Successful Nonprofits Podcast

Evaluation consultant Shelby Roberts joins Dolph to discuss how to squeeze the most out of your data by tracking as you go along. Simply put, start counting! Shelby also explains how she helped implement the strategic plan of Intown Collaborative Ministries.   Links: Shelby’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shelby-roberts-4935358/ InTown Collaborative Ministries: https://intowncm.org/about/board-of-directors/   *****Timestamped Highlights***** (3:30) When a project does not go your way (6:16) Easy ways to measure output (7:44) Step One: Count. Step Two: Store it. (9:19) Excel: Shelby’s choice for data analysis (10:30)  Focusing on short- and medium-term outcomes   (11:36) Using a pre- and post-survey to track outcome measurements  (14:32) The benefits of tracking output over time – paint a picture!  (16:48) Communicating your plan for measuring outputs (and outcomes) (18:26) The power in the Red, Yellow, and Green: Using scorecards to measure progress (24:40) Shelby recalls her earlier role in Intown’s strategic planning   (26:45) How Shelby helped implement Intown’s strategic planning process as board chair (28:06) Intown’s staff roles vs. board roles (28:50) Kate Hayes was onto something… having talent on your board brings benefits  (30:53) Shelby’s Weekend Plans: More rigorous than yours

Kim Powell is back and she’s changing the perspective about who can be a successful CEO! Podcast veteran Kim Powell returns to the podcast to discuss key takeaways from her latest book, The CEO Next Door. Kim explains the traits of successful executive directors and debunks CEO myths.   Links: Kim’s website: www.ghSMART.com Buy the book: The CEO Next Door: www.ceonextdoorbook.com Kim’s debut, Episode 27: https://www.successfulnonprofits.com/archive/creating-a-100-day-launch-plan-for-your-new-ceo-with-kim-powell-episode-27   *****Timestamped Highlights***** (4:19) Myth #1: Successful CEOs have Ivy League degrees. (5:07) Myth #2: Successful CEOs began pursuing the top seat early in their careers. (6:16) Myth #3: The CEO is a superhero who saves the day. (7:29) Myth #4: Successful CEOs are extroverts. (8:05) Myth #5: Successful CEOs have swung from success to success throughout their careers. (9:30) Career blowups are an opportunity to learn (11:30) Step “broad” (15:10) Kim discusses four behaviors that can propel someone to the CEO position (15:44) Behavior 1: Being decisive (18:20) Behavior 2: Delivering reliably (20:56) Behavior 3: Engaging for impact (21:43) Behavior 4: Adapting proactively (25:01) Kim’s shares the most interesting interview conducted for her book (28:55) Kim shares the most diplomatic ways interviewees turned down her interviews for her book

Dolph talks with Rick Alexander, author of Benefit Corporation Law and Governance: Pursuing Profit with Purpose. Rick schools us on the various Bs: B certified, B Lab, and B Corporation. He also outlines the similarities and differences between B corps and nonprofits, and shares instances where nonprofits spin off for-profit entities with B corp legitimacy.     Links: Rick’s Book, Benefit Corporation Law and Governance: Pursuing Profit with Purpose Rick’s Website: www.FrederickAlexander.net B-Lab’s website: www.benefitcorporation.net Measure your Nonprofit’s B-Corp Fit: https://frederickalexander.net/resources/   *****Timestamped Highlights***** (3:51) What inspired Rick to get on board for B corps (5:25) Cute and crunchy, but not something for serious corporate law (9:44) A lot of Bs flying around (12:30) Why become a B corp? (15:30) Impact investors come in a variety of sizes (20:45) Choosing between a nonprofit structure and B corp structure (25:52) Rick explains his book’s dedication to the 1129 human beings lost in the Rana tragedy.  (29:15) Win-win: Rick and his publisher get the titles they want.

Kate Hayes of Echoing Green,  a seed-funding and leadership development program for social entrepreneurs, joins Dolph for a lively discussion about the care and feeding of baby boards. Kate also shares her love of site visits to reignite board members’ passion for the organizational mission.   Links: Kate’s firm: www.echoinggreen.org Kate’s Article in SSIR: A Roadmap to Better Boards Archive of Kate’s Articles in Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/katehayes/#630769431a85   *****Timestamped Highlights***** (4:08) Growing from the “friends and family plan” (7:12) Why now? What do I want my board to look like? Who do I need?  (10:34) The perks of cold-calling prospective members (12:40) A critical piece of the puzzle: matching context and content (17:06) Until Bernie Marcus knocks on your door, keep giving that homework (19:32) Peer pressure for a healthy culture (20:30) Bless and release  (23:48) Recommitting board members by sparking their passion

We invite Larry Velez, founder and CTO of Sinu, to help us understand and accommodate millennials in the workplace. Top of the list: make sure your organization’s systems and tools are mobile-ready.    *****Timestamped Highlights***** (6:58) The trend: Millennials love iPhones! (9:23) Finding balance for seamless integration of devices, data and more (12:45) Yahoo’s semi-cautionary tale (15:47) Being remote but having an office for those who need it (17:07) Trust Issues: Why the older generation fears the cloud (22:35) Accommodating millennials by increasing usability of your tools (24:40) The value of video (28:30) The gift Banksy left on Larry’s office   Links: Larry’s firm, Sinu: www.sinu.com Remote: Office Not Required: https://www.amazon.com/Remote-Office-Required-Jason-Fried/dp/0804137501   Banksy Rat Mural on Canal Street, Chinatown, New York City Courtesy of Carina DeVara: Click here for the details on Banksy’s Famous Rat Mural on Canal Street

Dolph and Kelsey Vatsaas, principal at CliftonLarsonAllen, discuss ways to streamline operations within the nonprofit finance department to improve efficiency, accuracy, and audit results. A good place to start? Step back and ask, “Do we actually use this information?” Learn what to track and what to let go.       Links:   Kelsey’s Firm CliftonLarsonAllen: www.claconnect.com Read Kelsey’s Blog: Signs of Finance Department Dysfunction and What to Do About It Freemium: Contact Kelsey for a Free 30-minute Consultation   *****Timestamped Highlights*****   (5:08) A record breaker: The client with a whopping 1,800 ledger accounts (9:48) Getting federal grants can be a good time for reflection (12:28) Don’t be scared to ask for help (14:35) A Gamechanger: Negotiate the Indirect Cost Rate   (20:35) Show some flexibility with your audit timeline (22:32) Approaching your auditor when things don’t make sense (25:15) The management letter: a useful and under-utilized tool (30:25) Kelsey’s Wedding: a dysfunctional function? Nah. 

Peter Gross of Build Consulting is a nonprofit technology expert. And he’s here to tell you that the real issue around technology in many nonprofits is not that they have the wrong system. Nope. It’s the failure of leadership to get behind the system and support its implementation and use across the organization. Peter never wants to hear another ED say, “Well, I’m not a tech guy…” again! Links: Build Consulting: https://buildconsulting.com/ Build Consulting Newsletter: https://buildconsulting.com/newsletter/ *****Timestamped Highlights***** (1:31) Strip it down (7:20) The Cadillac    (10:15) Never say that again (13:32) It’s getting easier and easier (21:10) Small nonprofits…spreadsheets and QuickBooks (23:20) Vendor agnostic   (27:52) Cows, otters, chicken, deer

We are well underway on this bonus break series about succession planning, and this episode is about the often-discussed, hot topic of executive director contracts. We explore the pros and cons of offering the executive director an employment contract, specifically as they relate to transition planning.

Some leadership transitions are straightforward – the executive director gives a month’s notice before their final day. These are often the simplest and easiest transitions to plan for, but the board needs to prepare for more abrupt and even temporary transitions.   In this bonus break, we will outline the four types of executive transitions your organization may experience and help you begin the succession planning process

We received such strong feedback on the strategic planning bonus break series, that I’m now offering another series – this one on executive transition planning. In this seven-part series, we’ll discuss What is a transition plan? Why do you need one? The four types of transitions. Good time to think about contracts Developing your interim plan Write your ED playbook Reviewing and refreshing your plan Hire a consultant or do it yourself? In this first Bonus Break of the succession planning series, we explain the importance of transition plans.