Center for Association Resources

The Center for Association Resources supports mission-oriented organizations, assisting them in increasing relevance and accomplishing goals.

Non-Profit

Board training…..getting qualified people on the board

Another in a series of articles related to association management selected from our reading list by:
Robert O. Patterson, JD
CEO/ Principal
The Center for Association Resources, Inc.

Board Training — Getting qualified people on the board – The Center for Association Resources

What constitutes an effective and productive board member at a non-profit? As part of the governing body of the organization, a good board member is one who first understands fully the group’s mission and goals, as well as its legal obligations and significant responsibilities. This is true whether a non-profit is in its infancy, is in transition to becoming a more mature organization, or is already an established institution. The non-profit board’s membership should consist of people who are either experienced in non-profit board functions or who are willing to proactively learn about the roles and acquire the tools and knowledge to be competent contributors.

Most of the time, individuals serve on a non-profit board because they are passionate about the cause. However, passion alone is not enough to fulfill the many duties asked of each board member. Time commitment is a necessary requirement – for attending board meetings, preparing for the meetings, reviewing proposals, budgets and other documents, and fundraising.

Speaking of fundraising, many people who are new to non-profits don’t realize that one of the main functions of the board is to raise money. These board members need to be comfortable with a common policy among non-profits to either donate funds themselves or actively fundraise (or both). Board members may also be asked to organize and host fundraising events or to meet with foundations or government agencies that award grants to non-profits. Time commitment aside, each board member should have sufficient business and leadership skills to approve budgets, establish a process to create a strategic plan, hire and evaluate the executive director, and ensure the legal and ethical integrity of the organization. In order to perform the roles and responsibilities dutifully, the board should evaluate its effectiveness and identify areas where a new board member may bring on skills that would be complementary.

During growth periods, a board may need to grow too. Sometimes the need to find new board members arises from resignation or when board members reach their term limit. Recruiting for board members may start with referrals from the current board, volunteers from the organization, or from the staff. There are services that match prospective board candidates with non-profit organizations such as boardnetUSA and VolunteerMatch. The tasks of screening and determining a board candidate’s qualifications rest with the board. There should be a process to evaluate the candidate as well as a process to bring the new person on board.

As leaders wanting to make a difference, the board must be made up of individuals who have sound business skills, experience with board duties and functions and commitment to developing a strong board by ensuring each member is qualified to meet the needs of the non-profit organization.

Working with difficult people

Another in a series of articles related to association management selected from our reading list by:
Robert O. Patterson, JD
CEO/ Principal
The Center for Association Resources, Inc.

Working with difficult people

Difficult people are everywhere – our homes, our neighborhoods, our families and our offices. Eventually, a challenging employee, volunteer or co-worker will find their way into your non-profit organization. Learning how to handle them and to redirect them in a positive way can save a great deal of time, trouble, wasted resources and stress.

When it comes to a challenging person, there are plenty of things not to do. For example, don’t ignore threatening or abusive behavior. Also, don’t ignore the problem and hope it goes away. It won’t, and chances are, if you are having difficulties, so are others in your organization. Anonymous or veiled methods of dealing with the problem, such as notes or shunning, might be tempting courses of action, but they are rarely effective.  They only serve to alienate the person and make the situation worse. Dealing with the situation, head on, in a positive way, can not only solve the problem, but build an environment of trust and respect among colleagues.

The first aspect to look at, when determining how to work with a difficult person, is to determine what is making them difficult. Are they constantly talking over others? Are they reluctant to really get involved in their work? Do they have problems working with certain types of people? Do they need to be in charge, or the center of attention?

Understanding that these behaviors have underlying drivers can assist in finding ways to not only neutralize the difficult behavior, but often turn that energy into a positive force. Those people who need to be in charge can be given a small leadership position, whether it’s managing an outreach project or being in charge of organizing the supply closet. Giving them a task that they can be in charge of and be recognized for takes away the challenge and turns it into a positive.

If the difficulties lie in behavior, pulling the person aside and calmly stating your issues can go a long way toward fostering an understanding about what is and is not appropriate. For a serial interrupter, explaining that being interrupted makes you feel as if your contributions aren’t important and asking to be heard will let your colleague know how the specific behavior is impacting you.

When confronting your colleague, peer or subordinate, it’s very important to use “I” statements and to avoid accusing the other person of wrongdoing. “When I’m interrupted during a meeting, I feel as if my ideas aren’t valued. I would really appreciate being able to finish sharing my ideas before others discuss them” will go much further toward fostering an environment of understanding than: “You’re always interrupting me and you don’t value my ideas!” Discussing potentially sensitive topics with understanding and respect can turn an argument into an enriching experience.

Even the most irritating people are with your non-profit for a reason. They most likely share the same concerns, passions and ideals as you. Finding common ground and finding ways to use everyone’s talents to the fullest will benefit everyone: the organization, coworkers and the difficult person.

The Center for Association Resources can be found at http://Association-Resources.com/ – Contact Robert Patterson for your Non-Profit association needs.


Collaboration with other NPOs: A Win-Win Situation

Another in a series of articles related to association management selected from our reading list by:
Robert O. Patterson, JD
CEO/ Principal
The Center for Association Resources, Inc.

The Center for Association Resources presents

Collaboration with other NPOs: A Win-Win Situation

An avenue worth exploring for your non-profit – whether you are a start-up or a mature organization – is collaboration with one or more other NPOs whose missions and goals are complementary to yours. As budgets get squeezed tighter and tighter, and effort spent on fundraising becomes more and more time-consuming, it might pay to see how your group can create synergies with other organizations.

For new NPOs, initial goals will include plans to raise funds in both the short- and long-term. How you go about that fundraising is a topic for another blog post; this article will focus on a perhaps untapped resource in your local network of charitable organizations – other NPOs that are more established.

These other groups already have a track record of success, so try to tap into their expertise. (At the same time, examine your organization to see what you bring to the table. This should be a win-win situation for all involved.) How can you find these complementary organizations? Start out local, by checking with the United Way in your locale for a list of organizations they support. Websites such as www.charitynavigator.com and www.guidestar.com have searchable databases that you can access for free. Additionally, the National Center for Charitable Statistics (part of the Urban Institute) allows you to search its public database of charities by NTEE (National Taxonomy of Exempt Entities). You can access the database by visiting http://bit.ly/umPHm.

Once you have made a connection with an organization similar to yours, what sorts of collaborative events can you host? For starters, a lot of groups host annual fundraisers designed to bring visibility – and cash – to the organization and its mission. Perhaps your NPO can partner with another to cohost such an event, with proceeds split appropriately between the two groups. The power of collaboration has the possibility of providing synergies, as the groups work together on marketing and promoting the event, as well as logistics. Consider also the possibility of sharing back-office functions as a way to reduce overhead costs. Truly, the possibilities of what you can do with other NPOs is limited only by your imagination. Who knows – working together for mutual benefit could even lead to a merger of the two separate organizations into one larger group that is stronger and more efficient.

The bottom-line question that must be asked is, what do you really stand to gain from collaborating with other NPOs? Can they really provide anything you wouldn’t be able to secure on your own? After all, competition exists in every facet of public and private business in America, and in that respect NPOs aren’t that much different from corporate America. You might be trying to engage the same groups of people as donors or competing for the same government grants, for example. But NPOs might be better off if they work together. It’s already a difficult marketplace to survive and thrive in, and NPOs face specific dilemmas unique to their distinctive manner of practicing business, particularly as it relates to raising funds. If you can learn from other NPOs, you can either take a leaf from their book, or, conversely, you can gauge where and how other NPOs are succeeding and learn what resources might be available to your organization.

The Center for Association Resources can be found at http://Association-Resources.com/ – Contact Robert Patterson for your Non-Profit association needs.

Barktown Dog Rescue: One Non-Profit’s Story – Published by The Center for Association Resources

Barktown Dog Rescue: One Non-Profit’s Story

May 25, 2011 • 1:11 pm 0

Barktown dog rescue is a non-profit organization for stray and abandoned dogs (as well as a few cats) in Kentucky. Volunteers there rescue and foster animals until a “forever” home, or as they call it, a “fur’ever” home, is found. These foster parents daily see and deal with abused animals, which makes it an environment for the strong-hearted.

TV reports often portray many of these abandoned dogs as bad-tempered, but at least one volunteer says she has never worried about any of the dogs she has brought into her home, to the point she trusts them alone with her young daughter. Many of the animals are so scared of humans that at first they can barely be petted. From this volunteer’s viewpoint, the work is sad, but also rewarding, especially when someone adopts a dog instead of buying one from a breeder or puppy mill.

Like at many non-profits, the budget is tight. Barktown Dog Rescue makes dollars stretch by being creative. They partner with local veterinarians, for example, to offer assistance for spay and neuter clinics. These low-cost clinics allow families to take advantage of a $20 or $30 operation, saving hundreds of dollars over the cost of comparable procedures at a full-price clinic. Many of these vets also offer food and shelter for the dogs when there are not enough foster homes available.

A major expense for Barktown is boarding rescues and strays when there are more dogs than foster parents. To raise money for such times, the organization makes dog treats that are sold at local businesses. They also engage in monthly donation drives at businesses around town. Barktown also receives revenues when an adoption is finalized. All monies go toward veterinary bills and any medicines or shots that the animals need.

Barktown can be found on the Web at www.barktownrescue.org. The group accepts donations on-line.

The Center for Association Resources can be found at http://Association-Resources.com/

Non-profit Organizations

Another in a series of articles related to association management selected from our reading list by:
Robert O. Patterson, JD
CEO/ Principal
The Center for Association Resources, Inc.

About Non profit organizations and their management

As the name suggests, a non-profit organization is an association or a group established with the objectives of serving the people rather than profit motive. Non-profit organizations can be individuals, like self-help groups or formal associations. Voluntary organizations, philanthropic societies, social service associations and charitable trusts are some of the examples of non-profit organizations. Although most governments and government agencies also come under non-profit organizations, in most countries they are considered a separate type of organization and not counted as NPOs. In many counties, NPOs are exempt from income and property taxes.

In the United States alone, there are over one million large non-profitable organizations registered with the Internal Revenue Service. In addition, there are numerous smaller associations with annual revenues of less than $50,000 that are not registered with the IRS. The total revenues of non-profit bodies in US are estimated to be a little over 6 percent of the country’s economy. This sector employs around 10.2 million persons. Most non-profit entities are registered into corporations under the Corporation Laws of a particular State. Corporations are, in general, required to pay federal income taxes on their net earnings. However, Section 501 of the Internal Revenue Code details certain circumstances under which corporations or unincorporated non-profit organizations are exempt from these taxes. These include organizations established for charitable, religious, scientific or educational purposes, and those that do not distribute any part of their income among their members.

Tax exempt non-profit organizations operate like any other business units. They maintain bank accounts, own productive assets, receive donations, make investments and employ staff. The major difference is, however, in the nature of activities of NPOs. Non-profit organizations may be associations or trusts. The organization may be controlled by its members who elect the Board of Directors, Board of Governors or Board of trustees. Non-profit organizations or associations have excellent networking and organizing skills. These organizations render yeoman service to the society by providing material help and support in times of natural calamities, like floods, fire and earthquakes. In many countries, especially in developing countries, NPOs are the first ones to reach the affected areas. For example, when floods submerge several villages and people are marooned without food, drinking water and shelter, volunteers from NPOs drop the food packets and drinking water sachets from helicopters and wherever possible, they evacuate affected people to safer places. These non-profit organizations, in most cases supplement the work of Government agencies.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute are two of the wealthiest non-profit organizations in the United States. Outside the US, another large NPO is the British Wellcome Trust, a non-profit charitable trust. In addition, there are also millions of smaller NPOs that undertake social services and relief measures. Some non-profit organizations are particularly renowned for the charitable or social nature of their services carried out over a long period of time. These include, Amnesty International, Rotary International, Carnegie Corporation of New York, the Red Cross, UNESCO and IEEE. Many NPOs often use the .org or .us or .edu top-level-domain (TLD), when choosing a name for the domain to distinguish themselves from commercial entities, which use the .com space.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, The Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Section 501 of the Internal Revenue Code, NPOs, The Center for Association Resources

Community Development

Another in a series of articles related to association management selected from our reading list by:
Robert O. Patterson, JD
CEO/ Principal
The Center for Association Resources, Inc.

From the trenches comes a tale of community development success

“Can’t.” “It won’t work.” “There’s nothing you can do.” Few critiques are more incapacitating than these to an organization looking to make a difference. And, when things haven’t gone as planned in the past, critiques will come flying from all directions when new ideas are ventured. Community development lore says that during a meeting, an elected official said, “We’ve tried, and nothing works. But keep trying, nothing can make that neighborhood any worse.”

Well, I have a different tale to tell. Our neighborhood development project had entered its third year, and very little headway had been made toward our goals. Determined to find a way to improve the neighborhood, I canvassed residents in the area through personal visits. Every interview was much alike, and went something like this:

“Hi, I’m from United Way and we’re trying to become familiar with the neighborhood. Can I ask you some questions?” Yes, come in. “Do you feel safe in your neighborhood?”  No. “Do you know your neighbors?” No. “How long do you plan on living here?” Until I can afford to move out.

It was time to change tactics and develop a community asset database instead of a list of complaints. My line of questioning turned to such topics as “What do you like to do with your free time?” The answers flowed, each household revealing a depth of talent and interests:  gardening, bird watching, knitting, reading, drawing, soccer.

Next, it was time to get the neighborhood engaged in thinking about ways to be involved.

“Soccer, huh, can you coach? Do your kids play?” “If we started an art class, could you teach?” “Have you been to the community garden?” “Would you come to a neighborhood movie night?” The enthusiastic responses surprised me. A form was filled out for each house; the stack eventually comprised hundreds of sheets.

Finally, it was time to act on all the information and enthusiasm that had been created through the neighborhood canvass. Our secret to success was to find what’s simple to accomplish and brings about the greatest good, and then doing it. In our case, creating legitimacy meant a community garden, summer day camp, sports nights, community BBQ’s, and murals painted over graffiti-filled walls.

Bad news may seem to spread like wildfire while good news always seems to lag behind, but it does always spread and creates positive steam. In our case, we took the positives from the neighborhood and the success of some programs and approached local businesses. We also networked with local clubs and schools. School metal shops built soccer posts, and local business donated white paint for lines, as well as flags, jerseys, balls, and whistles.

Good news turned into more good news: I received a call from an apartment manager; the owners liked what was happening and offered use of an apartment as a community center. We then contacted the community members we had interviewed and soon staffed the community center with classes taught by neighbors, to neighbors. Neighbors invited neighbors and each success brought new opportunities. Our community blog and Facebook page reached a broad audience, and the stories attracted local media interested in meeting the faces behind the stories.

These stories brought additional credibility to our project, and volunteers excelled because they were using their talents and passion. Additionally, their work was hands-on, which allowed them to readily see success as it happened.

What we accomplished can be replicated in your neighborhood or organization; simply start with the positive and move on from there. You just might be amazed by the results.

community center, volunteering, asset-based development, The Center for Association Resources