Category Archives: JBA News & Notes

Volunteers: Love’em … Or, Well, Love’em!

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By John Marshall
Senior Vice President

We all have stories about favorite volunteers we have enjoyed over the years, and possibly some not so flattering recollections to share about those who might have made our jobs just a bit more challenging. Regardless, I think we all can agree that volunteers are absolutely indispensable human resources and can play an enormous role in the success of our organization.

A few years ago, I found a really terrific article written by none other than Erma Bombeck who shared her thoughts about what life in our country would be like if volunteerism did not exist. Listen to what she says in her article, “Without Volunteers, a Lost Civilization”:

“I had a dream the other night that every volunteer in this country, disillusioned with the lack of compassion, has set sail for another country. As I stood smiling on the pier, I shouted: ‘Good-bye, creamed chicken. Good-bye phone committees. So long Disease-of-the-Month. No more saving old egg cartons. No more getting out the vote. Au revoir, playground duty, bake sales and three hour meetings.’

As the boat got smaller and they could no longer hear my shouts, I reflected, ‘Serves them right. A bunch of yes people. All they had to do was to put their tongue firmly against the roof of their mouth and make an O sound. Nnnnoooo. Nnnnooo. No! It would certainly have spared them a lot of grief. Oh well, who needs them!’

The hospital was quiet when I passed it. Rooms were void of books, flowers and cheerful voices. The children’s wing held no clowns…no laughter. The reception desk was vacant. The health agencies had a sign in the window, ‘Cures for cancer, muscular dystrophy, birth defects, multiple sclerosis, heart diseases, etc., have been canceled due to lack of interest.’

The flowers on church altars withered and died. Children in day nurseries lifted their arms but there was no one to hold them in love. But the saddest part of the journey was the symphony hall, which was dark and would remain that way. So were the museums that had been built and stocked by volunteers with the art treasures of our times.

I fought in my sleep to regain a glimpse of the ship of volunteers just one more time. It was to be my last glimpse of civilization … as we were meant to be.”

I have been tremendously blessed throughout my career in having been associated with charitable organizations which were wonderfully “civilized” places due to the wealth of good friends who helped them become the warm and friendly place they had been for so many years. I always thanked God for the hundreds of volunteers who gave so freely of their time talent and treasure, doing so with little expectation of anything in return other than having the satisfaction of helping others.

There is no question that in addition to being a wonderfully rewarding experience, making certain that volunteers are both being fulfilled and accomplishing their volunteer tasks can often be like walking a tightrope: One must possess a great sense of balance. Some volunteers require little supervision, doing their jobs quietly and efficiently, while others can be more needy, requiring extra time and attention.

I firmly believe that the key to success when working with volunteers is in there being the presence of very clear EXPECTATIONS…..by volunteers of staff and by staff of volunteers. Let’s review a few of these expectations:

Volunteers will expect the Staff to:

  • Know the nonprofit and philanthropic business as a professional
  • Provide them with support and supervision
  • Assist them in making appropriate contacts and delivering appropriate messages
  • Recognize that work cannot be accomplished without them!
  • Represent your organization in a positive manner

Staff should expect Volunteers to:

  • Be dedicated and to fulfill their commitments
  • Work and expect that volunteers will complete their assigned tasks
  • Provide access, information and insight…..they can be terrific “door openers”
  • Be in attendance, to “show up”
  • Exhibit enthusiasm and passion in being a part of a solution
  • Develop a sense of loyalty to your organization and its mission and purpose

Lastly, don’t forget that you have many obligations to your volunteers:

  • Empower them
  • Lead while appearing to follow
  • Provide opportunities for meaningful work
  • Provide appropriate information so that Volunteers can do their jobs well
  • Provide adequate orientation and training
  • Provide a thorough job description
  • Conduct performance evaluations….Volunteers do want to know how they performed
  • Provide them with feedback
  • Provide appropriate and frequent appreciation and recognition

 I’m hoping that after you read Ms. Bombeck’s article you will bestow a great big hug on the next volunteer you come across. Lord knows, they deserve it.  And, I will bet you a buck that they will be most appreciative. Just Love ‘Em!

“BEWARE” Hiring an Unethical Fundraising Consulting Firm Can Cost You Your Reputation and Results

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Recently it came to my attention that a competitor was misrepresenting their firm to potential clients. I was appalled by the allegation, and I asked what this consulting firm doing that caused alarm.

I was told that the consulting firm was claiming victories for clients who were, in fact, not their clients. I was also told that the firm engaged in “bait and switch”. That’s where the principals of the firm “promise” that they will be the consultant for the project, but as soon as they are engaged, they place “junior” consultants into the client relationship while charging the same price. Lastly, I was told that the firm identified individuals as references, but that these individuals had never been asked for their permission to do so.

Fundraising consultants and consulting firms too often get a “bad” rap for such things as charging outrageous prices; poor attention to detail and the inability to perform for the client. These are avoidable if the consultant and consulting firm are paid value for their experience(s) and appropriately invest the time needed to achieve success; plan properly before and after a consulting engagement; and work diligently with the client in providing innovative, creative and proven strategies that have worked before. And you can be certain that the price we have quoted for our services will remain at that level.

Jeffrey Byrne & Associates has provided the non-profit sector with quality for the past 12 years. During that time, we’ve represented our clients and engagements to the public in an open forum, always careful in representing our achievements factually and careful to share successes about our clients. We believe in the old saying “what you see is what you get”, which is to say that whoever we are putting forth to serve as assigned counsel is the consultant who will see the project from start to finish. And, you can be certain that there will be no “adding on” to our costs; whatever amount was set for the agreed upon services, it remains the same.

Lastly, we are proud of our past relationships with nonprofit executives, directors of development, donors, and volunteers, and are respectful of those relationships by seeking their permission when addressing successes that occurred as a result of our partnership.

Here are some “best practices” if you are considering interviewing and hiring a fundraising consultant.

Choose someone who…

•       Understands client readiness for input

•       Assures client capacity to sustain results

•       Can redefine the problem in innovative ways

•       Customizes tools to client’s specific needs

•       Is a trailblazer in their chosen field

•       Doesn’t just know the state of the art, but is the state of the art

Finally, Jeffrey Byrne & Associates is the only Missouri and Kansas firm that has been vetted extensively for membership into the Giving Institute, the nation’s oldest and most respected association for fundraising consulting firms. For the Giving Institute’s ethical guidelines for fundraising consulting firms, go to www.givinginstitute.org.

Click here to link to a PDF of “Fundamentals of Hiring a Fundraising Consultant”. This one-page guide will give you the basics and tell you what a consultant will expect from you and your staff as well.

Life aside, art imitates our economy

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By JEFFREY BYRNE

Only a handful of performing arts centers have opened in recent years across the country. Last fall the $366 million Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts debuted in Kansas City, Missouri with back-to-back sold out performances.  An early pledge over $100 million through Julia Kauffman contributed to fulfill her mother Muriel’s original vision.

Two months later Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art opened in Bentonville, Arkansas. The last time a museum opened with this caliber of an American art collection was a half century ago. Once again the money came from private sources, namely Alice Walton, heiress to the Walmart fortune, who funded the museum and its acquisitions, Walmart, which is sponsoring free admission for the foreseeable future and the Walton Family Foundation, which endowed $800 million—the largest cash donation on record to a U.S. art museum.

What is even more remarkable than the theater and museum being constructed during a recession and opening in cities many in the art circle consider the most unlikely of places is the fact that the arts are being funded again. Life aside, art imitates our economy.

According to the Giving USA™’s report on 2011 charitable donations, overall giving increased for a second year in a row. Giving USA estimates total donations at $298.42 billion in 2011, reflecting similar gains across the economy. The numbers represent a 4 percent growth in current dollars and .9% in inflation-adjusted dollars. Giving USA categorizes charities into 10 sectors. All but two sectors, religion and foundations, experienced gains.

“America’s charities have been traveling down a very rocky road in recent years, as evidenced by the data in our annual estimates and reports from those working in the field,” said Jim Yunker, Ed.D., chair of Giving USA Foundation™. “Our Board members are cognizant of that reality but also see a bright spot–charitable giving, like other spending categories in the average American household budget, seems to be climbing out of the trough that resulted from the Great Recession, much like some other indicators measuring the state of the economy.”

Traditionally patrons of the arts are high net worth individuals and Kauffman and Walton could arguably epitomize the definition of high net worth. Granted the Kauffman Center and Crystal Bridges are extreme examples. Of course economic hardships do not impact the wealthy’s daily lives like they affect most of us, not even close. However, a recent study shows we regular folk have something in common with high net worth families when it comes to charitable giving.

The 2010 Bank of America Merrill Lynch Study of High Net Worth Philanthropy, which tracks shifts and trends in the giving behaviors of our nation’s wealthiest donors, revealed that economic uncertainty affects their financial decisions too. The study found 71.2 percent of wealthy households report they give when they feel financially secure.

Charitable donations overall took a double digit hit from 2007 to 2009. Service-based organizations were stretched to the breaking point just to provide basic essentials as demand skyrocketed. Funding the arts seems frivolous when people are losing their homes and livelihoods in record numbers.

Giving to arts, culture and humanities, the least funded philanthropic sector during a recession, increased 4.1 percent in 2011. Research at the Center of Philanthropy at Indiana University also suggests a correlation between charitable giving and the economy. In an abstract way the Kauffman Center, Crystal Bridges and the estimated $13.12 billion donated to the arts last year signals a stabilizing economy and better times right around the corner for the 99% living on Main Street.

Jeffrey Byrne is Founder & CEO of Jeffrey Byrne & Associates. Since 2000 his firm has assisted nonprofits across the U.S. in raising nearly one billion dollars. Jeffrey is a thought leader in philanthropy and his firm is a member of Giving USA, the fundraising and philanthropic arm of the Giving Institute:  Leading Consultants to Nonprofits where he is Second Vice Chair. 

 

 

The Powerball Winner: Sharing in Good Fortune

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By Jennifer Furla
Executive Vice President

Recently, a convenience store customer in Minnesota won the Powerball – at $229 million. While the lucky winner had not yet revealed himself, accompanying the story was the ubiquitous security cam picture of the transaction that suggests it was a 30-something male. The winner has one year to present him/herself and can take the winnings in installments over a 30-year period, or take a lump sum of $123 million.

As fundraisers, we often dream of finding that lottery winner among our donor prospect pool. With strong values of giving, I suspect that many of us dream of what we would do if we were to purchase that winning ticket? In our house, we’ve talked about it as a family. Give to our favorite causes. In my case, possibly help complete a campaign goal for a lucky client?

For this week’s winner, $123 million after taxes — even invested in simple CDs at 1.55% — will generate some $600,000-plus per year.

I met a lottery winner not long ago. Sitting on the wharf outside our hotel for the Giving Institute and International AFP Conference in Baltimore, I struck up a conversation with a gentleman who sidled up to me with his family, all dressed in matching athletic suits. Turns out they were in town for the man to receive medical treatment for a highly complex medical condition at Johns Hopkins University.

He talked about winning $150 million in the Canadian Lottery. He was from Ottawa, on the western side of the country and was among the First Nations peoples of Canada – the native, aboriginal peoples, akin to the American Indian.

He talked about how it changed his life and his family’s. In Canada, he said, all winnings are immediately paid out, lump sum and tax free to the winner. He purchased a new home for his family. He paid to fix up the homes of near relatives. Of course, took a couple of once-in-a-lifetime, memory-making trips (to Disneyworld in Orlando, if I recall correctly). His good fortune was paying for the trip and treatment at Johns Hopkins.

Then there was charity. He built schools for the children of his Indian Nation and endowed those schools so they could maintain the new buildings and populate them with programs and staff. He established a Trust that will provide scholarships for the youth of the Nation. He made a large gift to the Tribal Council to help families in need.

At the hotel, he became interested in another conference that was taking place there – for families of children of autism. “How could he help, he asked?” He understood what was “enough” for his family and him and wanted to share his good fortune.

I do not know if the connections he made that day resulted in support for the autism group, but can only imagine the number of causes this man and his family have since sought to help – and will in the future. For us in the profession, this lottery winner serves as an example of unselfish philanthropy – love of brother.

As my son would say, “Now, those are real heroes. People like that.”