The SOS Center - Finding the Sustainability to Continue to Touch Lives

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!  Today I am sharing with you the story of one of my clients, the SOS Center, a non-profit that has worked in the community of Milwaukee for 30 years.  

The SOS Center of Milwaukee 

For nearly 30 years, SOS Center has been empowering children and adults to overcome poverty through their education programs. 

Thirty percent of households in the surrounding area earn less than $15,000 a year.  Neighborhood students are part of the MPS school district, where overall proficiency/advanced rates reach only 62% in reading at the 8^th grade level and only 50% in Math in 8^th grade.

Through its GED Preparation Classes, After School Homework Program, Adult Basic Education, Youth Summer Camp, English as a Second Language and Sewing Classes, the SOS Center touches the lives of each child and adult they connect with and support. 

Just ask Darlene, who dropped out of school in the 10^th grade and by the age of 16 was pregnant and married. After raising two children as well as grandchildren and working as a housekeeper for over 20 years, she signed up for free GED classes at the SOS Center at the age of 52.  Though she felt at times she felt like giving up, she completed her GED, and scored a rare perfect 800 on her Reading Test, where only a score of 410 was required to pass.

But as with any non-profit organization, the key to continuing to touch the lives of people like Darlene is financial sustainability.  With this understanding, Jodi Kessel Lyon, the Executive Director of the SOS Center, signed up for Deb Lukovich’s alinea seminar, “Learn the Secret to Sustainability.” After attending, Jodi learned that the key to financial sustainability was relationship fundraising and that her board members needed to adopt this new mindset. She knew her board and staff needed to find a better way of telling the story of SOS Center’s hard and dedicated work.

“While we knew we were doing good work, we were stuck on how to share our story,” Jodi said. “We would meet someone and be so focused on ‘we need money.’ We needed to build relationships, but struggled with the conversations we needed to have. We didn’t know how to get there.”

After selling this idea to her board, alinea was hired to work with SOS Center on strategic relationship cultivation as well as to create a compelling professional case statement to use to inspire people with their story. As soon as the case statement was created and presented to the board, Jodi already saw a renewed sense of engagement among them. 

“I think they’re getting it.  In August, one of the board members immediately contacted an old family friend and brought her in as a new board member. One of our committed board members felt uncomfortable asking for anything.  After she learned how to talk about SOS Center, she was able to get donations and now feels very comfortable talking about the Center.  Her husband became involved and after he learned how to tell our story, solicited a number of auction items for our fundraiser,” continued Jodi.

Jodi saw by September that board members were more engaged in identifying relationships and positive where they hadn’t ever been before.  “Shemagne from alinea kept us on task and truly got to know us. We even found the process fun.  Everyone came up with contacts they had, thinking outside the box.  The more they talked the more excited they got. One idea led to another. Being this engaged in the positive at a board meeting hadn’t happened in a year,” Jodi exclaimed. “This was exciting!”

With a renewed passion from her board and a new approach of telling stories, Jodi feels excited and knows that SOS Center is on the right track.  While SOS will always be fundraising, in the future Jodi plans to find more sustainable fundraising to get beyond a critical point to allow SOS to concentrate more on programming. In 2012, SOS Center would like to expand the Adult Basic Education Program, recruit more board members and volunteers as well as secure resources for ongoing capital improvements.

“After working with alinea, we learned that we need the knowledge, and the commitment. We need the tools and skills,” Jodi said.  “And we need to keep a relationship with alinea because this is just a tip of the iceberg of what we are capable of!”

How to Recruit Ambassadors for Your Organization in 5 Steps

I thought today I’d talk about what it means to be an ambassador for your organization and how you inspire people to play that role for you.

The dictionary provides some insight into how important the role of ambassador is to an organization.  Here are a couple entries from the Miriam-Webster online dictionary:

“an official envoy; especially: a diplomatic agent of the highest rank accredited to a foreign

government or sovereign as the resident representative of his or her own government or

sovereign or appointed for a special and often temporary diplomatic assignment

a: an authorized representative or messenger b: an unofficial representative

ambassadors of goodwill>”

Consequently, the recruitment of people who you would like to be an ambassador for your organization should be viewed as a very important process.  Every staff person should be expected to act as an ambassador for your organization assuming they have been provided the proper training to do so.  Likewise, the number one role of your board members is to be an ambassador by tirelessly promoting the organization in the community at the very least.

By the way, this is where the case statement fits in.  Once you have recruited enthusiastic ambassadors, you want them to share your organization’s story in a way that is compelling, concise and consistent so that all that promotion results in increased awareness and building a brand.

So, here are the steps to recruiting and putting your ambassadors to work:

Step #1 – Inspire people with your story.

Shemagne, who is my VP of Relationship Strategy is a walking billboard for Alverno College.  Why? 

§  Passion.  The most important reason is because she feels that her education at Alverno changed her life and therefore her future possibilities.  Shemagne starts by sharing her own story about how Alverno changed her life.  People are really moved by what moves someone else.

§  Story.  But the second reason is that Alverno is so clear on its unique educational philosophy that all their students talk their language when they’re talking to anyone about Alverno.  So, first comes inspiration, then comes the communication tool to empower people to promote the organization.  

§  Vision.  The fourth piece is having your story be driven by a vision for the future.  While the day-to-day work of your organization is very important, it’s not what inspires people.  People are inspired by what the world looks like because of your work; what a child’s future looks like because of your work. 

Step #2 – Be able to answer the question, “What do you need?”

I cannot believe how many times I witness this scenario.  I’ll be at an event and be part of a conversation between the director of an organization or principal of a school and someone who expresses interest in what they’re doing.  In fact, the prospective supporter even asks, “What do you need, or what are your top priorities?”  My jaw just drops when the organization leader responds, “We’re doing okay,” or “We need money.”  The conversation just kind of ends there.  Wow!  What a lost opportunity.  Don’t do that. 

If everyone on staff and at least your board members doesn’t know how to answer the question, “What do you need and how can I help?” then you are leaving so many opportunities on the table.  Let me share a story to illustrate the point.  I was the co-founding board member of a charter school in Milwaukee’s inner city.  After three years of planning, we were ready to open the doors in about three months.  My board colleague and I decided that it was the right time to bring one of our relationships to the table.  This was a very influential and busy person in the community.  We invited him to a compelling tour of the school and then sat down for lunch.  He quickly got to the point and asked the founder, “what are your top three priorities?”  We were prepared for that question.  The founder went on to answer, “We can’t open our doors in three months without a new HVAC system, and that will cost $75,000.  Our gym is disgusting and cleaning and painting will cost $20,000.”  She was about to go on to the third priority when the guest stopped her and said, “Consider those two things done,” and he arrived the next day with a check for $75,000.  That is the power of story and being clear about where you’re going, what you need and how people can help.  

Step #3 – Cultivate the relationship

Recruiting ambassadors or raising money isn’t about asking for anything.  You can do that and you will get donations, but the really magical stuff happens when the process is more genuine and organic.  When you inspire people and then you’re clear about what you need and how people can help, then people choose what resonates with them and in turn what piece they want to own. 

After inspiring and clarity comes cultivating.  But I don’t mean cultivating with an agenda.  I mean genuinely being interested in people and what they care about.  Now, this is a radical notion.  I’m not talking about generating a list of people with lots of money and then figuring out how to get to them.  We sometimes do that, but that’s not where the magic happens.  I’m talking about doing something really innovative – listening to people talk about themselves. 

So, how does this happen?  To illustrate the point, I’m going to share a true story about what this DOESN’T look like but is what you’ll see in organizations. I was facilitating a workshop, and we were doing a role play.  The attendees were to pretend they were at a family wedding or other event, and someone asked them about what they do.  In this case, the attendee of my workshop shared that they shared something about the organization they worked for.  So far so good.  Then she shared that the person she was talking with very solemnly shared the story of her relative that was dealing with this disease.  Instead of asking questions about how this disease affected her family member and her family, the organization’s staff person went on to promote the programs and other information about the organization.  I hope you can see the absolute missed opportunity.  This person was actually impacted be the issue the organization works on. 

Here’s what you do instead.  When you are at an event, plan to have a couple high quality conversations instead of gathering the business cards of as many people as possible.  This is where quality over quantity is absolutely true.  When you introduce yourself to someone, be the first to ask about them.  Go beyond the usual, “What do you do,” and ask something like “Where did you take your last vacation,” or “What are your hobbies?”  Now, just listen, ask more clarifying questions, listen, ask more questions, and listen.  Something will probably speak to you and you will feel connected to the other person.  At some point this person will ask you something.  Now’s your chance to share the work you’re passionate about.  But just share your elevator speech (10 to 60 seconds).  Now say, “What do you think?”  Let them respond.  You will be amazed at how people will immediately share a story about how this issue has impacted someone they know.  Don’t go on to talk about statistics or programs.  Ask them more about the experience and talk to them like a human being, not a prospective donor. 

If they express a lot of interest, you may want to share the top priorities of the organization and what is needed to make those happen.  If they’re really interested, you may want to ask if they see themselves getting involved, and if yes, offering to schedule a tour or special time to share success stories.  You may want to ask them who else they think should know about the work of your organization and if they would be willing to connect you to them. 

Let’s say they respond favorably but offer that they are very involved with another organization.  Please do not see this as rejection.  There’s no such thing as rejection in this work.  You have just had the opportunity to promote your organization, and if you did it well they will likely share that with someone else who may be interested. 

From now on, you will continue to stay in touch and build this relationship by sharing success stories and being clear about what the organization needs and how people can help.  If you do this well, people will choose how they want to make a difference. 

Step #4 – Empower people with tools and track these relationships

When it’s clear that this person is very inspired by the work of your organization and wants to help, they can be an effective ambassador.  You will want to provide them with a tool though so they are helping you build awareness and a brand.  Providing your volunteers with your case statement makes them feel important and empowers them to confidently share your story.  Even most board members, based on my informal surveys, often don’t feel confident sharing the story in the community, but they won’t admit it.  The case statement helps them talk about the organization. 

Also providing sessions on relationship cultivation vs. asking helps people to feel more comfortable.  Most people, even board members, are not comfortable asking people for money or other items.  When you can help them change their mindset and see that their role is to share something they’re passionate about and be clear about the vision and what’s needed to get there, they often do a complete turnaround.  Executive directors have shared this with me over and over again.  How they had a board member that had many connections but was adamant that they would not approach them.  After seeing their role in a different way, they often become the biggest fundraisers. 

Make it easy for your ambassadors to bring opportunities to you.  If they were able to inspire someone over the weekend, provide a way for them to share what happened with you via email and then talk with them about what to do next.  

Step #5 – Value the relationship with your ambassadors

You can never say thank you enough times to your volunteers!  I don’t care if you’ve got volunteers that don’t show up when they say they will or start something and then don’t finish.  If you’re not happy with your volunteers, it’s the organization’s fault, not that of the volunteers. 

People intend to volunteer because it helps them feel valued as a contributor to the world.  Finding the right place to contribute their energy, talents and connections is difficult, and there should be a class or a process on how to help people find the right place to make their meaningful contributions.  If you don’t turn out to be the right place, you didn’t do something right. 

In most cases, if board members or volunteers are not doing what you think they should do, it’s because of a lack of direction.  Volunteers usually have a job, a family, a busy life, and they need almost a shopping list of specific ways you want them to contribute.  It’s not their job to figure out how they can help you.  I didn’t say this was easy, but if you want to build a huge pool of ambassadors, you need to understand that it’s your job to cultivate the relationship, not the volunteers. 

I know a woman who does this better than I’ve ever seen.  Pat has been involved in starting multiple nonprofits and she’s the consummate relationship person.  In fact, she met Shemagne at Curves four years ago, and her organization has been a client of ours ever since.  Pat always prioritizes the volunteers.  In fact, recently she found herself really tired at the end of a day where she and a group of volunteers was cleaning up the four-plex the organization purchased to use as a transition home for young women who have aged out of the foster care system.  This place was really disgusting, and by the end of the day the only thing Pat wanted to do was take a shower.  But one of the staff people reminded her that she needed to talk to the volunteers before she went home.  She shrugged her shoulders and admitted, “of course.”  She went on to inspire five men in their 50’s and 60’s about her organization.  Then she went home.

Two weeks later, she got a call from one of these gentlemen, who said, “I haven’t been able to sleep in two weeks.  Until last night, when I realized I just have to do something for this organization.  Pat was thinking, “Great, a $1,000 donation would be awesome right now!”  The man shared that he event felt compelled to make a donation of a certain dollar amount.”  He came to see Pat with a $50,000 donation.  Pat later learned that he and his wife had felt abandoned during their child hood and they saw their contribution to this organization as a way of helping young people who may be feeling the same way.  That’s one of the most powerful stories I’ve heard. 

If you follow all these steps you too can inspire people with your story, recruit ambassadors and engage your community in ways you haven’t before.  And once this happens, always remember to tell them thank you again and again!

Let me know if you’ve got stories to share about what happens when you inspire people about your organization!  

Upcoming Seminars: Case Statements and Recruiting Ambassadors

Almost everyone now in the non-profit and education fields focus on raising money.  It makes sense.   For years, most of us depended on government grants or funds.  But now we have come to a point where this mindset is just not sustainable anymore.  Government funds to organizations and education are being cut, despite the fact that money is needed to fund all the great work our schools and non-profits are doing.  We are at a crossroads where we can either continue to depend on funds that are dwindling or take a new direction towards long-term sustainability that begins with inspiring people to help.  At first this might seem scary or risky, but rest assured this does NOT mean asking for money or anything else for that matter.   You only need to inspire people to want to help by showing them all the great work that you do.  This is where the case statement comes in, and it is the first part of the formula for effective community engagement.   

Story + Direction + Relationship = Effective Community Engagement

The purpose of the case statement is to articulate the essence of your organization in a compelling, concise and consistent manner.  It’s the gathering place for your official story, and it’s a helpful tool for staff, board members, donors and volunteers in raising awareness of your organization.  Finally, our format is strategically designed to answer all the questions a prospective supporter would have before deciding he/she would want to learn more.  

I was wondering if any of you have taken a stab at developing your own professional case statement.  I’d love to see what you came up with.  If you’re stuck, don’t feel bad, because it took me six months to develop the alinea case statement, and it takes us a full 10 hours to develop one for our clients.  And that’s after doing about 100 of them over the past seven years.

I have also received some questions about how you go about developing “ambassadors” for your organization.  Guess what?  The answer is the same one.  It all starts with being able to inspire people to want to help.  

In this blog, I thought I’d highlight two seminars that cover both these topics.

Upcoming Seminars – Case Statements and Recruiting Ambassadors

First, I will be facilitating a FREE workshop sponsored by PNC Bank and Reilly, Penner & Benton accounting firm on Wednesday, November 2^nd, 7:30-9am in Milwaukee (details at www.alineaconnect.com).  During this workshop, we will walk through how to develop a professional case statement.  If you’ve already started your case statement, but you need to take it to the next level, or if you haven’t started one yet, you won’t want to miss this opportunity.  If you’re not in town, join us via skype or other technology.  

Second, I will be facilitating a workshop for the Nonprofit Center of Milwaukee titled “Engaging Volunteers in What You Do,” where you will learn about giving the inspiration and direction necessary to fully engage volunteers in your organization?  We’ll focus on using your story to recruit and retain more volunteers, inspire ambassadors for your organization and develop support for volunteers within your organization.   This seminar costs $40-60 and will be held on Thursday, November 10, 9-11:30am at the Volunteer Center of Milwaukee.  (details at www.alineaconnect.com).

Part III: #1 Fundraising Tool, Your Professional Case Statement

Writing Your Success Stories, Goals, How You Can Help, and Credibility Text Box

Your case statement is almost ready!  In my previous two posts, you learned how to write your Did You Know, Mission, Vision and Unique Approach Sections. Now I will show you have to complete your case statement through writing a compelling success story, articulating specific and measurable goals, how people can help your organization and what you need to include in your credibility text box located on the left hand side of your page.

Section #5 – Success Stories 

The purpose of your professional case statement is to inspire people to want to help.  Nothing inspires people more than bringing your mission to life through stories.  Your case statement should include at least one success story that illustrates the magic of your unique approach.  The formula for an effective success story is:  What was the situation or challenges before this person came to your school or organization + What happened at your school or organization + What does the future look like now and what are the person’s goals after benefiting by your organization’s mission. 

Example – SOS Center  www.soscenterinc.org

“I dropped out of school when I was in the 10^th grade.  By 16, I was pregnant and married.  I raised two children who finished school and some college.  I took care of my grandchildren so that my children could work. I’ve been a housekeeper for over 20 years.

Now I find myself at 52, divorced and no more children to care for.  One day I passed the SOS Center and saw a sign on the lawn, Free GED Classes.  I went in and signed up.  I’ve been going to the classes three days a week, for a year.  The classes are not easy; I can’t tell you how many times I’ve wanted to just give up, but I keep coming back because I’m doing this for me, and I want a victory!

I’m so grateful for this lab; I have this opportunity to achieve something that I passed up a long time ago.  I’m sure everyone here feels the same way.  Thank you for your continued support of the lab.”

Darlene has since earned her GED in June 2011.  But the big news is that she scored a perfect 800 on her Reading Test where a score of 410 is all that is required to pass!

Example – Mt. Lebanon Lutheran School 

Twins, Miguel and Tito, came to Mt. Lebanon for 4^th grade barely reading at a 2^nd grade level, way behind in math and not engaged in school.  Being premature babies, tragically, their family was told not to expect high academic success.  Immersed in a culture of high expectations and nurturing support they needed from teachers, today in 8^th grade, Miquel and Tito are internally motivated to succeed, and Tito will make the honor role this quarter.  Miguel and Tito plan to attend WI Lutheran H.S.

Example – Victory Christian Academy  www.vcaschool.org

Naomi arrived at VCA in 4^th grade illiterate and with severe discipline and emotional issues.  A well mannered and respected student of her peers and teachers, as well as scoring proficient in reading, language arts, math, science and social studies (WKCE 2009), she will graduate in just a few days and attend WI Lutheran High School.  Naomi plans to study criminal justice. 

Section #6 – Achievements

I’m always surprised at how difficult it is for nonprofits and schools to identify their successes and accomplishments.  They are always focused on doing a better job, which is a good thing, but people want to support an organization that has shown it can be successful.  It doesn’t matter if you’re not as far along as you would like.  Share your successes to get people excited about what your organization is capable of.   Here are some examples of client successes.

Example – Day Care Services for Children, Inc. – www.daycareservicesforchildren.com

• Ninety percent of our children are determined to be  “ready for school” according to the Chicago Early Assessment and child developmental assessment administered five times during the school year.

• Collaborate with more than 60 partners, including physicians, nurse practitioners, dentists and the Milwaukee Health Department to provide immunizations, physical and dental exams and support services to 100% of our children at our sites. 

• Staff people are among the most qualified in the field. One Hundred percent of center managers and administrative staff have bachelor’s degrees; more than 70% have associate degrees, and of that 40% are working toward bachelor’s degrees; one-third have worked at DCSC for more than 15 years.

Example – Connecting Youth, Inc. 

§  Served more than 150 young men since founding in 2002.

§  99% of these men successfully achieved their program goals and were reunited with their families.

§  Tens of young men continue their relationship with our staff, reporting education and employment success and seeking guidance in overcoming challenges

§  100% of staff people have at least three years experience working with at-risk youth, are enrolled in the Youth Professional Development Program (School of Continuing Education at UW-Milwaukee) and complete 50 continuing education hours yearly.

Example – A2 Charter and Jackson Elementary Schools 

• Jackson’s Magic Tree House Reading Center Project featured on the August of 2008 cover of “Teaching Today” magazine.
• 2008 Recipient of Sheboygan County Green Scene Grant Award.
• Known for strong education programming and extensive free-of-charge after-school enrichment activities.  Only elementary school in the Sheboygan Area School District with a student-run newspaper and Yearbook Club.
• 98% parent and student satisfaction for 2007-2008 school year.

Section #7 – Goals

Remember the formula for sustainability through effective community engagement?  Story + Direction + Strategic Relationship Cultivation.  Direction means being clear about what your organization needs and how people can help.  Everyone inside your building plus your ambassadors must be able to articulate your top three priorities when it comes to recourses.  If not, you will surely miss some opportunities when someone at the next cocktail party says, “How can I help?”  Some client examples.

Example – TBEY (Tessas’ Black Entertainment & Youth Center)  www.tbey.org

 

• Provide a $3,000 annual stipend to every instructor, totaling $60,000.
• Increase our scholarship fund by $14,400 to allow 40 additional students to attend TBEY.
• Grow annual revenue to $200,000 in 2012/2013.

Example – Wauwatosa School of the Trades

• Educate the public about trades as a true profession and trades unions as community partners
• Increase enrollment by 60% by eventually adding freshman and sophomore classes
• Increase trades instructor  teaching days by 20 – $15,000
• Recruit Co-op Placement Partners to provide more opportunities to work while in school
• Transportation for students to trades training centers - $5,000
• Library renovation including trades books and journals and full library- $10,000
• Consumable materials and technology upgrades annually - $15,000
• CAD program and the training certification for teachers to teach it - $7,000

Section #8 – How You Can Help

When people finish skimming your case statement and they become inspired, they should know exactly what they can do to help.  This section should contain specific items that people can help with immediately.  Here are some client examples.

Example – Divine Savior Academy – www.divinesavioracademy.com 

• Visit!  Tour our school and witness excellent education and student success in person.
• Donate!  Help expand our science and music programs. 
• Serve!  Contribute your talents by joining our Marketing or Fund Development Committees.
• Sponsor!  Connect with our students, families, faculty and supporters by sponsoring one of our events, like Winter Festival or one of our Parent Sharing Nights.

Example – Shiocton International Leadership Academy

§  Visit!  See hands-on learning and global awareness in action.

§  Give!  Your time, money and talent can make a huge difference.

§  Volunteer!  Offer your home to a foreign exchange student. 

Example – BHK Child Development Board  www.bhkfirst.org

• AmeriCorps: Make a difference by serving in a school, child care center or community agency in the western Upper Peninsula and receive a $12,700 living allowance and a $4,725 education award for one year of service. For more information contact Chrissy Karry at (906) 482-3663.

• Volunteer: Assist in the classroom, extend school activities at home, participate in home visits, be a bus monitor, attend parent meetings or share your talents and gifts in other ways.  For more information contact Lisa Schmierer at (906) 482-3663.

• Donate: The BHK Foundation was founded in 2006 by community leaders and parents to meet the need for excellent early childhood programs and educational support in our community.  Your gift will directly support local children's services and scholarships for area students. Please send your tax deductible contribution to: BHK Foundation, 700 Park Avenue, Houghton, MI 49931.

Section #9 – Credibility Text Box 

Your case statement should include a text box on the left side of the front page, which lists the leadership, board members, major donors and supporters and contact information.  People like to see what other people they respect are supporting.  For example, if you have received a grant from the Walton Family Foundation, that fact adds credibility to your case for a lot of potential supporters.  

You are now finished!  Make sure you present this document to your organization’s board for feedback, input and agreement.  Once approved it is time to put this document in the hands of as many people as possible so that they in turn learn how to speak of your organization, just as I described in the first posting of this series. 

If you would like to see examples of some case statements, please email me at Deborah@alineaconnect.com.

I look forward to hearing from you!

#1 Fundraising Tool – Your Professional Case Statement

How to Build the 10 Sections of Your Nonprofit's Professional Case Statement

Building a brand happens when your story is heard by many people told in a similar fashion. In order to cultivate relationships to attract the resources you need, you need to grow a following of ambassadors that are compelled relate your story to others. In order to do that you must first be able to tell your own story. What you need is a professional case statement for your school or organization.

Your professional case statement is essentially the gathering place for your official story. This is a document that should be put in the hands of as many people as possible. It contains all of the vital information that a prospective supporter would want to know in order to decide whether they wanted to learn more. 

Over the next few blog posts I am going to demonstrate for you how to build a professional case statement that is:

• Compelling: Your story should resonate with people who are not familiar with your organization
• Concise: The themes should be limited and not repeated throughout the 2 page document that is no greater than 1 sheet of paper with lots of white space. The goal should be to say a lot with as few words as possible. The font size should be no smaller than 11 point.
• Consistently told by your ambassadors, board members, staff people, families, volunteers, etc.

Now that you know what a case statement is and why every organization needs to have one, I am going to start out showing you how to grab your reader’s attention right from the start, simply by asking a question. 

Section #1 – “Did You Know . . .”

Your professional case statement should begin by getting people’s attention with some very compelling questions that pique people’s interest. This way, they want to continue reading. Here are some examples from our clients’ case statements.

Example – Wauwatosa School of the Trades

Did you know . . .

97% of college graduates will make less than people who work in the trades?

The average apprentice will earn $250,000 in wages and benefits during the 4-5 year apprenticeship program?

Apprentice trained trades professionals have a greater income potential than 96% of four-year college graduates?

Example – Red Cedar Environmental Institute

Did you know...

Increased demand for green products and clean energy means the need for more environmentally- based businesses leading to economic growth and employment opportunities?

The Chetek-Weyerhaeuser School District contains six school forests totaling 380 acres filled with lakes, rivers, wetlands and environmental areas?

The Red Cedar Environmental Institute will act as an important stepping stone to careers in sustainability?

Example – Shiocton International Leadership Academy
 

      Did you know . . . 

      All learners benefit by personalized education plans and by being in groups with students of different ages and abilities.

      Special-needs, at-risk, average, and gifted students who have personalized education plans are more engaged, motivated and build self-respect and confidence. They are challenged to achieve their potential without traditional limitations.

How did you feel after reading each of these intro’s? By starting out with a “Did you know?” section, you not only are attracting the attention of the reader but also reinforcing why your organization is needed.  Think about your service and your readers. Post your intro below or send me an email and I will be happy to discuss. 

Next week I will continue this series with how to include your Mission and Vision in your professional case statement.

Starting New Nonprofits: 5 things to do before you file for your 501(c)(3) status

There are so many amazing people who want to make the world a better place. These people are so generous and giving and often see their nonprofit idea as a ministry, the purpose to their lives. Usually motivated by passion for delivering a program, they are typically are not focusing on the tasks that will make them successful.

WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU’VE GOT THAT AMAZING IDEA FOR A NEW NONPROFIT!

1. Research your idea. You may think you’ve got a new idea, but chances are someone else has thought of the same thing. Find out who else in your community is doing something similar. That doesn’t mean you should give up on your idea, but it does mean you will have to do it in a way that is different and unique from others. Funders hate duplication.

For example, I met with a woman who started an organization that serves at-risk teen girls. After listening to her mission and the services she would offer, I explained that there are already so many programs for girls and many of the services she was offering were already being provided. As we continued to talk though, she identified the one thing that she wanted to do that I had never heard before. She required the girls to participate in a weekly reading circle. They read books out loud, discussed them and also participated in writing projects. I thought that was such a powerful way to empower these girls and told her that should be her main focus.

The other reason you need to research is to find best practices and learn from others’ mistakes. People love to talk about their own organizations and are usually more than willing to share their successes and failures.

2. Get clear on your story. From day one, you need to see every moment of every day as an opportunity to inspire people with how you want to change the world. Each person you talk with is a potential ambassador and resource for you. Your “story” needs to be compelling, concise and consistent. It also needs to be driven by a vision for the future – how the world will be better because of your organization. Potential supporters and donors invest in your vision for the future, not your mission or what you’re going to be doing day to day.

You also will need to develop a professional case statement (one piece of paper with two sides of content) that includes your mission, vision for the future, unique approach, motivation for your idea, any past success that shows you can be successful in this venture, your goals for the next 12 months, and how people can help you. Now test it. When you quickly share your story, your answer to the question, “Tell me about your idea,” should not be more than 10 seconds long, or you’ll lose them. If they say, “WOW, how do you do that,” you’re on the right track. If you have to clarify, you need to work on your story more.

For example, I worked with an organization that had been around for 20 years and had just stagnated. When I looked at their mission, it said it did about 20 different things. I asked the founder if they really did do all of those things, and the answer was no. I asked her which of those 20 things they are great at, and it came down to three. You should never say you do more than three things or people won’t remember any. We helped the organization get clear on their purpose, facilitated a community visioning session to create a compelling vision for the future and developed a professional case statement. One of the board members raved about the case statement who previously didn’t know how to talk about the organization. The clarity in their story led to him having more confidence in inspiring others with the work of the organization.

3. Figure out who and what you need before you apply for nonprofit status. In too many cases, founders rush and are not strategic when they put their board of directors together. Some founders want to control everything so they ask people to sit on the board who will act as “yes people,” or they recruit people of influence who do not have the time to help. New organizations need working boards, and you need to be very clear on expectations and what you need them to do before you recruit.

For example, we work with a woman who is working to open her 2^nd charter school. She has a professional case statement and a committed board. Unfortunately, everyone on the board works for other struggling nonprofits or agencies that are in related fields. No one on the board works in the private sector, no one has the connections to potential donors they need, no one has a marketing/PR background, and no one has expertise in finance or law. Now she will need to reorganize her board to get the people and talent she needs to be able to secure resources and get connected to the people who can help her be sustainable.

4. Role of the founding board should focus on three things:

· Developing or fine tuning the program and putting a system in place to track impact and results

· Tirelessly promoting the organization in the community in the same compelling, concise and consistent manner

· Making connections, opening doors, inviting people to understand the power of your mission and identifying opportunities for resources (dollars, people, partners, etc.).

Yes, that means fundraising, and it begins with the board. From day one, board members should be required to make a meaningful financial contribution to the organization and help secure the dollars needed to file your nonprofit status and other start-up costs.

For example, I worked with a small group home for teen boys who are not a match for regular foster care. The board lacked the direction they needed to know how to contribute their talents and connections. After working with them to better articulate who they are and set clear goals, we helped them facilitate an information session for prospective volunteers. Only five people came, but I told them it’s never about quantity, it’s about the quality of the interaction with people. One of the five people was a 25 year old man who had stayed at the group home, and he was doing well. Another one of the guests was a connection of the president of the board; he had never invited her to learn about the organization before. Well, four out of the five people joined a committee and the other person sent a check for $1,000 (their largest donation) and recruited her daughter, who had expertise in marketing.

5. Cultivate relationships. Again, don’t rush to get your IRS paperwork done. With your board, brainstorm a big list of people and organizations that may be interested in your idea or could give you valuable feedback. For example, when I wanted to start Friends of Bradford Beach, I immediately went to The Park People, the Milwaukee County Parks Department and the county supervisor to share my idea and ask for feedback. In every case, referred me to another resource I needed to move my idea forward. ASK FOR HELP! The purpose of meeting with these people is NOT TO ASK THEM FOR MONEY. It’s to inspire them with something you’re passionate about, ask them what they think, if they see themselves getting involved, who else needs to know and if they would be willing to connect you to others who might be interested. NO ASKING FOR MONEY right now.

For example, our new client is an organization that’s been around for 30 years providing GED and adult education to people in their community. We’re going to help them do a better job of telling their story and inspire and empower their board members to focus on making connections and inviting people in to the organization to experience their mission. Currently, the board members are very uncomfortable about doing this. When I explained that relationship fundraising isn’t about asking for money, they looked at me kind of funny. I explained, that relationship fundraising is about inspiring people with something you’re passionate about and inviting them to experience the magic that goes on inside the organization. The next step is not to ask for money, but to ask people what they think, if they see themselves getting involved, who else do they think needs to know about the organization and whether they would be willing to make a connection. One of the board members, who happened to have wealth in her family and know a lot of people, happily said, “I can do that!”