professional development

Thank You Montreal: An AFP Leadership Academy Reflection

October 15, 2011 By Benjamin Mohler

I had the great opportunity to attend the AFP Leadership Academy this year. AFP conferences are always a great opportunity to network with fundraising peers across the world, catch up with friends I haven’t seen in a while, and take in some continuing education. In addition to the professional development opportunities, AFP conferences are give me a chance to see new sights, try new things, and interact with new cultures.

Part of what helps fundraisers be effective at their job is the ability to identify and empathize with donors. Toward this end I always appreciate the opportunity for new life experiences… trying new foods, testing out new hobbies, or immersing myself in a new culture. In Montreal I was able to attend a hockey game. It was quite an experience. Now I can watch a hockey game and actually know what’s going on. I’m also better able to keep my eyes on the puck. Both are skills I didn’t have prior to this conference. For those that have never been to a hockey game, here is a time-lapsed video I filmed of the Montreal Canadiens pre-game warm-up. ENJOY!

The Nonprofit Development Companion – Development and Fundraising are NOT Interchangeable [Book Review]

July 25, 2011 By Benjamin Mohler

The Nonprofit Development Companion: A Workbook for Fundraising Success (The AFP/Wiley Fund Development Series) has a wealth of information which I have recently found helpful in crafting a fundraising plan in light of the all encompassing development plan. This is because this book clearly delineates the differences between “development” and “fundraising.”

While attending a recent Association of Fundraising Professionals chapter meeting, Karla Williams challenged the audience on their title within their respective organizations. By a show of hands it was amazing how many fundraisers held the title of “development officer.” To an outsider, or newcomer to the nonprofit sector, these terms are used interchangeably. However, doing so is a disservice to nonprofit professionals and the sector as a whole. I recommend purchasing this book as an adjunct to the seminal work on fundraising, Achieving Excellence in Fundraising (Wiley Desktop Editions), because it completes the context of fundraising within the wider construct of development.

An Executive’s Guide to Fundraising Operations – not exclusively for executives [Book Review]

July 18, 2011 By Benjamin Mohler

It’s no secret that there’s a shortage of quality books addressing the topic of fundraising operations (also called development or advancement services). This book is a welcome relief to this shortage. An Executive’s Guide to Fundraising Operations: Principles, Tools & Trends (The AFP/Wiley Fund Development Series) fills the gap nicely with a well organized and well researched text. This book isn’t just another “how-to,” but includes perspectives from the field in the chapter titled “Decision Advice from the Field.” These contributions from practitioners in the field help bring additional context to the terms, concepts, and examples showcased elsewhere in the text.

I believe this book of great value, not just for the non-profit executive manger as the title suggests, but also for front line fundraisers. Regardless of your position in the organization, this book will help you better appreciate the theory and application of effective fundraising operations and will help you better utilize this organizational asset for accurate and timely information and help ensure donor satisfaction and retention.

Being Deliberate About Non-profit Organizational Culture

July 6, 2011 By Benjamin Mohler

My wife, an apologist for how non-profits would be lost without development operations, was stressing to me last night the role gift acceptance policies have on influencing organizational culture. Noting the validity of her perspective, I accidentally tweeted a weblog title as a place holder for a future article. Truth is, I had been thinking about organizational culture for a few weeks now.

A recent article in the Wall Street Journal, found through Lifehacker, touches on the importance of considering culture when trying to transition from a temporary job to a full-time position. This led me to consider what elements might impact the culture of a non-profit organization, not in relation to temporary employees, but with regard to maintaining organizational health for existing staff. A side effect of a healthy organizational culture, actions speak louder than words and organizational culture can be very telling externally (which should help in donor attraction and retention).

I began thinking about organizational culture a few weeks ago when the July 2011 edition of the Harvard Business Review arrived in my mail box. I encourage you to purchase this edition or at least check out the articles on collaboration. I was reminded about the impact of organizational culture again this week by a news report regarding an culture of alleged cheating in the Atlanta Public Schools (APS).

Area superintendents, who oversee clusters of schools, enforced a code of silence. One made a whistle-blower alter his reports of cheating and placed a reprimand in his file — and not the cheater’s. Another told a teacher who saw tampering that if she did not “keep her mouth shut,” she would “be gone.”

“In sum, a culture of fear, intimidation and retaliation permeated the APS system from the highest ranks down,” the investigators wrote. “Cheating was allowed to proliferate until, in the words of one former APS principal, ‘it became intertwined in Atlanta Public Schools … a part of what the culture is all about.’ ”

In the case of the APS, it seems that organizational leadership set the tone for the culture. During my time working in the non-profit sector I’ve noticed a few other things that shape organizational culture.

Meetings – The time we spend together with coworkers in meetings allows group dynamics play out. Aspects of meetings that contribute to culture… the regularity of meetings, meeting format (don’t get me started on Robert’s Rules). Even the person chosen to lead a meeting speaks volumes about organizational culture. Does the same person chair the meeting month to month and year to year? or is this responsibility shared among the team and in reflection to individual team member strengths?
Communication – How people refer to one another, are formal titles used broadly or selectively or are staff on first-name basis with one another? The words and terminology we use can reflect organizational culture (e.g. director of development versus director of philanthropy). How is information shared across the organization? Is it timely? Is it done face-to-face? Is it done over E-mail? Is it hierarchical in how it’s disseminated?
Cornerstones – For a lack of a better term I’ll use this term to refer to the policies, procedures, protocols, norms, and mores. Has your organization adopted gift acceptance policies, the Donor Bill of Rights, the Code of Ethical Principles and Standards? Better yet, are these cornerstones referenced and adhered to? How about the intangibles that affect staff morale… Like the example of the Atlanta Public Schools, do you reward bad behavior and promote under-performers? Do you encourage diversity if thought and promote innovation? or does your organization deliberate about minimizing exposure to risk and new ideas?