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Janet Levine Consulting |
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Greetings!
 Lately, between travel, remodeling and work, I've been
feeling a bit overwhelmed.
OK-scratch the "bit."
My chaotic mind is rebelling against my chaotic environment-and I long for that long-ago past where I (think I) had it all
under control. In many ways I was
busier then than I am now. But it
was easier to manage my time.
Time-saving computers are part of my problem. In the old days, I could spend an
afternoon working through the stack of papers that indicated work needing to be
done. And by the end of the
afternoon, I would be caught up.
Correspondence was slow-but eminently manageable. And what needed to be handled more
quickly could get handled on the phone.
Now, we email someone about a meeting and throw out three
potential times. But by the time
they get back to you (and why is it that the only non-instantaneous email
replies are those setting dates?) the date that works for them has now been
co-opted by another meeting.
As I have discovered in the rest of my life, however, elsewhere
is often better. So I decide to go
back to phoning for appointments only to discover that when I get through, more
than half the time the person I'm calling is in his/her car and can't check the
calendar. "Send me an email" they
instruct.
Overwhelmed, I'm beginning to realize, is the new busy. There is too much information; too many
options; too few hours in the day (or synapses in my brain, at least) to absorb
it all.
But a problem without a solution is just a complaint. What are you doing to make it all more
manageable? Email me and I'll
share best practices and good ideas next time.
And keep on the lookout for Get Ready, Get Set, GET GRANTS--my new book with co-author Bo Morton--out soon.
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It's a Numbers Game
There are more than 1.6 million nonprofit organizations (NPOs) in the United States, with over 8.7 million people employed by them That means that almost 6 percent of all workers have jobs in the nonprofit sector
That nonprofit salaries tend to--overall--be low, should be no surprise to anyone. Not, I hasten to add, because of the nature of the sector, but rather because of the size of the individual organizations.
According the IRS, the vast majority of NPOs have assets of under $1,000,000. Compensation follows suit.
According to Charity Navigator's CEO compensation report, CEO pay depends on a number of factors:
- Geography: Live in the the Northeast where salaries are at least 35% higher than those in the Mountain West.
- Mission: Education pays about twice what the CEO of an international organization makes--and that is higher than those leaders of organizations who are focused on Religion, Animals, the Environment or Human Services.
- Size: OK, size does count. Organizations with total expenses greater than $13.5 million have average CEO salaries of $287, 000. Those under $3.5 million, on the other hand, have an average CEO compensation of around $90,000.
But all is not bad news. According to the National Compensation Survey in 2007
the average hourly earnings of full-time works in nonprofits were slightly
higher than the average hourly wages of full-time private industry
workers. On the other hand, they
were less than the hourly salaries of State and local government workers. That may no longer be true, given the
salary reductions and forced furlough programs of many state agencies. (READ MORE)
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Internet Strategies for Fundraising
Denise Davies of Aleph Consulting works with
nonprofit organizations and offers planning and implementation for website
design, implementation and management; strategies and setup of social media;
and design and management of email newsletters and overall Internet communications strategy. I can vouch first had for Denise--she does my website and has helped with social networking sites. Contact her at: davies@alephinc.com
The Internet
offers a platform and set of communications tools that are valuable to all
fundraising activities. Your
donors and potential donors often use the Internet to check up on organizations
before they make a commitment.
Your Internet communications plan
can include multiple points of entry - your website, Facebook page, Blog, email
newsletter, registration on various portals, online photo galleries, YouTube
and other social media. Using the
internet effectively does not mean just sticking on a "DONATE NOW" button.
Here are a few strategies to
consider:
- Build Credibility: Your website should give people
confidence. Make sure that the
content is up to date, that there are no bad links, and that the website is
attractive and easy to use. The
website is your key communications point for the visitor.
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Build Relationships: Through your website, Facebook Page,
and your email newsletter keep in touch on a regular basis with people who
visit the website. Include
specific "Calls to Action" that will encourage people to come back often and
interact - sign up for your mailing list, ask a question, make a donation,
volunteer, or get involved in some way.
- Build Donations: Include a method for people to donate
on your website, for example with a Paypal "Donate" button, or other donation
methods. Include different
levels of donations so that a person can give a small donation while you are
building up the relation and their comfort with your organization. Setup an automatic "Thank You"
email - but also follow up with other emails and reports of how donations are
being used.
- Build Your List: Your list
is a powerful asset for your organization. Use the internet to build your list through having people
sign up for your email newsletter, put in their email to request to download a
report or article, or sign up for an online webinar or attend an event. Be sure to use non-internet methods to
build your list also including adding a "sign up for our newsletter" in your
email signature file.
Share your
Internet communications plan with the people in your organization. Many of them may be using Facebook or
other social media. Ask them to refer potential interested friends and
colleagues to the website and invite them to link to you.
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 Board Support
How do Board members feel about the support they receive to
help them perform their duties? Alex Todd of Trust Enabling Strategies did more than wonder. For the past few months, he's been
conducting a survey to
determine just that.
While the survey is still open (and if you
are a Board
member, I urge you to click on the link and take the survey) interim
responses
indicate that directors of both for-profit and non-profit entities feel
that
their Boards could benefit from more director engagement, professional
development and information resources.
So far, the survey has
revealed a number of things including
the fact that about 75% of all Boards do not have a budget for director
development. Of those few that do
have a budget, only half of what was budgeted was spend, and that most
for
things such as seminars and workshops.
The survey also disclosed
that while most Directors thought
they arrived to Board meetings fully prepared, about 33% of them
believed that
the other Directors were only occasionally or rarely prepared. Ummmm.....
Even though many Directors find themselves with
unanswered questions while preparing for a meeting, less than half make
use of additional resources beyond the directors' briefing binders.
Perhaps
of most concern is the poor image a large percentage of the Directors
have for other
Directors (READ MORE)
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Are your fundraising results down? Janet Levine Consulting can help. Email or give me a call at 310-990-9151 to schedule a free 30-minute consultation.
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