Monday's Wall Street Journal had an interesting article about charities getting into the franchise business to raise some extra money. Profits on the Side told of some pretty amazing gains and some pretty big losses.
"Social franchising" is what they call it at Harvard Business School. Interesting is what I call it.
Good nonprofits need to be run like a good business. Different rules. Different motives. But you still owe it to everyone involved to run it efficiently and effectively.
To be competitive, you often need to think out of the box. Before you do that, remember to tend to the basics. That starts with your board.
If you're serious about opening a franchise for your nonprofit, do you have someone on your board who already has franchise experience? More than just the smell of French fries on their clothes?
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Help From The Vols
So you've got a bunch of volunteers showing up to "help" in a few weeks. What are they going to do? What are you going to do?
Which of those questions is more important?
If you just wait for them to arrive, hand 'em a bottle of water and a t-shirt, point them to the tools, and show them where to go to get started, you can get some pretty good stuff done.
Sometimes free labor is just worth what it costs.
You're competing for volunteer time with other organizations who love to use volunteers. If the time is well spent, the vols will want to come back to you.
If you're not ready to efficiently make the most of their time or if they feel like their contributions are minimal or just a band aid for what's really needed, you may not see them again.
Depending upon your staffing, you might not always be able to prepare much in advance. You may not even have a process to hand off to a temporary volunteer coordinator. It is what it is.
That just means you spend more time recruiting new volunteers...re-inventing the wheel for your next lalapalooza. What are you going to do?
It's your choice. Spend the time before the vols show up so that they make real progress, learn to love your mission, and want to come back as experienced volunteers (and recruiters), or spend the time recruiting the next batch of vols so you can throw something together and make things look good. For a while.
It's your choice. What are you trying to accomplish?
O yeah. Did I mention that good volunteers often turn into good donors of things besides time?
Which of those questions is more important?
If you just wait for them to arrive, hand 'em a bottle of water and a t-shirt, point them to the tools, and show them where to go to get started, you can get some pretty good stuff done.
Sometimes free labor is just worth what it costs.
You're competing for volunteer time with other organizations who love to use volunteers. If the time is well spent, the vols will want to come back to you.
If you're not ready to efficiently make the most of their time or if they feel like their contributions are minimal or just a band aid for what's really needed, you may not see them again.
Depending upon your staffing, you might not always be able to prepare much in advance. You may not even have a process to hand off to a temporary volunteer coordinator. It is what it is.
That just means you spend more time recruiting new volunteers...re-inventing the wheel for your next lalapalooza. What are you going to do?
It's your choice. Spend the time before the vols show up so that they make real progress, learn to love your mission, and want to come back as experienced volunteers (and recruiters), or spend the time recruiting the next batch of vols so you can throw something together and make things look good. For a while.
It's your choice. What are you trying to accomplish?
O yeah. Did I mention that good volunteers often turn into good donors of things besides time?
Friday, June 22, 2007
Today's Experts
The Wall Street Journal today says you can hire a consultant to help you name your baby. A friend of mine told me yesterday that a couple of years ago she worked part time as a consultant to individual families to help them get their high school kids into the "right" university.
If I stopped blogging right now and went for a run in my neighborhood, I'd pass at least three consultants, aka "nannies," taking their charges out for a stroll. Ah....the wonders of "outsourcing." Life in the 21st Century. Don't cha just love it!
This isn't a rant against it. I like to cook, but I often outsource our meals. I know where to go for some really good food ready to reheat and serve at home. The chefs at Whole Foods and Central Market are terrific! Those folks are experts at making good, healthy food.
There are lots of "experts" out there. An old joke is that an "x" is an unknown factor. A "spurt" is a drip of water under pressure. Therefore an "expert" is an unknown drip under pressure.
Experts are often called consultants. If they come from out of town, they're more of an expert. Or not. They are unknown, but rarely are drips.
Through 20+ years of selling computer systems to large corporations, I mostly practiced consultive selling myself. Some things, especially complex things, are just not a quick sell.
Frankly, more than consulting, I probably did more coaching, advising, encouraging, and gathering of experts, technical wizards, and gurus to solve problems for my customers. I've always been a little suspicious of the consultant who is also the guru.
Business author Michael Treacy says that "there are way more gurus than there are new ideas." There are new tools for the 21st Century, but basic, good ideas are centuries old.
If your organization is looking for a consultive guru, it might be wise to read "Bad Consultant Confidential" in the Chronicles of Philanthropy. If you're a new nonprofit, I highly recommend a subscription to the Chron.
In a nutshell, the article says that good consultants can really help, but a bad choice can at a minimum lose you considerable time and money. It goes on to say that consultants need to thoroughly understand your organization. That means they're either a really quick study or they have previous experience with organizations similar to your size and your mission.
You also need to be prepared for additional work if change is to truly be implemented. Change will probably not happen quickly. And it will only happen if you act. (I've coached one nonprofit that listens politely and smiles at my recommendations. Little action has yet to occur.)
Finally, if your income is weak, don't count on magic bullets from a development guru to help you raise funds. There's no speed dating in this game. Relationships with funders are everything. Good, solid relationships take time.
Now we're back to one of those basic, good ideas that is centuries old.
If I stopped blogging right now and went for a run in my neighborhood, I'd pass at least three consultants, aka "nannies," taking their charges out for a stroll. Ah....the wonders of "outsourcing." Life in the 21st Century. Don't cha just love it!
This isn't a rant against it. I like to cook, but I often outsource our meals. I know where to go for some really good food ready to reheat and serve at home. The chefs at Whole Foods and Central Market are terrific! Those folks are experts at making good, healthy food.
There are lots of "experts" out there. An old joke is that an "x" is an unknown factor. A "spurt" is a drip of water under pressure. Therefore an "expert" is an unknown drip under pressure.
Experts are often called consultants. If they come from out of town, they're more of an expert. Or not. They are unknown, but rarely are drips.
Through 20+ years of selling computer systems to large corporations, I mostly practiced consultive selling myself. Some things, especially complex things, are just not a quick sell.
Frankly, more than consulting, I probably did more coaching, advising, encouraging, and gathering of experts, technical wizards, and gurus to solve problems for my customers. I've always been a little suspicious of the consultant who is also the guru.
Business author Michael Treacy says that "there are way more gurus than there are new ideas." There are new tools for the 21st Century, but basic, good ideas are centuries old.
If your organization is looking for a consultive guru, it might be wise to read "Bad Consultant Confidential" in the Chronicles of Philanthropy. If you're a new nonprofit, I highly recommend a subscription to the Chron.
In a nutshell, the article says that good consultants can really help, but a bad choice can at a minimum lose you considerable time and money. It goes on to say that consultants need to thoroughly understand your organization. That means they're either a really quick study or they have previous experience with organizations similar to your size and your mission.
You also need to be prepared for additional work if change is to truly be implemented. Change will probably not happen quickly. And it will only happen if you act. (I've coached one nonprofit that listens politely and smiles at my recommendations. Little action has yet to occur.)
Finally, if your income is weak, don't count on magic bullets from a development guru to help you raise funds. There's no speed dating in this game. Relationships with funders are everything. Good, solid relationships take time.
Now we're back to one of those basic, good ideas that is centuries old.
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Social Venture Capital
venture |ˈven ch ər|
noun
a risky or daring journey or undertaking : pioneering ventures into little-known waters.
• a business enterprise involving considerable risk.
So whadayagit when you gather a hundred smart people willing to risk several thousand dollars and hundreds of hours every year to make a difference? The answer in North Texas is the Dallas Social Venture Partners (DSVP).
Just returned from an intro to DSVP in preparation for this year's grant cycle. I'm impressed. This is venture capital at its best. The capital is not just their bucks, but their brains and hearts to assist nonprofits in capacity building.
By December, DSVP will select one or two nonprofits focusing on youth-at-risk and edu issues and help those orgs start attaining some really big goals. The help comes from investments by the partners in the form of funding, and more significantly in the form of expertise...critical skill sets of every type that well run organizations in any business need to succeed.
What a concept! Increasing your joy to stuff ratio and working together to change the world.
This will be fun to watch. Sort of reminds me of a paceline.
noun
a risky or daring journey or undertaking : pioneering ventures into little-known waters.
• a business enterprise involving considerable risk.
So whadayagit when you gather a hundred smart people willing to risk several thousand dollars and hundreds of hours every year to make a difference? The answer in North Texas is the Dallas Social Venture Partners (DSVP).
Just returned from an intro to DSVP in preparation for this year's grant cycle. I'm impressed. This is venture capital at its best. The capital is not just their bucks, but their brains and hearts to assist nonprofits in capacity building.
By December, DSVP will select one or two nonprofits focusing on youth-at-risk and edu issues and help those orgs start attaining some really big goals. The help comes from investments by the partners in the form of funding, and more significantly in the form of expertise...critical skill sets of every type that well run organizations in any business need to succeed.
What a concept! Increasing your joy to stuff ratio and working together to change the world.
This will be fun to watch. Sort of reminds me of a paceline.
Monday, June 18, 2007
So What's Next?
There's always something next. Okay, so this isn't one of those really profound blogs. What'd you expect from an Aggie?
The bigger question is how do you prepare for and react to what's next? You can prepare so much that you don't get anything else done. "Be Prepared" (p. 96 of the Boy Scout Handbook) is sometimes easier said than done.
Do you have a business continuity plan? It's very important, but even commercial businesses with tons of money tend to ignore preparing for really stormy days.
There are lots of components to lose sleep over. What will you do for emergency fundraising? I'm not talking about making up for lousy funding because your development people are afraid to ask or write grant proposals like a remedial English class. (That sounds more like an HR issue.)
I'm talking about things like Texas tornadoes, runaway cars, plumbing leaks in the attic, criminal acts in the front door...all the things that probably won't happen. They always happen to someone else. Right?
What's your crisis communication plan? If you suddenly have a missing child, do you have anything in place better than the PA announcement that birthday cake is ready in the kitchen? Who's prepared to be the voice of your nonprofit? Who's authorized to be that voice?? Think about it.
None of this is fun. Business interruption...life interruption can be a real hassle. How you react is as important as being prepared. It's part of the preparation.
If you're a basketball fan, watch the Krzyzewski coached team at Duke react to things when something doesn't go their way. There's no time lost throwing their arms in the air or yelling at the refs (as if we even have refs in our game). Their immediate reaction is "what's next?" They focus on getting back in the game right now...preparing for what's next. That's a pretty healthy way to live your life or run your nonprofit.
There are ways to prepare both physically and mentally for that curve ball that's suddenly heading towards your nose at 85 mph. (Can ya tell I'm a guy who loves sports?) Physical preparation may be as simple as just thinking about your nightmares and writing down the first two or three things you'll do. That's a good start.
With that, you've also begun your mental preparation...thinking about what things might get in the way of your normal life so that when you react...when you jump out of the batter's box...you're the only one who knows that you're about to croak inside.
When you're prepared, you'll be amazed at what you can do (and who you can inspire) when you stay cool and rapidly adjust to the "new normal." It can make all the difference in the world to you, your organization, and to the people you serve.
The bigger question is how do you prepare for and react to what's next? You can prepare so much that you don't get anything else done. "Be Prepared" (p. 96 of the Boy Scout Handbook) is sometimes easier said than done.
Do you have a business continuity plan? It's very important, but even commercial businesses with tons of money tend to ignore preparing for really stormy days.
There are lots of components to lose sleep over. What will you do for emergency fundraising? I'm not talking about making up for lousy funding because your development people are afraid to ask or write grant proposals like a remedial English class. (That sounds more like an HR issue.)
I'm talking about things like Texas tornadoes, runaway cars, plumbing leaks in the attic, criminal acts in the front door...all the things that probably won't happen. They always happen to someone else. Right?
What's your crisis communication plan? If you suddenly have a missing child, do you have anything in place better than the PA announcement that birthday cake is ready in the kitchen? Who's prepared to be the voice of your nonprofit? Who's authorized to be that voice?? Think about it.
None of this is fun. Business interruption...life interruption can be a real hassle. How you react is as important as being prepared. It's part of the preparation.
If you're a basketball fan, watch the Krzyzewski coached team at Duke react to things when something doesn't go their way. There's no time lost throwing their arms in the air or yelling at the refs (as if we even have refs in our game). Their immediate reaction is "what's next?" They focus on getting back in the game right now...preparing for what's next. That's a pretty healthy way to live your life or run your nonprofit.
There are ways to prepare both physically and mentally for that curve ball that's suddenly heading towards your nose at 85 mph. (Can ya tell I'm a guy who loves sports?) Physical preparation may be as simple as just thinking about your nightmares and writing down the first two or three things you'll do. That's a good start.
With that, you've also begun your mental preparation...thinking about what things might get in the way of your normal life so that when you react...when you jump out of the batter's box...you're the only one who knows that you're about to croak inside.
When you're prepared, you'll be amazed at what you can do (and who you can inspire) when you stay cool and rapidly adjust to the "new normal." It can make all the difference in the world to you, your organization, and to the people you serve.
Saturday, June 16, 2007
The Slow, Rolling Start
Strong trees grow slowly. I've learned (but don't always practice) that a warm-up steadily increasing in intensity will get me into my best game faster than if I just jump right in.
So I begin.
Starting is so important. Kind 'uv like just showing up. My dad always said, "Plan your work, and work your plan." It's often easy (and safe) for us left brainers to plan. But plans are useless without action.
Perfect plans (another means of safety for the a/r among us) are things of beauty. Heaven is indeed in the details. But the perfect can often get in the way of good.
Gen. George S. Patton, Jr. observed that "A good plan, violently executed now, is better than a perfect plan executed next week." Now I'm not recommending violent plans for nonprofits. Patton's job was the business of war making. Violence was expected.
But the business of nonprofits is to change the world. If you're not executing a good plan, you're wasting time and money. More significantly, those you're trying to help are still waiting for your help.
If you're trying to change the world, you need a good plan. If your nonprofit is mostly just herding cats, you'd better make some time to answer the big question:
What's next?
So I begin.
Starting is so important. Kind 'uv like just showing up. My dad always said, "Plan your work, and work your plan." It's often easy (and safe) for us left brainers to plan. But plans are useless without action.
Perfect plans (another means of safety for the a/r among us) are things of beauty. Heaven is indeed in the details. But the perfect can often get in the way of good.
Gen. George S. Patton, Jr. observed that "A good plan, violently executed now, is better than a perfect plan executed next week." Now I'm not recommending violent plans for nonprofits. Patton's job was the business of war making. Violence was expected.
But the business of nonprofits is to change the world. If you're not executing a good plan, you're wasting time and money. More significantly, those you're trying to help are still waiting for your help.
If you're trying to change the world, you need a good plan. If your nonprofit is mostly just herding cats, you'd better make some time to answer the big question:
What's next?
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