Nonprofit Spark – Renee McGivern

This is my final episode of Nonprofit Spark. Over the three years I’ve hosted the show, I was delighted by my guests who are really good at what they do and so wiling to share it with all of you. I created Nonprofit Spark because I know how fun and even therapeutic conversations can be with others who do similar work. But those opportunities are rare. I also believe radio interviews are a wonderful way to soak in learning and stimulate thinking. So, I thought, why not use podcasts to bring those both together? Certainly, the fact that I worked in the nonprofit sector for more than 25 years made choosing a nonprofit focus a no-brainer. But personally, I wanted to try something new and decided a radio show would combine my love of journalism and great conversations. Some people golf. Others cook or shoot photos. I love asking questions and learning! My intention for every show, which I shared with every guest, was that listeners walk away with new ideas for taking new actions and causing new results. My guests jumped in every time and they absolutely loved being interviewed. Take a hint: Giving people your undivided attention causes them blossom right before your eyes, or ears, in this case. The formula seemed to work. Nonprofit Spark has been the fifth most downloaded show on WebTalkRadio for almost two years; it’s downloaded nearly 40,000 times per month. Be that as it may, in my heart I know it’s time to try some new things with the 6-10 hours a week I have been spending on the show. Thank you to the show sponsor CliftonLarsonAllen, the national accounting firm that has a strong nonprofit division. I’ve worked with about a dozen of their accountants over the years and not only are they smart, but they all have a great sense of humor which I believe sets the company apart. Thank you, too, for listening and sharing the show. The podcasts will remain on WebTalkRadio for a while but I suggest if you have a few favorites, you download them soon. Remember you can find them on iTunes as well. I wish you prosperity and good health in 2014. In the meantime, enjoy what I consider the quintessential Nonprofit Spark episode of all time which aired the week of March 12, 2012: A primer on managing your nonprofit’s cash flow.

It’s Christmas week and so I’m replaying one of the most downloaded shows of 2013 – in fact, in Nonprofit Spark’s history. The episode? Six ways to make your case great, which aired the week of May 13, 2013. My guest is Jennie Winton, a founding partner of Mission Minded, a branding firm that believes that nonprofits, foundations, and other do-gooders can only have an impact if people understand the importance of their work. What it would be like if people couldn’t resist supporting your nonprofit? That’s the result of writing a great case statement that includes stories about the lives and communities you impact. Jennie provides a step-by-step process here for telling a good story. We also talk a bit about how to work with a branding or design agency so you wind up with materials and ideas that aren’t just clever, but actually result in raising more money. This is a fun show that will get your creative juices flowing. Enjoy!

When you think about how you’re communicating with your donors, funders, and community, do you wonder whether you’re spending your time and resources well? Do you feel frustrated that you’re communication is scattershot or ineffective? Then you need a communication strategy! My guest this week is James Howe, president of Communicate and Howe based in Kitchener, Ontario. We hone in on six elements of a content strategy that will give you clarity about who you want to communicate with, why and with what tools. Too often, we miss the strategy and jump right into a plan of action and yet, isn’t it critically important to be clear about why you’re doing what you’re doing? In our experience, taking time to develop a communication strategy makes everything else you do fall into place and make sense. What a relief! James started in nonprofit communications work with the Daily Bread Food Bank in Toronto and in the development office of the University of Waterloo. He was director of communications for the YMCAs of Cambridge & Kitchener-Waterloo just before starting his consulting firm. If you want to boost your communications in 2014, then formulate a communications strategy so you can confidently use your time and resources well. It’ll help you justify a bigger budget as well. Enjoy the show!

This week, we look at fraud because it’s been in the news a lot lately. It all started with a series of stories in the Washington Post the fall, and the tales of woe for organizations large to small are heartbreaking. My guest is John P. Langan, a CPA and managing partner with CliftonLarsonAllen, our show sponsor. We discuss common ways people steal from organizations and their personality types; accounting procedures that can protect your from fraud; what to do if you suspect fraud; how to think about investments, and more. This interview clips along and is easy to follow for even the most novice nonprofit leader. A related show is a courageous and generous interview with the leader of Open Arms of Minnesota who describes her organization’s experience with fraud. How they handled it is a textbook example of what you should be prepared to do if it happens to you. That show aired the week of March 19, 2012. You owe it to your staff, donors and constituents to be good stewards of your resources. It’s not hard if you use time-tested procedures and create a climate where everyone can ask questions. I hope you enjoy and share the show.

It’s coming on Christmas and for this week’s show I’ve tracked down Alison Carlman, the senior unmarketing manager for GlobalGiving, an online marketplace that connects you to the causes and countries you care about. Alison describes how GlobalGiving provides support for people at charities around the world and solutions for people who want to find projects in other countries to support. Since 2002, more than 350,000 donors have given almost $95 million to 8800 projects worldwide via GlobalGiving. Pretty impressive. This show is not just about how this organization facilitates giving, though. You’ll also recognize that GlobalGiving is an organization that truly understands what it means to be responsive and engaging. You can apply to have your organization on the GlobalGiving website and get a lot of training and support in return. But I also know many of you will be interested in reviewing and contributing to international projects who are part of the GlobalGiving community. I hope you enjoy the interview as much as I did.

Do you ever grumble, “There’s got to be a better way,” when it comes to applying for, managing and reporting on grants? Do you wish you could provide feedback to funders about how dreadful their website and procedures are? Then you’ll be happy to hear my guests on this week’s show discuss Project Streamline, a national program from the Grants Managers Network that is addressing the waste of time and energy caused by inconsistent and inefficient reporting and application procedures. Michelle Greanias is the executive director of the Grants Managers Network and project manager for Project Streamline. She has spent most of her career in philanthropy. Jessica Bearman is an independent consultant who provides strategic planning and support to Project Streamline. She is the researcher and author of the Project Streamline reports, Drowning in Paperwork, Distracted from Purpose, and most recently in 2013, Practices that Matter. The intention of Project Streamline is to reduce the burden on nonprofits and free up more time and money for mission-based activities and it’s exciting to hear how this program has already begun to alter the approach grantmakers are taking with their processes and procedures. Guess what? They don’t like all the budgets and paperwork either! A previous episode of Nonprofit Spark is a great companion to this interview. “Funders: Stop asking non-profits for budgets” is a feisty interview about our 990s and working with grantmakers. This week’s show is a hopeful one for a hopeful holiday season. Enjoy!

Hi, everyone. I’m getting ahead of America’s Thanksgiving travel rush and taking a holiday this week. I found a show that I wanted to replay for you about websites. Did you ever think of yourself as a publisher? Well, you are one if you have a website. This episode will help you understand a few things about content ownership, copyright and how to stay out of legal hot water. This week, I talk to two attorneys from Venable LLP, a Washington, D.C. law firm. A.J. Zottola handles all types of negotiations involving intellectual property, privacy, trademark and copyright, and more. With him is a return guest, Jeff Tenenbaum, who is one of the nation’s leading nonprofit attorneys and who chairs the firm’s Nonprofit Organizations Practice Group. On this show, we discuss who owns the content on your site, some basics about copyright and trademark laws, and how to be conscientious about protecting your work and the work of others. This is a fast-paced, eye-opening show for website newbies and longtime website editors. If you want to read more about copyright and trademark issues, go to the areas of practice section of Venable firm’s website to start your search.

This week, I have two guests who discuss taxes and I promise you, this is an interesting conversation that you will want to share with neighbors and nonprofits in your community. My guests this week describe a workshop and toolkit they’ve created called “Nonprofits Talking Taxes,” which is being rolled out this week. Kim Klein, is a principal of the fundraising firm Klein & Roth Consulting, and author of Fundraising for Social Change and Reliable Fundraising in Unreliable Times. I had her on the show a few weeks ago talking about year-end fundraising. Kim is joined by Anne Ryan, a project coordinator at CompassPoint Nonprofit Services, which provides leadership, management, finance and strategy support for nonprofits to help them achieve social equity. We start the show be defining what we mean by the “common good” and then the discussion builds on this premise that “we all do better when we all do better.” What if all types of nonprofits came together to educate ourselves about tax policy and discuss our values, and then relate them to how we think communities ought to work? And then what might happen if, armed with our newfound knowledge, we were able to speak persuasively and intelligently about why taxes are a good thing for the common good? Kim and Anne make a strong case for taking time to understand tax policy and they assure us that the tax structure really isn’t hard to understand, especially when you organize a Nonprofits Talking Taxes workshop and use the toolkit in your own community. Set aside politics. Set aside competitiveness. Imagine what it would be like if there was enough money to go around. Imagine the powerful force nonprofits can be for the Common Good. I hope you enjoy the show.

This week we explore something called a dual-business model for nonprofits, an idea that is being actively promoted by state nonprofit associations who know their members can think smarter about generating revenue in a highly competitive environment. My guest is Allen J. Proctor, the founder and principal of Linking Mission to Money, the dual-business model to make nonprofits sustainable. With Proctor’s model, nonprofit leaders and board members accept that their mission-critical work is going to lose money and so they run a profit-making business to offset those losses. Proctor believes this choice is smarter and more reliable than adding fundraising staff. Yes, many organizations charge fees for services, but he expands on this idea to promote social entrepreneurship outside of the context of mission-based work. You’ll hear several examples of nonprofits that use this dual-business model. We all are familiar with Goodwill Stores, for instance, but what is your version of a Goodwill Store? Procter has nearly 30 years experience evaluating the financial health of organizations, developing effective business strategies, and enhancing organizational effectiveness. He is the author of the book Linking Mission to Money as well as More Than Just Money. A related show is What’s happening with the business of doing good?,which aired the week of February 13, 2012. On that show, my guest describes various social enterprise models. I hope these shows spark some serious discussions about increasing your revenues by developing for-profit ventures. Enjoy!

This week, we focus on five areas where you can give yourself the gift of time by eliminating some bad habits common to many nonprofit leaders and board members. My guest is Phil Van Horn, the CEO of Align, a Cheyenne, Wyoming nonprofit. His organization provides management consulting and leadership training to help clients become more efficient and effective. Phil has come up with the top five time-wasters he sees over and over, and that he and his own staff are rigorous about addressing. The key to all of this is appreciating that your time, even as a volunteer, is not free. There are costs to wasting it and they come at the price of satisfaction and effective governance. This show is designed to nudge you to doing a self-assessment about whether you value your time and that of others. I hope you enjoy it.

Have you been hurt by the staff of nonprofits you’ve volunteered for? Did you tell your friends about it, blame yourself for wasting your time, turn down other volunteer opportunities as a result? This week’s show focuses on volunteer rights, an idea that bubbled up about four years ago in England, is now being thoughtfully addressed in Australia, and is making its way into conversations among volunteer managers in North America. My guest is Rob Jackson, an international speaker, author and consultant about volunteer engagement, leadership and management and he talks about this breach of trust between volunteers and their organizations. Does the way you treat volunteers align with your values? How do you gauge whether your nonprofit treats volunteers well? Do you have a way for them to air their grievances? Rob talks about his experience with The Volunteer Rights Inquiry in England and hearing stories from volunteers who were mistreated or at least, deeply hurt, by leaders and staff. I share from my own frustrating experiences as well. He describes the 3R promise, which can guide you in making a commitment to raising the standard of managing volunteers. I’ll run through that promise at the end of the show. In the meantime, use this show as the basis for a conversation for improving your volunteer program in 2014. Enjoy the show.

We’ve all heard news stories involving a donor who expected one thing to happen with his multi-million dollar contribution and the university, hospital or other charity who didn’t honor his request. Or perhaps you’ve had a donor approach you about making a contribution in exchange for recognition that you weren’t sure was such a good idea. My guest this week, Attorney Kristalyn Loson of Venable LLP, and I talk about donor intent and how to think about accepting contributions with strings. Loson is an associate attorney at Venable, based in Washington, D.C. She focuses her practice on nonprofits and associations and related issues like incorporation and tax-exemption applications; tax-exemption compliance and IRS audits; corporate governance; membership issues; contracts, and charitable solicitation regulation. The lure of a large contribution, the charisma of a major donor, the desire to make a program financially secure – these can make a transaction very appealing but perhaps also, ethically or financially murky. On this show, Kristalyn describes a few legal cases that provide insight in how to think about donor intent and accepting donations with strings. We also discuss the accounting terms of restricted, unrestricted and temporarily restricted gifts. If you are open to receiving planned and restricted gifts, then your board and staff must be thoughtful and respectful of donors’ intentions and you probably want to seek legal advice as well. Make sure you can satisfy their needs while honoring your own nonprofit’s reputation and financial well-being. Enjoy this thought-provoking show!

In the fall, many nonprofits are gearing up year-end fundraising campaigns for December, a traditional strategy with proven results. On this show, my guest is Kim Klein who turns that idea on its head. Kim is a principle of Klein and Roth Consulting and an international speaker and author about fundraising. She was kind enough to come on the show to offer tips on boosting your 2013 results right now and we have a lots of fun talking about campaigns and donors. Listen now – it’s not too late to adjust your strategy and implement her ideas. I hope you enjoy the show.

This week, I’m happy to have back Sherry Truhlar of Red Apple Auctions to talk about Fund a Need, a fundraising tactic that takes advantage of an event where you have a number of people in attendance. Do you have an item you need to buy, like a bus to transport kids, or a specific program you want to give special attention to? Fund a Need can be a great way to focus people’s attention, raise money, and you don’t have all the fuss of getting items for a live or silent auction. Sherry describes seven steps for making the Fund a Need strategy work, and she gives examples of several types of organizations who are very happy with this approach. As you listen, think about how you’ll fit this into your overall development activities, and the pledge levels that would make sense for your organization and donors. Fund a need sure makes sense to me if you have a fairly steady group of donors who attend your events and are willing to fill a table with their friends. Think ahead to 2014 and where you can tuck this great idea into your schedule because it sure seems like a manageable, straightforward idea to me. Enjoy the show.

I look at a lot of nonprofit websites every month and I have become concerned that too many of you are not encouraging planned gifts. If you have a solid base of individual support, then you need to present these donors with opportunities for greater levels of giving. You don’t have to have a law or finance degree to encourage memorials or bequests. My guest this week is Tom Glass, the Director of Planned Giving for the University of St. Thomas, the largest private college or university in Minnesota. Prior to being in planned giving work, Tom was a co-owner of a financial services company for 25 years. On this show, we discuss five things you should know about starting a planned giving program and our conversation couldn’t be easier to understand. I encourage you to listen to the show, share it with board members and jump in. You will find yourself building deeper and even delightful relationships with these loyal donors and they will appreciate becoming more engaged with your nonprofit. Enjoy the show!

Ever feel frustrated that local nonprofits are doing similar things but aren’t working together on an issue, like literacy? Have you ever wondered what it’s going to take to solve problems you’ve been hearing about for years, like homelessness or improved graduation rates for low-income teens? It turns out, effective collaborations among all kinds of community programs address these concerns. My guest this week is Mark Langseth, the president and CEO of I Have a Dream Foundation Oregon. The organization helps low-incoem students succeed in school, college and career. It does this by connecting community resources and education in creative ways to enhance outcomes for both. On the show, Mark and I discuss how some 60 community partners have come together for a school in Portland, Oregon, to focus on the immediate needs of low-income families. What must be present for community organizations to work well together? How do they overcome their fears of losing their identities and possibly, funding? What does a successful collaboration look like? The role that I Have a Dream Foundation Oregon plays in successful collaborations is a key to success for these efforts. This is a good news show that clips along at a fast pace. You’ll hear a lot of great ideas for how to “move the needle” on seemingly intractable problems in your community. I hope you enjoy the show.

Do you ever grapple with whether you should spend more on your finance department or buy new accounting software? Do you know if the work the staff is doing could be done more efficiently? Well, you’re not alone. My guest this week is Tim Warren, a partner with the national accounting firm of CliftonLarsonAllen. The company has been hosting roundtables about Creating the Ideal Accounting Department in locations throughout the country and so on this show, we get an inside look at what nonprofit CFOs, executive directors and board members have been talking about at these roundtables. Tim has been advising nonprofits for 11 years. He heads the company’s nonprofit group for Massachusetts and surrounding areas and works with colleges, universities, associations, foundations and social service agencies. His primary work relates to audits, taxes and consulting. This show focuses on common problems and solutions of nonprofit finance departments as discussed by hands-on leaders from around the country. There are three recurring issues that came up at Tim’s roundtables. See if you can relate to what your peers have been discussing. You’re not alone! Enjoy the show.

Get out the Kleenex. In this week’s interview, you’ll hear remarkable stories about deep sea fishing expeditions for wounded soldiers, many who’ve lost their limbs. I encourage you to give your undivided attention to my interview with Michael C. Branson, the president of Saltwater Soldiers. You’ll be moved to tears by the sacrifice of soldiers and by Michael’s relentless commitment to them. Saltwater Soldiers provides offshore fishing trips and financial aid to wounded soldiers, military personnel, veterans, and their families. It’s based in Northern Virginia and operates up and down the East Coast of the US with an entirely volunteer staff. In between his stories, Michael shares the lessons he’s learned getting this five-year-old nonprofit up and running and you’ll notice that his passion is balanced by realistic expectations of what it really takes to succeed. I hope you are as moved by this interview as I was.

I’m on a break this week so I’m replaying a show that really woke me up, even though I managed people for years! In this interview, I speak to two attorneys, Jeff Tenenbaum and Dave Warner of Venable LLP, a law firm based in Washington, D.C. We talk about common pitfalls they see nonprofit managers fall into when hiring and managing staff. Dave and Jeff offer ideas about preparing to hire, the interview process, and the importance of writing down who you interviewed, what you asked, and why you chose the person – and saving that information for years. They describe why you must document performance appraisals and also, what the difference is between exempt and non-exempt employees. Finally, we touch on some guidelines for defining who is an independent contractor. Jeff Tenenbaum is a partner with Venable and he is one of the nation’s leading nonprofit attorneys. He chairs the firms Nonprofit Organizations Practice Group and is an accomplished author, lecturer and commentator on nonprofit legal matters. Dave Warner is a partner with Venable as well, and he focuses on resolving and litigating labor, employment and business disputes. Nonprofit managers cannot afford to be naive about managing people; the consequences can be very expensive and time-consuming. Doing good for the world comes with the responsibility of being a good employer. Have all managers in the room to listen to this one and talk about it afterward!

Can you imagine one-hour board meetings? Is it even possible? Your nonprofit would become a magnet for the best and brightest leaders in your community. On this show my guest, Marilyn L. Donnellan, describes the key components of effective one-hour meetings, like training board members to facilitate them. Marilyn is the founder and president of Nonprofit Management Services, which builds capacity and management excellence through consulting, publications, training, coaching and more. The company is based in Clermont, Florida. She has written the award-winning Hour Series guides and training modules for nonprofit managers, and we’re honing in on the One-Hour meeting this week. First off, we examine why our meetings get out of hand and common misconceptions about why boards meet and the role of the board. Then Marilyn describes five do-able things that you must do to make one-hour board meetings a reality. Now, before we start the interview, I invite you to send me an email at mailto:nonprofitspark@gmail.com about what you like about the show with suggestions for future episodes. I’d love to hear from you and I’ll give you and your organization a shout-out on the show. This show pierces through a long tradition of bad board and committee meetings. You can be productive, responsible and the best nonprofit gig in town if you take on Marilyn’s suggestions. I encourage you to check out the resources on her web site. A great companion Nonprofit Spark episode is Quit complaining: best practices for non-profit board learning, which aired the week of January 16, 2012. Enjoy the show!