NPO’s are in a unique position.
While For-Profit businesses can and often do function and make more money by skirting their values in service of profit, the value system of a Non-Profit Org is the lifeblood of the organization. For-Profit businesses can afford to pay more money for higher skills; NPO’s cannot afford this premium and rely on the goodwill and personal investment of their employees, often relying on volunteers to accomplish all the actual work.
If an NPO sacrifices its values or allows the realization of those values to slip or degrade, they will cease to exist. Because people feel it, and perceive it as a violation of their trust. Any perceived loss of trust means loss of goodwill, increase of skepticism. Even if you are true to your values, a change in direction or tone can lead to the feeling that “The org has lost the point.”
People care about values. They are motivated to go above and beyond to do things for causes and values they care about. Staff are willing to work for significantly lower pay solely because of the org’s purpose. Volunteers and donors give abundantly because the believe in the values, purpose, impact, meaning of your organization.
If you allow your values to erode; if you allow your org to “lose the point”; if you mistreat your staffers (or if your internal operations fail to reflect the values you publicly proclaim) — You will lose your org. These are harbingers of impending destruction. Loss of values will lead to…
- Loss of donations.
- Loss of volunteers.
- Loss of staff.
- Diminished community event outreach.
- Diminished community impact.
- Dwindling funds to pay staff.
- Inability of your Org to accomplish its purpose.
I am willing to work with your NPO for a reduced premium on a sliding scale. Depending on your needs and funding, I am willing to entertain Pro-Bono collaboration in exchange for an honest written and/or recorded review which I can post on my site. I love win-win-win scenarios, and this is a prime opportunity to generate transparency & “hype” around your organization’s commitments to its values, and potentially attract new volunteers and donrs.
Non-profits are close to my heart. I approach the erosion of an NPO’s values as a doctor working with an aggressive cancer. For-Profit businesses can get away with sacrificing their values for extended periods of time; NPO’s simply cannot. For-profit businesses run themselves out of operation all the time; another will take its place and offer better services with stronger values. The loss of an NPO, however, represents immediate harm to their community – especially during the times in which we live.
I will advocate for your values as though my life depended on it. I will be gentle, kind, professional – but nothing will escape the scalpel. I will speak with your board. I will speak with every staff member and key volunteers. I will reach out to staff members and long-time volunteers who have recently left your organization.
I care enough about your organization to speak uncomfortable truths.
I am not in the business of proclaiming values while allowing them to be violated. I deliver on my promises: hire me to identify the weak link in your values, the disconnect, the breaking point — I will do exactly that.
I stand upon compassion and kindness, but I am honest first. Sometimes the truth is uncomfortable. Sometimes it is hard. Sometimes it feels unfortunate and even terrifying. I do not respect titles. I will not sweep violations of your values under the rug. I will not censor my discoveries.
The integrity of your values and mission is more important than either of our finances. Some organizations turn a blind eye to sexist behavior within the structure of power; some permit bullying, abusive individuals to hold board positions or receive deferential treatment. I get it, I understand: confronting it would mean bad press, would threaten your finances, would create powerful enemies.
But allowing it? That’s an existential threat to the very purpose of your organization. And I’m here to stop that from happening. I am not afraid to call a spade a spade, cut the cancer out, and bandage the wound before it’s too late.
If you take their money, you work for them. By taking their money, you forfeit the privilege of pursuing your own values: you must fall in line with the values of your donors or leaders.
If your NPO has ever faced accusations of engaging in or enabling behaviors which are antagonistic to your Values, Mission, or Purpose; if it’s an open secret that a specific, prominent individual related to the org is a “liability” or “sometimes problematic” —
— well, that’s where I’m starting. If you cannot be transparent about the behavior, demand accountability, and require a real change in behavior…your values and your mission are doomed.
I’m here to make your values healthy, to flip the script and actually solve the problem. We’ll do it rationally. Formally. Professionally. It will be structured, and we’ll build that structure from the ground up. Perhaps you just need help you the communications and broad approach from a values perspective. Perhaps you need a vetting system for donors and board members, or a values/behavior clause, or a formal system to protect whistleblowers. I can work with you to build a repeatable template you can use when I’m long gone.
I don’t treat symptoms, I treat the disease.
General structure for NPO Engagement:
- Values Foundations: we’ll discuss your values, purpose, how you give back to the community. Current Guardrails in place. Current rules, restrictions, formally-crafted documents and guidelines.
- Values Checkup: I will interview the board, staff, and key volunteers, specifically targeting areas of weakness or opportunity. (Of course, we’ll discuss strengths…but you didn’t hire me merely to celebrate your strengths.).
- Result Validation: Findings will be presented to stakeholders (the board, staff, key volunteers) for an opportunity to validate, update, and add context as needed. I may run a few more checkup tests to go deeper and collect better feedback and begin crafting our solutions.
- Operation Plan: I will deliver my recommendations to stakeholders. We will collaborate on the most appropriate and immediate ways to create movement towards these goals.