How many nonprofits are there? How many are big or small? According to a 2010 Urban Institute report, nearly 45% of the 1.6 billion registered nonprofits – that’s 714,000 of them – have annual budgets of less than $25K. Seventy-four percent of all public charities have annual expenses less than $500K. Not surprisingly, most nonprofits struggle to stay afloat.

I didn’t understand the extent to which small nonprofits struggled until my partner became the executive director of one that served South Asian survivors of domestic violence. With an annual budget of $250K, and a small staff of five and many volunteers, the organization had trouble getting the scale it needed to make its infrastructure run smoothly and efficiently. In fact, I’d find myself driving my partner to the store to get supplies and toilet paper, because she was the only one permitted to have a purchase card. No doubt her time could have been much better spent directing the organization than running errands!

Experiencing and observing these types of issues in many of the small nonprofits I volunteered with, I became very interested in using my management, technology, and organization development experience to research and think about ways to alleviate the infrastructure issues experienced by small nonprofits.

A growing number of reports, such as recent report from the Management Assistance Group funded by the Meyers Foundation, have brought attention to the lack of infrastructure to support nonprofits. Unfortunately, these reports have focused on nonprofits that have annual budgets of $1M to $4M or more, nonprofits that already have a considerable amount of resources to work with. Many foundations and management support organizations have suggested smaller nonprofits merge to address the infrastructure problem, but for many reasons, mergers are not always the most appropriate answer. I would like to suggest that improved collaboration and collaboration support could be what makes a difference to many small nonprofits.

I propose four strategies for collaboration that offer a lot of promise in improving nonprofit infrastructure:

1. Collaboration through life cycle stage,
2. Collaboration through programming,
3. Collaboration through constituencies, and
4. Collaboration through geography.

Let’s take a look at the first strategy: collaboration through life cycle stage. Susan Kenny Stevens in her book, Nonprofit Lifecycles, outlines seven typical stages of a nonprofit: idea, start-up, growth, maturity, decline, turnaround, and terminal. Each stage has characteristic patterns of behavior and capacities. Nonprofits that have similar budgets or staff size are often at the same lifecycle stage.

Nonprofits who are at the same lifecycle stage have an opportunity to collaborate by sharing their infrastructure systems – a human resources manager, an IT system, or an accountant. Consider this: if 20 organizations pay $500/month for a total of $6K a year for accounting services, then we would have $120K/year to hire an accountant, a bookkeeper, and cover overhead costs for those 20 organizations. Compared to the $12-24K per year that many nonprofit organizations are paying, $6K would represent a considerable savings.

The second collaboration strategy is collaboration through programming. Nonprofits with similar programmatic strategies or programmatic functions can also share infrastructure. Most nonprofits employ one of four programmatic strategies – direct services, public advocacy, public education, and/or community organizing. The skill sets staff and volunteers need to succeed in each of these areas are fairly similar, and conceivably, nonprofit organizations could collaborate on training materials, volunteer manuals, or policy manuals.

Some nonprofits, typically management support or technical assistance organizations, also have similar functions. Some provide information technology services like NPower; others provide media and communications. A simple example, but consider the opportunities to share resources and reduce costs if organizations that produced media campaigns shared a film or sound recording studio.

A third collaboration strategy is collaboration through constituency or identity base. Nonprofits that work with the same constituency have the opportunity to create a web of programmatic services that meet a particular community’s needs through various stages of community development. They can also share infrastructure resources.

If the nonprofits reside in the same location, they have an opportunity to share equipment for similar services they provide. A great example of this in the Pacific Northwest: three organizations that work with immigrants pooled their resources to purchase 100 translation headsets for $10K. They share these headsets amongst each other for their various training programs. If the organizations had purchased them individually, they would have paid considerably more.

If the nonprofits don’t reside in the same location, they can share services that don’t rely on a physical location. For example, 20 organizations across the country that all need their written and audio materials translated into Spanish or Mandarin, could together hire someone to perform fulltime written and audio translation for all their public education materials.

The last collaboration strategy is collaboration through location or geography. Nonprofits that work in the same community can, for example, share infrastructure such as office space, kitchen or training facilities, and IT or phone service. The growing number of nonprofit centers is a good example of this strategy.

The four strategies I’ve outlined – collaboration through lifecycle stage, through program, through constituency, and through geography – I believe can make a significant difference for small nonprofits and their struggle to stay afloat. I’m interested also in applying these strategies not just across nonprofits, but also across all three sectors – nonprofit, business, and government. Studying and exploring these strategies has been the nexus of my work, and I look forward to continuing to develop these creative collaborations.

Just because you can buy a cashmere sweater for $20 or three bottles of ketchup for the price of one doesn’t mean you should. “Ask, ‘Do I have something similar?’ and ‘Where am I going to store it?’ before making a purchase,” advises New York City professional organizer Julie Morgenstern, author of “Shed Your Stuff, Change Your Life.”

2. Make peace with imperfection

Efficient people give “A-level effort” to the most important projects (say, work assignments or a kitchen redesign), and for the rest they do just enough to get the job done, says Renae Reinardy, PsyD, a psychologist who specializes in hoarding disorders. Maybe you give yourself permission to bring store-bought cookies to a school bake sale or donate a bag of stuff — unsorted! — to Goodwill. “Trying to do every task perfectly is the easiest way to get bogged down,” says Reinardy.

Oprah.com: How to stop trying to be perfect all the time

3. Never label anything “miscellaneous”

You put a bunch of things into a file or box and write this catchall across the front. “But within a week you’ve forgotten what’s in there,” says Morgenstern. Instead, sort items into specific groups — “electric bills,” “lightbulbs,” and so on.

4. Schedule regular decluttering sessions

Rather than wait until an industrious mood strikes (we all know where that leads), have a decluttering routine in place — whether it’s spending 15 minutes sorting mail after work or tackling a new project every Sunday afternoon.

Oprah.com: Peter Walsh’s 3 rules for getting organized this summer

5. Stick with what works

“I have clients who will try every line of makeup, every cell phone — it’s exhausting,” says Dorothy Breininger, president of the Delphi Center for Organization. Don’t waste time (and money) obsessively seeking out the best thing.

6. Create a dump zone

Find a space to corral all the stuff that you don’t have time to put away the moment you step in the door, says Breininger. Once you’re ready to get organized, you won’t have to hunt all over the house for the dry cleaning or your child’s field trip permission slip.

7. Ask for help

“The organized person is willing to expose herself to short-term embarrassment and call for backup,” says Breininger. Which is to say, that elaborate four-course dinner you planned? Change it to a potluck.

Oprah.com: When to ask for help — and how to do it

8. Separate emotions from possessions

It’s healthy to be attached to certain items — a vase you picked up in Paris, your grandmother’s pearls. But holey concert tees or cheap, scuffed earrings your husband gave you years ago? Just let them go.

9. Foresee (and avoid) problems

You wouldn’t leave the house on a gray day without an umbrella, right? People who appear to sail through life unruffled apply this thinking to every scenario, says Breininger. Have a cabinet packed with leaning towers of Tupperware? Organized folks will take a few minutes to short-circuit an avalanche before it happens. (In other words, rearranging that cupboard now is easier than chasing after wayward lids as they scatter underneath the fridge.)

10. Know where to donate

It’s easier to part with belongings if they’re going to a good home. Identify a neighbor’s son who fits into your child’s outgrown clothes, or choose a favorite charity. “It will save you from searching for the perfect recipient every time you need to unload something,” says Morgenstern.

 My big moment finally came and I started off the speech with a bang. I really had the audience going, but then my mind went blank. The rest of the speech was an endless blur of me rambling and trying to get through my important points. It was so disappointing because I prepared for the speech, but I didn’t get my full message across.

 Once I finished, my fellow Toastmasters rallied around me with support and encouragement. In fact, they even inspired me to try the speech again.  For you see great Toastmasters know that, “Winners Never Quit, and Quitters Never Win.” ~ Vince Lombardi

Should you ever find yourself in my predicament, be prepared with the following tips on What to Do When Your Mind Goes Blank:

1. Back up.

Summarize the point you just finished making. Often, repeating your previous point, like retracing your steps before taking a leap, will give you momentum to carry you forward.

2. Check your notes.

Even if you speak without a podium, keep your notes — at least an outline — nearby just in case something like this happens.

3. Ask your audience for help.

Say, “I got so caught up in what I was saying that I lost my place. Where was I?” Someone will tell you. (This is especially true if earlier in your introduction you enumerated your main points.) Making your audience part of your presentation is a good thing.

4. Say something.

Say anything. The longer you remain silent, grasping for exactly the right word, the more your anxiety (and the audience’s) will grow. Try to recall anything relevant to your speech, the audience, or the occasion, and say it. Once you begin talking, your memory will mostly likely kick into gear.  

5. Check your attitude. 

Perfectionism is the undoing of many speakers. It’s based on the illusion that if we work hard enough, we can avoid making mistakes, losing control, or looking foolish. Don’t try to give a flawless presentation; focus instead on serving your audience to the best of your ability.

6. Remember that your audience wants you to succeed.

(Your mind is much more likely, by the way, to go blank, if you’re trying to memorize your speech. Don’t focus on saying exactly the advance card cash credit fee no right words. Focus, instead, on communicating the concepts you have in mind.)

©Chris Witt, all rights reserved. www.wittcom.com

Leadership can also vary in style — are you someone who dictates the group and doesn’t listen to anyone else’s opinion? Or do you lead with a more bureaucratic or democratic style?

“Every leader has a particular style of leadership that is innate. However, the behaviors, attitudes or methods of delivery that are effective for one staff member may in fact be counterproductive for another,” says Michael Burke, account supervisor, MSR Communications, a public relations firm.

“Great leaders are aware of their own style and make the effort to learn how their style actually comes across to their team. They learn to flex their leadership style to individual team members so that they communicate and behave in ways that motivate and inspire.”

Here is what five leadership professionals consider to be traits that make up a good leader:

Rachael Fisher-Layne, vice president of media relations, JCPR, a public relations agency

1. Honesty. Always do the honest thing. It makes employees feel like they know where they stand with you at all times.

2. Focus. Know where you’re going and have a strong stated mission to lead people on. If you’re not sure, how can your people be sure? You have to have strong focus and stay the course.

3. Passion. Whatever it is, you must have passion for what you’re doing. Live, breathe, eat and sleep your mission.

4. Respect. Not playing favorites with people and treating all people — no matter what station in life, what class or what rank in the org chart — the same.

5. Excellent persuasion abilities. People have to believe in you and your credibility. Image is everything and the belief people have in you, your product, your mission, your facts or your reputation are key to being a great leader. You have to persuade people of this — it doesn’t just happen.

Darcy Eikenberg, a leadership and workplace coach, Red Cape Revolution

1. Confidence. If you don’t believe in yourself, no one will. I hear leaders worrying that if they show too much confidence, others will think them arrogant. The reality is people want to know what you know for sure — and what you don’t. Having the confidence to say “I don’t know” is a powerful skill.

2. Clarity. The only way you can get confidence is by becoming really, really clear about who you are and what is most important to you. New leaders fail when they try to become all things to all people, or try to do too much out of their area of excellence. Clarity helps you say “yes” to the right things — and “no” to others.

3. Care. The strongest, most effective leaders I’ve met care not just about the business, but about the people in it and the people impacted by it. Plus, they show they care through their words and actions, even proving how they care for themselves and their family by taking unplugged vacations and continuing their own professional development. Care shouldn’t be a four-letter word in our workplace today — and the best leaders know it.

Tom Armour, co-founder, High Return Selection, a recruitment firm

1. Integrity. They are people who are respected and worth listening to. I find in general due to all of the economic difficulties, employees prioritize and seek leaders and organizations that are honest and meet their commitments.

2. Compassion. Too many leaders these days manage with the balance sheet, often times at the expense of their employees and long-term customer relationships. Talented people want to work for leaders and organizations that truly care about their employees and the communities in which they operate.

3. Shared vision and actions. People produce real business gains and smart people need to understand what is needed and be part of the solution.

4. Engagement. Great business leaders are able to get all members of their teams engaged. They do this by offering them challenge, seeking their ideas and contributions and providing them with recognition for their contributions.

5. Celebration. In today’s work environment, people are working very long hours and they need to take some time to celebrate their successes in order to recharge their batteries. Those leaders who fail to do this create burnout environment overtime.

Mike Sprouse, CMO, Epic Media Group, and author of “The Greatness Gap”

1. Humility. True leaders have confidence but realize the point at which it becomes hubris.

2. Empowering. True leaders make their associates feel emboldened and powerful, not diminished and powerless.

3. Collaborative. True leaders solicit input and feedback from those around them so that everyone feels part of the process.

4. Communicative. True leaders share their vision or strategy often with those around them.

5. Fearlessness. True leaders are not afraid to take risks or make mistakes. True leaders make mistakes born from risk.

Nancy Clark, author of “18 Holes for Leadership”

1. Genuine. You need to be clear on what your values are and must be consistent in applying them. As part of that, you need to have the courage to hold true to them. You must not lose sight of reality. Lost values may be one of the biggest causes of downfalls.

2. Self-awareness. You need to be clear on what your strengths are and what complementary strengths you need from others. This includes understanding others and learning how best to utilize their strengths. Many unsophisticated leaders think everyone should be like them; that too can cause their downfall. They surround themselves with people like them. “Group think” can blindside them and cause failure.

3. Leverage team strengths. Part of awareness is don’t expect people to change. If you think you can change someone, think again. This doesn’t mean you can’t help them grow and develop. But don’t expect to change anyone (even yourself) behaviorally. We are who we are. Your job as a leader is to understand each person’s strengths and place them in positions where they can flourish and grow. If you are good at that, you have a huge part of the equation for success.

4. Leadership transitions. Going from individual contributor to supervisor is only the first of many transitions along the leadership pipeline. You need to understand the business model, how it applies to your current position, what you need to do to provide the greatest value, and how to leverage your strengths at this level. This requires building competencies and focusing on the right things. No one ever tells you that there are many levels and many adjustments you need to make along the way.

5. Supportive. You need to foster a positive environment that allows your team to flourish. Also by aligning the reward and recognition systems that best match your teams profile and deliver results.

Modish public speaking coaches will tell you that it’s OK to say “uh” or “um” once in a while, but the prevailing wisdom is that you should avoid such “disfluencies” or “discourse particles” entirely. It’s thought that they repel listeners and make speakers appear unprepared, unconfident, stupid, or anxious (or all of these together). Perhaps the biggest foe of “uh” and “um” is Toastmasters International, which charges speakers a nickel for every “filled” pause (that is, for every pause that’s not silent). Each of their 12,500 clubs around the world has an official “ah” counter.

But “uh” and “um” don’t deserve eradication; there’s no good reason to uproot them. People have been pausing and filling their pauses with a neutral vowel (or sometimes with an actual word) for as long as we’ve had language, which is about 100,000 years. If listeners are so naturally repelled by “uhs” and “ums,” you’d think those sounds would have been eliminated long before now. The opposite is true: Filled pauses appear in all of the world’s languages, and the anti-ummers have no way to explain, if they’re so ugly, what “euh” in French, or “äh” and “ähm” in German, or “eto” and “ano” in Japanese are doing in human language at all.

In the history of oratory and public speaking, the notion that good speaking requires umlessness is actually a fairly recent, and very American, invention. It didn’t emerge as a cultural standard until the early 20^th century, when the phonograph and radio suddenly held up to speakers’ ears all the quirks and warbles that, before then, had flitted by. Another development was the codification of public speaking as an academic subject. Counting “ums” and noting perfect fluency gave teachers something to score.

What’s more, “uhs” and “ums” do not necessarily damage a speaker’s standing. Recently, a University of Michigan research team turned their attention to phone survey interviewers. They found that the most successful interviewers—the ones who convinced respondents to stay on the line and answer questions—spoke moderately fast and paused occasionally, either silently or with a filler “uh” or “um.” “If interviewers made no pauses at all,” the lead researcher, Jose Benki, told Science Daily, “they had the lowest success rates getting people to agree to do the survey. We think that’s because they sound too scripted.” Speaking with a certain number of “uhs” and “ums,” it seems, may actually enhance a speaker’s credibility.

Blithely unaware of the evidence, some parents—call them linguistic tiger moms—strive to keep filled pauses out of their kids’ mouths. In April, Sarah Groves wrote an essay in the Christian Science Monitor about training her children to be umless. Her son was torturing her with questions like, “That man, um, not Hector, um er that man, not Paris, um, that man, not …” After discussing the situation with her husband (“I want to love them by teaching them to be articulate”), she told her son, “Before you speak you must think, ‘This is what I’m going to say,’ and then when you start to speak you mustn’t think about anything else except what you decided you were going to say. Then you say it, quick and clear, with no um’s and no er’s.” Apparently the 5-year-old mastered umlessness in two days.

Yet studies suggest that “uh” and “um” play an active role in how we learn language and communicate. A University of Rochester lab published a paper this spring showing that kids over 2 were more likely to pay attention to an unfamiliar object if the speaker said “uh” before stating its name. Presumably, this tactic gives children a leg up on parsing an adult’s speech. Take the example of the mother who says to her child, “No, that wasn’t the telephone, honey. That was the, uh, timer.” The “uh” indicates that there’s a word coming up that might be new and unfamiliar, so extra attention is required.

Of course, “uh” and “um” don’t have some magic monopoly on focusing a listener’s attention. In a study published in PLoS ONE last May, Martin Corley and Robert J. Hartsuiker reported that listeners’ recognition benefits from any delay before a word, whether it’s a silent pause, a filled pause, or a musical tone. The delay “attunes the attention.”

In the Rochester study, kids under 2 didn’t respond to “uh” at all—they didn’t seem to tune out or tune in—which probably means they hadn’t yet learned to interpret “uh” as a clue to adults’ intentions. The authors suggest this ability appears at some point in the second year. They don’t say anything about when kids start to say “um,” which must happen on a different time line, because my 20-month-old son recently uttered his first. Given my fascination with filled pauses, it was a happy day, and I considered sending out greeting cards to celebrate the accomplishment.

The momentous exchange went something like this:

Grandfather: Hey, Iver, how’s it hanging?
Iver: Um … wheels?

Clarity

The purpose of webinars and teleconferences is to get your message across.  Use these tips to overcome the technical and distance challenges:

Avoid this...

Housekeeping: Start with a solid introduction that explains your purpose and format, outlines your agenda, and introduces all the presenters.  Go over all relevant technical instructions, such as muting, volume controls, asking questions, raising hands and using other webinar features, several times.

Eliminate distractions: Speaking from your desk is often harder, not easier.  Have a colleague run teleconference tools or webinar software while you speak.  If possible, go to a different room where no one will disturb you.  To eliminate background noise, ask callers to mute themselves or do it for them right after your introduction.

Supporting materials: Well ahead of your teleconference, send participants all documents, visuals, and any other information they will need.  On webinars, make sure the same items are displayed clearly and slowly enough for everyone to follow.  When you are finished, send participants all supporting materials and items for follow-up, reiterating your main points and requests in the email body.

Frequent and specific referencing: When referring to documents, visuals, and other information, guide participants to the exact place you want them to look.  Mention specific page numbers, paragraphs, and even sentence beginnings.  Whenever speakers begin or answer questions, have them state who they are so participants can follow.  State clearly when you are moving on to the next part of the agenda.

Pace, volume and length: These basics of clarity hold true on webinars and teleconferences as well.  Speak slowly and clearly enough that people listening over a bad connection can follow.  Speak loudly for the same reasons.  Keep your points and answers to questions succinct.

Audience Engagement

Webinars and teleconferences are not your average five to ten minute speech.  They often last thirty minutes to an hour.  For computer or phone communication especially, use these tips to retain audience attention:

Abundant, exciting, and varied visuals: The advantage of webinars (and teleconferences to a lesser extent) is that you can use better visuals.  Vary between documents, charts, and video and music clips, and use tools like highlighting, zooming and slide transition effects.  Use looping welcome slides or non-irritating music at the beginning to retain attention while participants wait.  Rather than showing only completed slides, build them as the audience watches.  Take the time in advance to produce high-quality visuals.

...and this...

Vocal variety and word choice: For teleconferences especially, your voice has to carry the show.  As in all speaking, vary your pitch, pace, volume, and emotional expression, and make sure they match the meaning of your words.  Use pauses, but keep them slightly shorter so participants don’t suspect technical difficulties.  Vary speakers as much as possible, and record yourself beforehand to make sure your voice remains pleasant and engaging, not harsh or monotonous.

Audience interaction: Another advantage of webinars and conference calls is that you can more easily interact with the entire audience.  Break up lecturing and long informational sections with polls, question and answer sessions, and mentions of projects, places, or other elements that participants will relate to.  If you know the participants and trust they will be comfortable responding, sprinkle your presentation with requests for specific evidence or questions they can answer.

Fundamentals

As in all public speaking, put these basics above all else:

Prepare and organize: Plan the overall format, which points to make, when to switch presenters, and when to use certain visuals.  Give all participants an agenda.  Create and memorize an engaging introduction and a strong conclusion.  Include a short section to review the main points right before the conclusion.

Practice: Practice remains the best way to clear up problems.  Rehearse with all materials, informational points and presenters if possible.  Record the practice session in case your recording of the actual presentation goes awry.  Prepare some expected questions without the presenters’ knowledge and pose them when rehearsing.

Ultimately, practice remains the most reliable way to develop speaking expertise, whether it be at the podium, behind a computer, or on the phone.  Rehearse with colleagues or hold a toastmasters meeting over teleconference or webinar.  Keep the winning methods, but also try new techniques.  In the end, a well-planned presentation with enough practice – and maybe a glass of water to help with all that talking – will make any webinars and teleconferences worth joining.

...with this.

L-R: Tanya, Joe, Susan, Jackie, Travis, Brandi, Dianne, Laura

Thanks to all who came out for brunch at Bread and Chocolate. We had a lot of fun learning about our fellow toastmasters over Pfannkuchen (fan-koo-he-n). Topics at Brunch ranged from multilingual members, adventures travelling abroad, to where to buy the best cupcakes in DC. Look out for more fun outings throughout the year, please join our new mailing list and be sure to check the option for “Events”.

These five tips are for the kind of debate that we are most likely to see in nonprofit professional life: a cooperative team discussion where the goal is to identify merits and drawbacks rather than to “win.”

The Great Kitchen Debate

Concentrate on clarity.  Many terms can be interpreted differently by different people.  “Conservative” and “liberal,” for example, can both mean different things based on perspective.  Cliché terms and jargon can easily be interpreted incorrectly, especially by people who disagree with the speaker.

Use evidence.  To make an argument believable, cite concrete, objective evidence.  Your own opinions, theories and gut feelings are not evidence, nor are those given by experts or authorities.  To back up your argument well, use objective facts.  Similarly, make sure these facts come from a reputable resource and use more than one source where possible.  While you may support certain interest groups, religious groups or individuals, their publications are designed to promote their views and should not be used to support your arguments.

Avoid emotionally charged words.  Certain words and terms, especially in subjects such as politics, sociology, psychology, race and religion, often generate emotions in debate participants.  This can gradually (or quickly) change the focus from an objective search for truth to a contest over personal preference or integrity.  Personal attacks are an extreme of this situation and should never be used.  They generate a lot of opposition without bringing anything useful to the actual topic of discussion.

Don’t use innuendo either.  Some people use innuendo rather than personal attacks when trying to break down a participant’s integrity.  Innuendo is using a veiled allusion to some circumstance, rumor or popular belief.  It takes advantage of popular prejudices without stating them explicitly, since explicit statement is more likely to expose the fundamental flaws of such arguments: they are based on opinion, not evidence.  Like emotionally charged words, statements using innuendo are not backed up by evidence, create conflict rather than objective discussion, and contribute nothing to the goals of the conversation.

Understand your opponent’s arguments.  Knowing your opponent’s point of view will help you follow the conversation, identify and question his or her basic assumptions, find the merits in the opposing arguments, and formulate better counter arguments.  Have a friend play devil’s advocate to familiarize yourself with the points that will likely come your way.  Finally, understanding your opponent’s arguments could even help you realize that she may be right after all.

Many points in this article were originally published by Thomas R. Scott in “On Debating” at http://www.truthtree.com/debates.shtml.

Yum!

When: 12pm-2pm, Sunday 4/10

Where: Bread&Chocolate, 2301 M Street, NW *Location Change*

http://www.breadandchocolate.net/index.html

Why: Have fun with your food!

Please RSVP to: adrienne.austin@gmail.com by Saturday April 9, 2011              

What do I say?

1. Decide quickly what your one message will be – Pick one message and focus on that main idea
2. Do NOT try to memorize what you will say – Think about the message, not the words
3. Start off Strong & with Confidence – Try to plan what your first sentence will be
4. Maintain eye contact with the audience – Focus on their forehead if you can’t look them in the eyes
5. Have a good conclusion

Just remember, keep it conversational and think of the audience as a group of friends.