photo © 2009 Tan-Anh-Khoa Pham | more info (via: Wylio)

I love working with Board members! There is something really special about a volunteer who tears up when you ask what inspires them about their work. Or a Board member who says that they have a moral duty to share their education model with others, if it is effective. And what about a Board chair who can be an ambassador, a door opener, cultivator, and ‘closer’?

All of these amazing individuals were in the room when I led a Board training session recently in Denver. This dedicated group came together to learn how they could be smarter fundraisers for this unique educational organization that champions the lives of babies, teen moms, and their families. The weather was 70 degrees, people were playing golf right outside the window and yet, for four hours on a Friday afternoon, these folks were fully engaged!

The topics we discussed ranged from “when you were asked for money, what worked?” to “what is your personal connection to the mission?”  to, my favorite, creating a leadership brand statement. To do this, we first talked about the levels at which a nonprofit markets its brand.  Remembering that the brand is the leadership, accomplishments, reputation, logo and visuals, it is important to ask ‘what are the values that are expressed in your brand and are you marketing these values?’

An organization is typically introduced to a community in phases. First: its broadest passion (safety, community, responsibility, etc.). Second: its core issues (human rights, housing, economic security, the environment, etc.)  Third: its policies or legislation (the point at which most nonprofits market their message.) These could be Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, Fair Pay Act, No Child Left Behind, or TANF (Tax Assistance for Needy Families). 

Most groups are always looking for ways to reach new audiences or get people engaged.  Find folks and speak to them about the beliefs that underlie your shared attitudes and beliefs.  Talking to someone about their core values gets them to open their hearts, inquire more about charitable work that they can relate to, and eventually open their wallets.

For this exercise, each Board member tried on a new way of introducing their role and the organization to the public.  As we know, most folks always say, “I am a Board member of Florence Crittenton Services where we offer programs and schooling for teen moms.”  There is nothing wrong with this but what about this sentence really lifts up my curiosity or opens my heart?  There were 20 great responses all summarizing the work in a heartfelt and compelling way.  My favorite combination of a couple of their leadership brand statements was “I am a champion for a pioneering organization that works to end the cycle of poverty in Denver by empowering and educating teen moms and their babies who lives are being dismissed by society.”

Feel free to try this exercise out with your staff or Board and see how they ‘come out’ as fundraisers and become empowered to be spokespeople and storytellers for the cause!

For additional resources on branding and use of social media check out Beth's Kanter's Blog, Big Duck, Non-Profit Marketing Guide and  Non-Profit Marketing and Fundraising Zone. 

While talking recently with a philanthropist about her giving focus, I asked ‘What would commitment to that issue look like, feel like?’  We then ventured onto a deeper conversation about what qualities come up around commitment.    Trust, communication, flexibility, and respect were themes we both agreed were part of commitment.

With the work I do with leaders, we often co-create affirmations or sayings that provide a reminder or grounding place on a topic.  For this conversation, we developed ‘I am committed to philanthropy that fully engages my mind and heart while demonstrating impact’.   From here, we reviewed what this would look like with some of the groups and projects she was evaluating for her giving.

I love these conversations as they are the fabric of true social change and movement building - committed funders, staff, and activists.

I found this great poem in The Scottish Himalayan Expedition that I often referred to at the Women’s Sports Foundation when I was working with some of the volunteers around fundraising.  For those who had played sports, they got it right away.  For others, it was a start for understanding the powerful and magical principle of fundraising success using visualization, stories, and goal setting.  Enjoy!

Until one is committed
there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back,
always ineffectiveness.
Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation),
there is one elementary truth,
the ignorance of which kills countless ideas
and splendid plans:
that the moment one definitely commits oneself,
then Providence moves too.
All sorts of things occur to help one
that would never otherwise have occurred.
A whole stream of events issues from the decision,
raising in one’s favour all manner
of unforeseen incidents and meetings
and material assistance,
which no man could have dreamt
would have come his way.

I have learned a deep respect
for one of Goethe’s couplets:
“Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it.
Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.”

W.H. Murray 1951

The world of nonprofit Board development can be enriching and invigorating.

Recently, an Executive Director called to ask me if I could suggest a Board Chair for their organization or provide insight on who might be a good fit for them.

I was curious how he thought I could help so I started with questions. “What is the role of your current Board chair? What are the expectations you and the Board have for this role? What drives you to be energized about the mission of the organization?”

Throughout our phone conversation as it became clear that he wanted me to suggest prominent names of people he could recruit, I thought, “Where are the ‘headhunters’ for social profit board leaders?” I do know of several organizations that have used BoardNet (an online matchmaking site for Board members and organizations) with success.

While I am not a Board chair headhunter, I have recruited and energized many Board members over the years and have learned some key principles to consider with any Board chair recruitment and with Board and Executive Director relationships:

1. Build a partnership. First and foremost, a good Board chair has a similar amount of passion and drive to see the organization succeed as the Executive Director. Starting with this base, the partnership can grow.

2. Tell stories. For a leader to mobilize a team of Board members, he/she should have the ability to be a storyteller and paint a picture of where the organization is going and how their role makes an impact. Using all forms of communication, an ideal Board chair would be capable of motivating and mobilizing the Board and donors to act and engage in the ‘work’.

3. Meet with current investors. To ascertain what a good pool of Board candidates could look like, talk with your wise counsel, Board members, and top supporters. Seek out people who come from different industries or sectors to offer unique perspectives.

4. Establish rules and rhythms. For an ideal partnership, there would be a clear set of expectations for each role. Understanding what ‘dashboard’ items are important to share with one another and the Board is key to success. Consider having an established time that is set aside on a consistent basis for discussion on issues, topics, and future focus.

Experienced and engaged Board leadership is crucial for the health and stability of our organizations. Use these four principles as a baseline for your Board recruitment and Board chair relationship building.  Feel free to e-mail me at tuti@imaginephilanthropy.com with your ideas.  As well, visit Bridgestar for more resources on the topic of Board recruitment. 

My realm of coaching comes from an athlete’s place of focus, creativity and discipline and is matched with compassion learned from years as a coach of athletes, a successful manager, and as a student of Eastern spiritual practices.  To have started this coaching and consulting business during the Olympics in Bejing is symbolic in that it integrates so much of what my life’s work has been – good people pursuing   excellence in their work and creating teams who work  within a framework of compassion and goodwill.

My sisters and friends call me "Tuti the Tiger" because I push and growl to protect and prod them. Of course, my Mom and I were both born in the Chinese Year of the Tiger so the origin is appropriate.   Donna Lopiano and Julie Foudy called me “Tuti the Tooth”, tenaciously pursuing a successful strategy to raise funds for the Title IX work we were doing at the Women’s Sports Foundation.  Really at heart, I am a basketball point guard, the player that is responsible for reading the defense, setting up the right play and passing the ball to my teammates to enable them to score – accomplishing the team’s goals on both ends of the court.  The point guard is the on floor “Coach” of a basketball team.  Seeing a basketball player as President-elect who understands the roles everyone plays for true 'team' craftfully pick his cabinet has been very gratifying for this coach to watch.

I took to the role of point guard coach effortlessly when I was 12 years old and was invited to try out for the junior high school basketball team by my gym teacher, Miss Hickey.  I had never played or seen organized basketball yet I immediately understood that the game’s tempo, energy and flavor were often directly related to the person dribbling the ball up the floor.  I spent hours every day over the summer between my 7^th and 8^th grade years repeatedly practicing a list of ball handling drills.  I had learned these from the coaches at the Dave Cowen’s Basketball School. 

Having picked enough strawberries to pay for the camp tuition, my Mom drove me to Massachusetts where after a week I was awarded the “Most Desire to Play” award – still the brand position statement for my life!  As a “gym rat” I did fingertip push-ups, walked around while squeezing tennis balls, lifted free weights (mind you this was 1974 so weights were not ‘normal’ for girls to do) and dribbled “crossovers” for hours on end.  This was  my summer fun.  I loved the way I could see and measure my improvement – how one day I could run and perform 10 dribbles with my left hand and the next day 13.  I loved seeing how if I did a drill faster, the quickness would come through in my game.  I also enjoyed pushing my teammates on the court to achieve their best.  Getting to know their strengths and getting them the ball where and when they could succeed and score was a very rewarding experience. 

Fast forward 30+ years and I still enjoy pushing myself and urging others to be extraordinary (and yes, I still play hoops in a weekly pick up game!).  I love  seeing others grow and excel in their lives and careers.  Coaching, strategizing and discerning effective practices for an Executive Director, a Board member or a Development Officer excites me when we figure out together what style, pitch, or framework works for them.  Spending time together on questions and situations where the tempo might not sit right with them and finding the alternative pace and practices that can allow them to succeed brings us both joy, and hopefully, victories that are meaningful and purpose driven.