Another in a series of articles related to association management selected from our reading list by:
Robert O. Patterson, JD
CEO/ Principal
The Center for Association Resources, Inc.
Fund Raising
Ethics in non-profit associations
Another in a series of articles related to association management selected from our reading list by:
Robert O. Patterson, JD
CEO/ Principal
The Center for Association Resources, Inc.
When examining the field of nonprofit work, which focuses on providing a wholesome contribution to the community, it becomes clear that the ethics of such associations must be pure and unquestionable. This is essential for several reasons: most importantly, the integrity of a nonprofit organization must be intact for it to have any stature in society. Furthermore, the efficiency of such organizations is compromised by any foul play or mismanagement, and in organizations where every penny is supposed to be used to further a particular cause, efficiency is key.
Well-preserved ethics and codes of conduct amongst nonprofit organizations are essential for another reason: an organization cannot run efficiently unless all of its transactions are transparent and above board. Should a breach of ethics occur such as the siphoning of an organization’s funds into an administrator’s personal account, the money lost would be a much greater blow to a not for profit than to a multimillion dollar commercial corporation. Indeed, the majority of nonprofit organizations operate at the bottom line, as they typically rely on charitable donations, not the most opulent of sources, to garner funds. Furthermore, when helping the thousands or millions in suffering, a dollar must be stretched as far as possible, and even then it will fall short. If ethics are breach regarding the handling of an association’s funds, it will drastically decrease the necessary efficiency of the organization.
There are a multitude of reasons as to why ethics in nonprofit associations are essential. Any lack of ethics destroys an organization’s reputation and good standing, and cuts into its efficiency. For these reasons, it is clear that to run a nonprofit organization well, upholding ethics must be a key component of the organization’s mission statement.
Leadership training and development for non-profits
Another in a series of articles related to association management selected from our reading list by:
Robert O. Patterson, JD
CEO/ Principal
The Center for Association Resources, Inc.
The most important staff role of a non-profit organization is its executive director. While the primary job of the executive director is to manage the day-to-day functions and the staff (including developing the staff), he or she also needs to work closely with the board of directors on a variety of initiatives such as strategic planning, fundraising, and participate in board involved committees. Whether the organization size is small, with a budget of less than one hundred thousand dollars; or large, with a budget of over five million dollars, the executive director must have excellent business and people skills and teamwork to work along with staff personnel and the board as well as interface with the organization’s constituents and supporters. To develop the breadth and depth of skills required for this non-profit leadership role, many nonprofit services offer classes and coaching.
A key position on the board is the president. The board president leads the rest of the board members by being clear about the board’s role, sets examples of behavior for fellow members to follow, maintains a business focus and develops the board into a cohesive and productive body. If an area of board development is to bring on training, there are many workshops and programs that would help the board and its president to be more effective leaders.
Co-Locating a Meeting with another NPO
Another in a series of articles related to association management selected from our reading list by:
Robert O. Patterson, JD
CEO/ Principal
The Center for Association Resources, Inc.
As a non-profit organization, the nature of your work makes it quite a process to find funding for your start-up (as well as your continued operation). Part of your initial goals should be to develop a plan that raises funds in the short- and long-term. There are many ways to do this, from going door-to-door and distributing literature to setting up phone banks and calling around, to name a couple. But the focus of this article is on one resource that many people overlook – other NPOs.
But what do you really stand to gain from meeting with other NPOs? Can they really give you anything that you wouldn’t be able to secure on your own? After all, competition exists in every facet of corporate and public enterprises in America, and in that respect NPOs aren’t much different. You might be trying to book the same groups of people as donors or even fighting over the same government grants, but like all other marketplaces, NPOs are better off when they work together. It’s already a difficult marketplace to survive in, as NPOs face several dilemmas unique to their distinctive manner of practicing business, particularly as it relates to creating capital. If you can learn what other NPOs are doing, you can either follow suit and make your time in the business world that much easier, or you can gauge where and how other NPOs are creating their capital so you know what resources are and are not available to you. Any way you look at it, you’re going to want (and likely need) other people on your side. It’s difficult to survive as a pure non-profit organization, and you’ll be lucky if you can find someone to help you out.
Hotel contract negotiation
Another in a series of articles related to association management selected from our reading list by:
Robert O. Patterson, JD
CEO/ Principal
The Center for Association Resources, Inc.
If you want to host a dinner at a hotel, you have to have a solid estimation of your visitors. The important thing to remember here is that your attendees to your fundraiser are there to be entertained. It is their checkbooks that are opening up for the sake of your organization. They have to feel pampered. Make sure you organize a few solid negotiating points for the hotel, like live music, vegetarian options for food and a cash bar. I say cash bar because that will offer the hotel a chance to recoup some of the losses that they would face should they offer a large conference room for your organization. Not only that, it is critical to use their name on your flyers, website and possibly offer them some future cross-marketing potential. This way, the hotel recognizes that you are offering a service to your visitors (a live band), considering their needs as well as your own (vegetarian options) and the hotel is offered something as well. The cross-marketing is an excellent point of negotiation because the duration of their involvement lasts beyond a single event. Your organization recognizes them in terms of a strategic partner which may help you in the future.