For Executive Directors Archives - Page 2 of 14 - Spokes

Complementary Strengths

September 9, 2024 by Michael Simkins

In his blog Applied Wisdom for the Nonprofit Sector, Jim Morgan emphasizes the importance of complementary strengths when you are looking for a collaborative partner organization. As general examples, he cites implementation skills, innovative program design, connections to diverse communities, or strong donor relationships.

That makes sense to me, but I wanted some examples. I’ve been using chatGPT quite a bit lately, but today I decided to try out Microsoft’s Copilot. When I asked for examples, it actually started by elaborating on Morgan’s blog post! I followed up by asking it to provide a couple specific examples of actual nonprofit collaborations. It did a great job!

Feeding America and Boys & Girls Clubs of America:

Feeding America is a nationwide network of food banks that provides food to millions of people. Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) offers after-school programs for young people. By collaborating, Feeding America supplies nutritious meals and snacks to children attending BGCA programs. This partnership ensures that children not only receive educational and recreational support but also have access to healthy food, addressing both educational and nutritional needs.

Habitat for Humanity and Thrivent Financial:

Habitat for Humanity is known for building affordable housing for families in need. Thrivent Financial is a financial services organization with a strong volunteer base and financial resources. Through their collaboration, Thrivent provides funding and volunteers to support Habitat for Humanity’s home-building projects. This partnership combines Habitat’s expertise in construction and community development with Thrivent’s financial support and volunteer mobilization, resulting in more homes being built for those in need.

Read Morgan’s blog post here.

The “E” in DEI

June 30, 2024 by Michael Simkins

Many of our local nonprofits have put considerable effort into diversifying their boards of directors. That’s good work toward the “D” in DEI—diversity, equity, and inclusion. Today, let’s give some attention to the concept of equity.

First, let’s differentiate equity from equality. Equity refers to fair treatment, access, opportunity, and advancement for all individuals. Unlike equality, which implies treating everyone the same, equity recognizes that different people have different circumstances and allocates resources and opportunities accordingly. College scholarships based on need are one classic example of equity. The Americans with Disabilities Act is another.

There are numerous visual depictions to contrast the two concepts. I like this one, from Sketchplantations, used by permission.

Removing Barriers

One powerful way for nonprofit leaders to promote equity is to identify and remove barriers. Attorney Heidi Christianson suggests two places to start. One is barrier language. She recommends eliminating “language that feels like ‘legalese’ and processes that are unnecessary. For example, “If Bylaws and policies are to represent an organization’s collective expectations, they need to be welcoming to all people.” In fact, composing such documents in clear, straightforward language may make it easier for everyone to understand and comply with them!

The second is barriers to service. For instance, Christianson encourages us to “think about meeting times, prohibition on board compensation, and length of board terms.” Look at your list of board expectations or your board member job description. Though not intending to, do they automatically put hurdles in the path of board service for some people but not others?

Here are additional resources for advancing equity in the nonprofit board room:

Microaggression

June 18, 2024 by Michael Simkins

The Spokes workshop, “Creating and Retaining an Inclusive Board Environment,” addressed two key concepts. One of them, unconscious bias, is the subject of a separate post. In this post, we’ll talk about “microaggression.” It’s something we all can be and probably are guilty of from time to time unintentionally and without realizing it.

The term “microaggression” refers to subtle, often unintentional, actions or comments that convey prejudiced or derogatory messages to individuals based on their membership in a marginalized group. These small, everyday instances of discrimination or bias can be verbal, behavioral, or environmental. Don’t be fooled by the prefix “micro.” Although microaggressions may seem minor, especially to the perpetrator, their cumulative impact can be significant and harmful. And even a single instance can sour a relationship or make a new member of your board feel uncomfortable.

Verbal microaggressions are one example:

Scenario: A manager tells a new Asian American employee, “Your English is so good!”
Why it’s a microaggression: The repeated interruptions suggest that her contributions are less valuable, reinforcing gender-based power dynamics and disrespect.

Behavioral microaggressions are another example:

Scenario: A woman is repeatedly interrupted by her male colleagues during a meeting.
Why it’s a microaggression: The repeated interruptions suggest that her contributions are less valuable, reinforcing gender-based power dynamics and disrespect.

Here are some resources for learning more about microaggressions, and how to deal with them when they happen.

Unconscious Bias

June 2, 2024 by Michael Simkins

What is unconscious bias, and what can I do about it?

Unconscious bias refers to the automatic, unintentional, and often subtle prejudices and stereotypes that influence our attitudes, actions, and decisions without our conscious awareness. These biases stem from our brain’s natural tendency to categorize and make quick judgments based on past experiences, cultural norms, and societal influences. While unconscious biases are a normal part of human cognition, they can lead to discriminatory behavior and perpetuate inequalities in various areas of life, including the work of our nonprofit staff and boards of directors.

What can I do?

Identifying unconscious biases is a crucial step towards fostering a more inclusive and equitable environment. One effective method is through implicit association tests (IATs), which measure the strength of associations between concepts (e.g., race, gender) and evaluations (e.g., good, bad) or stereotypes (e.g., athletic, intellectual). These tests can reveal hidden biases that might not be evident through self-reflection alone. One resource for such tests is Project Implicit.

Another useful strategy is to seek feedback from diverse groups. Engaging in open, honest conversations with individuals from different backgrounds can provide insights into how your behavior and decisions might be influenced by unconscious biases. Additionally, mindfulness practices, such as self-reflection and journaling, can help increase awareness of your thought patterns and challenge implicit assumptions. By recognizing and addressing unconscious biases, nonprofit leaders and board members can contribute to creating more fair and inclusive communities.

Can you fire a volunteer?

August 26, 2023 by Michael Simkins

In a recent Spokes roundtable, the topic of the “dysfunctional volunteer” came up. Most volunteers are valuable assets for or organizations. We couldn’t do what we do without them. But occasionally, we experience a volunteer who is not contributing, or worse, creating a drain on the organization.

There are various forms of dysfunction. A volunteer may promise but not deliver. He may not have the knowledge or skills to be of help. She may distract staff or other volunteers from what they need to be doing.

As with hiring employees, the best approach to recruiting volunteers is to have a sound system for vetting them, learning about their talents and interests, and matching those to the tasks your organization needs accomplished. Sometimes, though, things just don’t work out. For the benefit of both the organization and the volunteer, it may be time to part company.

The following two resources provide sound advice on how to let a volunteer go in the most respectful and productive manner.