Year Two...done and done, well, almost

The two weeks of my summer residency are over. I am in the shuttle on the way to the Minneapolis airport and listening to my cohort mates chatter behind me. We have sworn off any philanthrotalk for the moment, but we don't last long. We love what we do. Don't let any of them fool you, they love being a facilitator of philanthropy and they are so good at doing it! I am thankful to have them working to make this world better everyday.

Here are a few nuggets I picked up this year.

1) Boards: How many times have you established clear lines between management and governance with your board? We, as development professionals, become so aggravated when our boards begin to get involved in management issues and yet, instead of setting clear and understood expectations, we "go along with it." Why? Well, it may have something to do with the fact that the CEO reports to the board... ah yes, a delightful and perhaps necessary conflict of interest. The CEO has to report to someone, but how can we effectively guide and manage a body who has the ability to reward us or release us? Of course, personality conflicts shouldn't be the cause of a "thank and release," however, as we are humans... it happens. So imagine if you will setting up the guidelines from the beginning. What if you were to start off your first board retreat with this type of intro: "I need you to forget everything you have learned about being on a board. Throw away your assumptions and past models. We have transformational change to lead here and in order to do it we need to be transformational." And THEN you work to create an environment where EVERY board member has a voice, there is no forceful leader, there is collaboration, heated discussions and instead of report review, we ask meaningful, governing questions. What if.... why not?

2) Development Plans: These beasts are not for the faint of heart, but essential none the less. Basic? Perhaps, but we so often brush past the basic and run for the bottom line. How are you supposed to blow beyond the bottom line if you have no idea where you have been, where you want to go and how you are going to get there? My next question is, how can you get anywhere without buy in from your staff, CEO, board, community, donors, etc? You may be able to based on pure call volume and general people skills combined with passionate people, but one day, that isn't going to be enough. What then? Don't forget the plan people! Plans, while not perfect, help you move beyond the rut you will undoubtably encounter.

3) Cross-cultural Philanthropy: This one is simple: we are not all the same, we have different traditions, beliefs, cultures, etc. Understand the general and then get specific and individual. Regardless of culture, we are all individuals, however, we do have certain behaviors based on environment. Talk to people, understand them, know their story and then know if or how it matches up with yours.

4) Marketing: Know your audience. Common theme, eh? (that is for my Canadian friends). Know the tools; use the ones you can strategically. Test things to see if your message resonates and is clear. Don't talk to us all in the same way. This is the same thing you hear over and over and over again, and yet... we don't do it well enough. Let's all make the effort to understand it is about the cause, not the organization. It is about the needs of the community, not of you, me or Bobby Sue.

Thank you Cohort 19 for another amazing year. Next up, papers, online classes and then our Capstone. Oh for cute (said in a MN accent).