You are

A nonprofit leader

You want to run your organization well— capture your donors and attract talent, then retain both so you can achieve your mission

A nonprofit organization

501c federally exempt

  • Size: startup (1-5 employees, <$500K budget); small (5-10 employees, <$3m budget); or medium (10-20 employees, $3-5m budget)

  • Geography: local, regional/state-wide or national focus

  • Longevity/years of operation: range from brand new, to established, to historic

You are experiencing and seeking solutions in

Leadership & Governance

    • Unclear or undefined roles and responsibilities for your board members

    • Confusion over your board-executive director relationship

    • A disengaged or disinterested board, or at least some board members who are disengaged or disinterested

    • An extremely engaged board or board member(s)

    • Infrequent (or nonexistent) reviews of your governance documents

    • Confusion about who is in charge of doing what, and by when and how and with whom

    • A culture change or significant leadership change

    • Leadership should espouse and be ambassadors of your core values, mission and vision

    • Clear roles, responsibilities and expectations of leadership

    • Establish and maintain a culture of transparency and accountability

    • Regularly review your governance structure to ensure effectiveness and equity

Strategic Planning & Programs

    • Uncertainty about your “why” or your value-add

    • A lack of clarity or cohesion around your mission

    • A lack of clarity or cohesion around your vision (or a complete lack of vision)

    • A lack of clarity or cohesion around your core values (or a complete lack of defined core values)

    • An blurring of the lines between passion and blind passion / uncertainty as to how to channel your passion

    • An outdated or irrelevant strategic plan

    • A lack of a strategic plan

    • Inconsistent, infrequent or nonexistent reports on the execution of your strategic plan

    • No annual reports produced for your donors and/or constituents

    • New threats or external challenges that might require a new vision and/or strategic plan

    • Fear or uncertainty about how to take advantage of impending opportunities

    • Define your goals, objectives and actionable steps

    • Establish a strategic vision with an effective tracking structure for reporting and accountability

    • Programs should function properly and remain current

    • Provide clarity in what your organization does, and does well

Organizational Development & Operations

    • Misdirection on leveraging your passion

    • Disconnect around how your organization is run, managed and/or led

    • Overall lack of alignment on how to become or remain a sustainable organization

    • Disorganization of internal files

    • A lack of a knowledge management system

    • Minimal or no structures or methods to capture and organize historical knowledge

    • Alignment on overall direction and strategy toward sustainability

    • Tools and best practices on how to effectively run, manage and lead your organization

    • Directed passion

    • Stay up to date and maintain transparency on annual reports and tax filings

    • Create and maintain a knowledge management system

    • Establish SOPs and job descriptions to ensure effective operations and an equitable working culture

    • Consider succession planning tools to ensure effective transitions