We reached out to Tim Grady, Executive Director of Boys Hope & Girls Hope, and asked him to share his thoughts on the role of an advisory board.
Please provide your insight on the benefits of organizing an Associate Board/Advisory Board?
As a smaller nonprofit organization, with a limited marketing budget, our Associate Board helps develop and enhance the organization's brand. The Associate Board pulls together social gatherings as fundraising events that helps us raise awareness and money to impact the mission. We also use the Associate Board to manage the intangibles by adding a new perspective from a group of young diverse professionals.
How do you keep the Associate Board engaged?
We try to move pass the stereotype that the Associate Board is designed for fundraising. Annually, we have an Associate Board Retreat. This is great to promote the mission and allow for feedback about the organization direction. An Associate Board Member represents Boys Hope Girls Hope and must know the mission of the organization. Volunteering keeps our members engaged. The members are required to complete a direct service volunteer activity. We strongly believe in the direct service volunteer activity as a requirement of their participation to drive mission connection.
What is the Associate Board's current structure? Do you define roles and break into committees?
Currently, we have 22 members on the Associate Board, but we are actively searching and recruiting new members. Recently two individuals were elected to serve as co-chairs of the group. This development has allowed us to begin to hold the entire group more accountable. The board now has a clearly defined leadership group. Moving forward, Associate Board members will be required to attend a designated number of Board meetings, including one in person.
Do you bring the Associate Board together with the Governing board?
Yes, the co-chairs are invited with the members as non-voting members, and serve as representatives of the Associate board. We also gather the Board of Directors and Associate Board on an annual basis through a social event.
Are there any disadvantages to managing an Associate Board?
Yes, the Associate Board must be engaged. If the members don’t feel involved, they will become detached from the organization and feel that management is not doing a good job running the organization. Negative talk about the organization can greatly affect the brand of the organization in the community. If run well, the Associate Board can raise money, promote the brand, provide insight into the development of the organization and develop future Board Members.
About Boys Hope Girls Hope
Boys Hope Girls Hope provides stability, support, and scholarship to bright and motivated children from challenging circumstances. Despite the fact that our scholars have faced some combination of economic poverty, severe family stress, neighborhood violence or other extraordinary circumstance, they maintain a courageous desire to make their goals a reality. Our time-tested Residential Program contends that the combination of a quality education, a safe and secure home, and a consistent routine will provide the young people we serve with the values and opportunities they need to realize and achieve their full potential. Boys Hope Girls Hope has also carried this philosophy into the community through Hope Prep, an intensive non-residential Outreach Program serving talented middle school students from under-resourced schools.
A quick Google image search on the phrase “nonprofit board member” displays loads of photos of suit-clad people hanging out near long conference tables. In five pages of images, only three times did I spot someone using a computer. And in each case, one single person was the keeper of the laptop while those gathered around him had to rely on their impeccable memories.
Sure, these are cliché stock images, but are board members generally viewed as slow adopters to technology? And is technology the key factor to improving and maintaining board member engagement? Let’s try to find out.
Please take our brief survey about technology and board member engagement. The survey takes less than 5 minutes, and the results will be published later this summer.
Please share this link with your fellow board members, and anyone you know currently serving on a nonprofit board. Your help in allowing us to gather as much data as possible is greatly appreciated.
You can manage grants effectively with your donor database.
A lot of organizations try to force their donor database to perform double duty. They want it to manage donors AND their grants. This is classic round hole square peg territory. A donor database is used to track gifts, send thank you notes, create fundraising appeals and offer some insight into a campaign’s effectiveness. And what’s more, a donor database is a siloed thing not meant to be a transparent system or a collaborative tool used throughout the entire organization.
Grants require a different strategy because so many parts of an organization have a role or a stake in the grant process. Grant management software serves as a centralized hub for all data, activities, and documents pertaining to the grant. For example, it has the ability to pull in specific information from multiple data centers such as HR, fiscal, and programming. Then it automatically consolidates the data and provides it back to the funder which is helpful since grants have to be monitored, analyzed, reported on and managed based on requirements set forth by the individual grantors. Grant management software streamlines the entire process by facilitating internal and external communications, assigning and managing tasks and deadlines, capturing, measuring, and reporting on key analytics such as goals, benchmarks and objectives.
Unlike donor databases, grant management software is designed to help organizations -particularly those with sub-recipients - at every stage of the grant cycle, from helping find federal, state, local, private foundation, and international grant opportunities, to measuring the outcome and effectiveness of the projects and programs being funded.
Spreadsheets are your friend.
Organizations will often create a pile of spreadsheets in order to track information that cobbled-together systems can’t generate automatically. Over-reliance on spreadsheets is a sign your organization is creating workarounds. This is a risky process for a number of reasons. What happens if “the keeper of the spreadsheet” leaves the organization, or gets swamped, or misses a deadline, or makes a critical error? What happens when your organization goes from managing 2 to 12 different grants? And what if your organization is the lead recipient and is expected to track and manage a number of sub-grantees? As the complexity increases, so does the risk of error. Grant management software factors in these complexities and provides built-in reporting, communications, workflow, process, and project management tools to ensure the greatest likelihood of maximizing every grant dollar.
Grant management software is a replacement for fiscal/accounting systems.
To be clear, grant management software isn’t intended to be a replacement for donor databases, spreadsheets or accounting systems. 
But let’s focus on the accounting system for now. Because accounting systems house such sensitive data, they shouldn’t be accessed by everyone working on a grant. But since grant professionals need to do things like create budgets and track reimbursements, they do require specific fiscal data. That’s why a good grant management software solution imports the carefully controlled data provided by the fiscal office and nothing more. Simply put, grant management software sits outside of the accounting system and plays nicely with the data it’s provided.
The right tool makes any job easier. But before you start using it, you have to figure out what it is. For many organizations, grant management software isn’t yet an option because they simply don’t know it exists or they don’t have enough information about the features and benefits. Take some time to explore what’s available and when you’re ready, schedule demos, delve into specific products and see what’s best for your organization.
Posted by
Adam Roth on Wed, Jun 06, 2012 @ 08:14 AM
When seeking funding from private foundations the thing to keep in mind is that foundations are giving less to organizations and programs. They are funding projects. Why the shift in funding? Competition is rife, and foundations want to see a return on their investment. Projects can be set up to have clear and measurable goals. And foundations, like most funders, want to see good solid data on how effectively their money is being used. Understanding that foundations are seeking to fund specific project types is a great starting point for creating a solicitation strategy. And now it’s time to make your case.
Five Steps to Strengthen Your Organization’s Case
1. Create a client need analysis for the organization. This analysis will allow for the identification of particular issues that clients are facing by department or program. Once the needs are identified, development should work with the appropriate departments to identify quality projects that can help clients better meet their needs.
2. Once two or three projects are identified for each program, create a summary for each project. Include the basics such as the project name, and description, as well as more detailed information like clients served, the cost break down, and the outcomes you hope to achieve.
3. Set up meetings with the key foundations. The meetings should include you and the CEO or appropriate management personnel. The goal of these meetings is to review the projects with the foundations. Ask the foundation representative to identify the projects that most closely relate to the foundation’s annual priority. Also ask them for their view of your organizational strengths. Remember, you want their viewpoint. Don’t make recommendations or suggested changes to theirs.
4. Now that you’ve identified the priorities of the various foundations, and determined which of your projects are a good fit you can build your foundation solicitation schedule to meet the needs of your organization and its programs.
5. Work with program staff to fully develop the projects that are to be funded. Make sure they include measurable and achievable goals, benchmarks and objectives.
These five steps allow for the organization to develop a greater role as a partner in achieving the foundation’s goals. This collaborative relationship will develop confidence in you and the organization. Additionally, these five steps focus on identifying projects that are of importance to the organization. Ensuring that the foundation has a project to fund that’s closely aligned to their mission means that your organization is not simply chasing dollars. This kind of relationship will allow for the greatest long-term success with a foundation.
Take a tour of AmpliFund Full Cycle to learn how to manage every stage of the grant cycle, from pre-award planning and research to post-award performance and reporting.
There’s a good chance you’re one of the many people around the nation who just crossed their fingers, held their breath and pressed the “submit” button to send in their completed TAACCCT proposal. If so, congratulations! I hope you get loads of funding. Because consortium projects like those funded by the TAACCCT grant are so complex, creating a thoughtful consortium agreement is a good best practice. In the game of consortium grants, the consortium agreement is the rule book. It outlines the expectations and scope of the project, and helps determine a system of accountability. When it comes time to write a consortium agreement, be sure to consider three often overlooked factors.
Employee Turnover
If you’re trying to get funding for a project that spans a period of a few years, keep in mind that you may see administrative shifts during the lifetime of the project. Your consortium agreement should provide clear guidance to any new staff members. Also an agreement should painstakingly detail the scope and expectation of the project as well as define the project deliverables and intended outcomes. That information can help convince incoming new leadership of the value of the project, and gain their support.
Adaptability
Consortium leads have a lot of stuff to figure out. First, they need to select consortium partners that are most likely to contribute to the success of the initiative. Next they have to determine the strengths and capabilities of these sub-recipients. Then they have to find the right balance when it comes to managing the sub-grantees (please note, I’m using the terms consortium partner, sub-recipient, and sub-grantee interchangeably since they’re referred to differently within various sectors). While the consortium agreement will help map out roles and responsibilities, it’s the consortium lead’s job to be the guardian of the initiative. The lead should think about tools such as grant management software that can help manage sub-recipients and provide real time performance reports to the grantor. Frequent glimpses into the project via performance reporting can help leads stay nimble, and make adjustments before anything bad happens. This step offers a layer of transparency and good governance that will go a long way toward everything from increasing the likelihood or repeat funding to earning public trust.
The Public Face of the Institution
One often unexpected outcome receiving a substantial award is the attention it can cast on your organization. It stands to reason that major funding can have major impacts on your organization and your community. It’s not uncommon for the media to contact the consortium lead or sub-recipients to learn about the project. Think about the message you want to convey. Consider preparing a media statement or issuing a news release that includes contact information for the person designated as the media spokesperson. Mapping out a media strategy in your consortium agreement will send the message that you’re fully prepared to accept the success coming your way.
Grant professionals are often the major breadwinners for nonprofit and public sector organizations. So it stands to reason that if they fail in any significant way, it can cause a devastating impact. This article is going to look at 5 areas of concern, and address them in a calm and sensible way that will hopefully result in a giant collective sigh of relief from anyone who has anything to do with the grant process.
Scary Thing One: Screwing Up Funding
Nonprofit organizations and the public sector are struggling not only with the administration of the grant process but that many institutions are not earning the full value of every dollar allocated to their programs. For example, in a study released in August 2008, U.S. Government Accountability Office reported that in 2006 about $1 billion in undisbursed funding remained in expired grant accounts in the largest civilian payment system for grants--the Payment Management System administered by the Department of Health and Human Services for 12 federal entities. By creating a process and implementing a system, seemingly little things like missing a grant extension deadline or not allocating the right expense item can be avoided. Getting a handle on the little things can help to ensure institutions don’t leave money on the table.
Scary Thing Two: Being Audited
Recent changes in government grant allocation rules have had major implications, in some cases shifting the onus of the auditing process on the receiving organization itself instead of on outside regulators. Grants with complex elements (ex. sub-recipients to manage, very involved grantor reporting requirements, etc.) can be vexing to even the most experienced grant professional. Since being audited ranks only slightly higher than root canal surgery in the realm of desired ways to spend time, one reasonable approach is to simply expect them and to be as proactive as possible.
Grant management software can relieve this burden by creating an organized and transparent system for the grant data relevant to the audit.
Scary Thing Three: Change, and the Possible Disruptions Caused by Adapting to It
In the dark ages before the advent of grant management software, resourceful grant professionals were forced to devise clever processes and cobble together workarounds based on the tools they had on hand.
Chances are there are several disparate systems and processes in place across your organization. There’s also probably a formidable pile of spreadsheets and binders large enough to be seen from space. The problem here is twofold. First, there’s a lack of awareness about available technology solutions that can streamline each stage of the grant process. And second, in many cases, people have invested a lot of time creating a process that works specifically for them. Naturally there’s a reluctance to try something different, especially if there’s a learning curve and a time investment involved.
Grant management software will save organizations time and frustration in the long run. The best software providers have an excellent knowledge of the challenges grant professionals face, and the workarounds they’ve created to make due. But as complexity grows, and more competition for fewer dollars develops, organizations that streamline their processes with effective software will have a distinct advantage. The time spent to create or crystallize a grant process that becomes the internal standard for the organization should be seen as an investment that will save time and effort going forward.
Scary Thing Four: Being Responsible for the Decision to Invest in Grant Management Software
OK, just go on in there and tell everyone on your team that you’re going to change the way they do their jobs. Then explain to your boss that you’ll need money to invest in this “solution” that he’s never heard of before. Sound like a plan?
It all comes down to a choice. Do you keep doing things the current way, or do you jump on the opportunity to improve? Technology isn’t going away, and early adopters will reap the benefits while others clamber to catch up. If you’re a decision maker for your organization, then you owe it to you and your colleagues to do some serious thinking about grant management software.
Do your homework.
- Look for products that are endorsed by professional organizations you trust.
- Sit in on product demos.
- Ask for specifics on how the software can address your organization’s pain points.
- Get references from their customers.
- Ask the software provider about their competitors.
- Find out about their support policy.
- Learn how often they update their products and determine how committed they are to incorporating your feature requests and suggestions in future releases.
Scary Thing Five: Not Being Needed
Smart, passionate people are always needed. Increased efficiency doesn’t always translate into lost jobs. It can mean that people are now able to do a higher volume of work. Instead of organizing mountains of spreadsheets, they can focus on finding new funding sources, manage more projects and spend more time building relationships with grantors and partners.
Bonus Scary Thing: Spiders
Even though they have nothing to do with grant management, they are awfully creepy, right?
To learn more about Grant Management Software, take a tour of AmpliFund Full Cycle today.
StreamLink Software and BoardSource are teaming up to present a multi-part blog series entitled a 360 Degree View from the Board.
Introduction
“Some aspects of board service are constant. Each player in the boardroom, whether it’s the board chair, board member, or chief executive, has a role to fulfill and a set of expectations to meet. Other aspects change with the times. Committee structures change, processes are refined, and strategic plans help both board and staff members refocus organizational direction and work toward greater impact. In recent years, the rise of smartphones and other technology have created a culture accustomed to having any and all data within reach at all times. Have these technological developments changed the way that nonprofit boards interact during and between meetings? Are boards doing all they can to use technological tools to maximize efficiency and focus on exceptional governance?”
Danielle M. Henry
Communications Coordinator, BoardSource
Part Five: A View from an Executive Vice President
The following questions were presented to Michael Weamer, Executive Vice President of the American Heart Association.
What role-specific activities do you have to do in order to prepare for a board meeting, and what is the level of time and effort required?
I look at board preparation like producing a Broadway play. Once the meeting kicks off, ideally I say very little and can just watch all the preparation help drive a very successful meeting. I spend most of my time making sure that we have a highly interactive meeting that focuses on “Mission at Heart” and the “Business of the Business.” I also make certain that we have social opportunities planned and the experience around the meeting is as positive as the meeting itself. Key to success is also working with your Chairman to make certain you are on the same page, there are no surprises and you plan for potential difficulties that may occur.
What’s the biggest challenge in your role as it relates to the board?
My biggest challenge is making certain that I have the absolute best volunteer talent that money can’t buy! I am constantly looking for future directors and officers as having a strong succession plan is critical. I am still a fan of a larger board as long as the members are productive so I also probably have more politics in play than smaller boards.
In what area do you see the most need for process improvement?
I guess what I struggle with most is having board members well informed about all aspects of mission. American Heart Association is a very complicated, large organization and we often do not have the time to fully educate our Directors and this becomes evident when we consider mission related opportunities.
How has technology changed the way you conduct board business?
Absolutely, we use board management software and have virtually gone paperless over the past several years. We also have far less need for storage. And we no longer have to create an endless number of spreadsheets to help in decision making and performance monitoring.
About Michael Weamer
Michael serves as Executive Vice President of the American Heart Association - Founders Affiliate (Northeast Region). Michael has dedicated his career to work with nonprofit organizations. Before joining the AHA, he was president of the National Society to Prevent Blindness and an executive director with the National Easter Seal Society.
Michael and his wife Karen live in Connecticut. They have four children (Mollie, Caitlin, Sean and Daniel), a grandson (Max) and a dog (Jackson). Michael holds a BS in Community Development and Broadcasting from Pennsylvania State University.
Read the Other Interviews in the Series:
Part 1 - A View from a Board Chair
Part 2 - A View from a Board Liaison
Part 3 - A View from a Board Member
Part 4 - A View from a Board Professional
StreamLink Software and BoardSource are teaming up to present a multi-part blog series entitled a 360 Degree View from the Board.
Introduction
“Some aspects of board service are constant. Each player in the boardroom, whether it’s the board chair, board member, or chief executive, has a role to fulfill and a set of expectations to meet. Other aspects change with the times. Committee structures change, processes are refined, and strategic plans help both board and staff members refocus organizational direction and work toward greater impact. In recent years, the rise of smartphones and other technology have created a culture accustomed to having any and all data within reach at all times. Have these technological developments changed the way that nonprofit boards interact during and between meetings? Are boards doing all they can to use technological tools to maximize efficiency and focus on exceptional governance?”
Danielle M. Henry
Communications Coordinator, BoardSource
Part Four: A View from a Board Professional
The following questions were presented to board professional, and CEO of Business Volunteers Unlimited (BVU) Brian Broadbent.
What’s the biggest challenge in your role as it relates to the board?
The biggest challenge is maintaining quality board engagement. I participate in large boards and we need to find a niche for everyone so that they feel valued, and so that we maximize their available contribution to the organization. On two of my boards we recently merged so the board is large.
In what area do you see the most need for process improvement?
Process improvement is most needed in the area of HR/Leadership Development and personnel management. We surveyed Executive Directors at United Way agencies and learned this was their number one priority. At BVU many of our consults are focused in this direction.
How has technology evolved during the course of your board-related involvement?
Social media usage has grown steadily. At the City Mission we use it extensively. The same holds true for BVU. In addition, most of the nonprofits I deal with have made website upgrades and database upgrades. All are pretty tech savvy.
Looking ahead to the future, what board management issues would you like to see technology solve?
I think of technology primarily leveraging operations, and the board as being outside of operations. Technology can help facilitate the board’s need for knowledge and feedback, as well as enhance communication. The speed of communication is certainly improved.
About Brian Broadbent
Brian is the CEO of Business Volunteers Unlimited (BVU). He serves on several boards including in the capacity of President of The City Mission board and as Governance Chair for Youth Opportunities Unlimited.
Read the Other Interviews in the Series:
Part 1 - A View from a Board Chair
Part 2 - A View from a Board Liaison
Part 3 - A View from a Board Member
StreamLink Software and BoardSource are teaming up to present a multi-part blog series entitled a 360 Degree View from the Board.
Introduction
“Some aspects of board service are constant. Each player in the boardroom, whether it’s the board chair, board member, or chief executive, has a role to fulfill and a set of expectations to meet. Other aspects change with the times. Committee structures change, processes are refined, and strategic plans help both board and staff members refocus organizational direction and work toward greater impact. In recent years, the rise of smartphones and other technology have created a culture accustomed to having any and all data within reach at all times. Have these technological developments changed the way that nonprofit boards interact during and between meetings? Are boards doing all they can to use technological tools to maximize efficiency and focus on exceptional governance?”
Danielle M. Henry
Communications Coordinator, BoardSource
Part Three: A View from a Board Member
The following questions were presented to Sandra Holmes.
What role-specific activities do you have to do in order to prepare for a board meeting, and what is the level of time and effort required?
I sit on five different boards so my role varies, depending on the organization, but typically, I look at my notes within 24-48 hours post meeting (any longer than that and my memory is toast) and make certain that I add any projects/responsibilities to my “to do” list. I make note of progress prior to the next meeting, be it committee or board and review notes at least couple of days prior to meetings to make sure I take care of business. For example, on one board, I’m the chair of the governance committee which covers staff -board relations, all HR functions, compensation, benefits, board recruitment & training, board satisfaction and any HR policy issues that emerge. I work closely with the CEO and we conference on a weekly basis, usually by phone. I probably spend between 2-4 hours per week on this function.
What’s the biggest challenge in your role as it relates to the board?
My biggest challenge is making the time to do the job in a creative and compelling way that adds value to the organization. Striving to bring the best to the table always demands more time, and that is a scarce resource.
In what area do you see the most need for process improvement?
In virtually every organization in which I’m engaged, data and information is kept in an idiosyncratic way that doesn’t lend itself to good communication. I want the information I need at my fingertips and don’t want to have to create my own “filing system” in order to be able to conduct business.
How has technology changed the way you conduct board business?
Not enough! Of course, 90% of board members are now reachable via email and have “smart phones” but most non-profits (especially the smaller ones) have barely scratched the surface of how technology can improve communication, efficiency and productivity. Many organizations simply don’t have the fiscal resources or the in-house knowledge to add “technology wizard” to their staff while still delivering top-notch services to their clients.
About Sandra Holmes
Sandra Duncan Holmes is a community activist and volunteer who spent her working life in non-profit management. She currently loves the flexibility of retirement which allows time for travel (the more places the better) golf, gardening and most of all, enjoying her active life as the wife of a still hard-working, saintly husband, the mother of two wonderful women, mother-in-love to two great sons-in-law, and four amazing grandsons aged 2,4,6 & 8.
Read the Other Interviews in the Series:
Part 1 - A View from a Board Chair
Part 2 - A View from a Board Liaison
StreamLink Software and BoardSource are teaming up to present a multi-part blog series entitled a 360 Degree View from the Board.
Introduction
“Some aspects of board service are constant. Each player in the boardroom, whether it’s the board chair, board member, or chief executive, has a role to fulfill and a set of expectations to meet. Other aspects change with the times. Committee structures change, processes are refined, and strategic plans help both board and staff members refocus organizational direction and work toward greater impact. In recent years, the rise of smartphones and other technology have created a culture accustomed to having any and all data within reach at all times. Have these technological developments changed the way that nonprofit boards interact during and between meetings? Are boards doing all they can to use technological tools to maximize efficiency and focus on exceptional governance?”
Danielle M. Henry
Communications Coordinator, BoardSource
Part Two: A View from a Board Liaison
The following questions were presented to Katie Richlick, Development Coordinator at Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center.
What do you think board members expect from you?
I believe the board members expect me to be in the loop regarding the upcoming meeting. They like to know when it is, where it being held at, specific instructions for the meeting and the content of the agenda. They also expect me to provide training on any software we may use and to extract information from our database, when it is needed.
What do you expect from the board members?
Our board members are incredibly involved individuals and a great asset to our organization. All that I would really expect out of them is a clear instruction when they need something from me. I am always happy to help them as long as I know what they need from me.
What role-specific activities do you have to do in order to prepare for a board meeting, and what is the level of time and effort required?
My role as development coordinator involves several different activities in preparation for the board meeting. I prepare the agenda based on feedback from the directors, attach relevant documents and monitor attendance. There are also certain day of responsibilities including room set up, food/beverage preparation and note taking during the meeting. Most of the effort involved in this process involves working with a team to get the job accomplished. I spent approximately 2 hours preparing for each board meeting.
What’s the biggest challenge in your role as it relates to the board?
A lot of my work with the board is indirect in nature but some of the challenges I see presented are gaps of knowledge when it comes to utilizing technology. Some of the board fully embrace the technology products that we use. They understand how it can streamline the process, reduce expenses and allow it can allow for easier collaboration. Others are used to a more traditional method and would prefer materials be distributed/questions answered in different way.
How has technology changed the way you complete board-related tasks?
I have only been in this role for a short time but we are utilizing technology more and more for board-related tasks. It has made the process streamlined and information more readily available. It also allows for an environment of sharing. We are able to post materials that might be of interest to our board members and they can choose to access these or not. There are so many other ways we could utilize technology but we have only just begun to dig into the realm of possibility.
About Katie Richlick
Katie serves as Development Coordinator at Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center. Previously, she served as an Income Development Representative for the American Cancer Society focusing on Relay for Life and Coaches vs. Cancer. Ms. Richlick graduated in 2006 from Grand Valley State University and began her two consecutive years of AmeriCorps. During her time as an AmeriCorps member, she was working on completing her graduate degree in Non-profit Administration from North Park University which she received in 2008. Her volunteer experiences have included serving on Grand Valley State University’s Young Alumni Council and acting as state lead for AmeriCorps Alums. Katie has recently relocated to Northeast Ohio and has spent the last few months getting to know Cleveland.
Cleveland, OH 44115