Generation BIG - Bold, Innovative and Generous

Our own Will Austin, founder of the Institute for Affordable Transportation - B.U.V. in Indianapolis is among the people and organizations profiled in financial expert Jeff Smith’s new book. In “GenerationBIG ~ The Rising Tide of Dreams to Action,” Smith, together with co-authors Tom Ruwitch and Mark Patterson, profiles a number of extraordinary 21^st century visionaries and philanthropists who have given back in a BIG way.

 

Profiles include:

• Nicholas Negroponte, founder of One Laptop per Child, whose bold vision is to distribute two billion low-cost laptop computers to children in developing nations.
• Brian Mullaney, co-founder of Smile Train, which has repaired the cleft lips or palates of more than 500,000 children.
• Will Austin, Institute of Affordable Transportation with a mission to improve lives and self reliance in impoverished countries by facilitating the spread of simple Basic Utility Vehicles..
• Bruce Cohn, owner of B.R. Cohn Winery and lifelong manager of the Doobie Brothers, who weaves massive generosity into all his business ventures.
• Jeremy Courtney, a 29-year-old from central Texas, who has moved to northern Iraq to help Iraqi children receive life-saving heart surgery in Israel.
• Betsey Beckmann, a stay-at-home mom who, with her young daughters, supplies coats, hats, and gloves to school children in need out of her basement.

 

Smith’s book goes on to talk about what it takes to be a BIG thinker and to act those ideas. The authors have established a website see their efforts as part of a growing grassroots effort. “BIG is not a demographic.” he noted, “It’s a mindset, and it’s a movement.  Through our GenerationBIG book, website and Big Across America effort, we want to help as many people as possible join this movement.” For more information, visit www.GenerationBIG.com. 

Increasing Accountability - Principles Workbook Helps Organizations Improve Governance

Since their release in 2007 by Independent Sector, the Principles for Good Governance and Ethical Practice have helped nonprofit organizations across the country reflect on and strengthen their operations. To make it even more practical, here comes the Free Principles Workbook: Steering Your Board Toward Good Governance and Ethical Practice to provide further support for nonprofits, foundations, and corporate giving programs committed to examining and improving their governance practices.

Independent Sector created the workbook in partnership with BoardSource, the nation’s leading resource on nonprofit governance. The Principles Workbook will make it easier for boards of directors and staff leaders to assess the areas where their organizations are doing well and where there is room for improvement. It distills the core concepts in each of the 33 principles and suggests points for board and staff to discuss about their current practices. Progress worksheets accompanying each of the four sections assist nonprofits and foundations in making plans and recording their progress. The worksheets are also available as a separate document; this file is designed so people can enter their steps directly into the forms by using Adobe Acrobat.

>>Read entire article.

Executive Transition – When Is It Time to Leave?

In an entry this past Spring, I posed the question of some nonprofit leaders delaying retirement due to the economic crisis. In my mind, being the Executive Director of a smaller nonprofit is one of the toughest jobs there is. Whether you are 30 years old or 70 years old, these questions might provide some good reflection on your work. This one page list can help you identify both personal and organizational preparation to make your eventual departure a more positive experience for everyone. >>Read more.

Seeking Nonprofits to Partner with Public Allies in Indianapolis

Public Allies' mission is to advance new leadership
to strengthen communities, non-profits and civic participation

The Indianapolis Neighborhood Resource Center (INRC) will receive a $373,453 AmeriCorps grant from the Corporation for National and Community Service to partially fund a total of 30 AmeriCorps ‘Public Allies’ members who will support Indianapolis not-for-profits.

Currently, there are Public Allies efforts in 15 communities across the country. Members serve nonprofit organizations working in a variety of fields: 30% youth development, 26% education, 20% community and/or economic development, 4% housing, 4% environmental projects, and 11% other human needs.

Public Allies, an AmeriCorps program, has a comprehensive program model that blends community service, nonprofit capacity building, civic engagement and leadership development with best practice evaluation processes. As a program of INRC, Public Allies will tap into a premier pipeline for developing diverse young nonprofit and community leaders in Indianapolis to connect across cultures, facilitate collaborative action, and recognize the assets of communities. Public Allies Indianapolis apprenticeship placements will begin in October 2009 and applications to become a Public Allies Indianapolis Partner Organization are currently being accepted. A financial investment is required of Partner nonprofits.

The deadline for Partner Organization Applications is Friday, July 31, 2009. To learn more about Public Allies Indianapolis, go to www.inrc.org or contact Marc McAleavey at INRC at 317-920-0330, ext. 104 or by email at Apply-IN@publicallies.org.

20 Emergency Funding Ideas

We know we can always count on the professionals at Fieldstone Alliance in Minneapolis for great resources. Toward that end, consultants Tom Triplett and Alexis Cress developed the following list of 20 emergency funding ideas. These are revenue sources that can be accessed quickly—usually within 30 days. Not all of these sources are available to all nonprofits, and some of them carry great risk. Nonetheless, we hope you find the list useful and thought-provoking. They urge you to combine ideas for a comprehensive response. Funding sources like to know that they're not the only avenue you're pursuing.

For example, you may want to put together a quick-hit fundraising initiative with a re-pricing of your services.

The strategies are broken into five categories:

1) Cash Flow Management
2) Contributed Income
3) Earned Income
4) Debt Financing
5) Existing Assets

Read the entire article.

Reflections on Leadership Transition in an Economic Downturn

In mid-June, I co-facilitated a conference call for about 20 consultants who provide support to nonprofit organizations going through some type of executive transition – could be retirement, firing, or routine turnover for a better position. These consultants were from across the country and many have been doing this work for years. There were several comments that caught my interest that I thought other nonprofit leaders in Central IN and SW Ohio might be interested in:

· Retiring Executive Directors are commonly looking to continue their work in the sector through serving as Interim EDs, Board consulting, or as part-time program advisors to nonprofits or foundations.

· A coach can be a great idea to assist an Executive Director who is beginning to think about retirement.

· The value of using an Interim executive director in a transition from a long-time leader or when an organization is struggling is finally beginning to gain acceptance. Funders generally “get it” but many nonprofit boards perceive it as a sign of weakness to not immediately hire a permanent replacement.

· The departure of a long-term executive is one of the few “windows of opportunity” where boards are more likely to consider merging with a similar or complementary organization.

· Some Executive Directors have delayed retirement, sometimes to the detriment of their organizations. This can put boards in a tough situation and force them to make some hard decisions about what is best for the organization. Some organizations are making special arrangements to supplement income or insurance as they ease out a leader.

· Executive Directors who retired 2-3 years ago are coming back into the workplace and looking for new work opportunities.

· Some consultants are seeing more demand for organization closedown services and are even being trained in grieving and loss to better support staff and supporters.

· Consultants are offering a wide range of support services to nonprofits who are preparing for or going through leadership transition. Ranging from full service preparation, assessment, search, and on-boarding to ala carte or training the organization to do each segment of the process themselves.

If your organization is anticipating the transition of a long-term executive, seeking an interim until you hire a new executive, or looking for a coach, please contact Ruthie Purcell-Jones at Leadership Ventures at 317-636-5323 or Bryan Orander at 317-752-7153. Watch for more reflections on Executive Transition in the months ahead.

Executive Transition Management

On June 1-3, 2009 twenty consultants from as far away as Hawaii, gathered at Leadership Ventures in Indianapolis to learn and share about the process of nonprofit executive departures and new executive arrivals. I was honored to serve as the local trainer joining Tim Wolfred and Byron Johnson from CompassPoint in San Francisco. Through discussion and role play, we covered the well-researched “Prepare, Pivot, Thrive Model” that Tim has played a major role in establishing as the standard across the country. I was especially excited that a dozen of the participating consultants were from central Indiana and one was from Columbus. Ohio.

I think we are now well equipped to handle both the routine volume of transitions and the anticipated rush of Boomers as the economy improves. If your organization is anticipating the transition of a long-term executive or seeking an interim until you hire a new executive, please contact Ruthie Purcell-Jones at Leadership Ventures at 317-636-5323 or me at 317-752-7153. Tim Wolfred’s new book has just been released “Managing Executive Transitions” and will be a great resource – be sure to catch my endorsement on the back cover (does that count as being published) . Watch for more reflections on Executive Transition in the months ahead.

Tim’s book is available here.