|
 A recent experience made me think about how different generations
understand consultants. Thanks to Professor Michael
Davidson at the Milano Graduate School of Management
and Urban Policy at The New School University, I had
the chance to address a group of future nonprofit
leaders in a classroom setting.
In meeting with the students, I realized that the
current generation of nonprofit leaders is the first
to truly familiarize itself with the function and
role of external consultants. Because nonprofit consulting
is relatively new, many people in my generation are
still uncertain about how and when they should seek
outside help. Thus, many nonprofit executives are
slow to use consultants to enhance their operations.
The next generation has little such hesitancy. The
nonprofit world is professionalizing at a rapid pace.
Young leaders entering the field have often benefited
from a transfer of skills that was non-existent twenty
years ago. Moreover, they are applying lessons from
the business world to create stronger nonprofits.
A savvy understanding of the consulting field is one
strength they bring. The students I spoke with asked
sophisticated questions about nonprofit consulting,
and quickly honed in on four key points:
-- Consulting must first be about listening deeply
to what the client is asking for. A good consultant
works carefully with the client not only to identify
areas of need, but also to find places where the organization
is ready to receive help. Each side must be ready
to build a relationship.
-- Consultants should produce results. This means
a concrete outcome, not just a report.
-- The goal of engaging a consultant is not to solve
all your problems. You should be skeptical of anyone
who tries that! The goal is to move your organization
to a better set of problems than you had before.
-- The fact that a consultant is coming in from the
outside is usually an advantage, allowing you to gain
a new perspective on your dilemmas. Because the consultant
is not burdened with the pressures and stress of managing
everyday operations, he or she can often provide fresh
insights into problems faced by your organization.
To further aid in transferring skills to the next
generation, LAPA is preparing to publish a review
in 2005 of the lessons we have learned in our ten
years of working with emerging nonprofits. In the
meantime, I invite you to read about LAPA's Pyramid
of Giving and about our ideas for keeping your board
on message--items featured in this edition of LAPA
News & Views.
Laurence A. Pagnoni, MA, MPA
lpagnoni@lp-associates.com
P.S. Please forward this newsletter to others whom
you feel it would benefit. If you would like to be
removed from our list, follow the instructions at
the end of the page. Thank you and enjoy!
| 2005
is LAPA's Tenth Anniversary--It remains our
privilege to help you make a positive difference
in your communities! |
by Mark Engler, LAPA Development Associate
Development takes time--that's why it is called "development."
It requires a process of steps that build on one another.
For example, a strong annual giving program usually
must be in place before an organization can launch
higher-level planned giving and capital campaigns.
To show the step-by-step sequence of fundraising,
LAPA designed the Pyramid of Giving (available at
http://www.lp-associates.com/overviewdev.php).
Recently, the Association of Professional Researchers
for Development (APRA) used LAPA's pyramid for a symposium.
We appreciate the recognition, but more than that,
we are interested in sharing this understanding of
development work.
At the base of the pyramid is annual giving, which
comes as a result of direct mail, special events,
and other appeals. To reach higher levels of contribution
and to foster repeat giving, donors must be "cultivated"
through personal contact that increases their interest
in and connection to your mission. Many organizations
are not willing to invest in building this level of
personal interaction with their donors because they
think it is too time-consuming or because they do
not know which individuals to target. They rely instead
on routine direct mail and foundation grants. This
approach may prevent them from building a sustainable
fundraising base in the long run.
We hope to use the Pyramid of Giving to start a conversation
with you about your long-term development goals. Please
contact Laurence at 212/868-4800 (ext. 1) to explore
how LAPA can help you build a solid foundation for
future giving.
Q. Dear LAPA,
My board of directors is doing a great job approaching
friends and colleagues for donations. The problem
is that they are all telling a slightly different
version of our history and mission. I would like everyone
to convey the same message. What should I do?
- Nancy S.
A. LAPA Associate Raissa Smorol responds:
Dear Nancy,
It is great to hear that you are thinking about a
unified message for your organization. For many emerging
nonprofits that do not yet have a budget for marketing,
word of mouth is the most powerful tool available
to attract public attention and donations.
The first step in building strong organizational communications
is to review your mission, vision, and values statements.
These form the backbone of any message you wish to
convey. LAPA often works with clients to write statements
that capture the true purpose and culture of their
organizations.
If you are confident in your statements, we suggest
that you review them with your board. One idea is
to distribute and read aloud the statements at the
start of your next board meeting. This should help
refocus the directors on your mission and get the
group message back on track. Another idea is to write
a script of questions and answers for board members
to use as talking points when they approach potential
donors. This should include answers to frequently
asked questions about your organization and should
highlight the information you most want to convey.
Good luck!
Raissa
DO YOU HAVE QUESTIONS FOR LAPA? Please e-mail your
queries to lpagnoni@lp-associates.com with the subject
"Ask LAPA." Our team will answer as many of
your questions as possible in future newsletters.
LIKE WHAT YOU SEE? Forward this newsletter to friends
and colleagues to keep them on top of nonprofit management
issues.
An archive of e-mail notices, with past tips and resources
that you might have missed, is available at http://www.lp-associates.com/e-newsletter.php.
If you received this from a friend, and would like
to subscribe, you may do so by using this same link.
Not interested? To unsubscribe, send an email to info@lp-associates.com
with the subject line "remove from enews."
In the body of the email, be sure to include the email
address that you want to unsubscribe.
|
