshop I offered in the Bay Area was a lot of fun and I received great feedback from the participants. I plan to offer another seminar up in that area in late summer - probably August. I also plan to host a free preview workshop here in the Inland Empire this summer as well. I'm excited to start making connections with nonprofits down here and getting to know the landscape.

I also want to keep building this blog as a resource, a fresh perspective, a place for dialog. What does it mean to be a good follower? How do we demonstrate leadership when we are not the official leader? How do we build a career for ourselves that will weather the financial and political storms? What tools can we use to be more effective, less stressed and insure a deeper impact? I'm excited to tackle all these ideas as well as continue commenting on nonprofits in the news and learning about the cool stuff people are doing all around me.

So, now that I am emerging from my stupor of moving and beginning to get my bearings, look for some great new content and exciting events. Please join the conversation! (I talk to myself a lot, but I can do that without the interwebs...)

I hope that you are filled with purpose, meaning and joy on this lovely Monday, frontline heroes! You are "being the change you want to see in the world" and I appreciate it!

Join Blog Jog Day with Frontline Heroes!

2010-05-08T23:30:00.000-07:00

Welcome Blog Joggers! Please take a spin around Frontline Heroes. My purpose here is to equip nonprofit staff to succeed.

What a neat idea... A day in which almost 150 blogs link to one another in a giant circle so people can be introduced to new ideas and new voices. Try the Blog Jog!

Since I am such a believer in free speech, I will give you the link to the blog after mine. I will make a very clear statement that I in no way condone, endorse or agree with the views of the blog, though.

http://usurper-exposed.blogspot.com/

If you would like to go to the index of blogs on the jog, you can go to http://blogjogday.blogspot.com/. This is a great opportunity to find your next favorite blog! (After this one, of course!)

I've Landed!

2010-05-04T11:18:00.000-07:00

Well good morning! After a very hectic couple of weeks I've landed at my temporary digs in Apple Valley, CA. You can see from the photos what a difference this is from Oakland.

Apple Valley, CA - the high Mojave desert

Talk about big sky! It is a little weird to trade the constant sound of traffic, buses, people shouting obscenities at the top of their lungs and so many buildings crowded together that you can't see much of the sky for birds, horses, goats, chickens, rabbits and even snakes and scorpions. The only constant is that there is probably as much trash on the ground here as in Oakland. Unfortunate. (I was a good Girl Scout and picked up trash on my walk this morning. It's tought to get the mantra "Leave a place cleaner than you found it" out of your head.)

Now that I am here, I am excited to continue on my mission to equip and empower frontline nonprofit managers! I'm working on our next discussion of how to be a better manager... Leadership! And stay tuned for workshops on project management, creativity and more!

Article: Connecting via Social Media Can Spur Nonprofit Donations

2010-04-20T16:46:00.000-07:00

Google exec: Connecting via social media can spur nonprofit donations - Phoenix Business Journal

Thought this was an interesting, though not earth-shattering, article. First thought, I wish I had gone to this conference! Second thought, Are there really people out there who don't get that social media is important for nonprofits?

I'm no social media virtuoso. Although I've long been a consumer of it and have been relatively quick to adopt new technology, I'm way behind where I'd like to be in terms of presence. But I am definitely aware of the importance of tending your social media garden. Just like it took a while for nonprofits to add webmasters to their ranks, it will take a while before they dedicate a position (or at least a half of one) to social media strategy and implementation. The big guys are on it, which makes sense because they have the resources to do so. The little guys will catch up soon, I'm sure.

What do you think? Will social media really revolutionize how we connect with donors?

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In other news, the seminar today was great! Thank you to all those who attended and shared their project management experiences. The feedback was great and we will use that to make a really stellar program in the future. Stay tuned for more "Think Like a Project Manager" classes in the Bay Area and launching soon in Southern California!

And again, I'll be moving this week and next to So Cal, so I may be intermittent in my blogging. Don't worry, I'll be back soon.

Think Like a Project Manager Seminar Tomorrow!

2010-04-19T21:07:00.000-07:00

I'm very excited to facilitate a project management seminar tomorrow here in Oakland. Participants bring a project they want to do some planning for and we are going to explore strategies for success for their goals.

This is a subject that I enjoy, although I would never have expected it. I have also seen a marked difference in the quality of my work and the stress level associated with projects since applying principles from project management.

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In other news, I am moving from the Bay Area to the High Desert in Southern California on Thursday. These next two weeks will probably be a bit of a hiatus. I'll return as soon as I'm up and running in the beautiful Apple Valley!

In the News: Gangs infiltrate Anti-Gang Nonprofit

2010-04-15T10:29:00.000-07:00

I think my head is about to explode.

New Fed Charges Allege Prison Gang’s Street Operations Infiltrate Nonprofit Anti-Gang Efforts

According to this article, a gang that has some serious power in the prison system is using nonprofits trying to stop gang violence to protect their illegal activities. The accusations range far and wide, encompassing people at all levels of the organization. Other nonprofits are also being tainted by the involvement of the alleged gang members.

This makes me sad. Having worked in recovery with many men who are trying to put their lives together after prison, addiction, gang affiliation and more, it really sucks to see nonprofits with such potential dragged down this way.

I do not know all the details of the case (although the article above is pretty detailed) so I cannot speculate as to the reasons for everything. However, I do believe wholeheartedly that our system is broken. And people manipulating legitimate organizations for their own benefit (whether they are dealing heroin, sugar, conspicuous consumption, pharmaceuticals or whatever legal or illegal crap they like) just really make me mad.

Photo credit.

The United States has the highest documented incarceration rate in the world, according to several studies. If you look at this graph it starts in 1920 and right around 1980 it begins a steep incline, where the larger graph above picks up. (You can see a larger version here.) If you know 100 people, chances are you know at least 3 people who are or have been incarcerated. (And if you know people who aren't white, that number goes up to something like 10 out of 100.) This is primarily due to mandated sentancing courtesy of the "war on drugs" beginning in the early 80s. Interestingly, violent and property crime has declined significantly since the 1990s, but the incarceration numbers keep climbing.

One of my dreams is to encourage legitimate entrepreneurial skills and resources for re-entering men and women so they can build secure futures for themselves, their families and their communities without having to go back to gang affiliation and drug dealing. They generally can't get straight jobs because no one will hire them for anything more than minimum wage with a criminal background (if they can even get that!) I also firmly believe that the "war on drugs" as such is an abysmal failure and needs to be ceased immediately.

Ok, I feel a soapbox moment coming on, so I'll leave it at this:

1) I'm sad that the organizations "infiltrated" by this prison gang are being dragged down by selfish actions.
2) I'm sad that our culture creates the need for protection inside prisons and puts so many people in prison for minor drug-related offenses due to a misdirected war on drugs.
3) I'm sad that there is so little widespread support for individuals who are released from prison so they have few realistic, legitimate options besides recidivism.

The good news is that we create the culture we want. It just takes some work.

Be a Better Manager: Team-building

2010-04-14T16:24:00.000-07:00

Over the last couple weeks we've started looking at ways to be the most awesome manager EVAH! The first post was about building an amazing team and the key to accomplishing that is value. Show people you are working with (be they staff or volunteers) that they are valuable to you and to the organization and you have the cornerstone of a successful team. The second idea we addressed was motivation and how to get your team fired up. Of course, that starts with being motivated yourself. Today we are pondering team-building.

There are two concepts of "team" and thus different approaches to teambuilding.

Team in the first sense applies to specific projects where a group of people have come together in order to accomplish something. These teams are finite, they might never have worked together before and might never work together again after this project The concept of Forming, Storming, Norming and Performing is generally used to understand how this kind of a group begins to define itself.
The second sense of team is used in the broader context, that, as an organization we are all working toward a common goal. [When I think of teamwork, I think of Buster Bluth saying "Come on you douchebags! We're all on the same team!" But that's just me. (You can hear him say it at this website!)]

Both concepts are important and it is worth considering your influence over both task teams and the workplace in general.

If you ask people why they don't want to participate in a team, you'll probably find the majority of the reasons come down to interpersonal issues. You have to "go along to get along", work on something that you're not that interested in for the sake of politics, possibly carry other team members who are not doing their fair share of the work... All of these things may go through someone's mind. (Check out

Teams: Love Them; Hate Them by Tom LaForce for thoughts on this.) Be aware of your own feelings about teams too. Have you had really negative experiences with teams? Are you apprehensive about building a feeling of cohesion? Don't let yourself get derailed by preconceptions. Address them head on and figure out how to avoid those scenarios.

Often we only give attention to how well teams are working together when they become dysfunctional. This is unfortunate, but reality. This article, "Why Team Building Doesn't Work & How You CAN Build Your Team" is excellent and addresses the fact that most dysfunctional teams are a symptom of deeper issues. Rather than relying on activities, games or other devices to get us to like one another and work well together, the folks over at Community Driven Institute recommend asking three questions about bad team behavior:

What is this (the bickering, the absenteeism, etc.) stopping us from doing?
Why is this (whatever bad behavior is stopping us from doing) important?
How is this (bad behavior) keeping us from better helping the community?

The important thing is to move past the obvious, visible negative behavior and get at the root cause.

If you are just establishing a team, or trying to build more esprit de corps or morale, you don't want to jump in on the negative. The Learning Center has a useful article I encourage you to check out: "How to Build a Team Using Vision, Commitment & Trust." My thoughts:

Vision: I've ranted pretty extensively about the importance of sharing your vision and making sure that team members understand it. Ideally they will also share the vision, but even if they aren't waking up in the morning thinking about it, they can still get behind it.
Commitment: Everyone gets to a point of commitment at a different speed and through a slightly different process. Open communication can help people get there more quickly and keep them happier longer.
Trust: You must also begin to establish trust between you and the team, and between team members. Do what you say you're going to, be transparent and authentic, encourage constructive and honest feedback. We also tend to trust those we are familiar with. Providing opportunties to get to know one another beyond just name and rank allow us to begin trusting each other.
Inclusion: This goes back to demonstrating the value that your team members have. Building a team by fiat will not work well. Build the expectation of a healthy team by soliciting input and feedback from your team.
Help Exchange: Your team knows what's up. They have a ton of knowledge and that is what will make this whole endeavor successful. Get the conversation going!

I came across some more really interesting resources on building up your team. Check these out!

Dispelling Myths About Teams - this article is right on target. Written about 10 years ago, it reflects the hot trend that self-directed teams were. (And still are in some industries!) Although the author is a consultant for gigantic companies like auto manufacturers, there are valuable lessons for the nonprofit world.

The 12 C's of Team Building - I'm a big fan of About.com and this article has useful info. I also appreciate the fact that the kind of "team building" they are talking about here really applies to the whole organization team versus a small specific project team.

Team Motivation - continuing the discussion from last week on motivation, the ideas or practices that get a team of people fired up to accomplish a goal are not necessarily the same things that get an individual fired up. And providing an environment that is motivating is most certainly a way to build or maintain a cohesive, functional team. An excellent quote from the article:

But great leaders also understand the importance of team purpose, challenge, camaraderie, responsibility, and growth, and focus much of their time on creating the conditions for these to exist.

What about the much-maligned trust exercises and team building games?

Is there no purpose in blindfolding grown adults and making them build protective egg baskets? Many of these activities seem cheesy because they don't reflect the culture of your organization or they are being used in place of real conversation. If the woman in the next cubicle is a back stabbing so-and-so who shoots down any idea and sucks the life out a meeting, it is hard to envision falling backward into her arms in a trust exercise.

That being said, I think that one of the best ways to help people enjoy their work and be a productive team member is to play!

Make certain you are addressing the real underlying issues of any disfunction.
Don't focus on playing so much that you lose productivity.
Ask team members to select activities that sound at least somewhat appealing to them.
Acknowledge that any group activity could be cheesy but if everyone can just get over themselves and stop worrying about looking cool, they might enjoy it. (Uh, deliver that one with some self-deprecating humor if possible!)
Allow time for getting to learn about one another as well.
Limit aggressive competition.

If you'd like some ideas on icebreakers, games, challenges and other activities to help you create a fun team atmosphere, check out the following links.

A whole list of team-building games

Teampedia is a collaborative encyclopedia of free team building activities, free icebreakers, teamwork resources, and tools for teams that anyone can edit!

Free team building games plus lots of good thoughts about how to really build a team.

As I'm discovering with so many things, being an excellent manager starts with intent. It is a process of moving ever-closer to an ideal environment, useful structures and happy team members that does not require perfection.

Come back next Wednesday for the next installment of "Be a Better Manager" so we can talk about the subject that launched a thousand books - Leadership!

Photo credit

Challenges Facing the Nonprofit Sector

2010-04-12T11:22:00.000-07:00

I get frustrated with old ways of doing things, (especially when I find them inconvenient or restrictive it must be admitted.) But also because they are often continued simply because it has always been this way.

Unfortunately, I don't have any alternatives that are particularly brilliant.

I think that the burgeoning ranks of social entrepreneurs are challenging the status quo. Approaching the needs of society from a new point of view is putting pressure on "legacy" institutions and traditional methods of funding, service delivery and management to adapt. I like this.

Figuring out new ways of doing good things isn't easy. There is resistance from those who have long determined how things will go. There is fear from would-be supporters who don't want to waste their efforts and resources on an unproven approach. There is confusion from regulatory agencies about new business models.

A couple articles have brought this to my attention recently.

Dental spat may illustrate effect of required coverage. In Alabama, a nonprofit group is running a number of dental clinics that (according to their website: Sarrell Dental Center) serve low-income children on Medicare and anyone who doesn't speak English, among others. With new health laws coming into being, everyone is trying to figure out what is expected, what is legal and what areas are being missed. Dentists in the area are apparently concerned with the quality of care (and the competition) that these nonprofit dental centers are providing. I do not know anything about the quality of Sarrell Dental Centers, so I cannot speak to that at al. It does sound like the fight is getting ugly, though. And I would imagine we will see more of these situations crop up as nonprofits try to meet needs with a totally different approach than the established ones.

Bay Area Emerges as Center of Nonprofit Journalism And in my neck of the woods, another industry going through extreme changes is finding that nonprofits are stepping in to fill the gaps. With the closure of many news outlets and a general democratization of information transfer, local news is falling by the wayside. These groups are staying afloat by raising donor dollars, getting grants and selling their work. Traditionally news media have relied on advertising to pay the bills, so this is an interesting new twist. They credit a "convergence of forces" that make this new model possible: lots of journalists looking for work, very tech-savvy people looking for challenges, lots of donor dollars and a risk-taking entrepreneurial spirit. I think it is interesting that there are lots of donor dollars available for that. (Recession? What recession?)

All in all, two major industries, dentistry and news media, are in the midst of change. A nonprofit approach might shake things up but it also might challenge nonprofits (or socially-responsible companies) to find new ways of doing things. I'll be curious to see how they continue to be shaken up.

Photo credit.

Video: Find your passion and inspire your team!

2010-04-09T11:11:00.000-07:00

"Before you can inspire with emotion, you must be swamped with it yourself. Before you can move their tears, your own must flow. To convince them, you must yourself believe."

– Winston Churchill

Inspiring those we manage starts with our own passion. Check out my video below wherein I ramble a bit about how to get and stay inspired and share that with our team and use the words "hugely inspiring" too many times.

Here are some useful links on inspiration!

Top 10 ways to inspire people

10 ways to inspire your project team

Self motivation

Articulating Your Vision and Inspiring Others to Act (This link gets low marks for readability, but there is some great content in there.)

I would really love to hear what keeps you inspired and how you inspire others!

I also want to give a shout-out to women who have mentored and inspired me: my wonderful mother Donna Penman, Michele Mollkoy, LaShawn Montoya, Jill Davis and Ana-Marie Jones! You all rock! Thank you for brave examples, tough words, new opportunities and creative ideas!

Be a Better Manager: Find what feeds the motor

2010-04-07T19:01:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Wednesday's updated series "Be a Better Manager."In this 10 part series we will look at a bunch of things we can do to become the kind of manager who transcends the simple idea of "managing." (And become the manager others WISH they were or had!)

Last week we talked about the first element: building a great team and the key to that is valuing each person and their strengths.

Today we tackle the age-old question: Why do we do anything?

Seriously... when we are faced with so much work, so much noise, so much activity, so many tasks, how do we get up and do it?

True motivation, a real deep-down desire to do something, starts with you. If you are not excited to sink your teeth into your work, then there is little hope of leading others to be. Spend a few minutes thinking about what really gets you revved up (your "motor-vation", if you will.) Here is a list of how people are motivated (link is to original source):

Career Development/Success
Comfort/Relaxation
Health/Balance/Energy
Influence/Leadership
Learning/Knowledge/Discovery
Materials/Possessions
Recognition/Praise
Security/Money/Home
Social/Affiliation/Popularity/Acceptance
Status/Prestige/Stand Out/Reputation
Task Accomplishment/Problem Solving/Achievement
Teaching/Guiding Others
Vitality/Energy

These are all reasonable motivators, none better or worse than the others. Which of these work for you?

After you recognize what really gets you smiling and loving your work, reframe your job to pay you back in these ways.

Ask your boss to send you to a training if learning new things motivates you.
Organize a staff happy hour if having fun relationships at work makes you excited to be there.
Build meditative practices into your day if balance or relaxation keep your energy and engagement high.
Suggest to your leadership that you lead a brown bag lunch training on some topic of interest if teaching others is a big motivator to you.
Join a professional association if mentoring, affiliation or reputation keep your head held high.

Start with one motivator and think of 10 ways you could work it into your existing role. Think of 20 ways! Then pick the best one and act on it. I also highly recommend the book StrengthsFinder to help you figure out the connections between what you're good at and how to reframe your work role to build on them.

Once you start getting positive momentum with your own personal motivators, keep the momentum going. Give your supervisor feedback on how it is helping you stay excited, inspired and engaged in your work. Thank them for helping make it happen (even if it took pulling teeth to do it.) Move on to another motivation, or another one of your ideas and keep expanding these blood pumping activities until you are so happy and high-energy that your co-workers hate you. (Then smile sweetly and say, "Let's figure out what motivates you and make it happen!")

Here is a great article about self-motivation I highly recommend for some additional thought-provoking reading.

To recap:
You need to tend your own motivation needs first
a. understand who you are
b. reframe your job to meet those needs
c. maintain the positive feedback loop

Now that you are absolutely humming with motivation, feeding your motor with the fuel it needs, you can turn your attention to the people you are managing. While you are not responsible (and in fact cannot be responsible) for anyone else's get-up-and-go, you are central to creating an environment where it is easy to be motivated and it is rewarded.

Step one: Harm reduction! This article has some great tips on creating an environment that doesn't DE-motivate people. Below are the easiest ways they give to crush the spirit of those who work for you (as a volunteer or staff member.) I really liked their list so here it is:

Create an atmosphere full of company politics.
Develop unclear expectations regarding your employees' performance.
Create a lot of unnecessary rules for employees to follow.
Plan unproductive meetings for employees to attend.
Promote internal competition between employees.
Withhold information critical for employees to perform their work.
Provide criticism instead of constructive feedback.
Tolerate poor performance so your high performing employees feel taken advantage of.
Treat employees unfairly.
Underutilize the capability of your employees.

Politics, bureaucracy and bad management are present in all organizations. Its a fact of grown-up life. That doesn't mean that you need to be sucked into unhealthy dynamics or expose your team to it. Volunteers especially should be shielded from the de-motivating aspects. They don't need to know the gossip, the power struggles or who the jerks in the office are. (They may notice these themselves, but you don't need to bring it to their attention.) Do you recognize any of these elements in your organization? How can you eliminate or limit how much they impact those you are leading?

After creating an environment that doesn't de-motivate people, you can encourage them to think about what does motivate them. As you did with yourself above, ask them to consider what really gets them excited about their work. You can do this formally at a team meeting or casually through conversation. Once you have the information, see how much overlap there is and start figuring out the lowest hanging fruit. Work out a reasonable plan to build feedback systems that target these styles.

And no matter what specifically motivates each individual, you can create an environment that is fun. I really like the management parable "Fish!" How we work together, including creating an atmosphere of play, can be a powerful statement that boosts our natural motivation.

Here is an article that talks specifically about motivation and volunteers.

To recap:
Whoever you're managing needs an environment where motivation is easy to keep
a. harm reduction
b. reframe your feedback systems to capitalize on their needs
c. make it fun

I have some additional thoughts about motivation, especially regarding inspiration, so stay tuned.

Come back next Wednesday for the next installment of "Be a Better Manager" so we can chat about building a team identity!

Picture credit.

Why I don't volunteer!

2010-04-05T10:42:00.000-07:00

Ok, this link is not about me saying why I don't volunteer. (I'll tell you why I don't... I'm lazy.)

If you too are lazy and didn't click over to read the short post, here's the recap:

This guy is an historian specializing in the origins of the names of places. He researched how NYC came to be known as the Big Apple. He discovered the origin of several other cities as well and spent his own time and resources to voluntarily discover these things and share them with said cities and their officials. For which he has never received acknowledgement, let alone a sincere "Thank You."

Contrast this with the idea of "ServiceNation" and the civic-minded excitement that Obama's campaign and early presidency has put a fire under. (An ad for this is what kick-starts his post.)

This gent, not-too-surprisingly, calls foul. He tried doing things for other people using his skills and talents and got bupkis for it. So he says, "Make money, pay taxes. It's the only value America actually places on you."

Is he wrong? The evolutionary motivations for altruism are very basic - if we work together to promote the well-being of our relatives/tribe, then some little part of our genes will live on. That is the payoff - survival. As our "tribe" gets larger and larger, evolving into cities, states and nations, the impulse for good-doing is still there, but the systems don't always support it or reward it. People are at once Strangers and Fellow Citizens. An individual gets excited about an idea and does something about it, only to find that no one else seems to care about this idea. Volunteering can actually be a very complex set of motivations, experiences and payoffs to the volunteer and to the subject of their efforts. The way that the system of government wants you to contribute IS in many ways tied to taxation. That is how we provide (theoretically) for the common good. So in some ways, he is right on the money.

Regardless of the payoff this poor unthanked guy could have, should have or would have gotten, WE have the opportunity to avoid this scenario. I am guilty of rolling my eyes at the older man who would bring half eaten hamburgers to the soup kitchen because he couldn't finish it and was sure someone would want it. I really wished the guy would just stop. However, we always said thank you (and threw it out as soon as he left.) Asking him to stop could have had unforeseen consequences, though. Who knows what other things he might have gone on to do? How many people have we unwittingly squashed because they came to us at an inconvenient time, or didn't fit the physical standard we are used to, or offered something that we did not want?

There is a balance between making good use of your time managing volunteers, being practical, freeing people from wasting their time and yours, and affirming in others the desire to help. It shifts from day to day and situation to situation. I want to get better at it too.

So, next time someone comes to your org with an idea from CrazyLand, consider the most loving way to shoot them down, redirect their efforts or connect them with someone who would benefit from it. Maybe that will help create a realistic Service Nation.

Photo credit

Article: The one thing to NEVER say on stage at a benefit auction. | Red Apple Auctions

2010-04-03T20:26:00.000-07:00

I came across this article and thought it was pretty tight. Check it out!

The one thing to NEVER say on stage at a benefit auction. | Red Apple Auctions

Be A Better Manager: Develop an amazing team!

2010-03-31T11:55:00.000-07:00

Image courtesy of this place.

Welcome to Wednesday's updated series "Be a Better Manager." In this 10 part series we will look at a bunch of things we can do to become the kind of manager who transcends the simple idea of "managing." (And become the manager others WISH they were or had!)

Ok, I'm not one for cutesy images of animals, unless they are from icanhascheezburger and saying snarky things. However, this picture is a great image for teamwork... the little guy would never be given the chance to reach the burgers if the big guy didn't give him a leg up. And now they both are contributing to getting burgers!

Teamwork is one of the most well-trod themes in management. You can find hundreds of books, web sites, videos and trainings on how to build a team that does amazing things. In fact, I've linked a few below because they've got good stuff and I don't need to re-invent the wheel. Something different will work for each leader, each team member, each organization... the variations are endless.

There are a few themes that run throughout these things, such as selecting the best people, developing a process or program to build your team, events or activities to get to know one another and ways to identify team players and promote them. All good tools to develop an amazing team.

I would suggest, however, that there is one thing that will develop an amazing team that works well and accomplishes more together than could be achieved alone.

That thing is Value.

1. Show them they are valued by listening.
I have spent innumerable hours enjoying a cup of coffee with volunteers, listening to them tell me how they came to be a volunteer, why the cause is important to them, what activities they like to do the most, when they feel most important and alive. Through those conversations, I learn how under-engaged my team members are, or how they are being mis-used because their task is ill-fitting. This allows me to fix problems and our team to achieve more. They also (according to what they tell me, anyway) walk away feeling like they are an important and integral part of the operation, of great value to the cause. And those volunteers understand I want the best for them and in return will do whatever they can to make our team successful.

2. Show them they are valued by saying it.
The ED of the nonprofit I'm working with right now is incredibly affirming and believes in my value. Much to my surprise, she tells me so frequently. How do I feel about that? After getting over the fear of having someone compliment me (lame!) I really want to live up to the value she has placed on my work. I will do whatever it takes to make this project a success because I know I am important to the team. I've experienced it from the other side too. When I managed the homeless shelter, most of my "staff" were actually residents in the drug and alcohol recovery program. These guys worked because the program was free to them, and good work is good for the soul, but they didn't exactly jump for joy to be on my team. I talked to them, listened to what their own dreams were for their life, what they felt their gifts were, what they were struggling with and we tried to re-frame the tasks at hand (thrilling things like washing dishes) in a way that tapped into their value. We talked about recovery, about their kids, about spirituality, all kinds of things. They told me by their words and their actions that to be valued by someone motivated them to do their jobs well, to show kindness when a mentally unstable guy lost it in the dining room, to empower others. And when I needed something done, they were more than willing to do it.

3. Show them they are valued by rewarding it.
If someone is a gifted sprinter, you don't put them on shotput. Even if you spend time listening to them, affirming their dream to be a world-class sprinter and telling them how much value they bring to the team, moving them to the shotput team says a lot about how you value them. Once you discover the inherent value in a team member, reward it by giving them opportunities to exercise their strengths. It may not mean that you immediately give them a whole new job perfectly aligned with their ideals, although that would be pretty awesome. Start wherever you can, though. Include them on a smaller project. Ask for their take on something relevant. Introduce them to someone who might need their strengths. When they do well, thank them in front of the team or mention the success to your manager or the ED.

Finding the value in someone can be hard. It requires getting our own baggage out of the way. It takes humility to shut up and listen. It means letting go when the best thing for someone lies in a direction other than on your team. If you're an introvert (or balanced 50/50 like me) then it can be physically and mentally draining to engage people on such a deep level. For all these reasons, I don't do it perfectly and (sorry) you won't either.

Even imperfectly, it is the thing that will fix you in your team's mind as a one-of-a-kind leader... a manager who believed in them and showed them that they could accomplish anything. The kind of manager they would go to the mat for because they know you'd go to the mat for them.

Simple, right? Good.

Now, go show someone they're valuable!

After that, come back and read some more traditional takes on team-building that I really liked:
How to Build a Great Team
8 Ways to Build a Great Team
About.com's Team Building Page
Make Your Good Team Great
Team Building, Collaboration and Communication

Join us next Wednesday as we learn more about "How to be a Better Manager" with tips on motivation!

Rainwater Court construction begins in Mahiga, Kenya | Architecture for Humanity

2010-03-29T15:28:00.000-07:00

This is really cool! I am excited to see such interesting projects being completed.

Rainwater Court construction begins in Mahiga, Kenya | Architecture for Humanity

How to Volunteer!

2010-03-29T11:59:00.000-07:00

Thanks to this place for the art.

Altruism is

Regard for others, both natural and moral; devotion to the interests of others; brotherly kindness; – opposed to egoism or selfishness

(according to Wiktionary.)

We engage in this kind of behavior in many roles and relationships in our lives and it is part of what has helped us survive as a species against all odds. The more complex our lives get, the more ways there are to demonstrate our regard for others, our caring attitude.

Volunteering is one great way to do this.

For those of us who already work in "altruistic" fields as a profession, it is easy to lose sight that volunteers are expressing a basic human need to give help and receive strength from the community in return. We can get caught up in deadlines, metrics, program recipients, board meetings and more.

So how to we improve this reciprocal relationship?

As in all other areas of life, communication is key.

If you are a volunteer, listen to what the real needs of the organization are before deciding what you're going to do. Explain clearly what you feel you can offer and what you hope your experience will include (or not include). Don't be disappointed if you don't find a match right away. You will find the right combo eventually. Adopt the mindset of a learner instead of an expert and you will find yourself part of something grand and meaningful. Even if you are seeking volunteer work because of mandated community service hours for school or a ticket, this is an opportunity to learn something about yourself and about your world. Remain open-minded.

If you are a volunteer manager, enlarge your vision for providing opportunities for human compassion, innovation, altruism and excitement to shine. Spell out what the needs are, but listen to the volunteers describe their hopes. Provide education on the issues your organization is addressing, on how your unique organizational culture works and how people can most easily and comfortably blend into it. Remember that it is an exchange and if your volunteers are not being "paid" in appreciation, visible progress, increasingly responsible or challenging assignments and camaraderie, then you are taking advantage of their kindness.

I came across this volunteer handbook from the Volunteer Center of San Francisco and San Mateo Counties and I thought it was just fantastic. Instead of targeting organizational do's and don'ts, it takes potential volunteers through thought-provoking personal questions about their passions, their expectations and their options. If you are a potential volunteer, or even if you've volunteered in the past, I highly recommend this brief, easy-to-read guide. If you are a volunteer manager, it is an excellent resource for potential volunteers (please don't just steal their ideas... give proper credit or contact them for more information about the handbook.) It is also a great reminder for us on the "inside" of the volunteer's journey and development, so share it with your colleagues who work with volunteers too.

Send an e-letter to stop human trafficking and modern day slavery!

2010-03-26T15:18:00.000-07:00

Photo courtesy of this site.

If you live in a city like Oakland, particularly in a neighborhood like mine, the reality of human trafficking is everywhere. In fact, it is so common that it is hard to see or believe.

But it is there.

Massage parlors, restaurants, small factories and construction sites use people who have gotten here in a number of ways. Some of them have been trafficked - kidnapped or conned into coming here to do something they do not wish to do and held against their will. Even more so are the prostitutes who walk up and down my street. Many of them are young girls, maybe 13 to 16 years old, plying their trade because they are afraid to leave. Not everyone engaged in prostitution or working in a sweat shop is there under duress, but intimidation, mis-information, neglect and abuse are all tools used to keep them where they are.

So yeah, that's my neighborhood. And I know it is worse in other places.

We can respond on a variety of levels, from reporting activity we observe to working with agencies that raid brothels. Each one of us has a different role to play. One very easy way to make a stand is to lobby our president to continue his administration's work to end slavery and trafficking.

International Justice Mission (IJM) has been one of my favorite organizations for years. They are currently trying to secure 20,000 signatures to a letter to President Obama. You can go directly to the letter here.

The letter reads:

Dear President Obama:
Nearly one year ago, we wrote to you asking that you make slavery eradication a hallmark of your Presidency. We thank you for appointing cabinet members and diplomats with a commitment to this issue, particularly Secretary Hillary Clinton and Deputy Secretary Maria Otero. We are grateful for your January 4th Proclamation of National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month, in which you stated: "We must join together as a Nation and global community to provide that safe haven by protecting victims and prosecuting traffickers."

Now, as you enter the second year of your Presidency, we respectfully urge that much more be done to make that "safe haven" a reality, abroad as well as at home. In our work around the world, International Justice Mission (IJM) has seen that traffickers are drawn to countries with weak justice systems. Today Haiti is a case in point, as fears of a rapid acceleration in human trafficking rise in the breakdown of rule of law.

We respectfully urge you to make the rebuilding of the Haitian police and judicial systems a priority. IJM has shown in its anti-trafficking work in the Philippines and Cambodia that when arrests and prosecutions of traffickers go up, the prevalence of the crime goes down. Building that capacity in Haiti, and scaling up and replicating proven strategies for victim relief and perpetrator accountability around the world is vitally needed.

We urge you to enact the following additional policies in the course of your Presidency:

- Identify slavery and trafficking eradication as a goal of U.S. foreign policy.

- Request a significant increase in resources from Congress to enlarge the State Department's Trafficking in Persons (G/TIP) office to enable TIP officials to engage in multi-year grant making in slavery-burdened countries, and conduct baseline prevalence studies of slavery and the best practices for eradicating it.

- Instruct U.S. Embassy officials, in consultation with TIP experts, to create country-specific operational strategies to address weaknesses in local public justice systems.

- Raise the issue of trafficking and slavery eradication at the highest levels within foreign governments and instruct U.S. diplomats abroad to do the same.

- Incorporate anti-slavery objectives into the executive branch's foreign assistance reform process.

We appreciate your attention to these pressing matters.

If you have a spare 90 seconds, please head over to their site and sign the letter. It costs nothing and is a step in the right direction. They need less than 5,000 signatures to reach their goal.

Happy Ada Lovelace Day!

2010-03-24T15:01:00.000-07:00

Happy Ada Lovelace Day!

Ever since I was a young girl, I wanted to be a scientist. Although those dreams didn't work out, I am still inspired and spurred on by the long history of women who have forged ahead in ways that don't just move women forward, but move humanity forward.

Born in 1815, Ada Lovelace was a pioneer in computer programming, laying the foundation for software as we know it today.

From the official website FindingAda.com:

Ada Lovelace was one of the world’s first computer programmers, and one of the first people to see computers as more than just a machine for doing sums. She wrote programmes for Charles Babbage’s Analytical Engine, a general-purpose computing machine, despite the fact that it was never built. She also wrote the very first description of a computer and of software.

Here's to many more years of celebrating the breakthroughs of women in technology and women who don't take no for an answer!

Management Boot Camp: Controlling Your Non-Profit Program

2010-03-24T11:41:00.000-07:00

Wednesday is Management Boot Camp Day for Frontline Heroes, exploring basic biz school concepts from your perspective!

Photo thanks to this place.

So we have spent the last three Boot Camps talking about the traditional functions of management.

We looked at the first step in everything: Planning. The act of planning helps us work out the resources we need, the strengths we are building on, the risks involved and what steps will be needed to get from here to there.

The second step was of course Organization. Once you know who and what you need, getting it all together in the right way is a crucial step. And then the third step we examined was Directing. This is what people often think of when they think of management... telling people what to do. It doesn't work well, though, without the careful planning and thorough organizing ahead of time.

Today we come to the last traditional management function: Controlling. Some folks call this Monitoring instead, but either term works. Controlling sounds like such a nasty word, but it is incredibly important to do. All the beautiful planning and great team building exercises and enthusiastic volunteers can be for nothing when an unexpected change happens and you don't find out about it until it's too late.

The first thing to understand about Controlling your program, processes or projects is that it is an on-going, iterative process. As long as you are working, you are controlling that work. It will never be done. As the manager, you are responsible to know everything that is going on in your sphere at all times. Since you probably didn't get the omnipresence or omniscience gene, you will need to develop SYSTEMS to help you with this.

How can you keep an eye on things when you're not there?

Systems, my friend. Build some kind of tool that gives you useful information at every point along the way. It can be as simple as a photocopied form or as complex as a bar code RFID database. Here are three things to keep in mind.

1. Know what your goals are:

On track - how well are you accomplishing the tasks needed to get to the goal?
On time - how efficiently are tasks being completed?
On budget - how wisely is the budget being followed?

2. Recognize existing organizational controls and piggyback on them (if it makes sense to):

Safety reporting
Attendance for staff and volunteers
Intake procedures for new vols
Staff and volunteer evaluations
Finance procedures (reporting, budget, spending)
Policies and Procedures reports required

3. Build a culture of open, quick and upward communication:

Make feedback as easy as possible
Eliminate negativity or fear from communications
Continually train people how to use the systems and reward them visibly for doing so
Gather responses from volunteers and staff after each shift, once a week, when milestones have been achieved or as often as is manageable

Ohio State has some great things to remember when Designing Effective Control Systems:

1. Control at all levels in the business (if you design something great, the whole org might adopt it!)
2. Acceptability to those who will enforce decisions
3. Flexibility
4. Accuracy
5. Timeliness
6. Cost effectiveness
7. Understandability
8. Balance between objectivity and subjectivity
9. Coordinated with planning, organizing and leading

Each element of your program will need its own version of control. Sometimes these things are driven by funder requirements, grant reporting, or other external needs. Don't get steamrolled by them! Include those requirements in the design, but get the information YOU need to keep the whole thing moving forward.

If it isn't working, how do you fix it?

In a perfect world, all the info coming back upstream to you is "Hey, its all gravy! Life is wonderful, we're on budget, on time and on target!" Just in case you don't live in that world, you will experience that things break down. People with critical skills will leave the organization. Economic forces, both global and local, will change the landscape. Priorities or funding will shift and take the organization with it. When the plan doesn't seem to be working, it is up to you to fix it. Here are some tips:

1. Go back to your plan.

Have you deviated from the plan?
Is it reasonable to go back to the original plan?
Did you include a risk management assessment in it?
What pieces of that risk management plan apply to this situation? Implement them.

2. Ask your team

The people on the ground are likely to have some great ideas as to why its not working.
Gather all the information you can possibly get. The real, hidden issue might be revealed, as will potential solutions.
Get buy-in from volunteers and staff in a way that empowers them. Instead of laying blame, the team is retrenching to find a solution.

3. Figure it out early!

Set feedback systems up early so that you are alerted to danger right away. The first time a volunteer comes back and says they assembled 10 packages in an hour, instead of the 30 you thought they would, you can begin making adjustments.
Don't ever assume a small problem will resolve itself. Ignoring it never works! You may choose to watch a situation and let it unfold, but you are still controlling by observing closely.
Take action that is reflective of the severity of the issue (no nuclear bombs to take care of an ant problem!) As they say, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

4. Try a solution

Sometimes the only thing you can do is find the best idea, try it and if it fails, move on to the next idea.
Document what you are trying and why. Add this to the program, project or process evaluation for the future.

When are you done monitoring things?

The short answer is NEVER! As I said, this is an iterative process. If you step back and look at what you and your team (including volunteers) do over a given period (say, a year) you will begin to see realistic opportunities to check in on things.

Volunteers

If your ranks of volunteers are not too large, consider setting up a quarterly check in with volunteers. Ask for ideas, feedback, concerns, successes, etc. Review their job description and make sure you're both still on the same page.
Is it reasonable to have volunteers summarize what they did on their particular shift? Or have team leaders provide that feedback to you?
Make computer systems easy to use so volunteers will more accurately enter data

Staff

Ask staff to send you a weekly update email with the highlights of their week and progress on various projects. The benefit to them is that they can easily access this information to build their resume or portfolio and they don't have to have you hovering over them to figure out what they're doing.
Make sure staff members understand the procedures and can explain them to volunteers. Explain the benefits to following these procedures, including growing the success of your project, funding requirements, etc.
Lean on the strengths of process-oriented staff members. Ask them to help build realistic feedback systems so that nasty surprises don't creep up and there is no panic when a grant report is due.

The specific look of your control systems will be as unique as your program. If you want to bounce ideas off me as to what you can do to keep things in line in your program, please feel free to send me an email. I'd be happy to give feedback, suggestions, ideas and encouragement!

Also, check out this site from the United Nations Development Programme. Although the top 1/3 is more about their goals, it is short and interesting. Even more so are their thoughts on the difference between monitoring and evaluation. (In a nutshell, monitoring/controlling is ongoing and evaluation is time-bound.) Both concepts are necessary in a successful program.

And as always, Management Help has some great reading on the controlling function of management.

No matter what, he who forgets the past is doomed to repeat it. If you are wise enough to listen to what is going on, learn from it, make adjustments and keep moving, you will see your programs achieve more than you could have dreamed of!

Check back next Wednesday for more discussion of management from the non-profit perspective!

Videocast #1: Hello World! Background and Vision for Frontline Heroes with Alyssa Penman

2010-03-23T13:50:00.000-07:00

Hello world!

This is certainly not my first post, but it is my first VIDEO post. I apologize for the large square head I appear to have... next time I won't record in front of the tv. Who knew my hair was so dark?

Hope you enjoy hearing a little bit more about me and my journey and why I am so excited about Frontline Heroes.

Admit It - You Wish You Could Say This Stuff to Volunteers Sometimes!

2010-03-22T21:57:00.000-07:00

Photo thanks to this place.

Once upon a time I railed against social mores that required keeping one's mouth shut and opinions to oneself. After years of tasting my own foot I have been persuaded that life is smoother when I'm not always rocking the boat.

However, I do wish I had written something like the volunteer manifesto seen here from the Philadelphia Folk Festival. It's refreshingly honest, though cheeky, written from one volunteer to another. And it is uncommon candor in my experience.

I do think it would be a very different message coming from a staff person instead of another volunteer, so I would generally advise against using it as a standard of practice for volunteer orientation. But let's be honest... we wish we could lay it out like this sometimes!

Here are some excerpts:

A (hopefully) Useful and (possibly) humorous
Guide to Survival
as a Camper and Volunteer
at The Philadelphia Folk Festival

...
Volunter EARLY and, if you have a preference as to which Committee you want to be on, let it be known. You don't get if you don't ask, and the EARLIER you ask the BETTER your chances!

OK. To be honest about it, MOST of the Committees at Festival are comprised of returning Volunteers and any new spots are usually filled by their friends and relations.   It may be nepotistic, but it works quite well for the Festival. If you are a 'casual' first-time volunteer, especially if you wait untll late July to volunteer, you will probably wind up in either Parking, Camping or Security. (I spent four years on Camping and three in Security and loved every minute of it.) But for all Committees the drill is pretty much the same.

...
02: Thou Shalt Understand What The Hell Thou Art To Do During Thy Shift.

If you are unclear as to your duties,  ASK YOUR CREW CHIEF. In the unlikely event that the Crew Chief does not have the answers, then BOTH of you should go talk to the Field Supervisor or next-in command.

Be clear as to what is expected of you. Know where to be, when to be there and what to do,
and everything else is simple.

...
Show up.   Do your shift.   Once your shift is over, have fun.
That's it.
Have a Great Festival!

Free Prom Dresses for High Schoolers

2010-03-18T14:56:00.000-07:00

Image courtesy of this place.

It's that time of year... Prom season!

I never went to prom, so I'm not a huge fan of it as the Absolutely Necessary Rite of Passage for Authentic American Teens, but maybe I'm just bitter. However, I can see that it is one more way in which young people whose families are not wealthy can be stigmatized. And there are lots of other people purchasing expensive dresses that they will wear one time. So recycling + low-cost solution = awesome!

Check out the following news stories on organizations offering prom dresses and consider donating that fancy cocktail dress in the back of your closet that you know you will never wear again!

Enchanted Evening in Visalia, CA.
Princess Project in San Francisco, CA
Treehouse Center for Youth, Grand Junction, CO
Priceless Gown Project, Baltimore, MD
The Glass Slipper Closet, Jonesboro, AR

Management Boot Camp: Directing

2010-03-17T12:00:00.000-07:00

Wednesday is Management Boot Camp Day for Frontline Heroes, exploring basic biz school concepts from your perspective!

See how much they love their manager?

Photo courtesy of this place.

For the last two weeks we've talked about preparing to get things done. First we looked at the importance of planning, whether for a fixed-term project or an ongoing program. Last week we talked about getting organized; pulling together the resources to be successful. In my ever-so-qualified opinion, this is where some of us in front line management might not have enough emphasis. There are so many pressures, such limitations on resources and a lack of true mentorship from the executive management that proper preparation gets rushed or thrown out entirely. I hope that we can find ways to accomplish these essential functions of management and be more effective in changing the world.

Now, the third function of management! Directing!

Ohio State defines directing as

[I]nfluencing people's behavior through motivation, communication, group dynamics, leadership and discipline. The purpose of directing is to channel the behavior of all personnel to accomplish the organization's mission and objectives while simultaneously helping them accomplish their own career objectives.

As managers we are not just sitting by and watching things get done, but neither are we (theoretically) doing the work ourselves. We are there because by our skilled management the 10 people we supervise accomplish more than they would be able to accomplish on their own.

Note also that you are accomplishing the objectives of the organization, but you are also helping your team grow individually. Think back to the best managers you've had. They believed in you, right? Provided encouragement and feedback that boosted you to another level? Were tough but fair with their employees? You can be that kind of manager!

And it isn't just other paid staff you direct when you are managing. Volunteers need excellent managers and can be given the same useful feedback that they can apply to their careers.

So how do we motivate people to do all these great things?

We can look at it from three angles: needs, rewards and effort.

Needs

My boyfriend and I were discussing our careers yesterday. He is coming to the realization that he needs challenges in his work environment. Routine is anathema to him (as it is to me) and it leads to feelings of being trapped. If you were his manager, you would take this information and set him loose on projects where he would excel. Another person may derive significant motivation from the security of a routine, or from the prestige of being given a title or special role on the team. Consider also competition (friendly, of course!), learning, hitting goals... all needs that people have that might be big motivators.

How might we discover and meet some of those needs so that our team is highly motivated to perform?

The easiest way is to ask!

"What kinds of activities do you really love doing?"
"Describe your dream job."
"When have you felt the most engaged and enthusiastic since volunteering here?"
"If we posted a running tally on the board, how would that make you feel?"

Listening and learning are the first steps to motivating by needs. Then find ways to start meeting those needs.

Rewards

When we are paid for our work, we are being rewarded. Showing up is rewarded with a paycheck. If you want more than just "showing up", though, some other reward might help. As a fundraiser in one position I've had, I had the potential to earn a great bonus if I exceeded my plan numbers. Although I got nowhere near that number, it was a huge motivator.

There are more rewards than cash, though! For volunteers especially, you can't use a paycheck or bonus. Consider the reward of one-on-one time with you or with another executive. When I was a volunteer at the shelter I later worked at, I would go for coffee with the Program Manager and we would chat about the program and what was going on. Those interactions were a huge motivator for me (and incidentally led me to eventually take that job when my manager was moving on!) Reward high-performing volunteers with a lunch with the Executive Director or an invitation to a special event. If you have a lot of volunteers, encourage attendance by giving them a raffle ticket each time they show up and at the end of the month raffle off a $50 gas or grocery card. If safety is an issue, have a mini-celebration when you reach 30 accident-free days. The rewards don't need to be expensive or even tangible. Experiences can feel as rewarding as stuff.

Effort

There is something to be said for trying hard, too. Quiet, consistent, hard-working and trustworthy people are often overlooked because they are not the shining stars and rainmakers. Make effort pay off by acknowledging it. For volunteers this would include honoring volunteers who have completed 100 hours of service, or 3 years with the organization. It might mean that the steady volunteer who has been sorting cans for the last year is asked to be a mentor for a new volunteer because of their dedication. The annual volunteer luncheon or the organization's banquet are ideal times to honor the effort individuals have put in.

Mix all three of these kinds of motivation and you'll have a team that will go to the mat for you.

What about communication?

This is the most visible element of the directing function. There are lots of resources out there to help you improve your communication skills. (Here is a great list of tips!) If you feel that people frequently misunderstand you, or have to keep coming back to ask questions, consider investigating some of these tools to improve your communication.

However, let's look at a few things to remember about communication that will help in the directing function:

1. Focus. Information needs to be presented in a way that allows the appropriate level of focus. Step back and think about when and where you present instructions, feedback, correction, praise, inspiration, organizational updates, etc. Is your team able to focus on what you are saying? Eliminate any barriers to this so team members can be successful. Barriers might be physical (if the group is too large or the location too noisy), emotional (if feedback is given too soon or too long after the incident or if they just aren't in the right head space), or cultural (if delivered with a lack of respect or in an inappropriate venue), among others.

2. Clarity. You know what you think you said, but did they hear it too? Often we are encouraged to practice reflective listening ("So I hear you saying that you want this project to be my top priority?") but you can encourage this from the "giving" end too. Simply saying, "What did I just ask you to do?" is not the way to go, though! That is how you talk to a 3rd grader and it won't win you any friends. Instead, after suggesting a course of action or explaining something, ask open-ended questions to encourage immediate feedback, leading to easier clarification. At the end of the entire conversation, recap what you each will do and when to follow up if applicable.

3. Getting It. So the people you are communicating with understand what you're saying. Do they agree with you? Or with the process? Are they willing to act on the information? If not, then your job is not done. Humans are not machines; your team might have one hundred reasons why they don't want to or can't roll with your plans. If you see this pattern emerging with volunteers or team members, some humble investigation is in order. Framing things as positively as possible, ask questions about how individuals feel about the mission, the role they're in, their team dynamics, the way in which you communicate, or anything else that might help you motivate them to move forward with you.

And what about group dynamics, discipline and leadership?

Well, check out this article breaking down group dynamics.

This one talks about what NOT to do when disciplining employees. And check out last week's post on firing volunteers.

And leadership is an elusive subject. Here is a list of great readings on leadership. An interesting subject they address is the debate about separating leadership and management.

And for some more reading on the directing function, check out this and this article.

Check back next Wednesday as Management Boot Camp tackles controlling!

You're Invited!

2010-03-16T15:00:00.000-07:00

Image courtesy of these folks.

Are you in the San Francisco Bay Area?

Do you want to enjoy less stress and more effectiveness?

Are you interested in attending a free 3 hour seminar (a $150 value!)?

Well then you would be perfect to attend my first seminar! It is free because its the first one and I'm using you as a guinea pig.

"Think Like a Project Manager: Getting Things Done for Non-Profit Managers" will be debuting in mid-April 2010 and I'm seeking up to 10 individuals to attend the seminar and provide anonymous feedback via surveys and not-so-anonymous feedback via video.

The seminar will give an entry-level overview of project management and a more in depth look at the planning elements. Be sure to bring a challenge with you because a significant portion of the time will be spent working on your specific projects. All materials will be provided, but being the green girl I am, I won't have tons of papers for you, so you'll want to bring something to take notes with.

I hate seminars where you feel like you've had tons of information, most of which you already knew, dumped on you with little or no practical application. My personal feeling is that right now, right here is the place to start applying the principles we are discussing and who better to do it with than those who are in a boat very similar to yours.

So, if you are interested in participating in this inaugural event, please shoot me an email or reply in the comments.

Link: Stop Wasting Your Leadership

2010-03-16T10:20:00.000-07:00

This is an interesting blog post I came across. It is aimed at executive directors, but I think it is one of those things that can transform a career. The principles are applicable to you wherever you are on the leadership ladder and make it a whole lot easier to climb said ladder.

A note too, he recommends Getting Things Done by David Allen which was also recommended to us by Frontline Hero Kevin Elliott. I think the time has come for me to read it, live it and review it.

Anyway, check out Saul Garlick's blog for a good message!

Saul Garlick: Stop Wasting Your Leadership

Lovin on your volunteers

2010-03-15T10:00:00.000-07:00

As I have said before, volunteers are paid in love. Not literally because that is illegal.

But appreciation is the love they're looking for. Simple thankfulness at their presence, having real human connections with individuals, special things that set them apart, unique experiences, organizational swag, all of these would say to the right volunteer that they are valued.

Here is a round-up of some creative ideas on showing volunteers our appreciation:

Sending thank you notes or recognition to a volunteer's workplace and more neat ideas!
Provide scholarships for volunteers to attend volunteer workshops or conferences.
Give volunteers a gift that fits their personality or interests.
Ask volunteers to represent your organization as a speaker or in a letter.
VolunteerSpot's blog has lots of ideas about using holidays for creative appreciation.

Join us next Monday as we look at more volunteer management ideas!

Think Beyond the Label – Workers & Employees with Disabilities in the Workplace

2010-03-14T19:51:00.000-07:00

Just came across this and thought it was really interesting! Check it out!

Think Beyond the Label – Workers & Employees with Disabilities in the Workplace

Links: The Journey of the Volunteer

2010-03-14T10:06:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I noted that the corporate volunteering blog Realizing Your Worth was generating some buzz on a LinkedIn group with the article "The Journey of the Volunteer: Tourist, Traveler & Guide." Now the second part of the post is up and I still think it is a great post. In fact, it needs no improvement for me. I just wanted to share it with you!

So check it out: Realizing Your Worth: Tourist, Traveler, Guide: The Journey of the Volunteer, Part 2

This sounds so familiar!

2010-03-14T09:54:00.000-07:00

The various sectors of employment are like siblings that are all a bit different and they can't quite understand one another.

This Washington Post HR column discusses a common challenge in the non profit world: the organization is quirky and needy and newbies are frustrated and overwhelmed by it so they leave. It doesn't indicate that the people who are new are new to non-profit, but it speaks of them as "professionals" so they might be lawyers or others who traditionally work in another field. A field where people behave a certain way and must in fact do so in order to retain talent and succeed in the marketplace. Now they are transitioning to the social sector, hoping to make a difference and none of the rules apply anymore.

My realization that things were different in our sector happened when a woman joined our team at the shelter from a very large, well-respected international firm. Working in recovery, you get comfortable with a certain amount of drama and crazy, but her arrival threw a light on our staff's behavior that had gotten too far down the rabbit hole. An outsider asking innocent questions and making accurate but unflattering observations pushed us all to make long overdue changes.

Check out this column and the response. What are YOUR thoughts on it?

Ways to tackle ambiguity at a non-profit organization - washingtonpost.com

Interview with a Frontline Hero: Vicki Amon-Higa of Animal Assisted Happiness!

2010-03-12T12:56:00.000-08:00

Picture courtesy of Animal Assisted Happiness.

Today I am excited to interview one of the founders of Animal Assisted Happiness, a Northern California-based non-profit that brings joy to children experiencing health and/or family challenges through meeting and caring for animals.

Please check out their website and see if there are ways you can contribute to changing the lives of those in need. Specific items on their wish list include children's benches, a picnic table and a shed for their temporary office!

************

Frontline Heroes: Hi Vicki! Thank you for taking the time to talk to me about Animal Assisted Happiness. I know you are one of the founders. Where did the idea come from and how were you able to turn your dream into reality?

Vicki Amon-Higa: [The other founder] Peter and I have had a long love for kids and animals. Over the years, we accumulated a small farm of animals. As friends became aware of our barnyard, they helped spread the word of our little animal heaven in the middle of Silicon Valley. We have enjoyed having Girl Scouts come over and earn their badges. We have had school classes visit us for field trips. We've even had veterinarians come over to learn more about goats!

As much as our friends were having fun with the animals, we were getting the most joy out of inviting and watching people with life challenges interact with the animals. We've had a mother with cancer come on multiple occasions because it made her relax and forget the hardships of her terrible disease. We've had a troubled teenager come on a weekly basis because it gave her a sense of purpose and responsibility to take care of some of our animals.

But what we most loved was the interaction between children with special needs and our animals. The cheek-to-cheek smiles that the animals were able to bring about were truly moments of joy. We helped bring smiles to kids with down syndrome, autism and other life and health challenges.

Our dream is to enhance the lives of children with life, health and family challenges, and eventually build a destination sanctuary where children can interact with animals and experience smiles that only animals can bring.

FH: I see board members highlighted on your website, but who are the "frontline heroes" in your organization? Do you have paid or volunteer staff members who manage the deveoping friendships between children and animals?

VA: Our frontline heros are our Youth Advisory Board volunteers -- kids in 6th - 12th grade that volunteer their time to help with the animals and help with animal interactions with our AAH Clients -- we have a great group of youth volunteers.

FH: That is great! A really neat opportunity for young people to learn valuable skills. And in an urban area like the Bay Area, an unusual treat to work on a farm! What are the most important skills you look for in your team?

VA: Passion for children and animals!

FH: Does AAH have any unique management challenges? (I would guess animals don't put much store in business school techniques!) How have you solved them?

VA: I guess our big, unique management challenge is to find a site for AAH that is not in our backyard! Finding a site is crucial to raising money to be able to move away from our proof of concept facility, our backyard, to a site that is more available and conducive to visits for children and their families with all types of needs.

FH: If you had any advice for those new to the non profit field, what would it be?

VA: Just do it! If you can dream it, you can do it -- if you are willing to work hard and not give up your day job!!

FH: Thank you so much, Vicki! I appreciate your time and the great work you and AAH are doing!

In the News: Volunteering at home

2010-03-12T12:09:00.000-08:00

Image courtesy of this site.

Check out this article from a Northern California newspaper on at-home volunteering projects.

Suggestions include specific organizations that can use hand knit teddy bears, letters to congress and sending cards to sick kids. All very good ideas.

What are some additional ideas that you can use people who might want to volunteer at home? It would be great to always have at least 2 ways that people can get involved from home on your volunteer web page. This captures the excitement and urgency a volunteer feels at that moment without adding a lot of work to your plate!

And who might want to volunteer at home?

Parents who want a project they can do with their young children
Busy working people who can't volunteer during traditional times
Disabled individuals who can't get to your site easily or often
People who live in rural areas where opportunities are limited
Students who are far from home or very busy
Scouting troops, youth groups or others who want to do an independent project
Hobby clubs with relevant skills
Seniors living in active communities or in nursing homes but are still able to participate

Each group might have a different strength. Consider how you might approach each group to best use their skills.

Stuff I Like: David Maister on Management

2010-03-11T12:00:00.000-08:00

David Maister is an expert on management. I recently discovered his videos online and am enjoying his perspective immensely. Although he primarily focuses on professional service firms (like lawyers) I think there are a lot of applications for us in the non-profit world. His primary idea is that to succeed, you have to get people to give you what you need voluntarily. This cuts close to home when it comes to volunteers and clients. We want them to participate but we cannot pay them. How do we attract them and build valuable relationships that work for both parties?

Check out the video above, as well as the links below. And if you're an accentphile like me, enjoy the bit o' brit!

Here is a video called "It's Not About You" on CNN Money.

And if you go to his website you will find a video player with all kinds of clips!

Management Boot Camp: You get a week off!

2010-03-11T09:00:00.000-08:00

Every Wednesday I like to look at a traditional "business school" idea, term, whatever and explore it from our perspective - the frontline non-profit manager.

While working on this week's post I got terribly distracted by watching David Maister's videos on management (see next post!) and amazing, inspiring awesome videos from TED. I apologize for not having it in on time, but I'm glad I've found these various treasures.

This next week we will talk about Directing, the third of the four elements of management. Directing is the good stuff... making the magic happen! Please come back next Wednesday and check it out!

How do you solve a problem like Haiti?

2010-03-09T11:43:00.000-08:00

Photo thanks to these guys.

Check out this article, discussing the response of Haiti's government to the efforts of the global community. (Thank @nptweets for the link!)

In a nutshell, Haiti has a whole lot of people coming in trying to help people, but the government feels like they don't have any power, control, regulation or even awareness of all these various groups, how much they're spending, what they're doing, etc.

Can you imagine if foreign groups swarmed into New Orleans post-Katrina? Would the government have appreciated or accepted unregulated assistance? I was there the month after the hurricane managing a shelter for evacuees and this was a huge challenge. Groups from everywhere poured in, wanting to help, but wanting to do it their way, with their specific goals. Sometimes it caused real problems. It was like the Wild West.

This is a tough situation and I have no comprehensive answers. The existing Haitian government inspires little confidence, but they are a sovereign power. Haiti is its own country with its own rules and we all, the global community, must respect that. The need is great too, and must be met, which the Haitian government is incapable of doing immediately. I'm glad the circus tents are going to the government so they can start establishing a physical presence again.

Tough tough tough. What do you all think?

Busch Gardens donates tilapia to nonprofit hurt by freezes

2010-03-08T16:00:00.000-08:00

This is interesting!

Busch Gardens donates tilapia to nonprofit hurt by freezes

So there is this non-profit called Morning Star Fishermen that teaches potential aquaculture farmers from around the world how to raise tilapia. The tilapia eat algae and their waste is used to feed plants on land. The plants and soil filter rainwater. Water goes into the pond for the tilapia to live. And we all break into a chorus of "The Circle of Life"!

Just kidding about the song. But seriously, sustainable farming (land and aqua) techniques are important.

Ok. So we've got those guys. Now, the freezing temps killed a bunch of their fish. Bad news! However, just an hour south of them Busch Gardens has to off load about 1000 tilapia from one of their lakes. So they're going to send the fish to live with Morningstar! How awesome is that!

I like it when the big guy can help the little guy and the little guy is helping the world.

Do you still think branding is not important for non profits?

2010-03-08T15:46:00.000-08:00

I'll say right up front that I'm not the biggest fan of the Great Pink Machine, but that is probably because I'm a contrarian. And a little jealous. And when I would talk about heart disease (the #1 killer in the US) and stroke (the #1 cause of long-term disability and the #3 cause of death in the US) I'd ask people what they thought killed the most women in the US. Without fail, they always answered breast cancer. Not because its true, but because breast cancer has better marketing.

Check out this article about the most valued non profit brand.

Anyone that thinks branding isn't important for non profits is delusional. Savvy partnerships, a unique profile and consistent messaging have made Susan G. Komen For the Cure the most valued non-profit brand. And they have brought much-needed attention to cancer in general, which is a good thing.

Just something to think about. :)

Volunteers: Can they be fired?

2010-03-08T10:15:00.000-08:00

Image courtesy of this dude.

This is inevitably the most feared and asked question about volunteers...

Can they be fired? If so, how?

Without the carrot of a paycheck or the stick of getting fired, how can we make sure that volunteers are actually benefiting the organization and not just draining resources?

Volunteers perform essential jobs, they must be responsible and produce the agreed upon work to standard in order for a nonprofit to achieve its mission. Nonperforming volunteers must be allowed a chance to improve, but if they do not, then they must be relieved of their job.

- Carol L. Barbeito, Ph.D., President, CLB & Associates

This is the bottom line truth. Volunteers are there to further the mission of the organization. Those who are there for any other reason (court-mandated community service or volunteer hours for students) need to understand even more clearly how important it is to follow through completely on the assignment even if it isn't that fun. Note also that she says they need to be "relieved of their job" but not necessarily fired. You might move them to a role that is less sensitive, or more in line with their interests, etc. You cannot let them continue, though. To do so indicates to everyone (colleagues, clients, funders) that the program isn't important enough to warrant quality volunteers.

When you have a volunteer who is causing problems, here is the quick-and-dirty way to deal with it:

1. Think REALLY hard about it. Why is this person causing problems? How have you handled it so far? What do you really need from a volunteer in this role?

2. Exhaust all other options. If the volunteer is struggling, pay more attention to their work and see where the breakdown is. Maybe this just isn't the job for them... find a more appropriate role. If it is the right job but they need more training, make sure they get it. Perhaps its a bit of burnout and they just don't care... is there a way to re-inspire them? When those options are through, consider referring them to a more appropriate agency (they just don't like working with kids, but care about children's issues - a policy org might love to have them!) And then sometimes it is just time for volunteers to retire from service.

3. Treat everyone equally. The organization needs a clear policy for how to fire volunteers that is applied consistently. Just like a paid employee, you need to give the volunteer notice that something isn't working. And when an incident happens, make sure that there is an impartial person investigating so the volunteer is treated fairly. Then make a consistent application of consequences. You might have a more lenient policy for volunteers than employees (such as tardiness, etc.) but it should be the same for all volunteers.

4. Rip the bandage off quickly and cleanly. When it comes time to fire the volunteer, you have ideally already talked to them about the issue through a warning and other discussions, so sitting down to talk about it will be no surprise. Do it away from other volunteers and clients, but have another person present, preferably someone neutral. Deliver the bad news simply, quickly and with no ifs, ands, or buts. You are making a statement of fact: You appreciate their work on behalf of the organization, however it is no longer necessary. There is no argument. If you feel like you will cave, the other person who will be present can help intervene when they see you wobbling. (Talk about that ahead of time!) And while you want to be kind, this is not the time to give them advice or counsel them. They have to figure their life out and move forward on their own.

5. Don't leave them hanging. Send an official letter reiterating the separation. Be as professional and kind as you can without losing integrity. Thank them for their work. Express regret at the inability to reconcile priorities if its the truth. If they are eligible to volunteer again in the future, indicate that. If you are recommending they volunteer with another organization, include that. Keep a copy in your files so that anyone who might take over for you in the future knows what has gone on.

This great article from CASA talks more about this process. And this article has some sample language you might find useful.

What are your other options besides firing volunteers though? This post from a front line manager talks about dealing with volunteers who needed a season off. What a great idea! If life is getting complicated for someone and they are emotionally burned out or becoming a flake, maybe a sabbatical is called for. In this fashion, you can preserve a relationship with an otherwise good volunteer. I dealt with volunteers who were flaky this way frequently.

One of my toughest challenges was in the chapel at the homeless shelter. Prior to my tenure, chapel was mandatory to receive dinner. In my opinion, that caused problems because people were there against their will and became disruptive and rude. When we want to try new things in chapel like small groups, new speakers and more relevant teaching, the old guard fought me tooth-and-nail. Many of these preachers had been speaking there for 20+ years. They did not want to see change happen. My commitment, however, was not to preserving the experience for the volunteer, but to giving the best care to the guests. I let people know ahead of time that we would be changing the format and that everyone would need to talk to me to find a new time to speak that fit in with the new program. This gave the volunteers who did not want to see anything change an option to move on. It also gave me an opportunity to get to know these inherited volunteers better. I found many new allies who were excited about the opportunities the change in format presented and who wanted to engage our guests more authentically. Those who just wanted a venue to shout and feel important had to find another one. It was a tough time and I got called a few choice names, but at the end of the day, I really believe it was necessary and beneficial for those I was there to serve.

What have been your toughest challenges with volunteers?

See you back here next Monday for more on managing volunteers, and later this week with ramblings on directing and more!

Stuff I Like: Urban Farming & Worker Owned Co-ops

2010-03-07T11:28:00.000-08:00

I am very interested in worker-owned cooperatives and the way in which some of these companies can take on elements of social change that non-profits might not accomplish as well. There is a whole gamut of them, and the idea does not have to be tied to any particular city, political ideology or industry. The films on YouTube that I've been watching emphasize the openness to hire formerly incarcerated people who might otherwise have a hard time getting jobs, which I love, too. Oh, just too many good things.

Check it out.

Want to start a book club?

2010-03-05T16:58:00.000-08:00

I have been a miserable failure at the book club phenomenon. (Is it even still a phenomenon? Are people still doing this?)

However, I do know a few things:

1) I love books.
2) I love to talk/type.
3) I love to hear/read other people's perspectives.
4) I love to be challenged in areas of personal and professional growth.

So as I was perusing the Acumen Fund site I came across this:

And apparently they have this book club in a box kit where you get the book and a study guide, etc. I like this idea!

I would definitely be interested in reading this book, as well as a host of others, new and classic. Of specific interest are ways to innovate and improve the "third sector", ways to be better at what we do and stories of inspiration or awareness about different issues. Homelessness and hunger are my go-to subjects and I love reading about them, but I'm also eager to learn about clean water in Africa and micro-loans in Cambodia and ending human trafficking in India.

So, if you too like to read books, holla and maybe we can have a bit of a virtual book club! You can holla by means of comments or directly via penman {dot} alyssa {at} gmail {dot} com.

Jugaad: Something we need more of in not-for-profits

2010-03-04T13:31:00.000-08:00

The business news channels and PBS often show profiles of interesting industries or the business landscape in various countries that I find absolutely fascinating. I get great ideas, challenge my limited vision and learn more about the world.

Recently I came across a film on PBS called Indique: Big Ideas from Emerging India. It was hosted and directed by Simone Ahuja and highlighted some creative solutions coming out of all parts of India.

The thing that struck me the most was the concept of Jugaad. According to the film, jugaad is creative improvisation, finding innovative ways of doing improbable things and it is equal parts necessity and optimism. Frankly, I think we need a little more jugaad in our sector. (Incidentally here and here are two more definitions/descriptions of jugaad.)

I actually wrote this post already and ranted for a bit about how legacy charities seem to adopt all the bureaucracy of big business without the lean, creative, innovative, hungry edge of entrepreneurism. Somehow that post went away, but perhaps that is for the best.

Instead, here are a few elements I gained from watching this film and my observations about the world around me:

1. Resourcefulness, cleverness, ingenuity, whatever you want to call it, does NOT need to mean inferior quality or lack of durability. Yes, jury-rigged often denotes temporary, but not necessarily shoddy. And the temporary solution or work-around should inform the ongoing improvement of your processes.

2. We need to meet people where they are at. Another show I watched on business in India (I'm afraid I can't recall the name) mentioned a business man who sells hair dye in small, week-long packets because it can be sold at a price point that people paid daily can afford. They never amass enough money at one time to splurge on a 3-month permanent dye, so create something they CAN afford. This kind of creative thinking is exploding in countries like Brazil, India and China.

3. I am excited about opportunities to accomplish the kind of economic transformation that will empower people to solve the problems of their community without the need for ongoing intervention from outsiders. I was really looking forward to the Acumen Fund event last night, but I've gotten this annoying head cold, so I couldn't go. However, I'm still eager to learn more about how people are making social enterprise work.

What do you think? How can you get a little MacGyver action going on in your organization or program?

Management Basics: Organization

2010-03-03T12:58:00.000-08:00

Wednesday is Management Boot Camp Day for Frontline Heroes, exploring basic biz school concepts from your perspective!

Ok, how is planning different from organizing? I use them interchangeably all the time: "Ok, we've gotta get organized! We need a plan!"

In management, though, those two activities are distinct. Last week we talked about planning and how to do it. Whether it is for a project, a program, a day, a week or a year, planning involves goal setting, resource ideas, developing a schedule, working out what steps you need to take to get from here to there.

This is the time to start putting real names to roles, getting team buy-in, gathering the resources needed, and otherwise getting everything lined up to execute the plan.

Personally, I tend to want to gather up a bunch of raw material, pick a direction, get started and make adjustments along the way. That is fine if the stakes aren't too high. Planning and organizing in that case are very closely related and might happen at the same time. Get the five people involved in a room together, hash out a plan, go grab the stuff and just do it.

And if the stakes are higher? Planning and organizing might still happen in close proximity, but paying more attention to these foundational functions will pay off later.

People

Take the plan you have oh-so-elegantly crafted and look at the people you need on your team.

Consider:

Do the team members need to be staff, volunteers, end-users, or colleagues from other organizations?
Which, if any, need specific technical skills?
What specific people would be your ideal team? (Don't be afraid to tell them so!)
What other requirements do you need your team members to meet?
When do you need to get all these folks locked and loaded?
Are you prepared to recruit them? (Even if they've been assigned to this team by their superiors you will still need to persuade them that the project needs them on the team.)
Once they are official team members, do they understand their role, who they report to, who reports to them and the scope of their role?
Are team members trained to do the functions that you need them to do?

Getting the right people "on the bus" as they say is vital. Resourceful, creative, positive people will be able to take any project further than it would go otherwise. And if other challenges come up, a great team will persevere. Do not discount volunteers. Organizations like Taproot Foundation, Women On Call and others can connect you with highly qualified professionals eager to lend specialized and technical know-how. Also, if you broke your plan down into realistic tasks, other volunteers can contribute significantly to the program or project's success.

Here is a short but informative article from the UK's Prime Minister's Strategy Unit on recruiting the right team. Here is another from the world of IT project management. I like it because it compares getting the right team to putting together a crack team for a spy caper. Heh. Team building is a popular subject and you can find lots of info online through simple searches.

Resources

You've got a great team that is ready to take over the world. Now they need the stuff to do it.

Consider:

Do they have the equipment they need? (Include spares, backups and alternatives.)
What raw materials do you need for each step of the plan?
Have you ordered or otherwise acquired these materials and will they arrive in time?
Do you have storage set up for supplies that will come early?
Have you given each team member the tools they need to accomplish their job and stay in communication?

Get everything together (or know how and when you'll get it) at the outset. There is a biblical proverb that says "For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost?" (Luke 14:28) Count the cost! Getting a macro view of all the supplies, materials, resources, etc that you'll need over the life of the project hopefully means that you won't spend 80% of your budget on sticky notes and find out later that 2 pads would have sufficed and now there is nothing to buy the paint.

Procedures

Ok, I can't think of a more boring word than procedures, but its gotta get done. You think it doesn't, but the first time someone does an end-run around you and your boss is freaking out, you'll wish you had made everything very clear!

Consider:

What is the organizational structure of the team?
If someone has a question, how are they supposed to voice it?
When a mistake, false assumption or safety hazard is encountered how do team members share that?
What tools are being used to encourage and track conversations?
Who do team members go to for purchasing or obtaining supplies?
Do you have regular reports for the executive team?
How is your team tracking time and money spent, tasks completed, milestones coming up?

Here is a short article from Ohio State that talks about these more procedural points of organizing.

Oh, But You're Not Done Yet!

Are you ever done cleaning your apartment? I'm not. Ever. (Writing this post is allowing me to ignore the mountain of clean laundry that is giving me the stinkeye, actually.) It's frustrating, but it is also a fact. Systems make it easier, but they don't eliminate the need. (Even hiring cleaners doesn't because I still need to tidy and to prepare for their arrival and pay them.)

Just as you need to revisit your plan and make adjustments as you go, revisit the Organizing phase often. If something doesn't work, come up with a new method. Knowing what resources you have and where they're located at all times is vital. Staying organized requires a bit of regular, even daily, maintenance. If you do your job right at the outset, though, you'll be a happy manager!

Check back next Wednesday as Management Boot Camp tackles directing!

New look for Frontline Heroes!

2010-03-03T10:38:00.000-08:00

I'm excited to have a new look for my little blog. It certainly reflects who I am... coffee? Check. Doodles? Check. Handmade art projects? Check. A little green shoot? Check.

I'll keep tweaking it, but I'm a pretty happy little blogger right now.

Good things going on in Oakland!

2010-03-02T08:56:00.000-08:00

I'm heading out to work with one of my favorite agencies today, CARD. They have a spectacular no-fear message about being prepared for diaster by being prepared for life. Check out their stuff on their website, as well as their Zazzle store and their You Tube videos.

Later today I get to meet with East Oakland Boxing Association, which is so much more than boxing! I actually found out about them from the county Food Bank I worked at recently because they are distributing more than 3500 lbs of food each month to the families of the kids they serve. Check out what they're doing, from green water re-use programs to after school tutoring to gardening to boxing. When I worked at the homeless shelter, I often lamented to myself that so many of these men found all the wrong role models when they were young and eventually ended up addicted, incarcerated and on the streets, alone. I'm so thankful that there are places like this where there is another option, another way. Please check them out too!

Tomorrow night I'm heading into the city to check out Acumen Fund's event on social enterprise. In case you haven't guessed, I've got a bit of an entrepreneurial streak. (My dream would actually be to start a social enterprise based cooperative incubator in economically depressed neighborhoods so that the members of those communities can start businesses that will employ, empower and enrich the community and not outside interests... but thats a post for another time!) So anyway, Acumen Fund is doing awesome things combining entrepreneurial spirit and social justice and I'm excited to learn more about it!

Finally, Thursday I get to check out the Alameda Food Bank. With such a large city with so many challenges right next to them, Alameda is kind of dismissed as a well-to-do enclave that zealously defends its borders. Ok, well, that may be true to some degree, but there are a lot of people in need there too. Learning about how they are doing it should be fun!

And then the rest of the weekend I get to play! :)

Of course, I'll be here tomorrow morning with a nice post for Management Boot Camp on ORGANIZING! This oughtta be fun! Hope its not raining where you are, because it sure is coming down here!

Volunteers: Can you really cut a gig down to 2 minutes?

2010-03-01T08:56:00.000-08:00

What is the biggest, most common, most frustrating excuse people give for not volunteering with your organization?

"I don't have enough time. I'm too busy."

Amen, sister. I'm too busy too. That's why I'm asking for help!

Well, you can't really say that. But I bet you wish you could!

Or maybe YOU are the potential volunteer, and you think to yourself, "I'd love to help somewhere but between school and work and some teeny tiny semblance of a personal life, I can spare maybe 15 minutes at a time! Between 2 and 4 in the morning! How can I help anyone?"

A solution may be here: The Extraordinaries have ushered in the next era for volunteering: micro-volunteering. Micro-volunteering is a task that a volunteer can do in only a few minutes and generally do online, or even via their smartphone.

Tasks include cataloging wildlife conservation photos, sharing ideas about how you go green, translating documents into another language and more.

The company itself has garnered a lot of press over the last year as well as several prestigious awards for innovation. Since I live in the Bay Area I've heard of them from various sources in snippets, but this article from a South Carolina writer reminded me of it and caused me to wonder: What could you do with two minutes (or maybe 5 minutes)?

The project I'm working on right now is a disaster preparedness training video for individuals who use in-home caregivers. Out of this project, I see immediately some opportunities.

Translation: We will be translating a workbook as well as the video into 5 languages. That is a lot of work! If we can put up each page as a separate task, eventually we'd have a rough edit of the whole thing. Then we can pay a professional to clean it all up and save major money.
Editing: It always helps to have a second (or twelfth) pair of eyes on a document!
Learning Objectives: Qualified teachers or others in training fields might be able to easily read a page or two of material and extract learning objectives that will work.
Feedback: We can test snippets of the film to get constructive criticism
Public Relations: Using the real-world connections of volunteers, we can find new places to promote and show the finished product as micro-ambassadors get the word out as well as asking them to promote us through social media

Those are just a couple off the top of my head. With a little more creative thinking, I'm sure I can come up with more. What about you? What are ways in which your organization or program could take advantage of this new spin on crowdsourcing?

And what do you think are the new "rules" for creating these micro-volunteering opportunties? Here is my quick stab at them:

Easy to grasp concept
Easily identiable purpose - how it ties to the mission
Can be done where the volunteer is at, online or off
Requires few additional tools, or includes directions on obtaining them

Right now the standard "missions" on the site include mapping things, research, and photos (collecting, rating, tagging and cataloging.) They can also create custom missions for you as needed. I don't see translation there, which is one of my top ideas, so I'll be giving them a call.

Of course you don't have to use BeExtra.org's website to get these kinds of tasks done. Consider updating your volunteer needs webpage to include micro-volunteering opportunities, or remote opportunties. Those who are homebound, in rural areas or even international may want to help your organization and have plenty of time, but are, as they say, geographically undesirable. Give them opportunities to participate and make sure people know they are there!

Another company with a similar mission is Urbantastic. I've checked out their website http://www.helpfromhome.org/ and one thing I like right off is that they have gigs in increments of 1, 5, 10, 20 and 30 minutes on the home page. Not all tasks need to be 2 minute jobs. (Side note: urbantastic seems to have transformed into helpfromhome... not sure about the actual relationship...also, these guys are Canadian and British, so for all our pals to the north and east, see what they've got going on!)
**UPDATE: Mike Bright, Founder of Help From Home, cleared it up for me. He said: "Urbantastic is closing down and kindly offered to redirect it's traffic for it's remaining days to Help From Home. Both sites are and were involved in micro-volunteering. Nothing more sinister than that!"

Never though anything sinister, but thank you for clearing it up, Mike! I hope it continues to lead people to give whatever spare moments they have! Best wishes Mike!**
Another blog that has been causing some buzz, at least on one of my LinkedIn groups, is this article on The Journey of a Volunteer. Check it out - good perspective.

See you back here next Monday for more on managing volunteers, and later this week with ramblings on organizing and more!

Interview with a Frontline Hero: FrugalDougal of PawPawty.com

2010-02-26T08:20:00.000-08:00

Today we have an interview with Twitter phenom from across the pond FrugalDougal! Over 5,000 people follow this British "dog's" tweets and hundreds around the world participate in the regular "pawpawtys" hosted online. In the burgeoning world of Web 2.0, virtual parties that raise funds and awareness for animal charities seem like a surreal but logical step. I was excited to interview Frugal Dougal recently, who has also been nominated for a Twitter Shorty Award. (Check that out - a whole subject for another post! Wow!) Please also check out his website to see how you can get involved: http://www.pawpawty.com/.

*****

Frontline Heroes: I'm really fascinated by what you're doing! I've checked out your website, but can you describe for me what it is you do?

FrugalDougal: We have virtual parties (or pawtys) on twitter, it is really just like going to a real party where you meet people, listen to music, dance, have some great food and drinks but it all happens on line. The events last for 24 hours so everyone all over the world can join in. I get about 50 donations of gifts each month which we give away in competitions we have at the events. And while we are having all this fun we raise funds for a charity or shelter which is nominated in advance by the animal community.

FH: Why are you so passionate about helping animals? How did you get the idea to do these events?

FD: I am so passionate because I believe that every animal deserves to have the best life possible and as people it is our responsibility to make that happen in what ever way we can. I also believe that anything is possible if you do whatever you can to make something happen, so that might be donating money, coming up with ideas, spreading the word about what we do.

I like technology and was quite intrigued by twitter, I noticed that there was a huge animal community on twitter who liked to interact, sharing ideas, stories and their passionate love for animals, I also noticed that people were using twitter to help raise money for charity events. So I put the two together and had a 24 hour party, it really took off from there and now there are a whole set of people from all over the world who help make the monthly events great fun.

FH: How do pawties help animal shelters? Where are some of the shelters that the pawties have benefitted?

FD: We raise funds for a different shelter every month. All of the funds go direct to the charity. We also help raise awareness of the shelter by directing people to their website so they can find our more about the shelter and what they do. We have raised over $21,000 (US) for shelters in the US, Canada and the UK over the last year!

FH: Wow! That is amazing! What a fun and unexpected way to raise so much money for animal shelters. How are you using twitter to engage people with animal welfare? How are volunteers engaged in other ways?

FD: The pawpawty events are a great way to spread the word about the treatment of animals in different parts of the world. We also try to spread news about emergency appeals and try to save animals that find themselves in a kill shelter and are running out of time. Many in the animal community have been inspired to go and help out at their own local shelter. It is amazing what a few hours a week can do and also how donating unwanted items can be a godsend to hard up shelters with limited funds.

FH: What do you want for the future of PawPawty?

FD: I would like to be able to develop the idea so that more people could contribute either time, funds, ideas. It would be great to have a real life pawpawty where some of the people who meet up on line could meet in real life.

FH: How can other people get involved? If everyone could do one thing tomorrow to help animals, what would it be?

FD: We have a regular schedule at the pawpawty events where people who like to play music can help, people who are creative can help out with photographs and mini website building, people who love to chat can just come along and join in the fun. I would ask people to think, "What is that I am good at, that I could offer to a local shelter?" It could be just clearing out all your unwanted pet items, blankets, etc or maybe you have time where you could go help feed animals or walk dogs. Some shelters are so desperate and run on practically zero funding. Remember, what ever you can do might just save one animal's life.

FH: How do you manage the events? What are some challenges that you have overcome?

FD: I have a lot of 'anipals' who help with the various aspects. Creating DJ , Bark Tender and Security schedules is something which three people help out with on a monthly basis. We have a great web designer who creates the most fantastic menu for each party. Lots of creative people help out by creating dress-up outfits to wear to the party. Also I have a great team of quizmaster hosts who make sure the party keeps going for the full 24 hours. We use tools like tweetdeck and tweetgrid to help us see and communicate with everyone who is at the party. Time is always a challenge, as most of what we do is created manually after people have finished their day job. Fitting everything in can be tough. On the odd occasion twitter itself has let us down, but we have back up for that now and if necessary we switch to friendfeed which lets the party carry on in the event of twitter being unavailable.

FH: FrugalDougal, thank you so much for sharing your passion and your work with us!
Readers, you can follow @FrugalDougal on Twitter and consider attending one of their pawpawties! The future is here!

Management Boot Camp: Planning

2010-02-24T09:23:00.000-08:00

Wednesday is Management Boot Camp Day for Frontline Heroes, exploring basic biz school concepts from your perspective!

As a project manager, I totally geek out on planning. Right now I'm learning Zoho Projects, a collaborative project management tool that lets me plan out projects to the tiniest little task. I'm a pig in mud!

Traditional management books will tell us that the role of a manager is to plan, to organize, to lead and to monitor. I don't always hold with what conventional wisdom says, but for managers on the frontline, I think this is immediately useful. So much of management material talks about how to inspire and how to lead. These are excellent topics, and we'll chat about leadership in a couple weeks. What about the rest of the job, though?
Winston Churchill said, "Plans are of little importance, but planning is essential." Remember this!

The ACT of planning helps you frame everything, makes certain that you know how much you need in terms of resources to get from here to there. When you work out a plan, potential problems are revealed and solved ahead of time. You can get a sense of how realistic the schedule is and what adjustments need to be made. You can work out tasks that can easily be assigned to volunteers as well.

The important thing to remember is that a plan is not carved in stone. If circumstances change (which they will) you can make adjustments. Having spent the time at the outset planning, you will be able to make the most informed adjustments and successfully achieve your goal.

Now, you are probably very busy and may think that you don't have time to work out a whole plan. And hey, if the plan isn't as important as the process of planning, why bother at all?

There is a real benefit in creating some formal documents, even for the most casual of projects. Here's why:

1. As brilliant as I know you are, you can't remember everything. A written plan allows you to go back and continue to add, delete, adjust and flesh out the project.

2. Plans can be excellent communication tools. You can use it to start a discussion with your ED, your volunteers, your staff peers, funders, the media, just about anyone.

3. As you continue to refine the plan, it will become more and more clear how you can break it down into tasks that you can delegate to volunteers.

4. A good plan becomes a template for future projects. Even if you aren't the one to do it, if you bequeath these great plans to your successor, they will love you forever, your boss will love you forever and you'll get all kinds of good work karma.

5. A plan is a great way to show your boss that they are out of their mind if they think this can be done. Ok, so this is a little on the negative side, but how many times have we heard executives get excited about a new idea and want it done now with no money? Too many, if my life is any measure. Work out a realistic plan and you can go back and say, "We can do this project, but we need 2 more months, or 6 more people, or $2000 more." A plan gives you a fighting chance.

So... How do you plan? How much planning is enough? Who needs to know the plan? Ah, good questions.

How do you plan?

You can find lots of tools to help you plan. There are websites that give you some structure, but they are just tools. They only work if you use them! Check out Zoho Projects, Basecamp, or other SaaS planning tools. They have free, limited access plans that give you a chance to learn the programs and decide if it is helpful for planning out what you need to do.

There is also a lot to be gleaned from the world of Project Management. Although this is an entire industry that often focuses on highly complex projects, the principles can be applied to organizing a volunteer appreciation event, creating a new habitat restoration program or making a training video like I am working on right now. There are some great websites and I encourage you to read some of the articles.

Some sites I like:

Mind Tools
PM Hut and (here's another pmhut article for you)
Project Smart (UK)

The idea is simple. Start with a simple list of how you think you'll need to get from here to there. Then start breaking down each of those steps into smaller steps. As you go along, you'll think of additional things that need to be done. Pop those in where they make the most sense. Keep refining the list of tasks until you can't break it down into any smaller pieces. Then mentally walk through these tasks: what resources do you need? who can do this? how long might it take them? Add those ideas to each task or set of tasks. Soon you'll have a fairly complete and simple plan.

How much planning is enough?

In my personal opinion, do the minimum that allows you to get the job done well. If you are planning a picnic, there is no need to create a massive and formal Project Charter, Work Breakdown Structure, etc. Something informal that ensures you know what's what. Here is one project management blogger's 5 questions that he must be able to answer:

1. Where Are We Going?
2. How Do We Get There?
3. Do We Have Enough Time, Resources, And Money To Get There?
4. What Impediments Will We Encounter Along The Way?
5. How Do We Know We Are Making Progress?

If you can answer those questions and show it to other people, then that is probably enough planning. The more complex the project, the more important the project is, or the more risk there is associated with it, the more important planning becomes.

Who needs to know this plan?

Well, you do, obviously. Any additional staff members who will be working on it in any fashion. Volunteers who will be involved. Executive leadership, including the board. Not all of them need to know all the pieces, but they will need to know some elements of it. A good plan is something to be proud of and there is no reason to be nervous about sharing it.

Check back next Wednesday as Management Boot Camp tackles organizing!

Highlighting Heroes: Our House of Portland, OR

2010-02-22T08:00:00.000-08:00

As I watch my dad fight cancer, I am thankful for family, for community. I know he is lucky to have health insurance, a loving family, a place to live, so I'm also glad that places like the organization highlighted below are supporting men and women who have an equally large challenge: living with HIV/AIDS. Check them out!
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Our House of Portland, Oregon is building community with people living with HIV/AIDS. Whether a person is facing reduced income and needs help with groceries and personal items, or they are sick enough to need 24 hour nursing care, there is a place in the continuum of care to meet their needs.

"Our House" itself is a residential facility with 24-hour skilled nursing that can house up to 14 people at a time. Residents work with occupational therapists and social workers to help them live well. This is one aspect I really like about this organization. They are really focused on helping their clients decide what it means to live well and achieve it, even when residents need 24-hour care.

When I managed a homeless shelter, many of our guests initially lost their homes because they lost their jobs and they lost their jobs because they got sick. Or once they were on the streets, they got no health care and then when they developed cancer, or caught pneumonia or discovered they were HIV positive, where could they go? “Swan House” creates a small community where low-income individuals can get support, health care, occupational therapy and social services. A very necessary safety net and I wish there were more out there!
Not all of the services that Our House provides are residential. The Neighborhood Housing and Care Program works in the community to help those with HIV/AIDS secure and maintain housing, connects them to services in the community and in-home visits by clinical staff. For many who might be isolated from family and friends, or are struggling to cope with the demands of their condition, this could be a lifesaver. In addition to the NHCP, Esther's Pantry and Tod's Corner supply food, clothing, household goods, cleaning supplies, personal care items and pet food.

Please take a few minutes to check out Our House of Portland, Oregon and support them!

And sometimes you just land on your face.

2010-02-16T11:05:00.000-08:00

I'm on vacation this week in sunny Las Vegas! I had such good plans to work while I was gone. Then I left my laptop at the departing airport's security checkpoint. There were probably 3 different opportunities I had or could have had to realize my mistake. Sigh. But sometimes all the safeguards fail. Sometimes the universe conspires against you because you really DO need a vacation and typing slowly on the hotel's webTV is not at all realistic and you decide, well heck, guess I'll just have to have fun!

So that's what I'm going to do.

I've got some great posts on deck: one about the importance of planning (oy vey!) and one about a great org called Our House. Look for those Wednesday and Monday, respectively. Then next Friday I have an exciting interview with a leader in the non-profit twitter animal pawty scene.

In the meantime, I hope your week is fantastic and I'll see you all Monday!

Volunteers: Recruit the right people the right way

2010-02-15T08:00:00.000-08:00

In this age of marketing, everything is part of a brand, an experience. Including volunteering.

As a marketing geek, I love this stuff, but I recognize that it may not be fun for everyone. And it may feel a bit cheap to look at volunteers as branding elements. That is because rule #1 about recruiting volunteers is

Rule #1: Never confuse the priorities: People before projects.

No matter what you do to get your volunteers, what you have them do once they're there or how you follow up with them, they are people first. They are not robots who fold leaflets or deliver meals. They are not one-size-fits-all business solutions. They are not clicks on a website. From the moment of contact talk to them like they are people. Real people with mixed up motives and awkward schedules and fear about coming to the inner city. Real people with wide-eyed optimism and big dreams to save the world. Real people who get tired after walking up a flight of stairs, or sitting in a chair for 3 hours or making 75 phone calls. You know your project needs and that is imperative, of course. You're not running a social club. But the best volunteer gigs create a sense of community and that is due to people, not projects.

About.com has a great little article on 10 Things Volunteers Want. Many of these things stem from the fact that they are human and want respect, dignity, to be useful and to have their time respected. Check it out.

If you want to see your potential volunteers ignore you or your current volunteers run away, tell them to hang out a minute while you figure out what you need them to do.

Rule #2: Know exactly what you need people to do before you ask them.

There are different levels of experience, commitment, and time availability in each volunteer role. That is okay. Volunteers have different levels of experience, commitment and time availability, so you can make sure that you are targeting the right people. And if you find that you only have low-skill, low-commitment roles to fill, maybe you need to think creatively about how your program can give people opportunities to get engaged. The reverse is true as well... You need more than just your five favorite hard-core volunteers. You also need to develop large groups of "friends" of the program who can help casually, but will talk you up all around town. The major thing is to be able to articulate the right opportunities to the right people. No matter how simple the job seems, have a job description that you can give people, or read from.

The Free Management Library has some tips on how to write volunteer job descriptions. Check it out.

Ok, so you are looking for people to do some jobs. How do you get them from stranger to friend?

Rule #3: Make them want to get started RIGHT NOW!

Your recruitment message is it. When someone sees your message, wherever it may be, that one moment is the opportunity to capture their interest, their mind or their heart. If you know who you are targeting, then the message should zero in like an arrow. If they are not your target market, then either a) they are intrigued by the organization and want to find out if there is a way for them to get involved or b) they move on. Ok, that's fine, but back to the people you DO want. They are excited by the message, the possibility. They should want to get started right away! How do you create a message like that? Steve McCurley writes on the CASA website:

The body of the Message presents information in an order that psychologically matches how people will think about the offer:

Need: Is there a problem?
Solution: Can this job help solve it?
Fears/Questions: Will I be capable of helping with it?
Benefits: What's in it for me?
Contact Point: How do I get involved?

So, start with something exciting and attention grabbing. Give the people what they want in terms of info in the body. Make sure there is a way for them to get started right away. Don't put a ton of barriers in the way. Even if extensive screening and training are required, make sure there is something that can happen within a couple weeks. It might be an orientation, interview, volunteer appreciation event or organizational event. But make sure that there is something to keep the fire stoked.

You can also ensure that you are not unintentionally turning off potential volunteers with disabilities, people of color, those with varying levels of education or others through your messaging. Check out Barriers to Volunteering for more.

Ok, so you know the people you want and you know what you want them to do. You're ready to woo them.

Rule #4: Don't be a "volunteerwhore".

Facebook is full of them... "friendwhores". People who want to get as many names on their friend list as possible. Slightly less skeevy than notches on a bedpost, it still don't make people feel good! This is why you want to match the message to the audience. Many times we think of volunteer jobs as "warm body" jobs. Any breathing humanoid could carry it out. Oh, for the love of all that is holy, don't make it seem like that! No one wants to be thought of as "any breathing humanoid." If a job isn't glamorous, doesn't require a lot of skill or can be done without a long-term commitment, then it is GREAT for someone who is really busy but wants to contribute, or who wants a low-commitment way to test out volunteering. It's all about the right fit. If you have an opportunity to speak to a large group of people, only some of them will actually be a right fit. Emphasize the qualities you are looking for, or a typical (but excellent) volunteer experience. The people who are a good fit will get it and you don't need to worry about the other 80% of the people. Names on a sign-up list for more information does not constitute success. If people express an interest but you're not exactly sure how they might fit in, then invite them down to chat, take a tour and learn more. This is the classy way to make as many contacts as you can. Really get to know them and decide together if they're a good fit.

Here are some more articles on how NOT to give potential volunteers info and looking for great volunteers in places you might not have considered.

We've discussed in previous posts the results of a nation-wide survey on volunteers. And what we learned there leads to...

Rule #5: Most people like people better than papers, computers or billboards.

Non-volunteers respond well to invitations from people they know and trust. You may need to publicize through blanket media like a commercial, posters, flyers, posts on volunteer websites. Don't count on those means to build relationships. Consider ways to incorporate existing volunteers into your recruitment strategies. Do you need to go speak to the group, or can a current volunteer do it? They will instantly have more of a credibility with potential volunteers. (You can certainly team up with volunteers if they aren't ready to make speeches to large groups or there are donor relationships, etc. to handle.) Do you have a way for volunteers to build community that you can get potential volunteers into right away? Is there a blog or forum they have? A volunteer email or newsletter? A Facebook page? A Twitter account to follow? Those are all relationships with real people (even if the technology is different) that can woo a volunteer to become a lifelong supporter.

Check out the power of volunteer testimonials here and some funny ABCs of how to recruit volunteers here and here. Another resource to check out is a book titled: Volunteers: How to Get Them, How to Keep Them by Helen Little.

Hope these rules help!

Building in margins

2010-02-12T08:00:00.000-08:00

If you work in non-profit, you are probably involved because you are passionate about the cause. That cause might be children's welfare, the environment, theater, hunger, spiritual development or one of thousands of other issues. Often there are great demands on your time because budgets are small, staffs are smaller and the need is growing. And when its societal welfare and not widgets that fill your days, you may feel that time-off is not an option.

Consider "building in margins." When you read the written word, there is often a lot of white space around the edges, or even between paragraphs or chapters. From a design perspective, the margins give your eye a moment to rest. It helps keep information organized for the reader.

Can the same thing be done for your work? If you build in short breaks to rest your mind during the day, you may be surprised at how your stress level goes down, your feelings of obligation segue into feelings of calm motivation.

Here are some suggestions that work for me:
- Plan 15 minutes at the beginning of your day to think about what you want to accomplish, plan 15 minutes at the end of the day to review where you've been and plan for the future. Bookending your day with future thinking keeps you on track and prevents getting too bogged down by day to day stresses.
- Take your lunch break! Even if you can't do it at the exact time you eat lunch, make sure you take personal time. Break it up into 15 or 20 minute pieces if needed. Get out and take a walk. Meet a friend for coffee. Explore the neighborhood around work. Browse a local bookstore.
- If you are working overtime or a day you don't normally work, make sure to take your comp time (remember, its 1.5x in most states if you are a non-exempt employee!) and accomplish something personal that you always put off. You'll feel great having completed a personal task that has been plaguing you!
- Plan plenty of time to get to and from meetings, appointments, etc. You'll generate less stress getting there and if you have a little extra time, that margin can be put to good use.
- Always have something to read at hand. Especially something related to getting better at what you do or your industry. If a meeting ends early, or you're stuck somewhere, or you even just want to get a cup of coffee, some quiet time to read and think about the bigger picture can bring a real sense of confidence and inform your decisions.
- Develop affirmations, mantras, words to live by, whatever you want to call them. Put them on note cards, post-it notes, or even in your phone to review when you are stressed out. Read them out loud 7 times with a deep breath between each. Wedging in a margin when you're about to lose it is imperative!

These are just a few tips from my own life... what are other ways you build margins into your work life so you feel great?

Of course there is a much larger discussion of work-life balance out there. Keep reading by checking out some of the links below:
Here is one method of describing what a work-life balance is.

Here are some more tips on finding work-life balance.

And here is a whole organization dedicated to the topic!

The Perfect Storm: Cultural Competence, Addressing the Real Problem & Sustainability!

2010-02-11T15:22:00.000-08:00

Ok, I'm intrigued by this article about Medika Mamba, a pediatric nutritional product from the Missouri-based non profit Meds and Food for Kids. I just did a quick read through, so I want to do more research about the organization, but off the top of my head, here's why I'm all aglow:

1) Cultural Competence: This is an organization that is already experienced in Haiti. Not to say that new help and a fresh perspective aren't useful, but they seem to understand that it is impractical tell a mother to take her child to the hospital for malnourishment when there is a 100:1 ratio of sick kids to hospital beds. I like that they get it.

2) Addressing the Real Problem: Giving kids rice (which has basically no nutritional value) when they're hungry is not really solving the problem of malnutrition. Giving families food when there is no way for them to grow, buy or gather the food they need on an ongoing basis doesn't get to the root of the problem. Giving people food when they are chock full o' parasites who eat the food before they can digest it doesn't solve it either. So to address all of these issues strikes a lot closer to the core of the issues. To me, that seems like it will be a longer-term success.

3) Sustainability: They are concerned about how to sustain this product and this program. Cool! Building a production facility in Haiti that will employ Haitian citizens is a step in the right direction. They can't employ everyone who needs a job, but its progress, in my opinion. If they followed through on developing a better peanut for Haitians to grow, or laid electrical power for the factory and thus neighboring communities, that would be amazing. The ability to produce it and sell it at a reasonable cost will allow the program to continue even when Haiti has faded from the public consciousness and the top of the news programs and twitter updates. And money that might have gone to fund it can be redirected to developing new products and programs.

Like I said, I want to do some more digging, but these are three areas that can be challenging, so hurray for organizations that are making headway!

Management boot camp: Delegation

2010-02-10T08:00:00.000-08:00

Wednesday is Management Boot Camp Day for Frontline Heroes, exploring basic biz school concepts from your perspective!

"If you want something done right, do it yourself!"

Never were truer words spoken. Unless, of course, you don't know how to do something. Or you're more interested in results than control. Or you would like to accomplish more with your life than what you can churn out in several hours a day!

Last week we looked at three basic concepts: authority, responsibility and accountability. In a nutshell, authority is power to act, generally on behalf of the organization or program. Responsibility is the agreement to take care of something. Accountability is the consequences (good or bad) after the thing you said you'd take care of gets done.

As a manager, you want to multiply your efforts. You should be getting more done with a team (of staff or volunteers) than you could do on your own. To maximize the work that THOSE folks are getting done, though, it helps to know how to delegate properly.

You can always delegate your own authority to make decisions, unless specifically told not to. If you are asked to put on a volunteer appreciation event, you have certain powers to get it done, including what physical, financial and human resources you can use, discretion within the bounds of the organization's policies (such as a branding policy, or a no-alcohol policy), etc. You can delegate some or all of that authority to a team of volunteers, let's say.

Volunteers are often shy to take on authority because they are outsiders to the organization in many ways. Perhaps they are used to be told what to do without needing to make decisions. They may be reluctant to spend money and then find out they overspent. If you are giving someone else the authority to make purchases (perhaps they are going to the party store to get decorations for the picnic) make sure that you are clearly communicating what their limits are and what the goal is.

Interestingly, you can delegate authority to whomever you like, whether they want you to or not. They do not have to accept responsibility though! You are ultimately responsible to your supervisor for this event, but you need to get an agreement of shared responsibility for anyone you are delegating to. If the volunteers you ask are not comfortable with saying, "Yes, I will be responsible for getting this done" then you have not successfully delegated. You either need to find someone who IS comfortable with it, or break the tasks down into small enough pieces that the volunteer is able to agree to shared responsibility.

Here is an example:
You have $500 to spend on the decorations and supplies for the picnic. You ask Sara to take the $500 and get the necessary supplies. You trust her judgement and give her 100% of the decision-making power.

Sara does not feel comfortable with this at all! She is more than happy to help with running errands and setting up, but spending such a large amount of money is stressful.

So you go back to the committee and the five of you come up with a more specific list of decorations and supplies that are needed. Sara agrees to go to a few different stores and price the items and report back to the committee. The next week she brings back the information and an even more specific list is created. Now Sara feels comfortable spending the $500 on this updated list that everyone has agreed on.

Would it have been easier to just go spend the money yourself? Perhaps, but valuable information was gained in this experience and perhaps your volunteer Sara is more comfortable making decisions on behalf of the team. And further, the hours she spent price-shopping and gathering the supplies left you free to do other functions.

Now, what about consequences or accountability after you've delegated? Many people feel that volunteers can't be held accountable for their actions because they're not employees. This is not true!

First of all, accountability can be positive. If Sara does a great job with the part she's responsible for, acknowledge that publicly, send her a thank you card, create a certificate, do something that acknowledges the success of the project due to her efforts.

What if she royally screws it up though? What if she spent the entire $500 on plastic forks? Well, you both have some clean-up to do. When she comes back with her giant trash bag o' forks, you'll need to have a conversation with her. Remember, you can only share responsibility. You are partially responsible as well. Where did the communication break down? If she was really confused, see if you can undo the damage (hope she got a receipt!) Going forward set up more consistent feedback so that you know you are both understanding the same thing.

If the communication was clear and she simply chose not to follow it, she should reimburse the organization for any monies that can't be refunded. Ask her to explain to the committee what the situation is and together figure out a solution for the picnic. The consequence here is not punitive - it is not about punishing her. It is about the natural outcome of her choices... she'll have to own up to others, possibly pay back what she spent, and if she is to continue as a volunteer in this capacity, then she'll have to put up with additional reporting or communication needs.

Are there times when accountability includes "firing"? Of course. Those kinds of choices should be clearly outlined in orientation and volunteers should always be able to clarify what is acceptable and what isn't. Alternatively, volunteers may decide that being accountable for their actions is too hard or too scary. To which I would say, that is one dangerous volunteer! Better to see that person walking out the door than see them harrassing other volunteers, putting themselves or others in danger or wasting your limited resources.

Bottom line with delegation. To be successful, it really is an agreement between people to use authority wisely, to share responsibility for outcomes and to hold one another accountable for actions. As a manager, you are responsible for equipping delegatees with everything they need to do the job right, including clear communication.

Check back next Wednesday as Management Boot Camp tackles planning!

Asking is never a waste of time!

2010-02-08T08:00:00.000-08:00

Volunteers are a valuable source of action, ideas and support. The better the experience we give volunteers, the further we will go! Every Monday we will take a look at some aspect of volunteer management.

I have always envied people who seem to have moxie oozing out of every pore and never get down by rejection. Over time I've trained myself to be a little more like that, but rejection is still something I fear. Perhaps you are like that too.

If so, I have good news in at least one little area!

Asking volunteers to do something is never a waste of time, even if they say no!

Hopefully, before you ask a specific volunteer to participate in an activity or role, you have thought about the right fit. (We'll talk about that further in a future post!) So going into the conversation you have some idea of what the request entails and why this person is a good fit.

Presenting your request clearly and without pressure is important. Explaining why you think this person is the right one for the job will also help the volunteer know that you really do want them to participate, even if they have to say no.

There are as many reasons for declining a volunteer request as there are volunteers. Personal demands on their time is probably one of the biggest reasons. Stress related to taking on too much responsibility might be another. Not enjoying the activity probably figures in there as well. Their reasons are their own and you don't need to persuade them otherwise.

However, you do want to understand why someone declines to participate in a specific way! Here is a sample conversation:

You: Jolene, I'd love for you to be a team leader at our bay clean-up day on February 13th! You've been so enthusiastic in the past, you've had experience with the event and your communication skills are excellent. Do you think you can be a team leader?

Jolene: Oh, thanks, but I don't think I can. Sorry.

You: Ok, that is fine. Can I ask why? I always want to make sure I'm presenting the right opportunities to our volunteers.

Jolene: Well, my kids have soccer that day.

You: Ok, no worries! If we have a clean-up day when you don't have a family event, would you be interested in being a team leader?

Jolene: Um, I don't know. I don't know if I'd be a good team leader. It seems like a lot of responsibility.

You: I see. Well, I totally understand that you might be concerned with adding more to your already full plate. The role of team leader doesn't require any more time than a regular volunteer, and you would of course have the support of the staff at the event. Perhaps you can think about it and if you'd be willing to use your great energy and communication skills another time, we can get it set up! Thanks so much for all the work you've done for the Bay! Enjoy the soccer game.

Ok, a little easy, perhaps, but if you hadn't asked why, you would never know if she just doesn't care about the cause, or is afraid to speak in public, or is just busy that day. Jolene may never want to be a team leader, but you know it is not because she doesn't understand what you're asking of her. And you understand her background a little bit more. She has kids and they play soccer. The door is still open to the future and she has been positively singled out by you.

She may have said no, but this is not a date, she's not rejecting YOU... the rejection can be a learning moment!

Questions to consider asking:
- Is there a time of the week that works better for you?
- If you had a partner to help you on it, would you be more comfortable?
- Are there other tasks you've seen being done that would interest you more?
- If we made this change (insert suggestion here) would you feel comfortable taking it on?
- Is there anything that has happened on our end that has changed your desire to volunteer?
- Can we touch base in (six months, 2 weeks, one year) to see if volunteering fits in your life at that time?

Consider it research if these kinds of conversations make you nervous. You're just gathering data!

Now, go forth and rock it with your volunteers!

Come back next Monday as we discuss Volunteers and recruiting the right people the right way!

Interview with a Frontline Hero: Ava Zeligson of Open Books

2010-02-05T08:00:00.000-08:00

A couple weeks ago we got to speak with Open Books store manager Kevin Elliott. Today we have an interview with another frontline hero from Open Books: Ava Zeligson is the Volunteer Coordinator, managing the organization's relationships with over 3,000 volunteers.

Frontline Heroes: Thanks for taking the time to share your story with me! How did you come to be involved with literacy and Open Books?

Ava Zeligson: Literacy has always been an issue close to my heart. I am very fortunate to have been raised in a family that celebrated the joys of reading and writing, and I have always been extremely grateful for this privilege. I started at Open Books as a literacy intern, wanting to get involved in the organization any way I could. Now, as the Volunteer Coordinator, I am in the position to help our volunteer corps of over 3,000 find opportunities to spread the love of literacy far and wide.

FH: I think it is awesome that you started as an intern. My first non profit job came about because I was a long time volunteer who was passionate about the cause, too. Were there any lessons you had to learn in transitioning from a volunteer/intern-level of responsibility to having more responsibility over the volunteer experience?

AZ: I really enjoyed my transition from intern to full-time staff member. As an intern, I was working directly with the volunteers in programs and was very much involved in the smaller, everyday issues. The opportunity to apply this rooted understanding of the volunteer experience to the improvement of the volunteer program as a whole was fantastic.

We are lucky to have a remarkable volunteer corps of over 3,000, and orient 50-100 new volunteers each month. With so many volunteers, there is a risk of thinking in numbers instead of faces. A great lesson I am always relearning is how to perfectly balance those two perspectives.

FH: 3000 volunteers! Wow! I would imagine that a much smaller percentage of those folks are participating in a given week. Is that true? How does Open Books stay in touch with "lapsed" volunteers? Are there ways that you incorporate groups (like corporate work teams or scout troops)?

AZ: Each month, we talk to 3,000+ signed-up volunteers about all of the wonderful ways to get involved at Open Books. Of these 3,000, we have over 500 active volunteers.
It certainly happens that a volunteer comes to orientation and none of the current programs or events work with their schedules. However, we are always working to vary and expand our opportunities, so it is a priority to make sure that volunteers - both new and old - stay well informed and have every chance to get involved. If we do not see someone at a program or event for a few months, I will reach out to make sure they are in the loop.

Because most of our ongoing programming is not quite ideal for large volunteer groups, we tend to work with groups when we have big projects or events, and they are incredibly helpful at these times. Smaller groups can join us as writing coaches at our Adventures In Creative Writing field trips, too.

FH: How do you plug in volunteers throughout your organization?

AZ: Open Books volunteers do it all. Our volunteers read weekly with students in Open Books Buddies and act as writing coaches for youth at our Adventures in Creative Writing field trips or for adults in our WeWrite program. They are storytellers at Open Books storytime, and virtual mentors in VWrite. Our volunteers also make up a large part of our bookstore staff and are to thank for stellar customer service and the shelving of the 50,000+ books in the Open Books store. Beyond program involvement, volunteers offer event support, office help, really just about anything and everything.

Recently, we have had great success using an online volunteer schedule hosted by volunteerspot.com. We originally sought out this software for one of our new programs and are now using it for three. The more heartwarming successes come every day. We get to revel in emails from volunteer mentors recounting a life-changing college visit with their student or sharing a fine story of a second grade student exclaiming, "Reading is more fun than watching TV!"

FH: Those stories are great... reading IS more fun. Volunteerspot looks like a great tool and I am excited to check it out.

How long are your orientations? Do you have more than one a month? And do you have them at various times/days?

AZ: We run hour-long orientations every month. Up to now, we have been holding two sessions a month, one from 12-1pm, and another at 6-7pm. With the amazing attendance we've been having at orientation lately, we will be cutting back a bit, limiting the second session to once every other month.

FH: How do you keep things fresh for yourself?

AZ: It is not hard to stay inspired when your job is matching bright, generous people with exciting opportunities to help grateful students and become engaged in their community. Even when this means a day full of data entry, the end goal is more than enough to make it worthwhile. In managing volunteers, my focus is to maintain the most balanced relationship possible. In exchange for providing volunteers with an unforgettable experience, they help us tremendously in furthering our mission.

FH: I really love working with volunteers, but even I have to admit that people can be hard to handle at times. Voluntary service adds a whole new level of challenge. Any advice on handling difficult volunteers? Or having to deliver bad news to them?

AZ: There is definitely an added challenge that comes with managing volunteers rather than paid employees. For example, you always have to account for the possibility that a volunteer will flake out. Ideally, this doesn't happen often. Truth told, if it is -10 degrees and there are 8 inches of snow on the ground, a volunteer may very well lean towards staying home with a movie instead of making it to their commitment. The work that our volunteers do is so very important. Oftentimes, a gentle reminder that your little reading buddy will be wondering where you are is enough to motivate anyone to brave the cold.

Every once in a while, we will have a volunteer who is just not the right fit for one of our programs. For the sake of the integrity of our programs, the development of the students we work with, and the satisfaction of our volunteers, it is our responsibility to handle such a situation in the most honest and productive way we can. If at all possible, we will work with the volunteer in question to find another, more suitable opportunity. Chances are, if we sense it is not the best fit, the volunteer does as well. Addressing the issue gives the volunteer a chance to find something that makes them the most comfortable, too.

FH: Ava, thank you so much for sharing your passion for volunteers with us! It is great learning more about such a valuable non-profit and how they work with the community to get things done.

Readers, please check out Open Books' Amazon store and support their literacy work in Chicago!

Management Boot Camp: Authority, Responsibility and Accountability

2010-02-03T09:35:00.000-08:00

Wednesday is Management Boot Camp Day for Frontline Heroes, exploring basic biz school concepts from your perspective!

Have you ever been asked to do something, but not given the resources you needed, or the power to get those resources? Or has a boss given you a task that their boss gave them, and when it didn't go exactly as planned you were the one who was called to the carpet?

Three concepts are at work in every role we play in an organization, whether we are a volunteer, a frontline manager, or a board member. These basics help us understand and communicate how your whole team is working together and what you need each person to do. They also help us understand when delegation is breaking down.

First, some quick definitions:

Authority - the power to make decisions and give orders
Responsibility - the commitment to achieve specific results
Accountability - the acceptance of the consequences of activities
When you ask a volunteer to do something, or engage a client or customer, or work with other staff on a project or program, it is imperative that everyone understands the scope of their role. Volunteers are often reluctant to take on large projects because they worry they will not have the authority to get things done, or they will be held accountable if something goes wrong.

Example: Volunteer team leader
You are sending out small teams to deliver bags of food in a densely packed urban neighborhood. It is fairly safe but the teams are mixed groups of individual adult volunteers, high school students and a few families. You've assigned one of the individual adults as the team leader. What information do they need to know to feel comfortable and to do the job well? Beyond the technical details of where to go and how to distribute the food, let's look at the scope limiters:

Authority - the leader cannot change the route unless there is a hazard; they have discretion to distribute food if they see an unmet need; they can assign roles on their team as needed; they decide when they should head back to return at the specified time; they cannot change the makeup of the team; they cannot spend any additional money
Responsibility - they are to make sure that everyone is safe and that the food gets out to those in need within the timeframe given. Outside of that there is freedom.
Accountability - if the team doesn't accomplish its objectives, they may not be a team leader next time they volunteer, but they wouldn't be "fired" from volunteering. If they were inappropriate in other ways, like screaming at one of the little kids because they gave away a can of food, then the consequence might be that they are asked not to come back. And if the team accomplishes their goals, then the team leader (and their team) get a great big thank you and possibly a larger role next time.

This is a pretty simple example, but if you put yourself in the shoes of the volunteers, it makes a lot of sense. These are things they'll worry about, even subconsciously, and if you can be very clear up front about expectations they can make better decisions about taking it on. I have made the mistake of scaring volunteers off of larger projects because they were afraid it would be too much responsibility. If I had properly limited their scope, or alternatively shown them how flexible we could be, I might have engaged an excellent team member.

The same thing goes for engaging clients. If they come to you for services of some kind, it should be clear if, how and when they can start or stop the process, what they are responsible for bringing, or supplying, or informing you of. The consequences (good or bad) of their actions should be laid out ahead of time. If they have to bring a pay-stub and identification for a program, make sure it is obvious that forgetting these items means they cannot participate that day, or they go to the bottom of the list, or whatever the outcome is.

Finally, mentally tick off these three elements in conversations with your supervisor. If you are being asked to take on a new project, make sure you understand how broad or narrow your authority is. What is the budget? How much can you spend without approval? Are there any other limitations on resources? Also make clear that you both understand what exactly you are responsible for and what the consequences (good and bad) are of the possible outcomes.

I want to continue this discussion next Wednesday with more about delegation. In my ever-so-humble opinion, properly delegating to staff and volunteers empowers them, multiplies your impact and protects everyone from frustration, hurt feelings and wasted time and money.

In the News: Once-Robust Charity Sector Hit With Mergers, Closings

2010-02-01T20:39:00.000-08:00

An article in today's Wall Street Journal highlights the challenges our sector is facing. In an economy like this it is sink or swim for all organizations, large and small.

Personally, I think that it is a good thing for our industry in many ways. Easy money can lead to lazy practices. Traditional funding methods can allow us to get complacent. As an entrepreneur, though, I've got too much hustle in my heart, I guess. I like to figure out how to be more resourceful, how to support my own activities and how to be as efficient as possible.

Now, there is clearly a down side. It is tough to see vital services shut down when the need is so great. So what are we to do?

This is where I like to mentally review the SWOT tool. You may not be an executive or have much input in the direction of the whole organization, but you know your program, your sphere. The more information you can gather, the stronger your position.

How can you save money in your program?
Are there agencies that you can partner with?
Is there an alternative way to fund your program or to underwrite some of the cost?

Ask you volunteers for creative ideas. Ask your clients for suggestions. Get a little entrepreneurial moxie!

What do you wish you knew about project management?

2010-01-31T14:15:00.000-08:00

I used to be mystified by people who could just get everything done without breaking a sweat. I crafted great events with few resources by sheer will power and after the project or event was complete, I was exhausted. How did they do it so effortlessly?

Once I learned more about project management I realized there was a better way to go about things. My personal strengths include creativity and being able to find new solutions on the fly. Armed with the knowledge of how to manage a project of any size I found that I had to rely less on my problem solving skills because I created fewer problems!

I'm currently working on a short treatise on "Thinking Like A Project Manager in a Non-Profit Environment" and would welcome your input. What kinds of projects do you work on? Are there hurdles you consistently face with events or starting new programs? Are you finding that little details are coming back to haunt you?

Feel free to post in the comments the project management challenges you have and would like to see addressed. And stay tuned for some longer-format content for free!

When one man's help is another man's humiliation

2010-01-29T14:13:00.000-08:00

I came across this article in today's Financial Times and thought it was very interesting.

Proud Haitians fear dependency (Note: may require free registration.)

During my 8 years working with the guests at the shelter, residents in the recovery programs and families in our community programs, I learned quickly and well that not everyone sees help (given with good intentions) in the same way.

My personal guideline is to "flip the script" and never do something for someone that they can do for themselves. If I were in their shoes, would I feel empowered and respected by the people helping me? Could I keep my head high walking out the door? Would I feel like "we're in this together"? Or do I feel shamed and pitied? Am I being told that I'm incapable of making good decisions for myself?

I spent a month managing a shelter for evacuees after Hurricane Katrina as part of long-term relief effort. These questions were not rhetorical then. My tenure started about a month after the hurricane itself, picking up where the first team left off. People were no longer in survival mode. Their fate was in the hands of agencies, bureaucracies, organizations who did not know them and did not seem to care too much for their individuality. Every single person I encountered appreciated the help they received, the supplies, the housing, the food, even the shoulder to cry on. They knew that the resources were important and that most people had good intentions. The way in which they were given and the larger policy implications were not always so well-received, though. Devastating tragedies like this create such a loss of independance on their own and the aftermath can drag on into a dependance on outside assistance.

When we are motivated by compassion, empathy, righteous anger or even pity, it is hard to imagine that our help is not wanted or not seen through the same lenses. Clearly when someone else is hurting, we must do something to help. The manner in which help is offered makes a huge difference, though.

How have you seen a desire to help work well or backfire?

Friday's Existential Ramblings

2010-01-29T08:00:00.001-08:00

Happy Friday!

At the moment I'm reflecting on the mistakes I've made over the years, the victories I've achieved and all the stuff in the middle. Thinking of the work I've done in various industries and roles I flip back and forth between two classic songs by the Talking Heads and Rod Stewart.

In case you're unfamiliar with the lyrics of these timeless gems:

Once in a Lifetime
...And you may find yourself living in a shotgun shack/ And you may find yourself in another part of the world/ And you may find yourself behind the wheel of a large automobile/ And you may find yourself in a beautiful house, with a beautiful wife/ And you may ask yourself-Well...How did I get here?...

Oh La La

...I wish that I knew what I know now/ When I was younger...

I'm a strong person with lots of opinions and ideas and drive. This is a good thing from an achievement perspective, but can collect a lot of, well, collateral damage along the way. My own missteps and hard-won lessons are a major part of why I'm so passionate about helping people figure out how to do good better (and preferably before they make the same mistakes I did!)

Anyway, if I could go back about 12 years and have a little tete-a-tete with myself, here's a few things I'd say:

1. Play nice with others. Your opinions are strong and your mouth is big, but you don't have to share EVERY opinion you have.
2. Fundraising is about friend-raising. The essential work you do wouldn't get out the gate without the partnership of financial and in-kind donors. Respect works both ways and just because you are a champion for the poor doesn't mean the rich aren't people who hurt too.
3. You're not the boss. Your boss has a boss and she has a boss and ultimately the community is your boss. You may be a leader, but you're always accountable to someone.
4. When you get lazy, others suffer. 'Nuff said.
5. Don't be afraid to make a decision. Yes, little choices can have lasting consequences, but its easier to steer a ship that is moving, so get a move on!

Of course, who knows how the younger me would have reacted. I guess it is good enough that I have learned these lessons now! (Perfect implementation of them is still forthcoming...)

What about you? What do you wish you had known when you were younger? Do you find yourself sometimes surprised by where you are now?

New annual US volunteering stats are up!

2010-01-28T11:33:00.000-08:00

I posted on this a week or so ago, based on last year's numbers. The new ones are up and they answered a few questions I had.

First thing I noticed is the overall percentages of volunteers have gone up slightly (0.4% to be exact.) That number represents about 1.5 million people though! That is an impressive number of people who started volunteering.

Another trend that continues from last year is the significant number of people who volunteer at their religious institution. When I managed the homeless shelter, we partnered heavily with churches and other houses of worship to provide meals, do food or coat drives, host clean-up parties and other tasks. When I directed the marathon training program we worked with faith communities who wanted to improve the health of their members and offer them opportunities for change. From the perspective of the parishioner, it may seem like they are volunteering with their church, but that is really a gateway to helping you. In a work-group of 25, perhaps 2 or 3 individuals will be deeply touched by the cause and come back on their own. If it makes sense for your cause, reach out to these groups and begin building relationships. You can tap into the power of those millions of volunteers by partnering. Some of them may stick as long-term volunteers!

Finally, as someone who has been gainfully unemployed a couple times in the last couple years, I was curious to see if more free time translated to more volunteering. Not really, according to these numbers. The employed and unemployed are volunteering at about the same rates. Don't discount the benefit of job-seekers though. Consider how you can frame volunteer positions or projects to attract and help volunteers. Imagine a volunteer putting their service to your organization on their resume. Are there opportunities to learn new skills? Are they able to share their expertise? Do you encourage volunteer leadership? You may tap into some long-term champions during these challenging times.

After reading the report, did anything in these stats surprise or inspire you?

Management Boot Camp: Efficient and Effective

2010-01-27T08:00:00.000-08:00

Wednesday is Management Boot Camp Day for Frontline Heroes, exploring basic biz school concepts from your perspective!

Here is a tough question to ask yourself:

Are you adding value to your organization as a frontline manager?

One purpose of hiring a manager is to increase effectiveness and efficiency. Nice words, but what does that actually mean in the context of a non-profit? Aren't those things that FOR profit businesses worry about? Aren't we here because there are more meaningful things in life than profit margins?

Sure, efficiency and effectiveness are issues that businesses who want to be profitable worry about. They are also things that donors and volunteers worry about, those who rely on your organization worry about, your upper management and board worries about and frankly, YOU should be worried about.

What is efficiency?

Princeton's online dictionary offers this definition: "the ratio of the output to the input of any system." So, if one person puts in 4 hours of work to accomplish a task, and another uses the same resources but does it in 3 hours, the second person is more efficient.

Now take it one level higher. If your executive director could get a series of tasks completed by volunteers in the same amount of time as you can, why are they paying you to do it?

As a frontline manager, you are an added layer of management. Your time is finite. Assuming you are a paid staff member, your time also comes at a cost to the organization. Can the same resources be used to do more because you are there?

Take the example above. Your ED shoots out an email to 10 volunteers. They’re dedicated to the cause and show up excited to work. Since your ED has so much to do, she welcomes them, gives them a five minute overview and sets them to working. The task eventually gets done.

When you are in charge, though, you are able to recruit those same 10 volunteers, greet them all by name, spend an additional five minutes explaining what needs to be done and where supplies can be found, then you get them started. In an hour when the first volunteer is finished with their portion of the work, you find another way to get them involved. In two hours when three volunteers run out of envelopes for stuffing, you are able to get them the supplies they need so the job continues on as scheduled. You go back to working on other tasks as the great volunteer team is humming away, but you frequently break and chat with volunteers. You learn more about why they are there and casually discuss what they would like to see happen in the organization. As each volunteer finishes you find another task for her to do. And at the end of four hours, not only has the mailing been finished, but all the new applications have been entered into the database, the kitchen has been cleaned, 40 donor thank you calls have been made and every volunteer walks out feeling cared for and useful.

What about effectiveness?

Going back to Princeton's online dictionary, we find the definition of effective to be "able to accomplish a purpose."

The first element is really the question is the intended target met? If you set out to educate parents about new car seat guidelines, you can try thousands of different methods. Skywriting, tweeting, direct mail, news articles and door-to-door calling are all methods of communicating information. If one person sees the skywriting and gets the message, it is technically effective. If you don’t define what success is, then you’ll never know if you have achieved it. (This touches on how to define goals and what metrics work, but we'll roll through THAT one another time.)

If your task is to recruit volunteers, an email blast is a good way to send something a lot of people at once. Studies indicate that a higher rate of participation will happen when potential volunteers receive a personal ask. The email blast is as far from a personal invitation as you can get, if it ever reaches its intended recipient. It has a place in your overall volunteer communications; it’s just not the most effective. Developing a human-to-human recruitment strategy will be the most effective.

Your boot camp challenge: Ask a co-worker, long-time volunteer or manager where they see wasted time or resources. How can your presence there make better use of what you have and do a better job with it?

The Business of Nonprofits: New generation taking up nonprofit leadership mantle | savannahnow.com

2010-01-26T11:57:00.000-08:00

To succeed as a manager in the non-profit world you have to wear many hats. If you are on the front lines, chances are you are part of the "emerging leadership" generation and another hat you must wear is that of generational ambassador.

Check out the article below, directed mainly at the more established leadership of the Boomer generation. Reverse the questions, though. Does your organization give you opportunities to give input, to lead? If they do, are you taking advantage of these chances? If not consider how you can start upper management thinking about how to invest in younger leaders.

The Business of Nonprofits: New generation taking up nonprofit leadership mantle savannahnow.com

In the News: Solar Electricity Powers the Fight Against Hunger

2010-01-26T10:16:00.000-08:00

I came across this last week and thought it was really cool. During college I spent a month in the Ivory Coast working with Liberian refugees. While the climate is different than described here, I saw firsthand the intensity of labor needed to make small family farms work when you have to hike 5 miles away and use alternative tools to work the land. The innovative solutions below are equipping people to take their destiny into their own hands, which will have the longest and deepest impact.

We can use articles and studies like this to start conversations with people around us. How are we actually fixing the problems? Are we creating powerful opportunities for our communities? Where can we grow or shift our programs for maximum transformation?

********
Tue Jan 19 11:34:03 2010 Pacific Time

Solar Electricity Powers the Fight Against Hunger in Rural African Villages; Stanford Study Confirms Solar Market Garden's Positive Impact on Food Security, Nutrition and Income

WASHINGTON, Jan. 19 (AScribe Newswire) -- The Solar Electric Light Fund (SELF) today announced the publication in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) of the successful results of SELF's Solar Market Garden (SMG) project in the drought-stricken Kalale District of northern Benin, West Africa. The Program on Food Security and the Environment (FSE) at Stanford University released its findings after two years of monitoring three SMGs managed by two women's farming collectives in the remote villages of Bessassi and Dunkassa.

Researchers at FSE found that income and nutrition have improved significantly for women and their families since SELF installed three solar drip irrigation systems in 2007. Robert Freling, SELF's executive director, visited the project in 2009 to view its progress. Mr. Freling said: "Last June I had a chance to see the remarkable transformation that has taken place in the villages of Dunkassa and Bessassi since the launch two years ago. I immediately noticed a difference in the women, who have filled out since our last encounter. Not only are the women better fed, but so are their families and the rest of the villagers who now have year-round access to a steady supply of highly nutritious fruits and vegetables. To have a recognized institution such as Stanford verify the efficacy of SELF's work is very exciting."

Without access to an electric grid or municipal water infrastructure, women and girls in Bessassi and Dunkassa previously relied on carrying water by hand - sometimes over great distances - to grow their food, a process that consumed many valuable hours of labor each day. Each farmer's plot was small and produced an inadequate supply to support a family's nutritional needs. SELF partnered with the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) to devise the marriage of solar-powered water pumps with highly efficient drip irrigation tubes, delivering water and fertilizer directly to plants even during the six-month dry season. The SMGs allow women farmers to cultivate larger plots and grow crops year round, breaking the cycle of starvation and malnutrition that accompanied traditional rainfall patterns in Kalale.

Professor Dov Pasternak, principal scientist at ICRISAT, said: "It was a good combination - SELF came in with the solar and I came in with the drip, and we have now these two cutting edge technologies helping the women earn a good living. This changed their life totally, this combination, because now they can produce maybe 10 times more than before. They are making money, they are feeding their children ... and the children are healthy." When asked about the prospects of solar, Prof. Pasternak delivered high praise: "Solar pumping is a fantastic solution, because you have two advantages: the pump doesn't break - it lasts ten years or even more - and you don't have to pay for the fuel. You can irrigate 24 hours a day, every day, all day, and this makes a big difference. ... This solar pump is only starting. It will be used in thousands of places, all over Africa, because it requires no fuel and little maintenance. What's more, the prices of the solar pump are coming down tremendously. In a very short time, everybody will be able to afford one."

The SMGs have been so productive the women have excess produce to take to market and sell, nearly doubling their income. The average income in Kalale District is less than $1.25 per day, but the women in the study group are earning an additional $7.50 per week. Jennifer Burney, the study's lead author and a postdoctoral scholar with FSE, said: "The most significant moment for me came late one afternoon when Yarou Ganni, a member of the women's farming cooperative, stopped me and invited me to join her family for a meal. She told me, 'For so many months, you have been coming here, and I never had any money to buy any pounded yam to thank you. Now, after what we have sold, I can finally make you dinner. So sit down. You're not going anywhere.'"

The Stanford study concluded that SELF's Solar Market Garden not only considerably enhances household incomes and nutritional intake of villagers in sub-Saharan Africa, it does so in a cost-effective way. According to the research, the systems should pay for themselves in approximately 2.3 years. In addition, FSE researchers found the project's design to be environmentally sustainable, citing the systems as durable, emissions-free and more economical over time compared with gasoline- or diesel-powered water pumps.

Mr. Freling added: "While much remains to be done, we've gotten off to a promising start in Benin. The tandem use of solar energy and drip irrigation can be replicated in many other parts of sub-Saharan Africa that are poor in water resources but rich in sunlight. What's particularly exciting is the fact that in this one project we now have a sustainable model that is simultaneously combating climate change, improving food security, supplying clean water, alleviating poverty and empowering women."

SELF is a Washington, DC-based nonprofit working to combat climate change and reduce energy poverty by bringing solar power and wireless Internet access to remote rural villages in the developing world. SELF has pioneered innovative applications of solar power such as drip irrigation in Benin, telemedicine in the Amazon rainforest, vaccine refrigeration in Rwanda, online distance learning in South Africa, and microenterprise development in Nigeria. These successful pilot projects culminated in SELF's whole-village approach, or Solar Integrated Development model. Since 1990, SELF has completed projects in 20 countries, making it a leader among non-governmental organizations in realizing practical and cost-effective alternative energy solutions for rural villagers.

About the Program on Food Security and the Environment, Stanford University

The Program on Food Security and the Environment is a joint program between the international and environment initiatives at Stanford, with food security research organized mainly under the international initiative and environment research organized primarily under the environment initiative. Scholars centrally involved with the program have senior fellow appointments within the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies (FSI), the Woods Institute for the Environment (Woods), and/or professorial positions within university departments. They work as a team on a set of overlapping projects. For more information, please visit http://foodsecurity.stanford.edu.

About ICRISAT

The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) is a nonprofit, non-political organization that does innovative agricultural research and capacity building for sustainable development with a wide array of partners across the globe. ICRISAT's mission is to help empower 600 million poor people to overcome hunger, poverty and a degraded environment in the dry tropics through better agriculture. ICRISAT belongs to the Alliance of Centers of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research. For more information, please visit http://www.icrisat.org .

About SELF

The Solar Electric Light Fund (SELF) is a Washington, DC-based nonprofit organization working to end global poverty by bringing solar power and Internet access to the world's poorest people in remote rural areas. SELF utilizes clean, renewable electricity to reduce greenhouse emissions while improving the
health, education and welfare of the two billion people living in energy poverty. Since its founding in 1990, SELF has launched sustainable projects in 20 countries, including Benin, Brazil, China, Haiti, India, Nepal, Nigeria, Rwanda, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe. For more information, please visit http://www.self.org .

- - - -
CONTACT:
Lauren Taylor, Communications Director
Solar Electric Light Fund
202-234-7265
lauren@self.org
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AScribe - The Public Interest Newswire / 510-653-9400
http://www.ascribe.org/

Inspiration - accessibility!

2010-01-25T09:28:00.000-08:00

http://www.doitmyselfblog.com/

a) awesomeness!
b) are you overlooking volunteers?
c) what can you make accessible?

This woman is an inspiration to me.

When I ran a marathon training program for a stroke organization I was somewhat in awe of the survivors, people who had been through something my whiny butt might never get over. And they weren't just existing, they were LIVING. They were using wheelchairs or walking or even running half and full marathons. They were cheering on their loved ones who were running in their honor. They were advocating in Washington, D.C. and talking to local support groups. Stroke runs in my own family and I hope that we can all be inspired to step up.

One of those stroke heroes has a great website he wrote for other survivors. He was a dedicated volunteer and has created what he calls his Second Life as a volunteer. Check him out at http://www.strokesurvivorguide.com/.

Are we missing opportunities for impact because we don't have the scope of imagination to figure out how to fit someone in? What kind of partnerships could be built with support organizations? Are we protecting our own sense of control and comfort in lieu of building a diverse and strong team?

Things to think about...

In the News: Direct Relief International: Policy Statement Regarding Haiti Donations

2010-01-22T11:17:00.000-08:00

You can't be awake for more than 10 minutes without hearing about Haiti... it is moving to see so many people rise up to work together on behalf of a country who is already suffering under great poverty.

A couple very brief thoughts:
- Don't be too discouraged when people insinuate that you (or your org) aren't doing enough for Haiti. Your constituents, clients and volunteers need you to keep doing what you are doing.
- Engage those around you in discussions about disaster relief, poverty or Haiti and encourage them to think critically about what is going on. Ask how they think the momentum of caring and support that is pouring out can be continued after the crisis is over.
- Find out what your organization's disaster plan is and share it with others. Do you know who all is on site at any given time?

These are larger questions I would love to hear more about. What questions or comments have you heard from those involved with your organization? What ideas do you have about capitalizing on the passion shown by your community?

And I noticed this on Ascribe non-profit newswire. I thought it was an awesome statement to help people understand how Direct Relief is handling donations. Very transparent, very reassuring. Do you know how to answer questions about how donations are used in your organization? Even if you have nothing to do with fundraising, administration or finance you interact with the public and are an ambassador for your org and the cause. You can even use this article as an conversation starter with your ED or other administrator: "Check out this interesting article I read. I was wondering how I might respond to clients or volunteers if they asked similar questions. What are our policies?"

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Mon Jan 18 07:44:41 2010 Pacific Time

Direct Relief International: Policy Statement Regarding Haiti Donations

ConfirmTo:cd@surfmedia.com

SANTA BARBARA, Calif., Jan. 18 (AScribe Newswire) -- Direct Relief International is among the many organizations that have witnessed a tremendously generous response to the tragedy in Haiti. With the public being encouraged by many sources to donate, we believe it is important to clarify how Direct Relief will use the money we receive.

100 percent of funds donated for Haiti will be used exclusively for programmatic activities related to Haiti. None of the funds donated for Haiti will be used to pay for fundraising or administrative expenses, or for programmatic activities in other places. Direct Relief is able to do this because fundraising and administrative expenses are being covered by the proceeds of a generous bequest received three years ago.

General donations make it possible for Direct Relief to respond to this and other emergencies, as well as conduct our ongoing humanitarian health work around the world and in the United States. All of these activities are compelling and important to serve people who need help.

Direct Relief is committed to honoring donors' intentions. Direct Relief will not redirect any funds that we receive for Haiti to any other purpose or area. There is no fine print or qualification - if a donation is designated by a donor for Haiti, it is treated as a restricted contribution and will be used only to assist Haiti. Consistent with our standard practices, an internal fund has been established to account for, track, and report all such donations into the Haiti fund, and expenses from it.

To ensure that we understand a donor's intention, Direct Relief's online donations page requires a donor to select among options before completing a donation. The options are "Emergency Relief - Haiti Earthquake," "Wherever Most Needed," "International Programs," "USA Programs," and "Maternal and Child Health."

Also, we have asked that donors sending in donations by mail indicate "Haiti" if they wish to designate their donation. Donations made via text donations (by texting "Give10" to 20222) are restricted contributions for Haiti. This is clearly stated on the confirming message before a text donation is completed.

In addition to financial contributions described above, an element of Direct Relief's longstanding program model also involves the provision of medical materials, including medicines, equipment, surgical supplies, nutritionals, and other in-kind medical resources. A large percentage of these materials are donated by the manufacturers, many of which we have worked for decades.

As the sole nonprofit organization licensed as a pharmacy in all 50 U.S. states and approved by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy as a Verified Accredited Wholesale Distributor, we must comply with stringent requirements in the U.S. and internationally. We only accept material that is suitable, and only provide it when it is appropriate for the circumstances and requested by a qualified partner organization that will use them. In accounting for and describing any medical material contributions, the wholesale financial value is used.

Direct Relief's urgent priority is to assist people in Haiti. In noting these seemingly technical matters, such as internal accounting practices, the distinction between general and restricted contributions, and the valuation methodology assigned to material aid, we wish simply to inform members of the public who have shown such generosity and deserve to know how their contributions will be used.

About Direct Relief International

Founded in 1948, Direct Relief is a Santa Barbara, California-based nonprofit organization focused on improving quality of life by bringing critically needed medicines and supplies to local healthcare providers worldwide. Direct Relief has provided more than $1 billion in privately funded humanitarian aid since 2000, including more than $150 million in assistance in the United States. It has earned a fundraising efficiency score of 99 percent or better from Forbes for the past eight years, and is ranked by the Chronicle of Philanthropy as California's largest international nonprofit organization based on private support. For more information, please visit http://www.directrelief.org/ .
- - - -
CONTACT:
Jim Prosser, Direct Relief International, 805-617-0192
Juliana Minsky, Surf Media Communications, 805-689-6618
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AScribe - The Public Interest Newswire / 510-653-9400
www.ascribe.org

Interview with a Frontline Hero: Kevin Elliott of Open Books

2010-01-22T08:00:00.000-08:00

Cool people doing cool stuff... this is why I love this industry! Let us learn from one of our colleagues, Kevin Elliott. Kevin is the Bookstore Manager at Open Books. (Check out their website and great literacy programs!) As a total book nerd myself, I was excited for to hear how this Frontline Hero is doing good better!

Frontline Heroes: How did you personally come to be involved with Open Books? Was this a cause or need that you had been involved with before?

Kevin Elliott: I had known about Open Books for a few years as a literacy organization, and always wanted to check them out more thoroughly, but with my schedule as a Bookstore Manager, Events Coordinator and Offsite go-to guy, I was never able to attend an orientation. When I saw that they were hiring a bookstore manager, I thought it an opportunity meant for me. How often does a chance come along to do something you love while watching your hard work go toward a good cause? Up until my position at Open Books, I had worked in the retail world of the written word and always felt passionately about spreading the love of reading. My position within the organization has broadened and intensified my beliefs and given me a much more poignant voice.

FH: How are volunteers used in the bookstore? What are challenges you've experienced working with volunteers in this context?

Elliott: The volunteer base for the store varies from people who have been involved in our literacy programs to individuals who have always wanted to just work around books. One of the challenges of managing volunteers in a bookstore setting is that there are certain romantic expectations attached to working in a bookstore. While some of those expectations are realities some of the time, much of the time spent in a bookstore consists of constant organization, upkeep, and other less-romantic tasks. All bookstore volunteers attend a bookstore orientation where I try and balance their excitement with realistic expectations. Everyone is usually very eager to spread their love of reading with others, but what happens when a retail space has a slow day? I try my best to level with them and remind them that their hard work, no matter how away from the action it may be, is an integral part of making the Open Books mission a success.

FH: I think that is a huge challenge for many of us working with volunteers - managing expectations and connecting their work to the big picture. Sounds like you address it head on and from the beginning, which I think is great!

What is the most important skill you have had to learn on the job? How has it improved your work as a manager?

Elliott: I am always honing my skills of time management and my ability to adapt with the constant changes and surprises my job brings. Operating within a non-profit as opposed to a typical retail setting requires a lot more preparation and adaptability. In addition to all of the duties and tasks of a retail operation, I have to be ready to talk about, demonstrate and spread the mission of the non-profit through direct contact with the customers who walk through our doors as well as through the volunteers we work with. With each day, I find myself thinking more about how to integrate our programs into our store and vice versa.

FH: Do you have a favorite management book or idea that you feel helps you be successful in your role? Anything that inspires you to keep doing what you're doing?

Elliott: The only management books I ever read are about time management. I can't recommend David Allen's Getting Things Done enough. More important than any book, though, is the idea and belief that everyone's hard work plays an integral part in helping our organization succeed in its mission. Management, for me, is more about leading by example and figuring out ways to bring out each volunteer's strengths through treating them more as peers than employees (as I am so used to from my experience as a retail manager).

FH: I will have to check that book out! [Readers - keep an eye out for a review soon!]

If you had any advice for those new to the non profit field, especially someone seeking work in a similar field, what would it be?

Always be engaged with your chosen field/cause. If it isn't something that you would be interested in on your days off, it will difficult to keep up your level of excitement on the job. Volunteers and colleagues, alike, respond to your excitement and level of engagement.

FH: As a complete book nerd I found myself wishing I was anywhere near Chicago to come volunteer! I may have to satisfy myself by buying online. How do you think the social enterprise aspect of Open Books benefits the organization and more specifically your role or program within the organization?

The social enterprise aspect is what caused me to apply for the position of bookstore manager. With my level of experience and familiarity with the industry, I could have applied anywhere, but probably would not be as happy as I currently am, selling books for an organization that does good. At Open Books, I get to see my hard work translated into beneficial public programs every day and it only drives me to work harder. As far as customers, I've already seen several customers come in and be amazed at the literacy statistics we have posted in the store, as well as the programs we offer. When people learn about where their money and donated books go with each visit, they vow to return over and over. And so far, they have!

Many thanks to Kevin for sharing his experiences and insights with us! Please check out Open Books' website at http://www.open-books.org/, buy from them online at Amazon and if you're in the Chicago area stop in to buy (or donate) a book!

Eat the fish, spit out the bones

2010-01-21T10:57:00.000-08:00

A number of years ago I attended a conference on recovery led by a speaker who generated a fair amount of controversy. The reasons have faded into the mist of memory for me, but I took away some valuable lessons. Most related to drug and alcohol recovery and 12-step programs but one became a mantra of sorts that guides me still today and that is "Eat the fish, spit out the bones."

When you are presented with information it is tempting to swallow it all whole or spit the whole thing out. In the situation at this conference there was a lot in the presentation and personality of the presenter that attendees couldn't get past. All they saw were the bones and they resisted taking in the valuable aspects of his message.

This can be a challenge when confronted with complaints from clients or volunteers. Personal attacks are not uncommon. In my current role I field customer service phone calls from participants in food drives. I've been accused of not caring about those who are hungry, being in this for the money (if so, I'm terrible at that!) and generally being an awful person. The real issue is that the public doesn't understand the way our food drive programs are done and that the need for food is a year round need. It would be easy to take such feedback to heart and quit, or dismiss these rants as the work of a mentally imbalanced person. Neither serves us well of course. Lots of bones to spit out in those phone calls, but we learned valuable lessons about where the message is not clear and we can fix that!

I just read a great post over at Open Forum by Pamela Slim, who is an total inspiration to me. She targets entrepreneurs but there is a lot of to be learned for frontline heroes too. Check it out!

Management Boot Camp: SWOT analysis... useful for ANY idea

2010-01-20T08:00:00.000-08:00

Wednesday is officially Management Boot Camp Day for Front Line Heroes, exploring basic biz school concepts from your perspective!

Today we get to talk about one of my favorite acronyms: SWOT!

Why do I love this basic little acronym? I'm not really sure. I think I like the logical progression of it and the comprehensive help it can provide. You decide how useful it can be for you.

A SWOT analysis consists of four parts:

S - Strengths
W - Weaknesses
O - Opportunities
T - Threats

You can use this method to evaluate any existing or potential project, activity, process, partnership or idea. It is as simple as that. Please note that this is only analyzing the situation... it is not a substitute for proper project planning. (There is no substitute for proper project planning, but I'll preach on that another time.)

Let's look at some potential applications:

Your Executive Director notices that there are a lot of people in the area your food pantry program is in that are not being served. She casually says, "Let's start an outreach into this community!" As the food pantry coordinator you know its up to you to figure out how to make it happen.

S - Strengths: You already have a thriving food pantry program in place with numerous volunteers. You have multiple sources of food so you should be able to add more families easily. You are located in the heart of this community so you have a strong physical presence.

W - Weaknesses: The group you are targeting speaks only Vietnamese, which no one on your staff speaks. Many of the families are new immigrants who do not necessarily know how to navigate social services and find sources for their needs. No other program your organization has reaches these individuals so there is no existing relationship.

O - Opportunitites: This is a significant portion of the neighborhood and if you can do this program you will further cement your place as a valuable local resource. New donors who have a passion for this people group might become more interested in what you are doing. The need for translators will give you a reason to initiate volunteer recruitment in the more established Vietnamese community, including schools and churches.

T - Threats: If the new outreach is successful, will that mean fewer resources are available for the people you traditionally have served? If the demographics shift significantly, will current donors and volunteers lose interest in what you are doing? Will additional staff resources be tied up in this new program? Are there other organizations currently serving this group? Does any of your funding restrict who or how you expand? There is friction between existing residents and the growing number of families in the community - how will this impact your program?

That is a quick snapshot of the pros and cons of a project. Taking 10 minutes to sit down and really think about this will help you speak intelligently to your ED, peers, volunteers, donors, board and the community about it. If it doesn't capitalize on any strengths of your organization then perhaps you can make a case for not moving forward with it. If the opportunities it provides can benefit the entire organization as long as you get X, Y and Z resources, then you will be able to speak persuasively with these facts.

SWOT is not only for new ideas. Use it to take a hard look at your existing program (or even yourself!)

Strengths: What are we really doing well right now? What skills, partnerships or ideas do we have that just knock it out of the park? How can we keep getting better?

Weaknesses: What problems keep coming up? What complaints have I heard from clients? When volunteers leave, what seems to drive them away? Are there resources that I can't ever seem to get?

Opportunities: How has the landscape changed? Are there funding sources for areas that we could be really great at? Is there a logical progression from what we are doing now? What are clients asking us to do? What are volunteers offering to do?

Threats: How has the landscape changed? Are there areas that are proving too difficult? Who else is working in our area and what are they doing? Is a lack of staff, resources or upper management support keeping a program from succeeding?

January is a great time to do some reflection. It doesn't need to take you hours... 10 minutes might be sufficient. Then take the discussion to the rest of your staff to see if they have more to add. Ask volunteer what they think the answers are. It doesn't need to be formal... just a conversation where you take some notes will give you the info you need.

The most important thing though is to USE THE INFORMATION YOU COLLECT!

Try it this week and tell me how it goes!

Its not a day off, its a day ON!

2010-01-18T07:28:00.000-08:00

You do know that today is Martin Luther King Jr. Day, right?

And you know that it is a National Day of Service, too, right?

In case you didn't, surprise! Today is a day tailor made for volunteers around the country to spend their holiday helping others. Inspiration abounds in King's speeches and writings, still calling a nation to action decades after his life and death.

If your organization hasn't planned anything yet, it is a bit late to get started now. You can still check out the official page at http://www.mlkday.gov/ and see what else is going on. Consider volunteering somewhere else. Not only will you have fun being "just a volunteer" for the day, you can gain valuable insight into what drives people to be involved and how other organizations run. There is always something to learn!

And you can start planning now for next year. About 1/3 of Americans have this day off work. Some companies give employees a choice to work or to volunteer as a team. Kids are out of school and parents are looking for things to do. You will have people interested and available who might never darken your doorstep otherwise. Make good use of it.

My local food bank is having a day of service learning. About 60 people will work in the warehouse sorting food as well as learning more about how staff and volunteers help the community through the food helpline, the food stamp application assistance program and advocating with state, county and city legislators to address the causes of hunger. Those members of the community who can't spend the entire morning there (or who didn't sign up quickly enough!) are encouraged to bring canned food down to the food bank and take a tour. The focus of this day is not output, but outreach. Every person will leave the food bank today with a better understanding of the mission of the food bank and how they can make a difference. [Full disclosure: I am a contract worker there through the end of January.]

You've got a year to plan... how can YOU get people involved in this Day of Service and give them a reason to love your organization?

What A Volunteer Wants

2010-01-14T11:36:00.000-08:00

Check out this interesting, brief and highly readable report on how people volunteer and why. But of course I'll give you my take on it without you needing to click a thing.

There are 5 key findings of the report and I thought they were fascinating.

• Personal Invitations to Serve Are More Appealing to Prospective Volunteers.
This makes sense. I am one of those life-long do-gooders (16 years of Girl Scouts does that to a person) who finds a cause and jumps in because I want to. I've come to find that I'm in minority. Only about 1/4 of Americans volunteer AT ALL during a given year. I wonder how many more might volunteer if they were simply asked by someone they trusted.

So let's capitalize on this need of non-volunteers!

Start by talking to volunteers you already have. What would make them excited to invite friends to join them? Would something social like a picnic or mixer appeal to your crowd? What times/days are most likely to work for their friends? What aspects of your cause will really capture their hearts?
Are there things that prevent current vols from bringing people? Perhaps there is a really confusing list of rules, or extensive training process? Are there common misperceptions of the issues, the needs or what volunteers actually do?

Based on the feedback you get, spend some time thinking about what works for your organization, program or whatever piece you work on.

Do you need lots of casual, one-time vols to do unskilled jobs like sorting food or picking up trash? Host a bring-a-friend work day where you focus on being warm and welcoming, explaining how the task at hand helps achieve the larger goal. Have a drawing for current vols who bring someone new or give swag to first time volunteers.
Are your volunteers mentors, advocates or counselors who need a lot of training and commitment? A social introduction like a mixer, open house or celebration would be a perfect time to encourage existing volunteers to invite their friends without requiring any time commitment. Make sure that there are veteran volunteers and staff on hand to answer questions.

So invite your volunteers to invite their friends. Make it low pressure, convenient, relatable. And most of all, FOLLOW UP!

• Non-Volunteers See Themselves As Essentially Different From Volunteers.
This is one that kind of made me laugh. I had many people tell me that I was a "saint for working with homeless", "a good egg". Uh, not really. Mother Teresa I ain't. Apparently non-volunteers have the same mistaken idea. The stereotype appears to be that volunteers are people of leisure with large swaths of time or tons of money to give. Saints who can give up their lives to live in the slums of Calcutta. There are certainly those folks, and they are worth their weight in gold, but most volunteers are married women in their 30s and 40s. And not "real housewives" types, either. Busy people.

What does this have to do with you and your program?

When you are talking to potential volunteers (that would be anyone you come across!) you can keep this in mind and speak to it seamlessly. Talk about the diversity of volunteers and how busy they are.
Knowing something about your current vols can help you break down stereotypes. This is good to counter "Oh, I couldn't because I'm ________." You probably have a volunteer who has the same situation and has found a solution for it.
When describing volunteer opportunities make sure to highlight that this is a great opportunity for _____________. (Some ideas: busy working parents, families, teenagers with community service hours to complete, college students, Spanish speakers, people who want experience with public speaking.)

• Non-Volunteers Worry about Having Enough Time to Volunteer.
This is a fear I made worse in my ignorance. I assumed (oh what is that saying about assuming?) that most people were like me: self-driven volunteers who wanted to give as much time as possible. WRONG. I just had a lot of time and my volunteer gigs were a high priority for me. I leaned more and more heavily on my awesome volunteers who gave and gave until their little hearts gave out. Ouch! That certainly wasn't my intention, and thankfully I learned my lesson quickly.

If at all possible, provide a variety of volunteer opportunities and roles. Get as wacky as you can in brainstorming. Is there something that could be done online, from home? Can something be accomplished on a lunch break? Can people jump in one time and still be contributing? What can a group accomplish on their own on behalf of the organization?

And when you find those great volunteers you want to do more, ASK. Make sure they know they can say no without consequence. Explain clearly what the new task or role will be and how you will train them, support them and follow up with them. And of course, remind them that it is not a life sentance. If it works now, great! And when it stops working, that's okay too!

• Poor Volunteer Management Turns People Off of Service.
Confession time: When I managed the homeless shelter, we had no system for tracking volunteers. Beyond my brain, of course. Hundreds and hundreds of people stored away in my head. Now, I will say that my brain was a pretty good rolodex and I LOVED knowing everyone and building relationships with them. But hobnobbing is no substitute for organization. How many valuable people did I lose? Oh, that's right. I'll never know because I never tracked them.

The organization I am working with right this moment has a much better handle on their numerous volunteers. (I have no influence on that... they're just great at it.) Folks know the process to volunteer. It is clear and fairly concise. Signing up for shifts is pretty easy. It is clear who they can go to for help, no matter what department they are volunteering with. Feedback is safe to give. They do a good job of appreciating their volunteers, respecting their time and matching them with jobs that work for them. The result? Lots of work getting done by happy volunteers!

You may not be the official volunteer coordinator or manager. If you ever work with volunteers, though, this one is for you.

Make sure that each task is clearly presented and resources are ready to go when the volunteer gets there.
Emphasize what they have accomplished and how it impacts your cause.
Ask them how it went and how it can be improved.
Thank them. Again and again. Volunteers are paid in love!
Be professional but friendly. This is part of their social life, but you are the professional. Boundaries are vital and can be tricky to figure out. (So don't literally pay volunteers in love.)
Keep an eye on how things are going. Don't let one person dominate a discussion or a shift. Look for safety issues. Make sure that no one is bringing in harrassing or inappropriate behavior.

• Skills-Based Volunteering Can Bring In New Volunteers.
Depending on your role in the organization, you may be in a position to deploy volunteers to other departments where high level skills are needed.

At the shelter we used:
- medical personnel in the clinic
- counseling interns for our back-to-work program
- database developers to work on a client database
- educators as tutors in the learning center

Most of these folks started out volunteering in the soup kitchen and heard (eventually) that we needed someone with their skills. It was a natural step for many of them. They saw the need and were willing to lend their expertise to help. The reverse is not always true... as the report suggests, accountants may want a break from accounting! But asking the question is always good.

As to learning new skills, I am a firm believer that good leaders are always training someone to take their place. That may not be literally true for you (your boss might find it disconcerting to see a volunteer at your desk) but surely there are activities that you can be teaching a volunteer to take on. This may also be an opportunity to get people excited about what they are doing. At the Food Bank they use pallet jacks to move pallets of food around. It is a small skill and one that was not hard to learn, but I feel like a bad ass now that I know how to use one. (Like my tractor-driving class at Davis... a skill I'll likely never use, but how nice to have, just in case!) Perhaps there are ways you can use interns from local high schools and universities, or work with your county's welfare-to-work program. If you don't have the authority to bring this level of volunteer in, but you see how they might be effective make a case for it in writing!

Bottom line on this report: If they don't know that you need them, they won't come in. If they don't feel useful or appreciated, they'll leave. While the cause is always uppermost in our minds, we need to package the work in a way that volunteers can handle. Any other approach will make for a hard and lonely road.

Management Boot Camp: Why its important for the front lines

2010-01-13T08:00:00.000-08:00

Wednesday is officially Management Boot Camp Day for Front Line Heroes! Each Wednesday I'll explore some basic biz school concept that those guys in the board room learned from the perspective of those who are doing the actual work*.

Now, you may be a volunteer, an assistant, a coordinator or someone who doesn't have many (or any!) people to manage. These ideas can still provide you with LOTS of benefits.

So, if you don't have a lot of staff to manage, why do you need to worry about management ideas?

1. Speaking the language. If you want to have your ideas heard, understood and approved, it helps to know how to talk about them in a language that upper management speaks.

2. Increasing program success. Whatever part of the program you are responsible for could probably benefit from good planning, help locating the right resources and figuring out how and why things turned out the way they did.

3. CYA. Management and leadership (two different things but they ~~can~~ should be closely related) are about more than telling folks what to do. Its also keeping an eye out for the problems, the liabilities, the great big hairy messes you want to avoid.

4. Happier volunteers. The number one thing that drives volunteers away in DROVES is poor volunteer management. That isn't just on the volunteer coordinator or manager, though. If you work with volunteers, knowing how to give them the best experience is of vital importance even if all you are doing is supervising their shift. (Keep an eye out for a post on this topic soon!)

5. Satisfied clients. Your organization exists to serve the needs of someone. Whoever that constituency may be, they need you to be on top of your game. In my time as a homeless shelter manager I learned the hard way that my lack of organization meant that hungry people missed out on food, clothing or shelter.

6. Achieve more over time. Small changes add up. Each new idea you can make work and stick will keep on accruing results.

7. Efficient and effective. You didn't get into this because you just needed a job. You did it because you believe in the cause. Why waste time spinning your wheels when you could squeeze more hope, change, or service out of each hour you work?

8. Personal development. You may have found your life's calling in the position you are in right now. OR you may wish to get better and better and that may include managing at higher levels. Challenge yourself now where you can actually test stuff out. Build your street cred. Learn things the hard way (as long as you LEARN them.) You will become a force to be reckoned with!

*Disclaimer: I tend to get quite tired of all the information out there for Executive Directors, Fundraisers and Board Members. They play an important role in each non profit and I'll talk more about them later. Although I do possess a Masters degree in Non Profit Management, I feel like the valuable information there is just as or more important to get into the hands of the people on the front lines. My bias almost always leans away from the upper management types and toward the people doing the work that the organization was founded to do.

Websites I Like: World Volunteer Web

2010-01-11T10:50:00.001-08:00

If you love working with volunteers like I do, then you might enjoy this website. It has some great articles on managing volunteers for the beginner to the seasoned pro. It also has an international scope that helps me pull back from my laser focus on MY organization and learn from peers around the world.

More international volunteer links. Make sure to check out their resources for volunteer managers - great stuff to chew on!
http://www.energizeinc.com/
http://www.volunteeringaustralia.org/
http://www.volunteering.org.uk/
http://www.volunteer.ca/

Should I volunteer abroad?

2010-01-03T12:06:00.000-08:00

Both times in the last year when I was laid off, my first thought was "I want to run away to Mexico!" Huge upheavals in your life may start you thinking about new jobs, experiences, goals and even your life purpose.

If you have some time on your hands (ranging from a couple weeks to several years) you may be interested in volunteering abroad. Volunteer jobs can provide so many benefits to the volunteer and create lasting change in communities around the globe.

Here are some upsides to becoming an international volunteer:
- Global purpose: See the world with a targeted vision, not just as a tourist
- Challenge of a lifetime: You will take on issues, conditions, activities and relationships that most people never dream of
- Flexibility: Every continent, every country, every industry, every length of time - there is something that matches your skills and needs
- Work experience: As a volunteer you will not be paid, but you will be making yourself very marketable upon your return to your home country. Multicultural experience alone shows that you are an asset to any organization.
- Cultural exchange: When you volunteer abroad, you will generally stay in the kind of accommodations that locals have. Your day to day experience will often be more authentic than any experience you might have as a tourist.
- Cheap travel: Volunteer placement organizations will charge you a fee and often you raise funds to defray costs. I wouldn't recommend framing it as "Help me travel the world for free" to your sponsors, a fringe benefit is that the all-inclusive nature of your time volunteering abroad results in a great deal for you!

For more information on international volunteer service, volunteer jobs, or vacations with a purpose, check out some of these websites:
- Volunteer Abroad
- International Volunteer Programs Association
- The Peace Corps
- Association of Volunteary Service Organisations

How to volunteer with kids!

2009-12-27T10:49:00.000-08:00

Children love to help. Their innocent view of the world will often lead them to ask how they can get involved in solving some of our world's toughest challenges. Not every volunteer opportunity is appropriate for every kid, though.

1. If you want to talk to your kids, or children you work with, about volunteering, start with things they observe around them. Do they love animals? Are they observant of older people who might be lonely? Have they expressed concern about other kids who don't have as much as they do? Go with their natural instincts and the community service experience will have a far greater impact.

2. Determine how far out of their comfort zone your child can get without being overwhelmed. How long is their attention span? How quickly can they pick up a new task without getting frustrated or bored? How much supervision do they need? For very young children, or for children who are a bit more shy, finding ways to volunteer at home, school or with a familiar service group (like Scouts) might be better. For the older or more adventurous young volunteers, venturing out to a local food bank, park, or event will keep them engaged and active.

3. Talk to the organization! For liability (and practical) purposes, many non profits have age restrictions on volunteers. If they are not able to allow your younger children on site to volunteer, ask if there is something you can do at home. Then find out if you can take a tour of their facility. A great example is having your kids organize a toy drive among their friends, then bringing it to the shelter where someone can receive the donations and explain how it helps.

4. Use the community service opportunity to engage larger issues. Even if you organize a family walk where everyone picks up 10 pieces of trash in the neighborhood, talk to you kids about how they can help. Giving them the context elevates the activity from repetitive tasks to engaging a larger mission.

As a manager at a homeless shelter, I had a lot of little jobs that were not glamorous but were perfect for young volunteers who wanted to give their time. Sorting cans, cleaning the basement, disinfecting furniture, painting rooms. I often heard students wondering how this actually helped homeless people. It was important that each student walked away knowing that every shelf they organized made our entire non profit operation more efficient and effective. Each mattress they disinfected kept another person healthy and safe. Sorting out broken furniture made way for quality furniture that would help a newly housed family make a home. Even the primary school children who came with their families understood those reasons.

Check out some ways that kids can become volunteers at home and in the community:

- Make gifts and cards for sick kids and other crafty projects
- Collect out of date magazines for retirement homes, hospitals, homeless shelters
- Send a thank you to a soldier
- Care for cats or dogs at a local animal shelter (great if your kids think they want a pet!)

Study about kids and cars great opp to talk

2009-11-15T11:42:00.000-08:00

I was checking out http://www.ascribe.org/ which has a live newswire with information that is of interest to the non profit community. Although the majority of topics will not directly affect you, they can give you a good idea about industry trends and let you know what is on the minds of your donors, volunteers and clients.

Here's an interesting study, especially if you work with kids and parents. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released a report yesterday stating that there are thousands of injuries and hundreds of deaths of children annually when drivers accidentally back over them. This is a horrible event to think about, but is a great topic to broach with your constituents. Take advantage of the newsworthy topic to generate interest in your safe driving class, in a parent's first aid course, or in a review of products parent's might want to consider.

Another discussion, however, is how to address this issue across all socio-economic divisions. Equipping new cars with fancy little cameras is great. How many parents will be able to afford a car with that standard? What will middle- and low-income parents do to prevent an accident such as this? Is it possible to retrofit cars with this technology? This would be an interesting discussion to have with clients and begin processing how your particular community can keep children safe.

*****
Tue Nov 14 09:16:51 2006 Pacific Time
Government Vehicle Backover Report Confirms Urgent Need for Visibility Safety Standard; Safety Groups Urge Enactment of Federal Legislation (S.1948 and HR 2230) in Lame Duck Session to Prevent Unacceptable Death and Injury Toll of Children

WASHINGTON, Nov. 14 (AScribe Newswire) -- A National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) report released yesterday on technology to prevent the problem of drivers backing over and killing or injuring children "confirms that there are thousands of injuries and at least 183 deaths each year from backovers because drivers can't see what's behind them," said Janette Fennell, founder and president of KIDS AND CARS. "We need to establish a visibility safety standard for all vehicles."

The NHTSA report, "Vehicle Backover Avoidance Technology Study," was released November 13, 2006 in response to a Congressional mandate to study technologies to help drivers detect objects behind them adopted in transportation legislation passed in 2005, the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Transportation Efficiency Act, A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU). Fennell maintains a database that currently tracks information about children involved in nontraffic incidents, including backovers. "My own research indicates that the number of childhood deaths and injuries caused by backover are even higher and increasing annually. NHTSA used old data from eight years ago that dramatically understates the magnitude of this horrendous problem. The federal government can no longer ignore this problem. The study supports the concerns of safety groups. Too many children are needlessly dying, some technologies marketed to consumers are better than others, and it is time for NHTSA to establish minimum performance standards," Fennell added.

KIDS AND CARS, Consumers Union and Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety and other groups are pressing Congress for adoption of federal legislation to require a rearward visibility standard for all vehicles. These bills, S. 1948 introduced by Senators Hillary Clinton (D-NY) and John Sununu (R-NH), and the House companion version, HR 2230, introduced by Congressman Peter King (R-NY) and Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) are currently awaiting Congressional action. There are over 50 Republican and Democratic co-sponsors.

NHTSA's report concluded that performance of sensor based aides in detecting child pedestrians was not as effective as camera based systems in their potential to reduce backover incidents. The study also stated that at least 85 percent of those who had systems installed on their vehicles felt they were "effective or very effective at providing warnings about objects sufficiently in advance."

Debra Balise, of Childrens Hospital Los Angeles recently purchased an Infiniti M45 with a rearview camera. "Working as a nurse in the trauma field, I understand first hand how dangerous a 3,000 pounds vehicle can be as it slowly backs up and the driver cannot see what is behind the vehicle. This new technology clearly shows me what might have gotten in my path after I already checked around the vehicle to make sure no children are present. I would never drive a vehicle without this life-saving technology again; and think this life saving device should be on every car before it leaves the showroom," she said.

"We applaud NHTSA for taking a close and careful look at the varied technologies available to consumers seeking safety solutions to the tragedy of backover deaths and injuries" said Sally Greenberg, Senior Product Safety Counsel for Consumers Union. "NHTSA's conclusions are similar to those of Consumer Reports, which tested backover prevention technologies, finding that cameras do a better job in providing drivers with reliable assistance in spotting children or objects behind the vehicle than other existing technologies." Greenberg added that the legislation she and other safety advocates are backing doesn't call for any specific technology but instead sets a standard for rearward visibility that all cars would have to meet.

Jackie Gillian, vice president of Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, working to pass the legislation, observed that "congressional action was needed to direct NHTSA to undertake this study and congressional action is needed to direct the agency to issue a federal safety standard. The study confirmed that some vehicles have blind zones that can hide the presence of 20 or 30 children when backing up. The auto industry is selling consumers various backing up systems to address this problem. The report shows that not all technologies are effective. This legislation will not only save children but it will save consumers from spending money on inadequate systems."

The groups are working with Republican and Democratic legislators to respond to the tragic problem of children being backed over and killed at a rate of 2 a week, according to KIDS AND CARS, with 48 children each week going to hospital emergency rooms for injuries. "NHTSA's report shows we have the technology to address the problem, now we need the political will to get the legislation passed. Children are precious - we should be doing everything in our power to keep them safe," Fennell concluded.

AScribe - The Public Interest Newswire / 510-653-9400
www.ascribe.org

International Volunteer Manager Appreciation Day

2009-10-27T10:14:00.000-07:00

Under normal circumstances I would be slightly annoyed by the designation of yet another day for yet another type of person to be celebrated. However, I will gladly take advantage of the upcoming International Volunteer Manager Appreciation Day, next Sunday, November 1.

Leverage an opportunity like this with volunteers.
- Get your volunteers together. If your volunteers are a younger, urban set, frame it as a mid-week cocktail hour at a local establishment. If not, a dessert social for the whole family, or any other event that your volunteer demographic might enjoy. Just keep it short and sweet. Due to the mid-week timing, you may not get a huge turnout, but this is a good opportunity to build relationships with volunteers and make them feel very connected to your organization.

- Give a thank you gift to lead volunteers. Every organization has those volunteers who are practically a member of the staff. They may have taken the lead in a particular area, or just give a lot of time. A small token of appreciation on a day like this will speak volumes. Volunteers stay and recruit when they realize they are needed and appreciated.

- Send a press release to local papers highlighting the ways in which your organization uses volunteers. The point of designating an International Day of anything is to bring public attention to some situation. Work it! How have volunteers impacted your clients or issue in the past? What "special something" does your organization bring to a volunteer? How can people currently get involved? The timing couldn't be better as many organizations start recruiting volunteers for holiday events.

Always be on the lookout for events or celebrations that your non-profit can leverage. Even if people don't respond immediately, they are taking note of what you are doing.

The easiest way to volunteer - letter writing online!

2009-09-20T20:52:00.000-07:00

You probably see a dozen ways our world could be improved on a daily basis. It can be overwhelming when you start really thinking about how to start making a difference. So many volunteer opportunities by necessity require on site participation and a good chunk of time.

If you would like a really easy first step to creating change in our society, consider taking 15 minutes to send some emails to our elected officials. Volunteers willing to do this be very effective.

My personal favorite is Call + Response - a concert turned movie turned grassroots activist organization dedicated to ending human trafficking. They are doing a campaign right now - check it out!

Another way you can make your voice heard in 15 minutes on your own schedule is to write a letter to the President. He might not read it personally, but his staffers will and it may end up in the hands of a policymaker for whom it is even more targeted. Keep it short and sweet, emphasizing any particular expertise or compelling experiences that you bring to the issue. Make sure to include and volunteer organizations or volunteer programs you have participated in so they recognize that you are walking the walk as well as talking the talk.

This is a great community service project for kids as well. Many young volunteers identify with animals and the need to protect them. Check out World Wildlife Fund's Conservation Action Network and they will give you templates for letters to policymakers. A great opportunity to engage kids in community activism, the political process and volunteering.

For more ideas on how to volunteer in 15 minutes, check out this website.

How to Help Volunteers with Change - Part III

2009-08-01T14:44:00.000-07:00

Consider who your volunteers are

The main difference in change management for the non-profit manager working with volunteers is the nature of volunteers. Employees have complex reasons for working where they do, but the bottom line is a paycheck. They need to work to make money to live. People will put up with quite a lot for the money. What motivates volunteers? How do they get “paid”?

The answers to these questions further complicate managing change and encouraging internal transition. The Mississippi Commission for Volunteer Service breaks volunteer motivation into four broad categories. These are useful for discussion, but always remember that each individual is just that, individual, and will have their own mix of motivations and needs. Here are some ways you can target your interactions to help volunteers process change and make a healthy transition:

Praise: If your volunteer is regularly coming to you to show you what they’ve done, they’re probably motivated by praise. Help them let go of the past and assure them of their value to you by recognizing past achievements. This can be done formally with a certificate at a banquet, or informally, perhaps more casually thanking them in a meeting. It will also be important for someone to give them consistent feedback during the most uncertain times. Not communicating with these volunteers will be like withholding water from a plant.

Affiliation: When a volunteer wears their organization t-shirt all the time, or their known to their friends as “The Your-Organization Lady” it is a good bet they are motivated by being a part of your team. This loyalty is a valuable asset; encourage it by updating t-shirts, caps, bags or anything that they use to proclaim their affiliation. You can also solidify the social aspects of your organization by having more frequent luncheons or volunteer appreciation events, even casual happy hours for volunteers to mingle. Finally, it will be especially important for these volunteers to meet new staff members and find some way to “bond” with them. Each organization will be different in their access to major players, but some kind of meet-and-greet will provide an opportunity to bring those new people into the volunteers’ world.

Accomplishment: In a way similar to those volunteers motivated by praise, those motivated by accomplishment might be quick to demonstrate for you what they’ve done. These volunteers tend to be less relational and more task-oriented, though. Recognizing past achievements will communicate that you have seen and care about the work they’ve done. Leverage their penchant for checklists by noting the concrete steps you will take to change. These volunteers will be your allies to make sure things happen. Also recognize their compliance with new goals and achievements in new areas as change is implemented.

Power/Influence: These volunteers tend to become leaders whether formally or informally. They enjoy a certain amount of influence with other volunteers which can be of tremendous help in uncertain times. Help these volunteers get on board by making them part of an advisory committee or asking them individually for their input. As new procedures are developed train them to train others or ask them to advocate for the change. If it is appropriate, these may be the volunteers you want to bring into the loop earlier on, or in a deeper fashion.

Each type of volunteer has strengths and weaknesses: play to their strengths to make them feel the most useful and to accomplish organizational goals more effectively. You may not be able to tailor your approach to each volunteer. Recognize though that having a variety of ways to communicate and support your volunteers through the time of change will help with retention, attitude and compliance.

Now go change the world!

The City Director where I was a frontline manager used to have a saying: Overcommunicate often! As tiresome as overcommunication can be, it is absolutely necessary in times of uncertainty. Giving people the truth earlier prevents gossip, fear and misinformation. In addition to that, consider the true needs and motivations of volunteers. Try to speak their language, showing your care and appreciation in a way that makes sense to them. Underneath all of this is the need for organization. Nothing will make volunteers feel the ship is sinking more than having a leader who gives confusing or conflicting information. The plan may be bare bones or preliminary to start, but have some kind of plan. Finally, remember that you will need to give people time. Chances are it took you and the rest of your organization time to recognize the need for change and to come up with a plan. Give your volunteers the same time to make the transition.

References:
Bridges, William and Susan Mitchell Bridges, “Leading Transition: A new model for change.” Retrieved from http://www.leadertoleader.org/ on 10/30/06.

Mississippi Commission for Volunteer Service, “What motivates your volunteers?” Retrieved from http://www.mcvs.org/ on 10/30/06.