Latest / The Nonprofit Podcast / Ep 127| Engage Your Board: Avoid Year-End Fundraising Burnout

Transcript

Ep 127| Engage Your Board: Avoid Year-End Fundraising Burnout · The Nonprofit Podcast

• 0:04
  SPEAKER_01: The Nonprofit Podcast, powered by DonorBucks.
• 0:09
  SPEAKER_01: Year-in fundraising, it's just getting started.
• 0:13
  SPEAKER_01: Have you considered how aligning your team members' roles with their skills and involving your board early on can help you manage all those crazy year-end activities you have without burning out?
• 0:26
  SPEAKER_01: Welcome to the Nonprofit Podcast.
• 0:28
  SPEAKER_01: I'm Brit, nonprofit fundraising strategist at DonorBox.
• 0:32
  SPEAKER_01: We are here each week with practical actions that you can use today to increase donations and take your nonprofit to the next level tomorrow.
• 0:43
  SPEAKER_01: Today we are talking about a common challenge that exists in the nonprofit sector.
• 0:49
  SPEAKER_01: We're balancing multiple roles, demand is high, and now we're going to be thrust deep into hective times of year like year-in giving.
• 0:58
  SPEAKER_01: We're going to talk about why involving your board early matters, and now having the right person in the right seat can make a world of difference.
• 1:08
  SPEAKER_01: I am so excited to have a dear friend, a mentor, and just a rock star consultant, Madeline McCoy from the Nonprofit Solution Consulting Firm, joining me today.
• 1:20
  SPEAKER_01: Madeline has over a decade of experience.
• 1:23
  SPEAKER_01: She's helped hundreds of nonprofits better tell their stories and raise more money for the causes that they love.
• 1:30
  SPEAKER_01: Madeline, welcome to the show.
• 1:32
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you for having me.
• 1:33
  SPEAKER_01: I'm so excited to be here.
• 1:35
  SPEAKER_01: We know year in giving, it's in full swing.
• 1:38
  SPEAKER_01: It's ramping up.
• 1:40
  SPEAKER_01: And I think a big challenge that many of us face is making sure that everyone's in the right role.
• 1:46
  SPEAKER_01: Gosh, I remember as an executive director at a startup nonprofit in Seattle, I was managing everything from leadership to fundraising to inventory fulfillment.
• 1:56
  SPEAKER_01: I was maybe a classic nonprofit uniform unicorn taking on so much.
• 2:02
  SPEAKER_01: And just looking back, it really took a toll on my health.
• 2:06
  SPEAKER_01: I experienced total burnout.
• 2:08
  SPEAKER_01: And I'm seeing a lot of this.
• 2:09
  SPEAKER_01: And you can tell me if you're seeing this as well.
• 2:12
  SPEAKER_01: And I think this goes to speak to role misalignment within the sector.
• 2:18
  SPEAKER_01: And to kind of set the stage right, why is it so important for nonprofits listening in to focus on role alignment from the get-go, making sure that you as a nonprofit have the right people in the right seats?
• 2:32
  SPEAKER_02: That's a great question, Britt.
• 2:34
  SPEAKER_02: In small nonprofits, as you said, the roles often overlap.
• 2:38
  SPEAKER_02: We're talking about executive directors doing multiple things, wearing multiple hats, and not just the executive directors, but pretty much anybody.
• 2:46
  SPEAKER_02: And sometimes it's just one person who's doing all of those things.
• 2:50
  SPEAKER_02: Ensuring each role aligns with the individual's expertise and their interest really helps to prevent burnout and it helps productivity and it also helps to bring forward this advocacy for the organization.
• 3:06
  SPEAKER_02: It's really hard to advocate for your mission if you're also a little burnt out and frustrated and your morale is low because you are stretched every which way.
• 3:17
  SPEAKER_02: The right person, right seat principle focuses on matching those individual skills, their passions, their strengths with the right role within the organization.
• 3:27
  SPEAKER_02: This is an essential principle to master or at least give it a good shot to maximize that efficiency and the job satisfaction.
• 3:36
  SPEAKER_02: So you don't have those high turnover rates and you don't end up with that burnout, especially in these crazy times during the end of the year when we are just all going, you know, pedal to the metal right there of how how uh intense things get.
• 3:52
  SPEAKER_02: So the leadership should really prioritize that strategic vision and those external relationships.
• 4:00
  SPEAKER_02: The administrative roles must have somebody who's detail-oriented, who can really ensure that operational efficiency.
• 4:08
  SPEAKER_02: And then the development roles really should be occupied by those creative, resourceful individuals passionate about fundraising, ready to get on the phone, ready to talk to people.
• 4:18
  SPEAKER_02: When you have that mismatch of alignment, those things don't work as well as they could.
• 4:24
  SPEAKER_01: So I love all this.
• 4:25
  SPEAKER_01: And in theory, it works to create job descriptions from the get-go, right?
• 4:29
  SPEAKER_01: And stick to that.
• 4:30
  SPEAKER_01: But let's be real, right?
• 4:32
  SPEAKER_01: We know this, we've been there, we've done that.
• 4:34
  SPEAKER_01: Nonprofit work, our roles are constantly shuffling.
• 4:38
  SPEAKER_01: They're adapting and they should, right?
• 4:40
  SPEAKER_01: Our communities, their needs are evolving.
• 4:42
  SPEAKER_01: And so the work we're going to do is naturally going to constantly be evolving.
• 4:48
  SPEAKER_01: And so thinking about the reality of that fast-paced environment, are there any top three tips that you can offer to nonprofits to make sure that they're regularly assessing role alignment?
• 5:01
  SPEAKER_02: That's a great question.
• 5:02
  SPEAKER_02: Um, I think, like you said, it starts with a very clear job description, writing one that I would start with the responsibilities of the role that you're trying to fill, the expectations, and then use that to define the required skills.
• 5:17
  SPEAKER_02: This clarity on paper will help both you in the organization and then also that employee to understand exactly what's expected out of the role.
• 5:26
  SPEAKER_02: There is nothing worse than surprising somebody with, oh, you thought you were in marketing, but you're also doing this, and you also set up the fall fest, you know, uh crazy things just because that's always what that role has done, that now you've got to do it again.
• 5:40
  SPEAKER_02: So that also the writing out that job job description and the outline of the responsibilities really helps to uh reflect changes that might need to happen within your org and then also start you off on the right foot by finding the right person.
• 5:54
  SPEAKER_02: Um from there, onboarding to set the stage for this person's success.
• 6:00
  SPEAKER_02: You have to go through the um onboarding process in a thorough structured way.
• 6:05
  SPEAKER_02: Help them understand the organization's mission, your values as a company or an org, and and then their specific role within it.
• 6:13
  SPEAKER_02: If you need them to be flexible, you need to say that in the in the in the beginning.
• 6:19
  SPEAKER_02: Um, this it includes in tools, the processes, all the training systems that you're gonna be having them use.
• 6:26
  SPEAKER_02: And then also introducing them to the the team members and stakeholders that need to be uh introduced to.
• 6:44
  SPEAKER_02: One-on-one meetings, team check-ins, feedback sessions that you actually use uh to discuss performance, the challenges, what opportunities they can see for growth.
• 6:55
  SPEAKER_02: This really helps to identify any misalignments pretty early on.
• 6:59
  SPEAKER_02: And it allows you to adjust either with a newer person or a different person rather, um, or just changing up what's going on in the org, getting rid of the old things that don't need to be there anymore.
• 7:13
  SPEAKER_01: I love that.
• 7:14
  SPEAKER_01: There's so much work for staff to do, and it has me thinking about the role of the board, right?
• 7:19
  SPEAKER_01: The board's role beyond fiduciary and setting the strategic vision and fundraising.
• 7:24
  SPEAKER_01: It's really to ensure that staff feel acknowledged and heard.
• 7:28
  SPEAKER_01: And again, I look back, I was leading a human service agency at the height of the pandemic, and there was a time in a board meeting where I was very upfront about serious concerns I had.
• 7:41
  SPEAKER_01: We were facing skyrocketing demand.
• 7:43
  SPEAKER_01: We were limited in our staffing and just completely stressed out.
• 7:48
  SPEAKER_01: And Madeline, I remember there were two board members that didn't fully grasp or take seriously what we were facing.
• 7:56
  SPEAKER_01: And it got to the point where I had to bring in a neutral consultant to kind of make sure our staff, we were acknowledged and our concerns were heard.
• 8:06
  SPEAKER_01: And so to kind of build off of what you were talking about with these three actionable tips, you touched upon communication.
• 8:15
  SPEAKER_01: How, you know, when it comes to the board, what is the role of the board to get involved to make sure that we feel heard, we have the support, and that they're doing that regular assessment of our job descriptions?
• 8:30
  SPEAKER_02: Britt, that's a great question.
• 8:32
  SPEAKER_02: Frequently we see just the run of the gamut with boards.
• 8:37
  SPEAKER_02: You've got an overactive board where they're stepping on toes and they're micromanaging, and then you have other organizations that have completely inactive boards where they are nowhere to be found.
• 8:48
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and what you're describing sounds like a board who they're interested and they want to help, but they're not listening.
• 8:54
  SPEAKER_02: They're there's they've set their own goals and they're they're trying to achieve those.
• 8:59
  SPEAKER_02: So boards overall should be monitoring the the health of the organization.
• 9:05
  SPEAKER_02: That doesn't just mean the programs, that doesn't just mean the budget, that also means the people.
• 9:10
  SPEAKER_02: So if you are regularly monitoring the overall health of the organization, that should give you strong indication with misalignment that needs to be addressed.
• 9:21
  SPEAKER_02: So this can look like high turnover rates, frequent turnover, um, and and low morale.
• 9:28
  SPEAKER_02: Um so again, I think surveys, feedback sessions, and other tools that the board can use to gather those insights can really help with corrective action.
• 9:39
  SPEAKER_02: Now, the key is that they have to be right people, right seat in their board seats so that they can actually listen properly and then provide that strategic oversight and ensure that the role alignment supports the organization's mission and the long-term goals.
• 9:56
  SPEAKER_02: So uh burnt out executive director does not sound like something that was probably in their organizational oversight or uh, you know, their strategic oversight that they wanted to have.
• 10:07
  SPEAKER_02: So um, understanding that those issues, listening, identifying those key roles that they need to be uh specifically listening to, somebody who holds many hats and knows many things that are critical is really what needs to be done to achieve those organizations' goals and ensure the positions are filled appropriately.
• 10:30
  SPEAKER_02: So, some ways that they can help with that, they can absolutely support in the recruitment.
• 10:37
  SPEAKER_02: Um, they can participate in interviews, they can provide input on the selection process.
• 10:42
  SPEAKER_02: And in fact, if you are hiring for one of the more critical roles in your organization, I love to insist that some board members get involved.
• 10:53
  SPEAKER_02: It doesn't necessarily need to be the whole board, but at least a small subcommittee can be involved.
• 10:58
  SPEAKER_02: They can help to bring those diverse perspectives, ensure that candidates align properly, and also just make sure the process is not falling all onto one person's shoulders.
• 11:10
  SPEAKER_02: Another thing that they should be taking a look at is the sufficient resource allocation for recruitment, for training, for professional development, and approving approving the money towards those those goals.
• 11:24
  SPEAKER_02: So allocating resources towards those aspects can really help you invest in the right people and support their ongoing development so that they want to stay with you.
• 11:36
  SPEAKER_02: Um, the last thing the board should be doing is they should be involved in the performance evaluation, not just the executive director, but also other key leadership positions.
• 11:48
  SPEAKER_02: This ensures that the leaders are efficiently aligned with their roles.
• 11:52
  SPEAKER_02: Again, that the this doesn't um fall all onto one person's shoulder, how it frequently does, um, and that they can help out uh when you need to make adjustments, when somebody's not meeting expectations.
• 12:04
  SPEAKER_02: They can offer some mentorship and support in that space.
• 12:10
  SPEAKER_01: These are tangible, actionable uh systems and policies that nonprofits can really implement.
• 12:17
  SPEAKER_01: But let's build upon all of these strategies that you offered.
• 12:21
  SPEAKER_01: What type of early warning signs of burnout should leaders and boards be on the watch for?
• 12:26
  SPEAKER_01: That's a great question.
• 12:28
  SPEAKER_02: So early signs of burnout can look different uh for many different people, but you might start seeing some things slip performance-wise.
• 12:39
  SPEAKER_02: Burnout employees often struggle to concentrate because they're thinking about something else.
• 12:45
  SPEAKER_02: They're making more mistakes, and they find it difficult to complete tasks that that at one point it was no problem.
• 12:51
  SPEAKER_02: It was easy.
• 12:53
  SPEAKER_02: The decline in maybe their work quality or their efficiency can be an early indicator.
• 12:58
  SPEAKER_02: Um, other indicators can be lack of energy, feeling drained, and you just hear them complain a little bit more.
• 13:05
  SPEAKER_02: So emotional exhaustion, this really manifests when you're feeling overwhelmed, when you're feeling anxious, when you're feeling depressed about something and you're just feeling the weight of the world, and you kind of have a sense of dread about it.
• 13:19
  SPEAKER_02: So those emotional exhaustion attitudes, maybe more of a cynicism towards work, towards their colleagues, towards the mission or towards or the people that you're helping, if you start to see something like that, those would be some massive indicators that somebody is burnt out.
• 13:37
  SPEAKER_02: There's other um indicators that you should also keep an eye out for that have to do with health issues.
• 13:46
  SPEAKER_02: So if you have, and and you have to be quite careful with this one, but it's good to just keep an eye out for somebody.
• 13:53
  SPEAKER_02: If they have an increase in health issues, you might be the problem.
• 13:57
  SPEAKER_02: Your org might be the problem for why they're experiencing chronic conditions.
• 14:02
  SPEAKER_02: If they have, you know, gastrointestinal problems every time they go into a meeting with you guys, then you know, maybe that might be that might be the cause.
• 14:11
  SPEAKER_02: Um, the other thing that's big is a detachment and isolation.
• 14:16
  SPEAKER_02: So avoiding social interactions and avoiding team activities, sometimes this can be a sign, but it can also further exacerbate the the feelings of the stress, uh, the feelings of the burnout.
• 14:28
  SPEAKER_02: There's a few other signs, lack of motivation, being late frequently, but I think are the biggest ones that you should look out for and be aware of, and then be ready to step in and support whoever it is.
• 14:42
  SPEAKER_02: Uh or maybe it's you, you know, if this is you, be ready to talk to somebody about it.
• 14:48
  SPEAKER_01: It's it's so spot on.
• 14:50
  SPEAKER_01: And I was listening to a podcast the other day about this is relatively a new topic, burnout.
• 14:57
  SPEAKER_01: And traditionally, it does manifest in all the ways that you mentioned, but there's new research coming out about how over functioners, these nonprofit unicorns, that there is such a thing as high functioning burnout and high functioning depression and anxiety.
• 15:15
  SPEAKER_01: And we're just learning about that.
• 15:18
  SPEAKER_01: And one way that I found interesting that it shows up is taking on all of these roles, volunteering for everything, you know, putting on the good face, putting on the good attitude.
• 15:30
  SPEAKER_01: And so we'll have to discuss this at another time, but it's really, again, reenvisioning what how we've always perceived burnout.
• 15:39
  SPEAKER_01: And I just appreciate you really naming those things.
• 15:42
  SPEAKER_01: And I think people tuning in are going to appreciate it too, because I will tell you, as a burnt out leader, none of those signs were available until after the fact.
• 15:53
  SPEAKER_01: So thanks for that, Madeline.
• 15:55
  SPEAKER_01: Okay, so before we wrap up, I wanted to close with one final question for you.
• 16:02
  SPEAKER_01: Um, we're talking so much about the traditional board and staff relationship and dynamics.
• 16:08
  SPEAKER_01: And we know this, right?
• 16:09
  SPEAKER_01: A lot of the systems within the nonprofit sector, they're set up, they serve a purpose, but we're finding that they're not always prioritizing the best interest of those of us doing the work.
• 16:22
  SPEAKER_01: And so there is a lot of need for reenvisioning and new ways of however we do things in the sector.
• 16:29
  SPEAKER_01: And so just wanting to ask you, we talked about a positive feedback loop, ways to improve our communication with the board, specific policies that we can create to ensure role alignment from the get-go and regularly.
• 16:44
  SPEAKER_01: But let's just say for some nonprofits, they've they've checked off that checklist, they've done what you've advised, but they're still struggling with their board and they're just feeling lonesome and isolated.
• 16:56
  SPEAKER_01: Looking back to your time as a nonprofit leader, are there any other types of support systems that nonprofit leaders can lean into?
• 17:05
  SPEAKER_02: I love that you asked this question because I firmly believe that we should be reaching out to other places if if we're feeling isolated, because you are not alone in this and you don't have to be alone, even if you feel like you are.
• 17:34
  SPEAKER_02: Um you get set on the right foot and then also be a bridge between you and your board if you're having issues with that.
• 17:42
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and you know, sometimes this set of expertise is not something that you can find within your organization.
• 17:48
  SPEAKER_02: You know, it's not somebody who can just volunteer for it.
• 17:51
  SPEAKER_02: And it's it might not be a big enough role that you need a full person or it's just a project.
• 17:57
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but you can access high-level skills and knowledge without the long-term commitment if you do end up looking into consultants or freelancers.
• 18:06
  SPEAKER_02: And again, that bridge building is is really a good plus.
• 18:09
  SPEAKER_02: Having a third party in the room can really help.
• 18:13
  SPEAKER_02: The other two things that I'm always just speaking well of are professional networks.
• 18:20
  SPEAKER_02: So they there are plenty in the nonprofit sector, and then also you might find some in the the for-profit sector that really align with what you're facing.
• 18:30
  SPEAKER_02: These groups they offer opportunities for learning, networking, sharing best practices, and sometimes just kind of offloading what you're dealing with.
• 18:39
  SPEAKER_02: And really, many times just somebody to talk to and who is dealing with something similar is really what you need.
• 18:46
  SPEAKER_02: So I always love to encourage memberships of these different organizations or a network.
• 18:52
  SPEAKER_02: Just one, start with one, you know, maybe an online one, but also in person can be helpful.
• 18:57
  SPEAKER_02: Access to training, conferences, resources, all sorts of support that can really help you grow and be more effective or recognize signs of burnout within yourself and help you address those and take those next steps.
• 19:11
  SPEAKER_02: Another group that I would always advise you to bring on would be some sort of advisory committee.
• 19:18
  SPEAKER_02: This might be outside of your board.
• 19:20
  SPEAKER_02: Those advisory committees can be experts in relevant fields.
• 19:26
  SPEAKER_02: They can provide some guidance and insights on specific issues, specific projects or initiatives that you are bringing up.
• 19:35
  SPEAKER_02: They can also um complement the skills of the board and the staff and really aid in the decision making and planning without being uh, again, that full-time commitment as a staff member or on the board completely.
• 19:50
  SPEAKER_02: And the last thing is just partnerships.
• 19:53
  SPEAKER_02: I love partnerships with complementary missions.
• 19:56
  SPEAKER_02: Those goals, you know, if you're both trying to achieve the same goals, try to work together in some way to create some sort of mutually beneficial partnership.
• 20:05
  SPEAKER_02: This can be other nonprofits, this can be local businesses, government agencies.
• 20:11
  SPEAKER_02: There's so many resources out there that you can really use to collaborate and provide additional support to you and to your organization.
• 20:22
  SPEAKER_01: I love all of this.
• 20:23
  SPEAKER_01: The sector is large, but it really is not that big, right?
• 20:27
  SPEAKER_01: Like we are all in this together.
• 20:29
  SPEAKER_01: We're doing hard, overwhelming work, and we really need to lean into each other more.
• 20:35
  SPEAKER_01: I, Madeline, thank you so much.
• 20:37
  SPEAKER_01: You are an incredible mentor.
• 20:39
  SPEAKER_01: I learned so much from you.
• 20:41
  SPEAKER_01: Those amazing nonprofits you're consulting are sure lucky to have you.
• 20:46
  SPEAKER_01: Before we go, where can our listeners follow you after the show?
• 20:51
  SPEAKER_02: You can find me.
• 20:53
  SPEAKER_02: I love uh being on LinkedIn.
• 20:55
  SPEAKER_02: You can find me on LinkedIn at Madeline McCoy or the Nonprofit Solution.
• 21:00
  SPEAKER_02: You can also visit our website at www.thenonprofit solution.com.
• 21:06
  SPEAKER_01: Awesome.
• 21:07
  SPEAKER_01: Well, have a beautiful summer and we're gonna stay connected.
• 21:10
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you so much, Madeline.
• 21:12
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you, Britt.
• 21:13
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you for joining us on the Nonprofit Podcast.
• 21:16
  SPEAKER_01: I hope you've left with the confidence to take a small step today that will make a big difference tomorrow.
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