Next Gen Nonprofit Leadership: Embracing Risk - Jonathan McCoy, CFRE and Becky Endicott, CFRE

2:24AM Dec 3, 2021

Speakers:

Julie Confer

Becky Endicott

Jonathan McCoy

Keywords:

people

organization

community

nonprofit

talking

vision

create

mission

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conversation

bold

world

pandemic

leaders

challenges

supporters

podcast

big

leadership

risk

Hey, I'm John. And I'm Becky.

And this is the we are for good podcast.

Nonprofits are faced with more challenges to accomplish their missions and the growing pressure to do more work, raise more and be more for the causes that improve our world.

We're here to learn with you from some of the best in the industry, bringing the most innovative ideas, inspirational stories, all to create an impact uprising.

So welcome to the good community. We're nonprofit professionals, philanthropist, world changers and rabid fans who are striving to bring a little more goodness into the world.

So let's get started. Becky, Becky, what's up

Happy Friday. Congratulations, everyone. You made it through giving Tuesday, Tuesday's

over out of you downhill slope to the end of the year, you got this? Yeah. So you know, we're just squeezing in one last series that we feel really passionate about lifting because let's face it, this was another kind of crazy year, right? Since 2020, everything is just changing so fast. It feels like everyone's trying to figure out what they're doing at the same time. They're reconsidering every aspect of their life and our how our missions are showing up. And so we know one of the most critical aspects to being really present. And walking through this time, bravely, his leadership. And there's a time that we all need to step into being the leaders that our organizations, our families, our communities need. And so we just want to talk about it and jam about it. And

it's like we've it's kind of serendipitous, that it's at the end of the year, we're doing a lot of that self reflection that everyone does at the end of the year. And we realize we have talked to so many incredible leaders, by virtue of this podcast in our community and Pro. And we've just seen some trends, we've seen some things that are starting to just sort of emerge. And we just thought it would be prudent to say, hey, community, these are things and opportunities that we need to be seizing, because those who are, are just absolutely scaling and rising in this moment. And we think it's so simple and easy and doable. But it's going to take some bold mindsets to move into it. And so in this series of next generation, nonprofit leadership, we're starting today with our first topic, which is embracing risk.

And we love this topic of risk. I mean, those are the episodes and the conversations we have, they're like, Man, this is really relevant to now you know, the leaders that are bold enough to see this change this idea that may be categorically different than what other people are doing, but just meets the moment. And so let's create a little bit of tone setting for these conversations. I mean, we're gonna throw a lot of examples that you have people that are doing this organizations that are embracing leadership in this way. But here's some baseline because we're not going to take the weeks to go through some of this baseline stuff that we think just needs to be really clear, and it's gonna be threaded in. But that's number one is getting really clear on your vision and values. I mean, that has to be baseline to everything that you're doing, how are you talking about that and threading it through, but also getting really clear on what happened. And when we're talking about what happened, it's what's happened in the last couple years, we're finding a lot of stuff that's pre pandemic, really feel the start is starting to feel irrelevant to how we're showing up today. The way that our organizations have leaned into our communities is a lot different. And just the way the world works, and how we show up to work even physically showing up or not showing up to work is different. So getting clear on what happened and how you can talk about that, and getting clear on how we're moving forward. So that's again, casting vision and understanding that that's a really core part of leadership evolve, professionals don't let challenges get in the way of achieving their goals. They let it inspire them to think critically. So today, we're talking about risk taking, we're talking about big bold thinking, that allows us to break out of just the way it's always been done. And so you know, we're gonna have fun jammin out on this today.

Okay, so we're gonna dive into the first one. But John, you said something, you know, months ago, we were talking about the power of big thinking and episode 77. And I really liked something that you said, because it kind of crystallized everything that you are talking about now in your tone setting. And it's really saying that we've got to take a step back, and realize that our missions are requiring us to take big bold risks right now. I mean, we're taking on the world's biggest problems, and we have to get comfortable with failure. And we have to be standing firmly on our values in those failures. And we got to lean into dreams. And for us, it means gathering people bringing them along with your dreams. I love what you said about analyzing what has the pandemic done to your organization? Have you even taken a step back and looked at your data? Have you looked at the cultural aspects of what it's done to you? What is it done to your strategic plan? What is it done to just the most basic parts of your fundraising? That is a story that needs to be told. And it's a story that will inform where you're going with this vision, and we're going to have more on that in the new year. But we want to get into tactics and so we want to start with our first tip. And the first tip is, now is the time to be bold. I think we have pretty much said the word bold at two times already on this podcast but it's really about I just don't think it's a nature for you know, it's not second nature to people in nonprofit to step out to be bold, to be aspirational to try new things. And we're saying that the people that we're seeing that are doing this are thriving, their organizations in their cultures are thriving, their fundraising is thriving, their programs are expanding, and their global community is getting larger. So there is a lot of ways that you can achieve your goals in the boldness of this. diversifying your revenue is an incredible way of doing that. We've seen so many organizations who hung their laurels on grants and events, and they just felt crippled during this time. And we're seeing so many organizations that are getting out and doing really unique engagement strategies for fundraising, whether it's text to give or whether you're creating campaigns online or through email, you have to find a way to diversify that revenue and meeting people where they are.

Okay, so I have to jump in there. Because if we're talking about diversifying revenue, let's just think, you know, we challenge you to think like a business a lot, what's happened on the corporate side of things, you know, everybody is moving into like subscription model to try to create more sustainable revenue. So that's what monthly giving is, that's this promise of monthly giving a recurring giving. So of course, we should all be leaned into creating those type of programs. And there's so much upside to that. But you know, a few years ago, people maybe could have discounted that it's just small gifts, but the idea of galvanizing people and what that does this regularity, and being part of people's budgets, it's like, That's one small idea that could completely change the trajectory and the stability of your organization.

And I think back to just this conversation we had with Manuela Testa Laney whose motto was little by little a little becomes a lot. And that is the kind of mentality that you have to have on something like monthly giving, where it's going to be compounded in the collective giving can really be transformational.

So I think too, you know, we also have to create these opportunities for risk capital. This came up early in our first or second season, when we talk to Dr. Angela Jackson, with new prophet she is in the venture philanthropy space. But as you as you think about what a venture capitalist would do, that the right word,

yeah, venture capitalist.

When you really think about getting people as investors, and I think that's a really smart way to think about, especially your major donors, people don't want to make big investments and just keeping the lights on it an organization, they want to invest in bold moves that can really substantially move the needle. And so by thinking and dreaming in a bolder way, you're creating the opportunity to attract that type of funder to your organization. So you have to be doing this.

I love the thinking bold piece. And the last thing on thinking bold is, it's time to try some stuff. So we want to call out to nonprofits who have just resisted building online community, now is the time to get started, your options are so much wider than they've ever been before. And as you grow that supporter base, you're going to see so many ripples to that effect. It's not just going to be dollars. Again, we're building believers, we're not here to build donors, we're building believers who believe in this mission. And think in there's so many outputs from that, yes, financial will certainly be an output, but volunteerism, engagement, networking, bringing you into their life, I love that you talked about their budget, you become a part of their story that they're proud to perpetuate, that this is the time to try stuff and global communities where it's at.

Okay, so we've talked about being bold. The second one we really want to dive into today is honing your vision. Are you asking yourself regularly? Is our vision big enough for what our cause deserves? You know, we had a really challenging episode with Dan PELADA, episode one. Yeah, I mean, when you get a vision that is locked in like that, it activates everybody. And he No he challenged if your board seems disinterested, is your vision? Is your mission big enough to really excite people because of what you're doing. And so how are you talking about it? How are you, you know, sharing that with your community and with the supporters? That's a really incredible place for leadership to start. We went really into the deep, not the brass. We weren't really into the brass tacks of this with Bill, Little John, who is with Sharp HealthCare. You know, he has built $100 million plus comprehensive campaign. And so if you really want to think about how does your vision translate into an actual fundraising effort that could span multiple years with lots of complex projects, that episode with Bill is a great place to start because it's really putting into practice this big idea of dreaming big, but then turning it into something that people can get involved in.

And I think part of the secret sauce of that is going to be are you in your team clearly communicating your vision with others, and I think that applies internally and externally. Because the clearer your vision the greater your magnetism and honestly your repellent to to your greatest supporters. Bring them along. They want to know what your dream is. Are there is a reason they're sticking around and giving you, you know, donation after donation serving on your board, they want to be a part of something much bigger and at the end of the day, they just really want to see you thrive. Taking a quick pause from today's episode to thank our sponsor, who happens to be one of our favorite companies to neon one, neon one provides software solutions to growing nonprofits. But they really do so much more than that. They're also incredibly passionate about creating community in the social goods sector. We believe in the power of community. We've seen the greatest philanthropic movements happen when people work together to achieve common goals. Neon one can help you do just that. They created hearing giving connections a community that brings fundraisers together and empowers them to learn from each other's experiences. With weekly checklist and an active Slack community. There's no better way to prepare for your year in success. Want to be a more connected fundraiser, join their community today at NEON one.com backslash we are for good, or follow the link in our show notes.

You hear us talk often that the greatest scarcity is capturing people's attention in today's digital age. So how are you creating and sharing content for your organization, it stops people in their scroll and drives engagement with your mission. Enter cosmic a design agency we trust to nail your impact story, build brand awareness and inspire action. There's so much more than just a creative agency. They're your thought partner and guide through this digital age. And cosmics deep expertise in the social impact space helps nonprofits and social enterprises grow their digital fundraising and launch advocacy platforms and mobilize supporters to join you. We love them because they use their expertise and creativity to reimagine more just an equitable world. And it just happened to be super kind people too. So might cosmic might be a fit for your organization. Learn more today at design by cosmic.com. or follow the link in our show notes. Okay, we've honed our vision that was number two. Number three, is really stepping fully into thinking like an entrepreneur. And we talk about this a lot, we actually did a series on entrepreneurial mindsets that can really take you to the next level. But here's why we think this is so important. We talked to really progressive foundations like stand together Foundation. And you know, they are a curator, they kind of Canvas, the US who is doing impact really well. Not vanity metric, but impact that's moving the needle for whatever, you know, cause that they're trying to do, and how can we replicate what they're doing? By nature of thinking like an entrepreneur, you're always thinking about? How can we scale? How can we create Win Win partnerships? How can we take what we're doing and make it scalable. And by doing that, as a leader like that is getting you ready for really putting gasoline on what's working in your organization. And so go back and listen to Evan Feinberg, the conversation we had with him, which was episode 167, because they just do such a great job of blending nonprofits with entrepreneurial ideals and how that that could really change the world in a faster way by working together. So really powerful conversation there. And I

like how they just they look at life and their mission so much bigger, because if you're looking at your mission in your organization, through the lens of what value you're creating, like what value you could offer the world, other people businesses, it's bigger than your mission. And when you think that way, you show up differently. And somebody we love that really does. This is the Trevor Project, we had Munir Pudge Swanee on Episode 176, he just had a really powerful quote when he was on the podcast, and he said, come from a place of empowerment, like know how much you have to offer in today's world as an organization, because you're literally creating impact. And so we can say, come join us, share this impact with us share and help us write this story. There is so much power in that narrative, it is completely throwing out your old script of how you used to look at corporate partnerships. And it's about how do we come to the table and know that we bring something of value that a corporation is going to want, it's not just a court on blue dinner at our gala or value is not just they're listening to our program. It's really in how we're going to change the world. And we need these corporate partners to come along and be a part of it.

So true. And it's like this is not the time to just really rest on the laurels of past success. But always be looking for ways to innovate and to be entrepreneurial in your thought, just everywhere that you can throughout your organization. Okay, so number four. This is you're kind of taking notes, we're moving into some more tactical things here. You really want to get strong in your communication. Creating airtight communication both internally and externally. allows you to share really boldly and really honestly, when you don't know something, you're allows you to check in with your people and see how news is landing and how they're feeling. We're gonna step really into this, because we're carving out a Friday, just talking about leadership, with an empathy, you know, with having empathy at the core of your leadership, because we think it's so important now. But for today, we just want to talk about the the really important part of just being a good communicator, and what that can do in your organization. So we just recorded a workshop that's going to go live in pro really soon with Dulari. Gandhi. And you know, she is a really strategic communicator, and the way that she challenges us to use data to connect to heads and hearts. And I think in today's world, I mean, if we're thinking about all the audiences we need to connect with, we have to be plugged in and sharing really meaningful data to show that we move the needle in a value oriented way with what we're trying to accomplish. But complementing that, with the humanity of it, you know, the storytelling that we really geek out on on this podcast of, really, that gets to the heart of why somebody would want to give, but that the thing that we really have seen is, that doesn't just benefit your external constituencies. It benefits everybody, it benefits and keeps your staff motivated, it keeps your board engaged. And so by able to really storyteller and communicate well, it really is game changer.

Okay, number five is inspired and empowered. People need to be working in partnership, they need to know that you have their back, your staff needs to know what needs to be done. And they need to be empowered to do it. Even across all of these silos. We see this a lot in nonprofit where things have to go up the chain to get approval, and everyone has to kind of speak into it. And really, that stalls, our progress and our success. So empowered people need to be trusted to go into do they need your support, they need your security, and they need your compassion behind it. So I think one of the guests that we had, who illustrated this beautifully was Mark Lanham, and he's one of the donor relations professionals over at Brown University. And he says, if we can't get our internal relationships, right, we are going to have problems with our external relationships. Mark Lanham, you're so smart.

So okay, let's move into number six. This is all about recruiting allies and champions. So the thread of this conversation is we're really encouraging you to take risk, which comes with being bold. And what you need is you need people around that idea. And you're not going to get them if you don't start socializing it, you know, so we see a lot of leaders that may have a big bold vision, but some of them are even scared to socialize that big plan, the Evolve leaders of today are sharing that because they know that as they share it, people are going to gravitate to it the ones that want to go on the journey with you, I think I should say that caveat, you're gonna attract the people that are bought into that vision. And those are the people that can really be allies for you and open doors. So our challenge for you is really think about what community could you leverage? What spaces are you in, that could be local communities, it could be global communities, it can be online communities, where are you showing up. And if you don't feel like you have a community around your mission, this is a great time to open up your own table start showing up. And I think, you know, I hope that you don't feel behind in this conversation, but more inspired to start taking action, if this feels really far from where you're at, create a table where you just start talking, and you start garnering community in support. And there's so many free ways to do that online alone. But of course, it's just simple in a community to just gathering people gathering like minded ideas. And that's how you can really have these great allies and champions. And I

just think about if you do that, when is a time that a friend or a colleague has come to you and share their dreams with you. And I just think that is not a defensive position. That's not an intimidating conversation. That's a dreamy conversation and to ask someone to come along and be a part of something so large and wide. And you're talking to people who are already invested so heavily in your mission, they want you to succeed, they're already in the fray. So we're just saying use them, lift them up, find them gathering them, and I think you're gonna feel more emboldened if you do that, as well. So our very last one is number seven, it is commit to learning and growing. Everybody's hashtag, not surprised at all. But that is the last one. But you know, the world is so different. Now. You know, we talk about this all the time. And we have got to level up what we know, and how we can improve what we know how do we just keep learning and evolving because even digital alone and what we've seen with the movements online, and I'm not just talking about fundraising, but I'm talking again about how people gather, how they share thought leadership, how they talk about things that are really important to them. We need to be in those conversations. We have something to give again. We have expertise in our sector, we have solutions. We're bringing to bear the solutions for all of these problems. So find Seeing a way to learn and grow and level yourself up is so important right now find a webinar, find come in and buy, of course, we're going to tell you to buy Pro, because we think it's one of those evolved spaces. We created it for you for this exact moment. But get trained up and find progressive thought leaders that are talking about the now because anything that happened pre pandemic, again, to your point, John may be a little bit irrelevant at this point.

And I think too, if you show up to that with humility, because we see this in pro, we host live coaching events, which I think is kind of a unique space. But we wanted to create a safe home where you could come and show up and just bring a problem and talk about it. And it's like, as we show up authentically, that, you know, we don't have it all figured out. But we have this commitment to learning and growth that is going to give you so much to lean into because you know, it's okay to admit that you don't have it all figured out. But you can surround yourself with people that can encourage you can weigh in and give insight because we've found in the pandemic more than ever, it's like people want to work together and collaborate and share what's working and what's not. And it's no surprise that our value is community is everything. And that's what this is, is you can you can show up authentically with people that are trying to push you to become your best self for your organization to realize its full potential. Like that's the secret sauce. And you know, we heard this really early on in the podcast from one of we think one of the you know, most brilliant minds in nonprofit world, Diana Hartley, she is taught Diana's generation of people that went through the Oakland University of Oklahoma's nonprofit management program. But she came in and she were like, Diana, what do you want to talk about? Because we're new as a podcast. And it blew her mind that she's like, I really want to talk about risk. You know, how fascinating that somebody could could have literally rift with us for an hour about anything nonprofit. She's like, I think we need to talk about how do we quiet the fear and embrace risk. That's what she saw this gap. And so one of her quotes that stuck out to us is that we can always get better at everything we do, be dedicated to learning and improving and taking chances that help us do better at our work

that Diana Hartley, I'm telling you, we have an alumna in our midst of

Diane, we do and now she's retired. So living her best life

best doing great work. So we kind of want to transition and close out this conversation by sharing a case study that we thought was really fascinating about an organization called British exploring society. It's a London based Youth Development charity that was founded on the belief that challenging experiences can transform, transform lives and empower young people. And so their CEO was a woman named honor Wilson Fletcher, the most amazing name ever. And she was talking about, you know, you have to learn new skills, you can't keep doing things the way that they've always been done. You have to embrace that risk, and take these great leaps of faith. And she gives a sort of little case study and I wanted to read her quotes to everybody. She said their organization had to act quickly during the pandemic, and they decided they weren't going to be one of these organizations that just kind of sat there and tried to wait this out. They ended up canceling projects, they undertook work they had never done before, their team started to learn new skills rapidly. And they were asking for help from so many people within their network with absolutely no guarantee of success guarantee for success. So their supporters, all of a sudden got really excited by their driving innovation. And they really enthusiastically started to endorse this new plan. So now, her small team has all these new capabilities and confidence, they have a greater understanding of how to tackle challenges. And the icing on the cake. Her board is more confident about endorsing innovation in their capacity to deal with crisis. She said it's been business as unusual. And I love that so much. And so here's her kind of final quote here. Communicating well anonymously has been a priority for us in 2020. If we changed our plans and left key people behind, we risk fragmenting our wide community of stakeholders, which is where much of our value is invested, we needed to bring everyone with us during this bumpy ride. putting together an internal communications plan may seem an obvious step to many leaders. But we're a small team with no dedicated communication staff. I am so glad we invested the time in this early on. We felt supported and endorsed throughout the toughest months of the year. And now this organization is thriving from the smallest level of staff all the way to the peak level of board member and that is what happens when you take that risk. You train yourselves you level up, you use transparent what would he call it airtight communication, and you go for that big bold vision and we believe in you we know you can do this and this is what the next generation of nonprofit leader needs to be leaning toward.

Yeah, like there's so much at stake and we need to lean in and be the leaders that are organized Asians need and that our communities need and so, hope you hang with us through this series. We're really excited to unpack it and really try to apply it in ourselves. Don't hear that we're some leadership gurus here. We're trying to figure this out and learning with you too. So you can at least watch and eat popcorn as we try to figure it out in front of you. But we're really glad that you're here and pull in for you.

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