From Tues, Dec 23(Indy) and Dec 26(Cincy) Not-for-Profit News
Is the End Near? What is Responsible Board Stewardship in an Economic Crisis? (Part II)
By Bryan Orander, President, Charitable Advisors and Not-for-Profit News
Last week, Part of I of this article talked about the reality of funds decreasing over the next year for most nonprofit organizations and the steps that can be taken by board and staff leaders to prepare and respond to these conditions – get that cash forecast together NOW! In Part II, we begin with designated funds and then focus on what leaders should be thinking about if there are serious concerns about your organization’s ability to survive this downturn.
Is it OK to borrow from ‘temporarily restricted’ funds? – I wanted to address this because it is treated casually by too many organizations. Temporarily restricted funds are funds that are received from a foundation or donor that are designated for a specific use – say, producing your summer camp. An example would be if you have run out of unrestricted funds early in 2009, but you have a foundation grant to provide summer camp in July of 2009 - you might go ahead and use camp money and keep track of it on your books with the expectation that you will raise other funds that can be used to run the summer camp.
It is one thing to borrow to get through a temporary cash crunch and replace it quickly. However, even in prosperous times, when organizations routinely borrow into restricted program funds to pay operating expenses, they are building a house of cards. As more and more program funds are diverted to general operating expenses, the organization digs a hole that it will have difficulty getting out of and it only takes one delayed or lost grant to push the organization over the edge.
Our commitments to our organizations and clients and the recognition that many small organizations never know in January whether they will we still be around in December makes it hard for board members and staff leaders to judge when they are too close to the edge. Just keep in mind that you should not accept grant funds to perform services that you do not have reasonable confidence you will be able to fulfill.
What if you don’t see a way to responsibly continue operations?
It is the responsibility of the board to ensure that whatever direction an organization takes is done in an orderly manner, in the best interests of clients, financial supporters, and the community. In certain circumstances, closing the organization or ceasing to operate independently could be the best stewardship. Running out of cash and putting an “Out of Business” sign on your front door won’t cut it.
In far too many cases that I have seen, the board and staff were unwilling to explore partnering or merger options until they ran out of cash and it was too late. There is a mix of entrepreneurial spirit, territorialism, and a grassroots mentality about our finances and worthy causes that seems to make it hard for the people who are closest to and most responsible to view their circumstances in an objective manner. You can be exploring partnering alternatives at the same time that you are working on options to remain solvent and independent. Fortunately or unfortunately, right now most potential partners will be worried about their own sustainability as well.
Merging – what organizations do you work with already? Who has similar or complementary services? The usual approach would be to get the board chair of each organization together to see if there is any interest followed by a small group from each organization to explore it more fully. From a legal standpoint, you will usually close one corporation and transfer assets to avoid an assumption of liabilities by the other organization. There are many issues and conversations that are best facilitated by someone neutral to the organizations. And don’t forget due diligence – this is not something you should jump into without your accountant and attorney. On the plus side, some of the foundations or donors who support you might be willing to help you fund a merger.
Suspending or Hibernating Operations – Even when things seem hopeless, you don’t necessarily have to throw in the towel. Another option is to cease program operations, but not terminate the organization, and enable the board leadership to regroup and define a new strategy to proceed. I belong to a national association that saw that its current staffing and expenses could not be supported by forecasted revenues. They could have continued “business as usual” for 4 more months and burned through their cash and disappeared. Instead, they let staff go with severance and transferred administration to an association management company to keep basic communications going while the board is meeting every couple weeks to make decisions on how they can best use the $100,000 in cash they still have to re-launch in 2009.
Closing – this won’t ever be fun, but you have choices. You can fulfill as many of your obligations to clients and funders as possible, communicate with the people involved, and provide appropriate notice to employees. Or you can run right to the financial edge and strand everyone involved. An orderly closing can leave the door open for a resurrection in the future and can make sure that current clients are connected into services with others and staff has the support and some extra time to find new positions. On the legal and financial side, again look to your accountant and attorney to guide you in wrapping things up.
Give us your feedback
Monday, December 29, 2008
Is the End Near? What is Responsible Board Stewardship in an Economic Crisis? (Part I)
Tues, Dec 16(Indy) and Thurs, Dec 18(Cincy) Not-for-Profit News
Is the End Near? What is Responsible Board Stewardship in an Economic Crisis? (Part I)
by Bryan Orander, President, Charitable Advisors and Not-for-Profit News
As you know, we look for good articles and bring them to you from publications across the country. Lately, we have been looking for articles on ways to deal with the tough economic times. Sometimes I don’t find what I want to share or it is not in the format I am looking for, so I am taking this on myself.
Over the past weeks I have been engaged in conversations with nonprofits, funders, and people who provide support services to nonprofit organizations. Anecdotally, I am hearing and seeing the following:
1) The larger or more financially sophisticated nonprofits revised their yearend 2008 and 2009 budgets and financial forecasts over the past few months. They have at least assembled contingency plans and many have restructured, even decreasing staff in response to anticipated drops in revenue. Many have also increased contacts with supporters but I have not heard the results of those efforts.
2) Most smaller or less financially sophisticated organizations, who have not yet developed many revenue streams beyond grants, look more to the cash they have in the bank than any forward looking cash forecasting. They are concerned that funds may drop off but are either being optimistic that it won’t hit them or are indecisive about how to respond.
My take, which is just one person’s opinion:
1) We hope that individual giving will hold up as the IU Center on Philanthropy tells us has happened in past economic downturns. At the same time, we have never seen a time where individuals and families decreased their spending so dramatically in such a short period of time.
2) Most foundations have lost about 1/3 of their asset value in the past year. They seem to have a couple options, not knowing how quickly or when the market will recover. 1) They can decrease their giving by the same 1/3 or 2) they can give more and decrease the funds that will be available in future years. An additional factor is that foundations who make multi-year grants have already committed substantial funds for the next year or two. That means that the funds available to grant for next year could be reduced by 50% or more for certain foundations. Some foundations are also reprioritizing their giving to put more emphasis on meeting basic needs in their communities.
How can you respond?
- Have a staff person work with a financially skilled board member to forecast your cash situation for the next year. Make sure to separate restricted and unrestricted funds.
- Examine purchasing decisions and defer what you can. Leave open staff positions unfilled as long as you can without decreasing program quality or revenues and explore hiring experienced part-time people versus less experienced full-time.
- Expand your financial options – open a bank line of credit if you can; decide how far you are willing to dip into reserves if you have them; approach major supporters about special gifts or loans to weather this time; keep communications open with your donors and ask for their support.
- Again, get your finance/accounting people from board and staff together to match revenues to expenses for each of you program areas. Look at it from a fully allocated standpoint but also from the standpoint of what the actual decrease in revenues and expenses would be if the program were discontinued – certain expenses would not go away (facility, shared staff) and some unrestricted funds could be released for other programs.
- Assemble contingency plans – either based on your cash forecast or two targets – perhaps anticipating 10% and 30% reductions in revenue. View this as an opportunity to review your processes and test some of your assumptions for how you deliver services.
o What programs are most important to your mission?
o What programs provide the strongest outcomes?
o Which programs pay for themselves?
o Which programs are you always substituting and questioning why you are still providing them?
o If you could only run one program, what would it be?
o Since staff costs make up 60-80% of the budget of most nonprofits, you need to decide now what positions would go first and which are most critical to keep filled and those people well supported.
o Are there options to outsource certain functions or share a staff person with another agency?
We welcome your feedback and comments. Also stay tuned next week for Part II “What if you don’t see a way to responsibly move forward?”
Is the End Near? What is Responsible Board Stewardship in an Economic Crisis? (Part I)
by Bryan Orander, President, Charitable Advisors and Not-for-Profit News
As you know, we look for good articles and bring them to you from publications across the country. Lately, we have been looking for articles on ways to deal with the tough economic times. Sometimes I don’t find what I want to share or it is not in the format I am looking for, so I am taking this on myself.
Over the past weeks I have been engaged in conversations with nonprofits, funders, and people who provide support services to nonprofit organizations. Anecdotally, I am hearing and seeing the following:
1) The larger or more financially sophisticated nonprofits revised their yearend 2008 and 2009 budgets and financial forecasts over the past few months. They have at least assembled contingency plans and many have restructured, even decreasing staff in response to anticipated drops in revenue. Many have also increased contacts with supporters but I have not heard the results of those efforts.
2) Most smaller or less financially sophisticated organizations, who have not yet developed many revenue streams beyond grants, look more to the cash they have in the bank than any forward looking cash forecasting. They are concerned that funds may drop off but are either being optimistic that it won’t hit them or are indecisive about how to respond.
My take, which is just one person’s opinion:
1) We hope that individual giving will hold up as the IU Center on Philanthropy tells us has happened in past economic downturns. At the same time, we have never seen a time where individuals and families decreased their spending so dramatically in such a short period of time.
2) Most foundations have lost about 1/3 of their asset value in the past year. They seem to have a couple options, not knowing how quickly or when the market will recover. 1) They can decrease their giving by the same 1/3 or 2) they can give more and decrease the funds that will be available in future years. An additional factor is that foundations who make multi-year grants have already committed substantial funds for the next year or two. That means that the funds available to grant for next year could be reduced by 50% or more for certain foundations. Some foundations are also reprioritizing their giving to put more emphasis on meeting basic needs in their communities.
How can you respond?
- Have a staff person work with a financially skilled board member to forecast your cash situation for the next year. Make sure to separate restricted and unrestricted funds.
- Examine purchasing decisions and defer what you can. Leave open staff positions unfilled as long as you can without decreasing program quality or revenues and explore hiring experienced part-time people versus less experienced full-time.
- Expand your financial options – open a bank line of credit if you can; decide how far you are willing to dip into reserves if you have them; approach major supporters about special gifts or loans to weather this time; keep communications open with your donors and ask for their support.
- Again, get your finance/accounting people from board and staff together to match revenues to expenses for each of you program areas. Look at it from a fully allocated standpoint but also from the standpoint of what the actual decrease in revenues and expenses would be if the program were discontinued – certain expenses would not go away (facility, shared staff) and some unrestricted funds could be released for other programs.
- Assemble contingency plans – either based on your cash forecast or two targets – perhaps anticipating 10% and 30% reductions in revenue. View this as an opportunity to review your processes and test some of your assumptions for how you deliver services.
o What programs are most important to your mission?
o What programs provide the strongest outcomes?
o Which programs pay for themselves?
o Which programs are you always substituting and questioning why you are still providing them?
o If you could only run one program, what would it be?
o Since staff costs make up 60-80% of the budget of most nonprofits, you need to decide now what positions would go first and which are most critical to keep filled and those people well supported.
o Are there options to outsource certain functions or share a staff person with another agency?
We welcome your feedback and comments. Also stay tuned next week for Part II “What if you don’t see a way to responsibly move forward?”
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Nonprofits Surviving Tough Times
As we head into the final weeks of the year and continued economic uncertainty, I invite all nonprofit leaders to share what they have learned from past downturns and what they are doing now. The following is from Carter Wolf, Executive Director at Horizon House, a homeless services provider in Indianapolis. You can comment on Carter’s ideas below or send your own short article to: Bryan@NotforprofitNews.com
Every economic downturn has different causes that require different strategies for non-profits but there are usually a few tried and true principles that can work for all of us. Since no one has a silver bullet we need to evaluate threats and opportunities that apply to our particular sector. Here are 10 tips:
1. Get advice from everyone. Good ideas will emerge from reading and networking. The IU Center on Philanthropy (see COP below) recently printed some good ideas about fund raising during economic slowdowns. For-profit business journals will be offering advice that NFP’s could use as well.
2. Focus on your mission. Be careful about “mission drift” at all times but especially now. See what part of your mission deserves the most focus if you have to make cuts.
3. Do not cut fund raising staff or costs. The corporate model in downtimes is “build sales, cut inventories.” Your development staff is your sales staff.
4. Refine and recommit to your fund raising strategic plan.
5. Frame your stories around what your organization is doing to solve community problems during these tough times. For example the Neighborhood Christian Legal Clinic has been featuring the service they provide to those in foreclosure.
6. Rely on your Board members. They can fill certain roles better then staff such as calling donors to thank them. (Ref COP)
7. Focus on your existing donor base by communicating and nurturing them to remind them of what you are doing. (Ref COP).
8. Stay in communication with major donors and foundations. If changes from them are on the horizon, they will usually let you know as early as possible.
9. Traditionally growth in annual giving may go down but it is still growth. Make sure you are part of it. (Ref COP).
10. Reduce debt, stay as liquid as possible. Make sure your reserves are large enough to cover payroll as well as unplanned expenses.
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Sept 8 IBJ Article on Expanding Arts Funding
I am always honored to be contacted by a member of the team at the Indianapolis Business Journal when they are putting an article together on the nonprofit sector because I believe that nonprofits typically receive more attention to bad news than to the amazing good that we do. This past weekend the IBJ did an extended article on an alternative or supplemental method of arts funding that many communities around the country have been using for years, a workplace giving and community campaign - think of it as a United Way™ for arts and culture. I was quoted as suggesting that something like this could be a possibility to help address the cutback in city funding for the arts while also raising visibility of our wide and varied arts community. Others were not so optimistic.
Since quotes rarely convey a perspective, I wanted to share my thoughts and would welcome your feedback.
I see it as an AND, not an OR, conversation. In order for Indianapolis to continue on its current track of becoming a world-class city, we will need to invest in arts and culture. That means finding both innovative and convenient ways to attract funds to both large and small arts and culture organizations. While looking to government or a tourism-related tax is one angle, it should not exclude other possibilities. Neither should looking to the Lilly Endowment for their next round of funding – it is hard to imagine our community without the commitment and investment of the Lilly Endowment, but they can’t be THE answer. The mention of a community effort like Fort Wayne Arts United or Cincinnati Fine Arts Fund is an opportunity to be open to new possibilities – especially since Plan A is losing $500K a year right now.
Some key points:
We must lift up United Way – an unintended consequence of this type of effort could be competition for the average wage earner with United Way’s annual fall campaign – which should be on everyone’s priority list right now. I have been a donor, supporter, and advocate for United Way for more than 25 years. I have run workplace campaigns and served as a Loaned Executive. They do amazing work around issues that are so much more complex than most of the community realizes.
Maybe new could be different – I remember attending campaign meetings, filling out pledge cards, collecting pledge cards and mailing them in for processing. Today, the web and giving portals open new possibilities for what a campaign could look like and how it might be run. We also have three of the longest running community campaigns in cities that are within two hours of us – they might entertain opportunities to leverage the infrastructures they have built just as our United Way has set a great collaborative tone in sharing technology resources across many of the larger community campaigns.
Every giver is a philanthropist - We too often get caught up in the million dollar gifts and naming efforts as “real philanthropy”. The IBJ writer used the unfortunate terminology of “cubicle drone” to refer to the masses of citizens across our community who actively support our sector through their charitable giving, volunteering, attendance at events and performances, etc. While it is certainly more efficient, in the short-term, to derive funding for the arts from a few sources, United Way has successfully shown that engaging the hundreds of thousands of everyday philanthropists like you and me is where you really begin to make an impact.
Thanks for listening,
Bryan
Since quotes rarely convey a perspective, I wanted to share my thoughts and would welcome your feedback.
I see it as an AND, not an OR, conversation. In order for Indianapolis to continue on its current track of becoming a world-class city, we will need to invest in arts and culture. That means finding both innovative and convenient ways to attract funds to both large and small arts and culture organizations. While looking to government or a tourism-related tax is one angle, it should not exclude other possibilities. Neither should looking to the Lilly Endowment for their next round of funding – it is hard to imagine our community without the commitment and investment of the Lilly Endowment, but they can’t be THE answer. The mention of a community effort like Fort Wayne Arts United or Cincinnati Fine Arts Fund is an opportunity to be open to new possibilities – especially since Plan A is losing $500K a year right now.
Some key points:
We must lift up United Way – an unintended consequence of this type of effort could be competition for the average wage earner with United Way’s annual fall campaign – which should be on everyone’s priority list right now. I have been a donor, supporter, and advocate for United Way for more than 25 years. I have run workplace campaigns and served as a Loaned Executive. They do amazing work around issues that are so much more complex than most of the community realizes.
Maybe new could be different – I remember attending campaign meetings, filling out pledge cards, collecting pledge cards and mailing them in for processing. Today, the web and giving portals open new possibilities for what a campaign could look like and how it might be run. We also have three of the longest running community campaigns in cities that are within two hours of us – they might entertain opportunities to leverage the infrastructures they have built just as our United Way has set a great collaborative tone in sharing technology resources across many of the larger community campaigns.
Every giver is a philanthropist - We too often get caught up in the million dollar gifts and naming efforts as “real philanthropy”. The IBJ writer used the unfortunate terminology of “cubicle drone” to refer to the masses of citizens across our community who actively support our sector through their charitable giving, volunteering, attendance at events and performances, etc. While it is certainly more efficient, in the short-term, to derive funding for the arts from a few sources, United Way has successfully shown that engaging the hundreds of thousands of everyday philanthropists like you and me is where you really begin to make an impact.
Thanks for listening,
Bryan
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Can Your Neighbor Name a Good 'Nonprofit'?
(By Bryan - Published in our Not-for-Profit News - Indy 4/15 and Cincy 4/17)
I can’t count how many conversations I have had with people who gave me a questioning look when I said that I work with “nonprofits”. They will often ask “What do you mean by nonprofit? Can you give me an example?”
Add to that an on-going debate about how we might better name our sector by describing what we ARE instead of what we ARE NOT – maybe Social Benefit Organization or Community Corporation, instead of Nonprofit or Not-for-Profit.
I was pleased to be invited by the Central Indiana Community Foundation to hear Robert Egger speak on April 7. Mr. Egger is the Founder and President of the DC Central Kitchen, where unemployed men and women learn marketable culinary skills while foods donated by restaurants and caterers are converted into balanced meals. Since 1989, they have distributed 17+ million meals and helped 600+ people gain full-time employment.
Robert is the author of the award-winning book, Begging for Change: The Dollars and Sense of Making Nonprofits Responsive, Efficient and Rewarding For All. He has family ties to southeast Indiana and a brother who lives in Indianapolis.
The core of his message was around three points:
- The nonprofit sector is in a position where regulation can be imposed by the government and we have little or no voice to provide input or participate in the debate.
- There is no regular media analysis of our work. We either get fluffy ‘feel good’ stories or stories of scandal and corruption. The media makes no attempt to define good nonprofits or lesser nonprofits. He would love to see opinions expressed just as they are on restaurants and movies.
- The average American can’t name a good nonprofit, though the sector makes up almost 10% of our economy (employment and GDP). People don’t realize they are served by nonprofits everyday – (NPR, church, hospital, YMCA, etc
Some of his thoughts on what we can do about it:
- Work together as a sector. Attend Nonprofit Congress in June. Form a state nonprofit association (Indiana).
- Raise the visibility of the nonprofit sector in politics. Ask candidates for every office – “How would you partner with the nonprofit sector?” You can check out his v3 campaign at http://www.v3campaign.org/
- Support local businesses that provide livable wages and benefits
More Job Transition from For-profit to Nonprofit
On Wednesday, March 26, Tom Baldwin of Baldwin Gilman, a leading executive recruiting firm in Cincinnati and Dick Aft, retired President of United Way of Great Cincinnati and now an associate at Baldwin Gilman, hosted a panel discussion about making the move from the for-profit into the not-for-profit sector.
They were gracious enough to allow me to attend and I wrote the following article.
Cincinnati Not-for-Profit News Is Off to a Great Start
We are just a few weeks in and already 250 subscribers toward our July 1 goal of 1000-1500. We have found Cincinnati area nonprofit leaders to be very open and welcoming. I am really looking forward to getting to know the community better and working with the people I have met.
FMI about the Indy or Cincy editions, go to www.NotforProfitNews.com
FMI about the Indy or Cincy editions, go to www.NotforProfitNews.com
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Not-for-Profit News starting in Cincinnati
In addition to all the routine fun of working with nonprofits, publishing the Indpls Not-for-Profit News, being a dad and husband - much of my attention the past few months has been on exploring the Cincinnati nonprofit sector. I have been very impressed by what I have learned. Cincinnati has a long tradition of philanthropy and a vibrant nonprofit sector. Since they are on the Ohio River, they were settled earlier and bring a more historic feel in many regards than Indianapolis while also having the beauty that comes from a major waterway.
They have a Fine Arts Fund that actively raises money for the arts through a Spring workplace giving campaign that compliments the United Way campaign in the fall that focuses on human services.
The Resource is a nonprofit that solicits donations of furniture, office equipment, office and cleaning supplies and more and then sells them to nonprofits for a handling fee of pennies on the dollar.
The Leadership Council of Human Services Executives is a round table group with over 120 members that evolved from the United Way Executives group and now works to build leadership across the full human services sector.
And Ohio has a state nonprofit association, based in Columbus that provides some support in advocacy and training.
If you are interested in learning more, I hope you will subscribe to the Cincinnati Not-for-Profit News - for Free and help us spread the word.
http://www.notforprofitnews.com/newsletter/cincysignupform.htm
They have a Fine Arts Fund that actively raises money for the arts through a Spring workplace giving campaign that compliments the United Way campaign in the fall that focuses on human services.
The Resource is a nonprofit that solicits donations of furniture, office equipment, office and cleaning supplies and more and then sells them to nonprofits for a handling fee of pennies on the dollar.
The Leadership Council of Human Services Executives is a round table group with over 120 members that evolved from the United Way Executives group and now works to build leadership across the full human services sector.
And Ohio has a state nonprofit association, based in Columbus that provides some support in advocacy and training.
If you are interested in learning more, I hope you will subscribe to the Cincinnati Not-for-Profit News - for Free and help us spread the word.
http://www.notforprofitnews.com/newsletter/cincysignupform.htm
Are There Too Many Nonprofits?
With some estimates now exceeding 1.4 million charitable nonprofits nationally, it is easy to make the case that we don't need more. Still, every year 30-50,000 new nonprofits are created - each requiring board members, volunteers, and some combination of donations, foundation grants, corporate support, government funding, etc.
On the other side of the debate, I hear experienced nonprofit leaders talk about the importance of these new organizations to drive fresh ideas, new approaches, bring new leaders into the nonprofit sector, and increase awareness or focus on a particular issue.
If it were up to you, what criteria would you use to determine when a new nonprofit is needed and when it is not?
On the other side of the debate, I hear experienced nonprofit leaders talk about the importance of these new organizations to drive fresh ideas, new approaches, bring new leaders into the nonprofit sector, and increase awareness or focus on a particular issue.
If it were up to you, what criteria would you use to determine when a new nonprofit is needed and when it is not?
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