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:)
To help spawn a little creativity, I put together some ideas and resources on ways to be more creative in 2011.
Read MoreThe next post in my dream-making series is going to be about "things to do before you launch." I know that the path from point A to point B varies from idea to idea - what's the right path for a restaurant might not be the right path for a rock band. I have a variety of obsessions beyond lists and planning, and blogging is among them. Right now I maintain four blogs of my own (Strong Boards, The Humanist Experience, our Wedding Blog, and this one right here), have one in the works (TBA), and I write for two other blogs as well. (The Cud and Altered Esthetics.) Blogging might seem less traditionally creative than say, painting or sculpting - but I love the art of putting together arguably interesting, helpful or entertaining content and sharing it with the world. Since I've been done with school my energy for writing is coming back quite a bit, and it's manifested itself in this way.
All work and no play makes homer something something... so I'm curious... what's your obsession, hobby, or passion?
When I imagine it in my mind, I think that’s what the “real world” smells like: concrete, rain and piss.
Read MoreI can't remember when I started going to church; I only remember always having a lingering fear of hell and doing whatever I could to avoid that fate. I went to a Christian elementary school. In addition to quite a bit of bible reading at home and at church, I also read in school - of course. At some point I read about J.C. baptizing people in the water and from what I understood, not being baptized would prevent me from entrance into heaven.
I was terrified.
I had no idea that something else could cause me a hellish fate or block me from heaven, so I immediately asked my father if I could be baptized. He was very proud and signed me up for the classes that led up to a baptism event at my school/church.
I was the youngest person in the class by far - 8 years old I believe at the time. We were given little books and had to meet weekly for a few months in order to understand what baptism was all about. I remember little about the studies, but I remember the baptism itself and being terrified during the weeks leading up to it. What if I died before I was baptized? As far as I was concerned, you couldn't baptize me quickly enough!
The weeks of the workshop finally passed, and my baptismal time had come. I wish I had pictures of the church to share - the narrow hallways and hidden areas of my church/school are ingrained in my mind and I still dream about the areas I knew, as well as discovering new areas.
We lined up in a narrow hallway during a regular church service. At some point throughout the sermon we would be escorted out in front of the audience and baptized one by one (after answering properly if we accepted J.C. into our hearts.) I remember wearing a white robe that was much too large for me and stepping down the narrow stairs into the warm baptismal water. As my turn approached, the pastor (seeming to speak both to me and not to me) asked me my question and I answered as I believed. He gently leaned me backwards, submerging my body as I squeezed my nose tightly with my fingers to keep out the water.
As the warm, thick water lapped up to my forehead I felt a still sense of relief - but the internal fireworks I expected never came.
I later learned I was christened when I was a baby. The bible I used for much of my childhood was given to me by my godparents on the day of my christening. My second childhood baptism would still have been a great experience and all, but at least I didn't have to be terrified of going to hell in the event of a prematurely young death.
Hindsight being 20/20, it's a bit sad that my young self lived a good chunk of her life in constant fear of so many things. I'd say I'm doing much better now - and mostly I am - but I still occasionally get the heebie-jeebies and run quickly up the stairs when i turn out the lights for bed. I never *really* now what's in the darkness behind me...
When I was much younger, I used to believe that prayer literally placed a group in the presence of god. I think that belief was inspired by the verse about "Where two or more are gathered in prayer..." Matthew 18:20 (New International Version) For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”
While the pastor prayed in church or when my family prayed before dinner, I would squeeze my eyes so tight! I imagined we were instantly transported to heaven, where we were safely in the presence of god. "No harm could come to anybody while praying," I thought.
Little by little, I began to unclench my eyelids as the people around me prayed - peeking slightly at first - to catch a glimpse of heaven.
To my surprise and eventual amusement, I noticed I was still in the church... and so was everybody else, too.
I don't go to church anymore, but my family still prays before meals. Occasionally I will see people open their eyes while everybody else is praying. If they catch my gaze I will smile at them. It's okay - we're all still in the room.
In honor of thanksgiving, here's a few personal photos that always make me smile and remind me of a few of the many things I have to be grateful for.
Adorable beasties,
three beautiful and talented (yet fun and goofy) nieces,
chickens with feathery feet,
a wonderful fiance who has spent a lifetime being kickass,
Ae friends that always make me laugh,
a great job with the BEST coworkers,
fantastic friends, rock band, and costumes,
aaaand last but certainly not least... an amazing / amazingly hysterical family -
that I get to see in LESS THAN ONE MONTH!
Happy Turkey-or-not-to-to-Turkey day, everybody!!! :)
Do you have any goofy or wonderful pictures you can't see without cracking a smile? I'd love to see them! Share some in the comments below.
———We are the music makers,
we are the dreamers of dreams
- Willy Wonka.
Some people disregard their own ideas. "I'm not that ambitious" or "I don't have what it takes to get ____ going."
I'm not sure why people are often so down on themselves - sometimes that's the biggest hurdle to get over. I sincerely think everybody has it within them to do great things, people just need to find that thing they are most motivated to do. Some of the best advice I've heard to date: "Life's not about finding yourself, it's about creating yourself." How's that for empowerment?!
With that - here are 10 tips to get your great idea off to a great start by putting some padding around the concept and fleshing out some of the details. I hope this is helpful!
Tip #1 - Brainstorm thoughts and ideas around what you want to do.
What you see above you is from a notebook of mine from almost 10 years ago. It was a page for brainstorming an exhibition about water. (The "brain" is storming... get it?? wah-wah.) I wanted to curate a show that dealt with water as a visual and contextual concept.
Do you hope to start a doggy day-care? A cooking show? Start brainstorming! Maybe you want to have a home brewery that only uses local hops, or a doggy day-care that also has obedience training built in. Let your mind wander and explore different avenues as you write, doodle, type and brainstorm in whatever way you feel most comfortable and least inhibited.
A warning: if you are easily affected by the opinions of others, take care when letting anybody in on this part of your creative process. If you're open to collaboration and not easily discouraged, have at it - some good ideas may come from the mix. If not, proceed with some caution. This is for obvious reasons, but also from personal experience. Upon seeing my "brain" storm, a friend of mine asked what I was drawing, so I shared with him my idea: an art show, in a warehouse building, with lots of sculptures and paintings by water, about water, with water! His response? "I'll believe it when I see it." Whaaaaaaaaat? I knew that I wasn't a slacker and was a very hard worker - but the discouragement from somebody so close to me was very disheartening at the time. Don't worry, I recovered. But at the time - I had absolutely no idea how to do it and was taken aback. I had no way of knowing that 10 years later, I would have curated over 50 shows along with an amazing group of people through Altered Esthetics. You never know where life will take you, so don't let "what ifs" hold up your creative process at this point.
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Tip #2 - Do your research.
Google is your friend, so become very comfortable with it. Check out the interwebs when doing research for your idea. Is anybody already doing the same thing? Would you have a niche in the market? Is there a need or even a want for the thing you want to do? Five minutes of research may save you weeks of headache in the future. Plus, you might even be inspired or encouraged to see other folks doing similar things in other areas - but not in your own city.
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Tip #3 - Brainstorm what your great idea will look like
You've brainstormed what your great idea would be - but what would it look like? And by this I mean - the brick and mortar concept of it. (Or, website structure, if it's an idea you have for something online.)
Will you need employees? Would you need a building with a source of water nearby? Does it have various components? When I started Ae, I also thought I would have studio space to do my own work. The gallery component became the more consuming component, but having a few related-but-not-mutually-exclusive ideas was helpful when trying things out and seeing what would stick. Think about what your idea would actually look like concretely, and that will help guide you as you begin.
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Tip #4 - Make a list of your resources.
I like this step - make a list of all the resources you have. You probably have more than you realize! And I mean - list EVERYTHING you think of that could possibly be helpful to get your project started.
These things might not seem like much at first... after all, you already have them - but if you didn't, you'd have to get or develop them. Consider them things already crossed off your to do list!
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Tip #5 - Make a list of resources you need.
This will go hand in hand to the other list. Jot things down here you think you might need. Did you get your little notebook or whatever organization tool you want? Does your digital camera need a new battery? Are you out of ink and paper?
Will you need to rent a space, or can you start from home? Do you need a brewery system? Do you need a private jet? (Can I come?)
If you know rough costs, include those estimates in as you go. If you move forward to creating a business plan, you'll tie some of these items to a budget and plan accordingly. For now, consider this your wish list - everything you'd possibly need to make it work.
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Tip #6 - Make a list of contacts.
Resources of a different, more personable kind. :) Who do you know that can give you sound advice? Has anybody in your family started their own business already and seems to be doing a good job of it? (Did anybody you know fail, and may have poignant advice?)
What organizations are out there that can help you? Do you have a local business association? Does your local chamber of commerce give courses in starting a business? Make a list of people you know that could be helpful and another list of places and people you need to meet or go.
In Minnesota, we're lucky to have quite a few good organizations and resources for folks starting a business:
Point being - there are TONS of resources out there to help you, more than ever before. You just have to take the time to look for them, find the right ones, and connect.
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Tip #7 - Make a rough time line.
Okay so - how long is this idea going to take, really? Map out a rough guess in your time line.
For example, if you're starting a nonprofit, be aware that the processing for nonprofit applications can take as long as a year. However, that doesn't mean you necessarily need to hold up the rest of the process. Figure out when you can do what - especially if you're juggling this work around another job. When should you get your website up? When should you register your business? Maybe you need a special license before starting. Making a rough time line will help you meet deadlines and stay on track. It will also keep you from missing important registration deadlines and/or seminars, if you've got those things on your list to do.
———
I'm better with spreadsheets than I am with drawing, but it still helps me to get ideas down on paper.
Tip #8 - Take a long hard look at yourself: what are your strengths and weaknesses?
I mentioned in my last post that my mentor told me “great leaders aren’t people that can do everything – great leaders know their weaknesses well and put in place people that can make their team complete.” After putting this in place in several instances myself, I couldn't agree more.
Do you procrastinate? Do you have a learning disability? There are tools, people to help, and online resources too. If you lack funds and that's an area to address, there are even ways to do things without a serious amount of investment capital. (You just have to start smaller and work your way up.)
Build up your weak areas as much as possible, and elicit help as needed. Mainly - just keep an eye out for areas you know you struggle with. If you're horrifyingly bad at accounting, maybe the first person you wind up hiring is somebody to help with the books. But make that list RIGHT NOW before you really get things going; if you're most aware of your weaknesses, they should never consume you.
And don't sell yourself short on the "strengths" part, either! Maybe you're fantastic with web development and have a knack for social networking. Use your strengths to your advantage (and keep the list of resources you made in mind when you do this!)
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Tip #9 - Make a list of action items
Tied in with your timeline, what are you action items or the things on your to-do list. This is YOUR project, nobody is going to move it for you. What do you need to do to get it going?
Once you have your list, keep referring to it periodically and adding things as necessary as you move forward. I myself keep a larger master long-term list and make new, smaller lists weekly. Just keep your momentum going!
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Tip #10 - Daydream
So... beyond brainstorming, what if your business takes off? What if? Let's let the mind wander for a bit here...
What is the WORST possible thing that could happen? I'm guessing the odds are that the payoff might be big, and failure could be minimized. Unless your dream is to start a D.I.Y. science lab and your idea LITERALLY explodes before you, odds are good nobody will lose their homes or die because your idea didn't come to fruition (or took a wrong turn.) So... don't be scared to put in the effort.
What is the BEST possible scenario that could happen? Could maybe make a living from doing what you love someday? Could you create jobs for other people when new jobs are sorely needed? Could you invent the next post-it note? Could you create a sustainable resource for the community? Could you have thousands of kitchens across the world cooking YOUR recipes?
If you limit yourself for any reason, don't let it be because of fear. "Nobody ever died from failure." Your great idea is worth the best shot you can give it, so go for the gusto!
———
So! There you be. 10 tips to get your idea off to a powerful start.
Those of you that are in the midst of pursuing your dream, I'm curious: what was something you did early on that was invaluable? Did you get insight from a family member? Is there some sort of story you would like to share? Please share your thoughts in the comments below!
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This post is part of an ongoing series. The first post, "Ten suggestions for keeping your sanity while pursuing your dream" can be found at: www.purenoumena.org/blog/?p=2620.
A recent post on the rationalist blog discusses the fact that "the minority that suffers the highest level of open discrimination is atheists." The article can be found on the Rationalists Blog I think this, like discrimination against any race, gender, or persuasion, is inexcusable. It's for this reason (and many others) I want to be more transparent about my own agnosticism/humanism, the path that led me to it. The internet has become a haven for atheist thoughts and discussions. I think if we had more communities IRL, the results could be incredible. I think the atheist and agnostic communities haven't done enough with nurturing positive perceptions. The loudest atheists (though intelligent) are often the most abrasive and alienating. Many agnostics and atheists aren't looking to wage intellectual wars or battles. Like myself, we simply want a community in which to feel accepted, a positive environment to share with our friends and families. (Even and especially if we've been ostracized from our own as a result of our religion, or lack thereof.)
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Read MoreHi! So, over the past few weeks (in addition to galavanting around Minnesota with my cousin Rosie) I've been doing a bit of bloggy structure updating.
I created a new blog for my nonprofit research that can be found at strongboards.org.
I made a blog for our wedding plans and preparations that can be found at nj-jme.com.
The Altered Esthetics blog has been located at alteredesthetics.blogspot.com for some time now (though at some point in the future it will have it's own domain also.)
Moving forward, this blog will go back to being a personal blog. Consider it a "philosopher's den" in which I will write about my travels, thoughts, art and beer.
I leave you with this video... pretty much the reason I became a philosophy major. (only kidding...maybe?)
Until next time!
So... I’m only two months late getting to my thesis “grand finale” blog post. That’s pretty horrible... all work and no blog makes J-me something something. -
Here’s a brief recap, since it’s been so long:
1) Nonprofits, especially small nonprofits, are facing hardships. 2) The traditional hierarchical model doesn’t cut it. It can leave volunteers and board members feeling disengaged and disempowered. 3) However - people keep retreating to tradition. The nonprofit industry is by no means perfect, nor is it’s traditional structure, either. 4) We need:
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And now we come to my call:
More organizations need to move to role based, non-hierarchical shared-power board models.
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I believe strongly effective boards will have the following characteristics:
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I posit that strong, role-based boards
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The following myths are still prevalent in the nonprofit community:
-------Neighborhood organizations, cooperatives and collaboratives disprove this continually.
-------*The board* as a governing body is by default accountable! You can operate a nonprofit without paid staff forever, but you MUST have a board.
-------Apache/ Apache. Napster. Amazon - to name but a few.
-------People join an organization because they are drawn to it’s mission. If they aren’t in sync with a mission, why would they join? If they don’t want to engage - why would you want them to join?
-------Individual and committee autonomy for board is often more efficient than running things through a strict hierarchy or bureaucracy.
-------The definition of insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Communities change and evolve; nonprofit services and programs should flex and flux as well.
-------Not if you bring to the board bad habits or a fear of innovation and experimentation. Sometimes green is keen, especially when it comes to fresh ideas and energy from board members! -
In my experience implementing them, I’ve had the following results with Role-Based boards:
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A General Role-Based Board
Though specifics will vary from nonprofit to nonprofit, the following roles seem to be generally needed across the spectrum.
Board Chair: more of a “project manager” than default boss. Helps guide board members, rather than instruct them. Makes sure resources are allocated appropriately.
Secretary: traditional. Manages corporate documents, tracks minutes and agendas. Maintains and updates board role descriptions.
Treasurer: traditional. Helps maintain fiscal transparency and accountability. Contributes to universal board understanding of accounting practices and procedures.
Communications director: A board position dedicated to being the voice and press liaison for the organization.
Client Liaison: While most board members are focusing on the nuts and bolts of the organization, one person remains a continual and constant touch point for those being served.
Development Director: All board members should have some role in fundraising. This person oversees and plans for annual development procedures, such as overseeing a fall appeal, outgoing grants, reports, etc.
Program Services: Depending on the extent and variety of services, a person to oversee the continuity and integrity of that which an organization provides.
Volunteer/Board Recruitment: A person on the board dedicated to tracking the board role tenure list, recruiting board members and volunteers, volunteer and board orientation and training.
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Recommended Default Committees (all with open enrollment)
I presented the preceding and above information last Friday at the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits’ Annual conference, along with two case studies. To my delight, the presentation was very well received. I’ve embedded a copy of the powerpoint below.
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Realizing my personal blog is being continually sprinkled with may-or-may-not-be-boring nonprofit research, I’ve started a different blog where that can live self-contained.
Feel free to visit (or welcome, if you’re here): strongboards.org
Camped this weekend at Willow River State park. Barely an hour away from the Twin Cities, this was a beautiful place to get away for the weekend (and good for a group camping trip, too.)
We arrived late Friday night and woke up early on Saturday. The deer checked out of the campsite next to us a few hours into the morning, well in time for Britt and Sarah to safely set up their tents.
Later that morning we took a really long morning hike to the falls and all around the park.
The falls were crazy from all the rain we had last week.
We walked up the Many Stairs to get a view from the top.
Wisconsin = gorgeous.
As we walked through the fields in the park, tons of these little guys were fluttering around by the flowers.
Beautiful wildflowers...
super cute caterpillars...
chipmunks...
and we also found Tim Burton's garden. :) (I still have no idea what this is. Any help?)
Here is the view from behind the damn. The water is much higher than it usually is.
When the others arrived, they set up tent and we walked back to the falls.
You can see the overlook deck nestled in the trees at the top.
Elusive froggie hopped away quickly before I could get a very good shot.
I'm not good at taking random pictures over my shoulder while walking... but I'm not bad, either.
Later that night we all shared dinners then hung out by the fire eating marshmallows, telling ghost stories and singing songs. Yes - we those people... but it was so much fun... and at least we had good songs, none of that kumbayah nonsense. ;)
Danno and Kevin in the "Featured Artists Sitting Pose..."
The park ranger came by and said we were being too awesome and had to tone it down.
The weekend away was fantastic and very needed. I am sore and tired from hiking all day yesterday, but I feel great. Up early tomorrow for Caribou and an evening board meeting tomorrow night... Too much work lately and not enough posting, I know. It will get better soon.
It's 5:20am. I can't sleep.
This morning when I left for work, this guy saw me out. I'm not sure what kind of butterfly he is, but I'm calling him the Friday-the-Thirteentherfly. At least 5" across, and so beautiful. Are butterflies luckier than black cats on Friday the 13th? hehehe.
Taking yet another break from NP management to bring you this super awesome blog post.
Once again I had the opportunity to work with the good folks from the International Cartoonist Conspiracy and Big Time Attic for Altered Esthetics' Annual Comic Art exhibit.
This show (in terms of both process and product) fuels my faith in the collaborative creative process. There were about 15 people on the planning and curatorial committees (all volunteers) and more than 50 artists that contributed to the show itself. Was it chaos? Maybe a little at times, but far less than you'd think with a planning committee that large. Mostly it was just fun and inspiring, and the final results were fantastic. The gallery exhibit itself has over 100 original works of art. The Bento Box full of mini comics is killer. The show made the City Pages A-List. I could gush on and on.
All of us did this while working our other full time jobs, and not one single person was crushed with work or overwhelmed. That's SO huge! If you would have told me that four years ago, I may not have believed it was possible!
I hope a lot of my friends and family join us for the reception tonight, or come see the show some time in August. Not only is it an exceptional show in its own right, but it's also a huge testament to the growth of Altered Esthetics and our role in the arts community. It's also a fantastic example of the excellence and creativity of Minnesota cartoonists.
Even though I woke up at five am today, I'm buzzing with energy and excitement. I couldn't be more proud to be a part of this.
For my thesis, I focused largely on volunteer driven community organizations. Partially because that’s where I have a passion, but also because I believe that’s where we have an opportunity to make lasting change, resolve some heavy issues, and set great examples for the rest of the nonprofit world. I’ve had a few conversations in the past week that have been about these very issues - it’s almost as though the *world* is pushing me to BLOG about this again! (har.) A question that came up yesterday:
Why are there so many groups of one or two people out there doing the exact same thing?
We discussed already that volunteers and workers often go to a nonprofit because they support the mission of the organization. Even in the case of volunteers that are forced to do community service hours, there is occasionally some choice involved in where they serve.
However, because of the innately hierarchical structure of most nonprofit organizations, volunteers and workers often are literally disengaged from the mission. This is especially obvious when you have executive directors that are not willing to share responsibility, relinquish power, or do not value the ideas and contributions of their staff and volunteers. So volunteers and staff go elsewhere, stop volunteering, or start their own nonprofit. (Repeating the cycle).
We wind up with a lot of nonprofits led by a lot of “visionaries,” much duplication of services, more competition (for the fewer resources that are available), and a community that still has needs not fully being met.
Have you ever volunteered or worked at an organization where your voice wasn’t heard? If you’re being fairly compensated, sometimes it’s easier to overlook when you’re being overlooked. However, if a person is being paid in hugs and high fives - as is the case with volunteers - sometimes it’s harder to overlook disengagement. Some volunteers are also just so used to that system that they grin and bear it -- they are just happy to help.
We can do so much better for people than that.
It’s also wasting one of the best resources nonprofits have.
I think we need:
Next week, I’ll cut it down to brass tacks and talk about the structure that I believe does just that. Stay tuned.
Taking a break from hierarchy to bring you this update: Best. Weekend. Ever. :)
Friday night we had a date night planned - I was going to take Nick out for sushi as part of his B-day present. Before we left, he said we had to go outside because had something to show me. ("Oh no, what did the dogs eat now?" I worried.)
But that's not what he had to show me at all.
By the little tree we planted together a few years ago, Nick proposed.
Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!
After hemming and hawing for a few hours, I said yes. Mostly because our sushi reservation time was nigh. ;)
The rest of the weekend was less momentous, but continually awesome.
Saturday we had an awesome board meeting at the gallery, and when Nick got off of work we went up to the cabin for the rest of the weekend.
Awesomeness ensued.
Bald eagle.
Cute beasties.
Happy fun lake time.
Ready, aim, FIRE!
As the dogs were running around the yard, we stumbled upon a tiny little bird almost dead. No sign of his parents and only a damaged nest nearby, we thought he wasn't going to make it. I took him into the garage, made him a little warm nest, and fed him a little bit of the recommended food.
Here he is, in all his cuteness. Nick thinks he kind of looks like a grumpy old man, and I agree.
By the next morning he was doing incredibly well!
Yay!
To get him the proper care until he is able to be released back into da wild, I then took him to the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Roseville. They said he was doing really well and would probably be just fine. Woooo! Birdy success!
I had an early morning meeting, but since Monday is Nick's day off, we went out to lunch a little later. The Northeast Social Club is now open earlier, and we decided to finally give it a try. Super fantastic food, and apparently magical dining experiences too. While we were sitting outside along the flowerpots, this little guy decided to pay us a visit.
I thought he came to say hi, but maybe he just likes guacamole.
This concludes my summary of the Best Weekend Ever. I'll be back to posting about heterarchies and hierarchies soon, I promise. (I know you're all glued to your seats, right? hehehe.)
::HUGS:: to all!
Hey - did you know there are over a million nonprofits in the United States? Heck, I can think of at least two right now.
..... 
Shameless plugs aside, there are a lot of nonprofits, and the count is on the rise. The number of nonprofits increased 30% between 1998 and 2008 - to about 1.5 million.
It must be contagious.
In the states, nonprofits employ 11 million people and engage 5.7 million volunteers annually. No small beans.
But how do nonprofit organizations work, essentially? A couple of folks get together and resolve issues for the greater good, right? Nonprofit businesses are permeated with warm fuzzy feelings where there is no workplace drama, everybody has a voice, and women are paid equal wages for equal work, right?
No, not really.
Nonprofits have a lot of the same problems for-profit businesses have, and a few extra ones too.
“Nonprofit organizations are working in an era of heightened scrutiny, greater demands, fewer resources, and increased competition.” - Adams and Perlmutter.
Women are also often paid less for similar work - and not by a little, either.
I'm kidding, right? Nope.
“Among those with annual budgets of more than $50-million in 2000, the median salary for male chief executive officers was 46 percent higher than that for women.” - guidestar.org
Even scarier? According to some recent studies, it's getting worse - not better.
Point being: the nonprofit industry is by no means perfect, nor is the business structure of nonprofits, either.
So - what is the structure of nonprofits, anyway? Here's a quick review.
Traditional nonprofit structures are innately hierarchical. In nonprofits with a paid staff the nonprofit governing board, led by a board chair, hires and supervises an executive director.
Let’s start with the board. A federally recognized nonprofit board is required to have a minimum of three officers - a chair, a secretary, and a treasurer. Most boards have more. Some small orgs have just three.
The rule of thumb for nonprofits with paid staff is this: the board sets the mission, the executive director fulfills it. However, in a hierarchical working board with no staff, or in an organization with a paid staff, this situation can leave something to be desired. Nonprofit board members are often constrained by traditional roles: they are skilled and willing to help the organization, but due to the nature of their roles (or lack of them), situationally unable.
Moving to the organization: the executive director, hired by the board, supervises and hires the remaining staff. But even in institutions with an active board, both board and staff still receive most information filtered through an executive director.
So while the purpose of the board is intended to be one of governance as a checks-and-balances to the system, all too many nonprofits really operate as a hierarchy with the ED guiding both the organization AND the board.
So - what questions am I asking here? Ohhhhh so many. A few key ones:
Stay tuned. I’ll answer all those questions and more! Thanks for reading.
In other news:
I've been asked to present at this year's Nonprofit State Fair. Woo! Here's the skinny on what I'll be presenting:
Innovative Governance Models: Staying Flat, Staying Thin, Staying Effective
Over the past years, nonprofits, including volunteer-led grassroots organizations, have faced a growing number of challenges. In the context of a changing environment, where nonprofit leaders are expected to do more with less and nonprofit volunteers are often expected to do more than before , is the traditional hierarchical form of nonprofit governance still relevant? In this session, we’ll explore a governance structure for volunteer-led, grassroots organizations that offers shared power and decision making, greater flexibility and ability to innovate, and potential for greater organizational sustainability. Attend this session to discover an alternative for volunteer-driven organizational governance models, learn how you can effectively engage volunteers, board, and staff utilizing the model and see if it’s a fit for your grassroots organization. Jamie Schumacher, Executive Director, Northeast Community Development Corporation
In short: it's going to be neat, and you should totally come. :)
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More super fun resources for you:
Nonprofit statistics: http://nccsdataweb.urban.org/PubApps/profile1.php
Salaries: http://philanthropy.com/article/Gap-Between-MensWomens/52648/
Cameron, H. (2004). The nonprofit phenomenon. Searcher,12(2), 33-41.
Cornforth, C. (2001). What makes boards effective? An examination of the relationships between board inputs, structures, processes and effectiveness in nonprofit organisations. Corporate Governance: An International Review, 9(3), 217.
Gangl, W. (1998). Creating and maintaining effective governance for nonprofits and foundations-I. Directorship, 24(8), 10.
Hackler, D., & Saxton, G. D. (2007). The strategic use of information technology by nonprofit organizations: Increasing capacity and untapped potential. Public Administration Review, 67(3), 474-487.
Anonymous. (2004). Invigorating bored boards. Credit Union Directors Newsletter, 28(9), 3-4.
Light, P. C. (1998). Sustaining innovation: Creating nonprofit and government organizations that innovate naturally. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. _____
Okay - for the record, I don’t actually hate everyone's boss. I do get some pretty defensive reactions when I start talking about non-hierarchical structures and why I think they can be a good thing, though. Here’s the scoop.
Hierarchy has been the dominant model in business and organizational structures for several hundred years - and for good reason. Time and management studies helped increase efficiency, something particularly necessary in an industrial age.
Get those kids back to work!
Hierarchy has since remained the industry standard. It has persisted as a hegemony - we assume it’s the right way to run a business, because it’s the way businesses run. As resources get tighter, many organizations simply refer to the known. Who wants to get experimental with business structures in a shaky economy?
This gal! (More on that later.)
Unfortunately, hierarchies can be emotionally and unnecessarily intense workplaces. (Ask anybody that has had a strict, unreasonable, or micro-managey boss, has ever been laid off, fired, etc.)
In his book Social Intelligence Daniel Goleman discussed the ramifications positive and negative workplace interactions can have on health. He argued that rigid hierarchical models can significantly (and negatively) effect the emotional well-being of subordinates. In other words - the stricter your boss, the crappier your job, and the less emotionally healthy you might be.
But we’re managing people, not machines - right? Shouldn’t we be paying attention to this? I think so.
This doesn’t mean that hierarchies are all bad. Gerald Fairtlough outlined some of the (assumed) advantages of hierarchy as reasons why the structure persists: - Hierarchies provide familiarity - In an ideal situation hierarchies prevent chaos by systematically avoiding conflict - Hierarchies can provide clarity of roles and positions (um, that’s not in my job description Dov) - Workers can be more personally motivated (they personally identify with their specific role)
But should we assume that a hierarchy is the best model all the time? Are there alternative models we can and should be exploring? Are the advantages above (or any others) really unique to a hierarchical system?
You never know until you try.
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Thanks for reading! Next I’ll be talking about alternative organizational structures and the move away from hierarchy. (::yawn::) No - I promise, it’s actually pretty neat.
A few sources for you:
Britan, G. M., Cohen, R., & Institute for the Study of Human, I. (1980). Hierarchy and society: Anthropological perspectives on bureaucracy. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Institute for the Study of Human Issues.
Code, J. B. (1940). Dictionary of the American hierarchy. New York, New York: Longmans, Green and Co.
DiMaggio, P. (2001). The twenty-first-century firm: Changing economic organization in international perspective. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press.
Fairtlough, G. (2005). Three ways of getting things done: Hierarchy, heterarchy, and responsible autonomy. Bridport, Dorset: Triarchy Press
Gabriel, Y. (1998). An introduction to the social psychology of insults in organizations. Human Relations, 51, 1329-1354.
Goleman, D. (2007). Social intelligence. New York: Bantam.
Hesselbein, F., & Johnston, R. (2002). On high-performance organizations. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Lynch, J. (1979). The broken heart. New York: Basic Books.
Thayer, F. C. (1981). An end to hierarchy and competition: Administration in the post-affluent world. New York : New Viewpoints.
Von Bertalanffy, L. (1969). General system theory; foundations, development, applications. New York, NY: G. Braziller.
Von Bertalanffy, L., & Laszlo, E. e. (1972). The relevance of general systems theory; Papers presented to Ludwig von Bertalanffy on his seventieth birthday. New York: G. Braziller.
Weber, M., & Andreski, S. (1983). Max Weber on capitalism, bureaucracy, and religion: A selection of texts. Boston: Allen & Unwin.
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Image one: Pupils at a primary school in the Philippine capital, Manila (Source: AP)
Image two: Me with my head in a box. (Source: Jenn Rose)
Image three: n/a (Source: I have no clue, I found it on google. Help me out here)
Quite a few folks have expressed an interest about my thesis. Some, in fact, even ventured to read it. ::gasp!:: Perhaps they are just humoring me.
Even if that’s the case, I think my thesis does cover some important ground for small nonprofit organizations, and there is some information I would really like to share.
What’s the Problem?
Nonprofits everywhere are struggling and buckling down. It doesn’t take graduate level research to prove that. People are volunteering and engagement in philanthropy is increasing, but due to corruption and scandal, some people have also lost a little faith in the nonprofit industry. Donations are down. Societal needs are changing. Nonprofits need to adapt to these needs and continue to provide services while they undergo change. To put it simply, nonprofits are also expected to do far more with far less.
How, exactly, are we supposed to do this?
My thesis: I came to the conclusion that a heterarchy is an exceptional alternative model for volunteer driven nonprofit organizations particularly in an innovation society. I demonstrate this by first showing that hierarchies are a hegemonic standard, one that does not fully satisfy the needs of volunteer-driven nonprofit organizations. Alternative models can be introduced, and by evaluating an actual heterarchical model I show that a heterarchical structure is possible in practice, as well as in theory.
Over the next few weeks I plan to write about:
I’ll follow up to all of this by posting my full thesis, in case anybody is included to read further. Please - feel free to ask questions as I go. Disagree with me at any point? Please let me know.
I think this is a huge issue and nonprofits aren’t talking about it or planning for it enough.
I think there will be a crisis in leadership if large nonprofits do not soon begin to change ageist and gender biased practices.
--- Years ago, a lot of young people (like myself) were the advocates for technology and innovation in our organization. We were the natural online social networkers. We suggested our organizations do a better job online. We were largely ignored.
Nonprofit journals, organizations, and magazines must do a better job of giving a voice to small nonprofits and really embracing innovative ideas - before the curve instead of after.
