The Invisible Mentor

Posts Tagged ‘Non-profit organization’

Thank you for being you, and thank you for reading my blog. In life we take too many things for granted, and get caught up in the busyness of our lives. I am trying to be more intentional about saying thanks, and letting others know that I care about them. Is there someone who you have been thinking of giving a call to? Why not take a few minutes and make the call now.

For my undergraduate degree, I attended the University of Calgary, and they had an alumni event this evening in Toronto at the National Club. The guest speaker was Johann Olav Koss, President of Right to Play a non-profit organization that uses “use sport and play programs to improve health, develop life skills, and foster peace among children and communities.”

If you cannot view the YouTube video of I Believe in You click here

It was an inspirational and very uplifting evening. Johann shared an experience he had at 11 years old when he told his grandmother that he was going to become a doctor like his parents and win medals for speed skating. His grandmother told him that he could accomplish anything that he wanted, and that if he intended to do so many things he should eat his food. He wasn’t particularly good in school, though he was good in science, and he wasn’t good at speed skating. Despite that, he accomplished those goals because someone important to him believed in him. He became a doctor, and he has won five Olympic medals in speed skating. Do you support the important people in your life? Imagine what a difference it would make in your world if someone believed in you. I BELIEVE IN YOU, so go climb your Mt. Everest because I know that you can do it.

If you cannot view the YouTube video of I Believe in You (Lion King) click here

Let’s keep the conversation flowing, please let me know your thoughts in the comments section below. Many readers read this blog from other sites, so why don’t you pop over to The Invisible Mentor and subscribe (top on the left side) by email or RSS Feed. I created a Mini Learning Toolkit and you can grab a copy by clicking here.

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

YouTube videos via Apture

Mistakes are a way of life, but the trick is to learn from them. Here are two mistakes that I made that you can learn from.

Mistake I

I allowed people to talk me into putting their needs ahead of mine because I did not really value what I had to offer. If I did not value what I had to offer, why would anyone value it? Because I did not place a value on what I had to offer, I worked for much less than I deserved based on my experience and the quality of my service. I never trusted that if I said no others would say yes.

Lesson I

• We all have skills and much to offer, so do not devalue what you have to offer to please clients
• Trust that if you set your price based on your skills and experience and your service is in demand, you will never go hungry
• People mirror you and treat you the way you treat yourself

Mistake II

A few years ago I secured a new not-for-profit client in the educational sector. We had a few meetings and they told me that if I discounted my fees I would be getting a lot of work from them. I discounted my prices and got a few small projects from them. When they had a large research project, which would have made working at a discounted price worthwhile, they did not tell me about it, but instead hired one of the large research firms. I found out by accident and it did not make me feel very good about myself.

Lesson II

1. If a new client asks you to discount your fees, thank them for their faith in you and let them know that for the first few projects you will keep your prices, but for subsequent projects you are open to negotiating a special pricing
2. As a professional it is very important not to devalue your services if you want to keep your reputation intact, especially when you cater to a certain level of clientele. It is better not to be in a situation where you have to explain to Client A why Client B got a discount

In June 2006, I interviewed Jeanne Moffat who had worked in the non-profit sector in varying capacities for many years. For those who may be interested in working in that sector, you will glean a few insights from Jeanne.

What is it like working in the non-profit sector?

Working in the Non-Profit sector allows me to earn my salary doing what my personal values call forth from me! I can work with passionate people who care about the health and welfare of people and the environment. I can forget about the push for profit above all else, and can apply my skills and experience to advocating for and helping to solve some of society’s most pressing issues. I can feel good about making a positive contribution to the global community.

How can someone enter the sector?

Entering the non-profit sector happens through several doors–volunteering with community groups in numerous ways, joining advocacy campaigns pushing for more progressive public policies, attending public conferences and debates on matters of interest to the global community and meeting people of like concern, and working for a salary in a non-profit organization.

In order to “work for a salary”, one must go through the same hoops as required for any job placement–applications, resumes, interviews, negotiations, evaluations. Every non-profit organization is looking for highly qualified and experienced people, but most non-profits will not be able to pay the same level of salaries that would be offered for similar positions in the for-profit world. That is a reality that one must accept before applying for a position. However, the benefit packages are often good and there is a definite upside in knowing you are working to enhance the lives of people all over the world–and that is a benefit that cannot be found in every workplace!

What workplace lessons have you learned over the years working in the non-profit sector?

I have learned that committed people who want to save the world (and there is a high concentration of these people in the non-profit sector) are in a very high-risk category for burnout. “To burn out you must first have a fire in your belly” is a quote I remember from my research on burnout. It is hard for idealistic, committed people to say “no” to issues and concerns, and so more work gets taken on, and on and on it goes, building toward an impossible workload, with often little recognition or affirmation. Organizational support for breaks or sabbaticals are few and far between, and few non-profits can afford to hire “human resource managers” who might insist on more supports for staff.

Caring and experienced managers who approach management from a human resource perspective, i.e., that people are the organization’s greatest assets, are needed in the non-profit sector. Taking care of the people who are trying to take care of the world’s problems is one of the key organizational challenges for the non-profit sector.

What life lessons have your learned?

I have learned that it is possible to find solutions for even the most intractable problems–by listening, by leading with a fair and transparent approach, by being open to new ideas and ways of handling situations, and by affirming people as often as possible. That is how I would like to live and to be treated in any setting in which I find myself!

Related Post

Ambeck Edge June 2006

Interview With Claire Stoddard, World of Work Marketing

I interviewed Claire Stoddard over three years ago by email for the June 2006 issue of Ambeck Edge. I am finding that the interviews that I conducted years ago are still very relevant because we will alsways have challenges and need ideas on how to resolve them.

Challenge: I actually enjoy business challenges. I find that the issue is not resolving them, but finding the very best solution. The process it takes to find a perfect answer has two parts. The first part can be described in two little words – Due Diligence, Due Diligence, Due Diligence.

A case in point. One of my clients is a large, multinational, nonprofit, membership-based legal association that was experiencing an ongoing communications problem with their members, all of whom are senior lawyers. Although the organization sponsors three membership meetings a year and sends out numerous emails updating members on events, there were consistent complaints that members were unaware of new products and services. Even board members seemed to be in the dark.

Many of their problems stemmed from inconsistent, sometimes poorly written communications with members. Some months emails went out fast and furious and overlapped each other. Other months there would be very little communication. It was hard for members to keep up on new products and services and membership benefits were seldom emphasized.

Solution: After meeting with senior managers about the problem, I recommended a branded email marketing campaign with online links to their web site, distributed to members once a month, with reminders of member benefits. This meant creating an electronic template for an eNewsletter. But who would help create the electronics of the email campaign?

First I turned to two web designers, both of whom offered design capabilities, but not distribution. It didn’t seem like the perfect package. Then lo and behold I received a notice of an event sponsored by the American Marketing Association, featuring a service provider that specialized in email campaigns. I attended and not only learned a great deal from the presentation but asked the vendor for a proposal. The proposal was excellent and I thought I was set. However, unexpectedly, a competitive email service provider was recommended. I was tempted to cut off the search since I had already expended a lot of time, but I thought it was better to explore every reasonable option. It turned out that the second service provider not only had an excellent product, but experience with non-profit organizations. I recommended them to my client and a contract was drawn and signed.

Almost immediately there was a legal glitch that needed to be resolved and a resulting delay. A new contract had to be signed. I considered switching service providers. And now here is the second part of the necessary process of resolving business challenges. After you have done all the due diligence you can – sometimes you have to trust your gut.

My instinct told me that I had the best solution. Even though the people involved were changing, the product offered enormous potential for my client. I stuck it out and arranged for a second contract to be signed. From then on, everything worked perfectly. The new people are honest, forthright, and extremely customer service oriented. The product, indeed, is perfect. Members are starting to feel more connected and aware of the benefits their membership provides. And, best of all, I now have a second customer signed up for an email marketing campaign.

Lessons Learned: The learning process for me was extraordinary, providing me with a new skill set, which in turn benefits my clients. It has proven to be a highly successful project which can be replicated many times.

Formula For Success

So, what is the formula for success you might ask? In my opinion, it’s those two little words, Due Diligence, Due Diligence, Due Diligence, along with a liberal dose of well-informed instinct.

Have you ever faced similar challenges? How did you resolve them? What kinds of lessons did you learn in the process? How can you learn from Claire’s experience?

Excerpt Ambeck Edge June 2006