Would it surprise you to know that we never just say, “Let’s do it!” when someone comes to us to form a #charity? Or that we ask programmatic and strategy questions in addition to the “legal questions” you might expect? It is not simply a “transaction” to us.
Today’s Fast Build topic is about transitioning from concept to public charity. Nic shares the first of two key considerations for transitioning to public charity status.
The first consideration, which is critical, is to determine if you should, in fact, be a charitable entity. If you skip this step and go straight to assuming you should be a #publiccharity simply because you want to have social impact, you will lose out on a lot of the vision and mission setting that is critical for building infrastructure and will likely be in an inappropriate entity, both of which will ultimately have an impact within the communities you serve.
Taking the time and having the patience to put all of this together in a meaningful way, including the type of entity you will use to do your work, is how you start building out a strong infrastructure and framework for your organization.
You can follow the link to watch Episode 41.
Did you know that how you negotiate the provisions within your service agreements actually impacts the sustainability of your #nonprofit or #philanthropy?
Today’s Fast Build topic is about the key elements of a service agreement. Nic shares the top 3 considerations for nonprofits and philanthropies engaging service providers.
Paying attention to a service agreement’s payment terms, indemnification provisions, and confidentiality terms is critical. Losing sight of any one of them can ultimately impact your organization’s bottom line, flexibility, and resilience. So, it is critical to your organizational infrastructure to understand and negotiate what you are signing, particularly when it comes to these terms.
When was the last time you considered how a service agreement might impact your bottom line? Let us know in the comments!
You can follow the link to watch Episode 40.
Given what we have seen so far, #nonprofit and #philanthropy leaders might be saying this phrase at the end of 2021: “Remember when we hosted that ‘bylaws and committee charter review’ party last year that was standing-room only?”
Today’s Fast Build Friday topic is the infrastructure trends to watch in 2021. Nic highlights the second of two 2021 trends that she wants to talk about in a bit more detail. It is the second part of a two-part series.
The second infrastructure trend that Nic thinks we should watch this year is #governance. We believe any organizations within the sector will start to critically question their governance structure and pay attention to the pipeline in place to recruit members to ensure that their boards and structure are both strong.
What are you thinking about governance in 2021? What other infrastructure trends are you seeing in 2021?
Let us know in the comments!
You can follow the link to watch Episode 39.
If you had to complete binders full of reporting, metrics, updates, check-ins, and plans, to apply for, receive, and use a funding award, would it make a difference in how you engaged in the grant and that relationship? Would it help you to know how others are awarding and managing these awards?
Today’s Fast Build Friday topic is the infrastructure trends to watch in 2021. Nic highlights the first of two 2021 trends that she wants to talk about in a bit more detail. It is the first part of a two-part series.
The first infrastructure trend that Nic thinks we should be paying close attention to is due diligence for funding awards. She thinks we are going to see a real shift within the diligence space and we might even see it vary significantly by field, recipient, region, and funder.
And if we ignore the diligence trend, we may end up providing awards that are intended to be flexible, but are so tied down with diligence requirements pre, during, and post-funding award that we hinder how that grant could actually have been envisioned and used by the grantee.
How will you monitor diligence requirements in 2021? Let us know in the comments!
You can follow the link below to watch Episode 38.
Are you a trendspotter? Did you know that trendspotting can help you strengthen your #nonprofit infrastructure and inform your #capacitybuilding?
Today’s Fast Build Friday topic is reflecting on 2020 infrastructure trends. Nic highlights 3 of the 11 trends that we previously said the sector should be paying attention to.
Those three highlighted trends are donor collaboratives, place-based vision, and #technology. Listen to hear what we thought of each in 2020 and where we are now.
Would you be surprised to learn that all of the trends that we thought would become more visible in 2020, actually did? And COVID likely made them show up even more. And the racial justice protests, particularly in the United States, impacted these trends too.
What infrastructure trends did you predict for 2020? Let us know in the comments.
You can follow the link to watch Episode 37.
We’ve been hearing a lot recently about MacKenzie Scott’s grant making, including to some organizations that were not expecting the millions they received. Do you think your #nonprofit is “ready” to receive $5M or $50M in unrestricted grant funding tomorrow?
Today’s Fast Build Friday topic is substantial grant award considerations. Nic shares two key considerations to help an organization prepare for and effectively use a substantial grant.
Receiving a substantial grant award should not be the end of the story. You need technical assistance alongside substantial, unrestricted funding to help ensure an organization’s effective use of the grant. And you also need to consider the ecosystem in which the organization sits when determining how you will use the grant. These considerations are critical to advancing your vision of the change you want to see in the world.
What would you do with $5M? How would you prepare? Let us know in the comments!
You can follow the link to watch Episode 36.
Where does your strategic plan live? In a shared folder, on a shelf, or in a drawer? Or does your plan live in the approach, training, and practices within your organization? And how do you know?
Today’s Fast Build Friday topic is how to have a successful strategic planning process. Nic shares two key elements to ensure success in implementation: people and systems.
If an organization does not consider people and systems as part of the strategic planning process, it is jeopardizing its organization’s strategic goals. A strong planning process focuses on how things will get done and who will do them and ensures that people have the resources and support they need to perform their responsibilities within the organization.
Does your strategic plan have these elements? What was the best part of your strategic planning process? Let us know in the comments!
You can follow the link to watch Episode 35.
How do you determine whether you should collaborate with another #nonprofit? Do you have clear criteria for entering into collaborations with other nonprofits or do you base your decision on fear or trust?
Today’s Fast Build Friday is about strategic nonprofit alliances. Nic highlights 3 key principles to consider when entering into a strategic nonprofit alliance.
If you are entering into collaborations simply to secure funding, or do not understand the structure of your collaborations and partnerships, or you are considering an alliance only because your organization is at its weakest, you are impacting your chance to improve your infrastructure and build sustainability.
When you step into strategic nonprofit alliances with immense clarity, you can strengthen your infrastructure, build your capacity, and expand the impact you’d like to have with vulnerable and marginalized communities.
What do your strategic nonprofit alliances look like? Let us know in the comments!
You can follow the link to watch Episode 34.
Raise your hand if you have a Conflict of Interest (COI) policy. Now, are you following that policy?
When you are not closely following your COI Policy, you may be missing out on opportunities to strengthen your work and infrastructure.
Today’s Fast Build Friday is about the importance of having and following a Conflict of Interest Policy. Nic discusses three considerations about these policies that illustrate just how critically important they are to strengthening infrastructure.
Working with #nonprofits and philanthropies around the world, Nic has seen the effect that a strong COI policy can have when implemented throughout the organization. It is an often overlooked way to help strengthen the framework from which you do your best work.
How are you handling conflicts of interest in your organization? Let us know in the comments!
You can follow the link to watch Episode 33.
Have you ever referred to another #nonprofit organization doing similar work as a “competitor”? Do you think that because an organization is doing work in the same space as you, you are automatically competing for funding?
Today’s Fast Build Friday is about the connection between a unique value proposition and infrastructure. In it, Nic highlights how you can identify your unique value proposition and also explain the clear link between a unique value proposition and infrastructure.
When you do not know your unique value proposition, you tend to see nearly anyone doing similar work as competitors. It also has serious implications for your programmatic strategy and infrastructure. When you understand and share your unique value proposition, however, it strengthens both your work and your infrastructure, which ultimately makes your organization more resilient and sustainable.
Do you spend time thinking about how you uniquely problem solve alongside the communities you serve? What is your unique value proposition? Let us know in the comments!
You can follow the link to watch Episode 32.