Designing Engaging Surveys That People Actually Want To Take

Presented by Sarah Lawrence and Laura Moody at the 2023 Nonprofit Technology Conference by nten.org

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Traditional polling and surveys feel like work!

In this presentation, Sarah and Laura explore ways to create surveys using play and backed by substantive survey methods, to create meaningful engagement opportunities. They discussed how to craft a survey that can be useful to your organization and fun for the participant, when to do a survey, how to craft questions that get to what you really want to know, and ways to incorporate creativity and play to make a survey your constituents will actually want to take.

Here are some key takeaways:

• Understand the audience and learn about the target community so that surveys are effective and can resonate with participants.

• Survey fatigue is a common issue due to constant inundation of survey and feedback requests in our day-to-day lives. Use surveys sparingly and consider alternative methods of data collection when possible, such as analytics or focus groups.

• Be upfront about the reason for asking questions, how the data will be used, and how long the survey will take to complete. This can foster trust with survey participants.

• Review and revise survey questions to ensure clarity, avoiding complex matrix questions that may discourage respondents. Also consider user accessibility including the use of screen-readers and mobile devices.

• Review each question in a survey to ensure it serves a specific purpose and contributes to the overall objectives.

• Express gratitude to participants and consider gamification strategies to make surveys more engaging.

Crafting engaging surveys requires thoughtful design, transparency, and creativity. By considering participant needs, targeting specific audiences, and providing clear communication, organizations can obtain valuable insights to drive growth and success. A well-designed survey is not just a set of questions but a pathway to meaningful connections with an audience. Implement these takeaways to create surveys that people actually want to take, and watch the quality and value of your survey responses soar.

Check out the new platform Tallymade.com created by Sarah Lawrence! Tallymade helps community-driven organizations create fun, interactive, visually creative surveys and engagements. Projects are designed to collect useful data from participants while still being a fun way to give feedback. They are tailormade, easy to use, and the data is kept private. 

Demystifying Asset Giving For Nonprofits

Karen Houghton, CEO of Infinite Giving, shed light on the untapped potential of asset giving for nonprofits. With 90% of wealth in the United States being held in assets other than cash, nonprofits often miss out on significant donations from high-capacity donors. Continue reading for takeaways from this live session.

Expanding Beyond Cash:
Traditionally, nonprofits primarily focus on soliciting cash donations, but by accepting different types of assets, such as cryptocurrency and stock donations, nonprofits can tap into tax-efficient and potentially larger gifts. This approach enables organizations to work smarter, not harder, by leveraging the resources already available within their donor pool.

The Power of Stock Gifts:
One strategy discussed during the webinar was the acceptance of stock gifts. Research has shown that combining requests for stock gifts alongside cash donations can increase overall contributions by an impressive 55%. Educating donors about the benefits of donating stocks and making the process easy for them can encourage larger capacity gifts. Nonprofits can open brokerage accounts to receive stock gifts, and partnering with organizations like Infinite Giving or Donate Stock can streamline the process, eliminating transaction fees.

Endowments for Sustainability:
High-capacity donors often prefer contributing to endowments, which provide long-term support to nonprofits. However, establishing an endowment requires careful planning, including creating an investment policy statement and proper governance documents. Nonprofits must ensure they have healthy reserves and think long term before embarking on this path. Collaborating with partners experienced in nonprofit expertise can help navigate this complex process while having meaningful conversations with donors regarding their preferences.

The Rise of Donor-Advised Funds:
Donor-advised funds (DAFs) have gained popularity in recent years, offering a unique way for donors to contribute while receiving tax benefits. However, nonprofits need to actively seek grants from these accounts, as DAFs are often held by third-party entities with limited incentive to disperse funds quickly. By fostering relationships with donors utilizing DAFs and raising awareness about the availability of this giving option, nonprofits can unlock additional avenues for financial support.

Choosing the Right Approach:
Karen Houghton highlighted two options for managing asset donations effectively. Nonprofits can either opt for a platform like Infinite Giving, which combines brokerage and cryptocurrency accounts, or seek out individual players in the ecosystem, such as The Giving Block. While both options may involve monthly and transaction fees, it is crucial for nonprofits to consider their budget and choose the solution that best aligns with their goals and resources. The overarching aim is to democratize access to donation management tools and make the process easy and accessible, particularly for smaller organizations with limited resources.

Karen's insightful presentation emphasized the importance of diversifying fundraising opportunities for nonprofits. By embracing assets beyond cash, such as stock gifts and cryptocurrency, organizations can unlock significant donations from high-capacity donors. Additionally, building sustainable endowments and establishing relationships with donors utilizing donor-advised funds contribute to the long-term viability of nonprofits. By actively incorporating asset giving into their fundraising strategies, nonprofits can maximize their revenue potential and create a brighter future for their causes.

Collaborations in Cultural Planning

By Laura Moody

Founding Partner, Marketing & Business Development at Purpose Possible

At Purpose Possible we are passionate about communities and the people that create them. We have been fortunate to lead or participate in a number of cultural planning projects that leveraged that passion and challenged our team to listen more/talk less and redefine what it means to approach and engage a community in creative, responsible ways. 

Cultural planning is a public process in which representatives of a community undertake a comprehensive community assessment and create a plan of implementation for future programming. (Americans for the Arts)

Here are some of the questions we ask of ourselves and clients as we begin any planning or strategy process: 

Through projects like the Global Villages Plan for the Gwinnett Place CID, an Arts & Culture Plan for City of Atlanta District 2, the first Arts & Culture Plan for the City of Norcross, and years of partnership and multiple projects for Downtown with Central Atlanta Progress, we have built long-lasting collaborations with thoughtful, talented leaders across Metropolitan Atlanta. In the spirit of listening more, I asked a few of these individuals to share their thoughts on how cultural planning and community engagement can and should be woven into all planning initiatives. Here are excerpts of their responses: 

Fredalyn Frasier

Project Director, Planning + Urban Design, Atlanta Downtown Improvement District/Central Atlanta Progress

Why is cultural planning an essential component of community development/planning to you? 

“There’s the term ‘genius loci’ that those of us in the planning and design profession use quite a bit. It’s the textbook way of referencing the spirit of place. Plainly put, it’s the essence or soul of a place, and it means a lot to me. Cultural planning reveals the soul of a community in its past, how it stands out in the present and ways it can contribute to the future of a community. Experience has taught me that whether it’s a master planning effort for 72K acres or a community plan for the home of the blues in Clarksdale, MS, what makes the plan relevant to a community at any scale is an acknowledgment of the spirit of the place and why cultural planning should always show up as an integral element in the planning process.”

When starting a project in a new community, what are the most important things you hope to learn about the people and the place?

“I view planning efforts as a community collaboration and try to suspend preconceived notions of what might be discovered during the project. There’s always a great deal of enthusiasm with the launch of a new project, but listening more than offering ideas at the onset always reveals significant information that serves as building blocks to more extensive dialogue with the community. Community members will indicate what is important to them and their place rather than the other way around. So, with each project, there’s the hope to understand the values, aspirations, and challenges as revealed by community members in their own words and keep the door open for other revelations which always appear.”

Anything else you would like to share about the importance of cultural planning as a tool for?

“Yes! The ‘spirit of place’ revealed through cultural planning can serve as the platform for developing authentic planning approaches for a community. The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated to us that places matter – period. How each community experiences ‘its place’ is unique, and knowing those cultural touch points can make way for reflective community solutions. We recognize that planning incorporates high-level technical analysis to people-oriented observation approaches to address infrastructure/economic development/growth needs. Understanding the culture and spirit of a place can inform these approaches.”

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Dorian McDuffie

Public Art Project ManagerPublic Art Project Manager

City of Atlanta Department of City Planning, Atlanta City Studio

Why is cultural planning an important component of community development/planning to you?

“The amount of revenue that arts and culture bring to a city has been established, but how does that translate to the importance of arts and culture to a community? That’s what’s important to me, how do we make planning decisions (cultural and otherwise) for our citizens that are equitable and reflect who they are and what they need.Cultural planning is a tool for cities to create vibrant communities that can support cultural institutions, artists, and audiences. This planning has the responsibility to help a community establish a cultural life that is equitable, sustainable, and resilient. As a result of cultural planning, ALL citizens should be able to consume culture in an environment in which they are comfortable and that provides a social and economic impact. The support of small, innovative, entrepreneurial, off-the-beaten-track organizations should be reflected in the planning process. The needs of individual artists should also be considered. Are there affordable places to live? Is there affordable studio/performance space?“

When starting a project in a new community, what are the most important things you hope to learn about the people and the place? 

“I want to start by understanding the physical infrastructure in which they are currently operating… what development plans currently exist, what are the current zoning regulations, are there existing housing and economic development programs in their neighborhood.  What does the City have planned for their neighborhood (transportation, sidewalk repair, etc.)? Once I understand that framework, I understand where they currently stand from a planning perspective. Utilizing cultural asset mapping I would want to learn about existing cultural resources (library, art gallery, dance studio, museum) and the skillset of the community. Who has a book club? How many artists live in the neighborhood? What are their disciplines? Who can teach what? I’d also like to know who has lived in that neighborhood historically, and what indigenous tribe once inhabited the land.

Finally, and most importantly, I’d like to know about the existing community, how they operate day to day and how arts and culture be incorporated into that movement. What does the community want from their government when it comes to supporting culture (Do we need additional grants? a Materials for the Arts program? or Investment in the arts beyond CIty of Atlanta’s Cultural Affairs Grants)? What educational, transportation, and business needs do the community have that can be enhanced or solved through successful cultural planning.”

Anything else you would like to share about the importance of cultural planning as a tool for growth/economic development/planning for future infrastructure needs, etc? 

“Atlanta needs to be acutely aware of its cultural ecosystem as it exists and as it should exist in the future (based on existing population and growth). If we broke the city into strata based on economic status, where would we find most of our cultural resources located? Where and how many cultural districts do we need to accommodate a city this size? What kind of staffing and program needs should the city accommodate internally? This work should come about with the additional lens of cultural expertise and policymakers around the nation. We should be looking at other cities like New York, Chicago, and Denver to determine what policy measures world-class cities implement around arts and culture.”

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Allison Stewart-Harris, AICP

Planning Studio Manager, TSW

Why is cultural planning an important component of community development/planning to you? 

“For me, it’s all about connecting to the places where we live and the people around us. Knowing the stories about how the community grew, who shaped it, and how its strange quirks came to be…I think it can go a long way in creating a stronger sense of belonging.”

When starting a project in a new community, what are the most important things you hope to learn about the people and the place? 

“I like to try to understand the relationship between the physical place and the people who influence it. I’m less concerned about the typical history highlight reel of founding fathers and laying cornerstones, and more interested in how different groups of people have subtly made their mark over time. And most importantly, I want to understand who is there today, and how well the place is meeting their needs and supporting the lives they want to live.

Anything else you would like to share about the importance of cultural planning as a tool for growth/economic development/planning for future infrastructure needs, etc?

“Cultural planning is a huge benefit to communities, but it’s easy as a city or an organization to have too heavy a hand. I think it’s more important to cultivate environments where creativity can thrive—and sometimes that means getting out of our own way and loosening up our control. That’s a hard thing for planners to do!”

To learn more about cultural planning and how it can impact your organization, please contact Laura Moody at lmoody@purposepossible.com.

Burnout in Nonprofits

A candid conversation about burnout in the nonprofit industry and how to combat it.

Burnout is an issue that plagued the nonprofit sector long before the pandemic. The normal stressors that fundraisers, executive directors, and boards face daily will continue to mount as they constantly find new ways to keep their organizations afloat. Inevitably, those who aren’t already at the end of their tether soon will be.

• Nonprofit Quarterly reports that “30% of nonprofit workers are burned out, with an additional 20% in danger of burning out.”

• In 2022 the Chronicle of Philanthropy surveyed over 650 fundraisers which found that 94% percent said they strongly or somewhat agreed that there is tremendous pressure to succeed and 82% said fundraising roles are under-appreciated.

Pat Duboise and Ike Ubasineke joined Susannah Darrow for a conversation about burnout and what can be done to combat it for individuals and organizations.

Takeaways from this conversation include:

• Prioritizing self-care and work-life balance, such as getting enough sleep and exercise.

• Creating a culture of care that supports employee well-being and prioritizes open communication from colleagues and leadership.

• Setting boundaries and managing workload effectively, such as implementing "no meeting" days, shorter meetings, and setting email hours.

• Mentorship and support from colleagues or professional networks outside of the workplace.

• Leaders must recognize the signs of burnout and model anti-burnout behavior to create a healthy work environment.

Burnout can lead to low morale, poor customer service, toxicity, and turnover within organizations. In referencing a Tweet by Adam Grant, Pat discussed a compassion tax within the nonprofit industry that takes advantage of people's passion for a mission.

Ike discussed Growth Culture, Death Culture, and its implications on individuals and organizations. Implementing a growth culture to combat burnout entails thinking and communicating in a growth-minded way. Think growth, talk growth, and take action versus focusing on shortcomings and staying stagnant.

The full conversation between Susannah, Pat, and Ike is available on YouTube, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
Complete the form below to receive the resources and documents shared by our speakers.

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To contact Purpose Possible and learn how we empower mission-driven organizations please click here.

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Storytelling for Nonprofits

A HOW-TO FOR EFFECTIVE AND ETHICAL WRITING

By Laura Moody
Founding Partner, Marketing & Business Development

As a nonprofit organization, you have a powerful story to tell. Your work is dedicated to making a positive change in your community, and your supporters and partners want to hear about the impact they are helping to create. However, when it comes to talking about your work, it's essential to consider the ethics behind the story that you are telling and how it’s told. 

Ethical storytelling means presenting your content in a way that respects the dignity and humanity of the people you serve. It means being transparent about your intentions and methods and ensuring that your content doesn't harm the very communities you're working to support.

Here are some tips for ethical storytelling:

1. Put people first: Nonprofits often work with under-resourced populations, so it's crucial to prioritize their privacy and dignity. Always ask for consent before sharing someone's story, and respect their wishes if they decline.

2. Empower the people you serve: Nonprofits exist to empower people, so it's essential to give agency to the communities you support. Incorporate ways for individuals to share their personal perspectives, and provide opportunities for them to participate in your storytelling efforts whenever possible.

3. Be transparent: Be honest about your intentions and methods. If you're using photos or videos, make sure that people know how they will be used and get their consent to use them. There are many free or low-cost options for stock imagery that can be used to illustrate your point without invading your constituent’s privacy.

4. Avoid stereotypes: it's crucial to avoid perpetuating negative stereotypes or reinforcing harmful stigmas. 

5. Focus on solutions: Your organization should position itself as a partner to its constituency and community - not as the “rescuer”. Explain the challenges that your community faces and solutions that you’re working on collaboratively.

Remember, ethical storytelling isn't just about doing the right thing—it's also about building trust with your supporters and the communities you serve. When you tell your story with integrity and respect, you're more likely to inspire action and create meaningful change.

To learn more about Ethical Storytelling visit www.ethicalstorytelling.com and take their pledge “to focus on the HOW not only the WHAT of the stories we may encounter – but maybe should not always tell – in the work we do.”

Virginia Nonprofit Sector Report 2023

This week the Virginia Nonprofit Sector Report: 2023 Snapshot was released by the Center for Nonprofit Excellence (CNE), whose mission is to promote excellence through training and executive education for nonprofits in Charlottesville and Central Virginia.

Much like the 2022 State of the Baltimore Nonprofit Sector released by T.Rowe Price Foundation in late 2022, this new report shows that the nonprofit sector in our region continues to be robust but needs significant capacity and leadership to continue to thrive. As a consulting firm in the DMV region, we are also seeing some of the most impactful nonprofits struggle with staffing, burnout, financial challenges, and a strategic vision for the next horizon. 

We know how busy nonprofit are so here are Purpose Possible’s key takeaways:

• Virginia nonprofits believe in the work they’re doing and in the positive change they’re making in their collective community. Of the 242 respondents, 88% believe that their organizations stimulate positive change and resilience with a culture of collaboration, adaptability, and continuous learning. This is great news for the sustainability of the sector across the commonwealth as many organizations begin to evaluate their effectiveness across our region. 

• The sector remains robust in Virginia with over ​​26,732 registered 501(c)3 nonprofits generating $86.9 billions dollars in revenue across the commonwealth. Despite this number, the revenue does not always align with the level activity in the respective priority areas: health-related organizations represent only ¼ of the nonprofits however, they account for 41% of the revenue generated. 

• Staffing and workforce concerns continue to be top of mind for nonprofit executives as they recover COVID-related shifts in organization structure. Across the sector, we are seeing articles about burnout, challenges with finding key leadership positions, and staff advancement. Creating a pipeline of passionate team members is a challenge for nonprofits and philanthropy has an opportunity to support capacity in this area for many organizations struggling to keep up with the salaries, flexible schedules, and benefits of the for-profit sector. 

• Capacity building support continues to be one of the most urgent needs for VA nonprofits and most would like that support in dollars. Unrestricted general operating funds have been a hot topic in the philanthropic world for many years as nonprofits have rallied for mORE trust-based support for their capacity building efforts like staffing and operations. 

• The sector in VA needs a pipeline to more diverse leadership that reflects their constituents and the wider population – this includes the staff AND board members. Nonprofits in VA recognize that their leadership is overwhelmingly white women while their middle management and operations teams are more diverse. They are seeking guidance from leaders in DEI to help them create strategies for diverse and inclusive leadership. 

• Relationships are the true currency and VA nonprofits are seeking deeper relationships with peers, government, and philanthropy in new ways. Nonprofits say they are interested in partnerships, joint ventures, and information sharing to increase their collective impact. They are looking for opportunities to “connect purposefully.”

• Evaluation resources are sorely needed to increase nonprofits’ capacity to truly measure results.  The urgency of this support is evident with 80% of survey respondents indicating a strong need. Again, philanthropy has an opportunity to support the capacity of community building work but supporting nonprofits’ efforts to measure their impact in meaningful ways to them. This includes understanding that not all programs can be evaluated using qualitative measures. 

For Virginia nonprofits, the needs are clear: more capacity, more collaboration, and more resources will allow organizations to continue thriving. The vital work in health, education, youth development, and more need the support of philanthropic institutions and government agencies to do their work in a deep, connected, and impactful way. 

Access the full report at: thecne.org/virginia-nonprofit-sector-report

Leadership In Color

PART I: WHAT LEADERSHIP LOOKS LIKE IN COLOR

By Starsha Valentine
Partner and Mid-Atlantic Managing Director

We’ve all seen the headlines across numerous journals: Black-led nonprofit organizations receive less funding, grow at a slower pace, and are under-resourced compared to their white-led peers. 

As recently as 2019, Echoing Green and Bridgespan’s Racial Equity and Philanthropy report found that “...on average the revenues of the Black-led organizations are 24 percent smaller than the revenues of their white-led counterparts. When it comes to the holy grail of financial support— unrestricted funding—the picture is even bleaker. The unrestricted net assets of the Black-led organizations are 76 percent smaller than their white-led counterparts. The stark disparity in unrestricted assets is particularly startling as such funding often represents a proxy for trust.”

But the disparity goes beyond just dollars and cents. Despite concerted efforts to shift power….

Purpose Possible Core Values: How We Show Up Everyday

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Our initial values brainstorm board from our first firm retreat.

At Purpose Possible, we think a lot about how our firm shows up for our clients, our fellow team members, and our communities everyday. In 2020, before Purpose Possible was launched, our early consultants spent time establishing a set of core values to guide the purpose and vision for the firm. Since then we have revisited and refined those values every year to best reflect how we work and who we work with. Now, as a firm of over 40 consultants in nine states, our values are ever more present in our daily decision making. 

Partners, Susannah, Laura, and Starsha take a moment to share more about our Four Core Values and how we practice them every day for our clients, consultants, and communities. 

Client Impact

Our business is built around the clients we serve: who we hire, what we do, and how we do it. Every decision we make is based on what will make our clients feel supported, delighted, and relieved. We intentionally hire team members with deep experience working with the organizations and in the industries we serve. This allows us to have a keen understanding of the quotidian challenges of our clients and create strategies for how to overcome them. It also means that our consultant teams can empathize with the work that our clients are tackling, allowing them to better gauge how clients can prioritize the things that will have the greatest impact on their organization. We also focus on creating a space where our team can grow and thus provide consistency for our clients. 

Our services continue to evolve in response to the needs of our clients. One of our main promises is that we meet clients where they are to help them grow to where they want to be. This often means having the agility to move from one type of service to another as needs change and evolve over the course of our work together. We also regularly evaluate our success rates to assess how well we are doing. Just like with the boards we work with, the process of assessing our own work with a start, stop, continue lens helps us to maintain a high level of work for our clients. 

Inclusive & Empowered Team

Our team is one of parents, caregivers, pet owners, siblings, and more. These roles are valued aspects of the lives of our personnel. In building an inclusive and empowered team, we aim to create an environment that allows for flexible, digital-first work, to support all of their identities. 

We also know that WHEN our team works is just as important as WHERE they work. As a digital-first firm, our team members may work from home, one of our offices, or at any other location or time that is convenient. This flexibility allows us to recruit and maintain talent from all walks of life and experience. We offer a liberal paid-time-off policy and encourage rest, especially after busy seasons, throughout the year. We observe all federal holidays and everyone’s birthday is a paid day off as well. Our nontraditional approach to where and when our staff works allows us to have a more diverse and inclusive team across the country. 

We also take careful consideration to bring in diverse perspectives and specialized skill sets. Having team members that can share experiences with each other and with our clients helps to foster a sense of belonging and camaraderie. Our consultants are often members of the communities that our clients serve. Many of our team members are volunteers for community organizations and they or their children participate in local programming. The people of Purpose Possible are neighbors and friends who utilize their expertise and local landscape knowledge to impact their projects more deeply. 

Innovation & Experimentation

In the nonprofit world, where we often find ourselves falling prey to a scarcity mentality, it often feels safer to continue with what has been successful in the past versus trying something new. The same is true of consultants. In the world of consulting, there are hundreds of memes mocking the fact that consultants reuse the same presentation over and over, passing Power Points on for generations. At Purpose Possible, we know better. Our clients come to us because they need something different or more than they are able to accomplish on their own. We believe that it is our job to look at what has worked well, where the organization is today, and what’s is coming down the pike, to help figure out strategies and campaigns that will keep the organization moving forward. If 2020 taught us anything, it’s that we have to be open and able to change along with a very rapidly changing environment. Within our team, we share daily via Slack, meet weekly for status updates, and check in monthly to share thoughts, brainstorm, and workshop ideas, issues, and needs for clients. 

For Purpose Possible, this means we are constantly in a state of learning and evolution. Our team regularly hears the phrase “we are building the plane while we are flying it!” We are constantly building, testing, evolving, and optimizing our systems and processes to improve them. Over the past year, Purpose Possible has doubled in size and with it, many of our previous ways of working have had to shift including our internal technology systems, reporting structures, team culture, and dynamics.  

Mutual Respect

This seems like a fairly straightforward value, but it shows up across the firm in a number of ways.

We want to make Purpose Possible a great place to work, where employees are proud to say they work here and where they feel valued and appreciated. To that end, last year, when the labor market came roaring back after COVID-19 layoffs, we launched a firm-wide compensation analysis and then began a process of right-sizing where necessary. In addition, while crafting an updated Employee Handbook, we studied the vacation/leave policies of companies that we admire and instituted industry-leading policies for our team. Finally, we have a very collaborative leadership style, in which our team members are consulted on key practices and decisions throughout the year.

It may surprise some to see the hashtag #noassholes on our Core Values page but think about the places where you’ve worked in the past. We’ve all been forced to put up with a co-worker or client who was truly terrible. To avoid this issue, we strive to weed out the bad apples in advance by screening and researching potential clients.  Before we work with an organization we want to know if they have and abide by a non-discrimination clause and if their leadership team is reputable.

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Hiring Q&A with Lara and Katyra

Did you know that 76% percent of hiring managers admit attracting the right job candidates is their greatest challenge!

Lara and Katyra paired up to answer questions, provide recommendations, and share insights, and resources to make the hiring and recruitment process a little more efficient.

Lara and Katyra are two professionals with lots of experience and insight into the toils of recruiting, hiring, team management, and much more. Lara Smith is the Director of Organizational Development Services at Purpose Possible. She oversees hiring and recruitment for the Purpose Possible team and our clients. Katyra Remmenga works with Same Page HR as a People Person and provides HR support for our firm, some of our clients, and other organizations. This duo teamed up to answer questions, provide recommendations, and share insights into their experiences.

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Question 1 - How do you find quality candidates?

Katyra says: Look beyond the typical search. 

Broaden your search by posting on multiple platforms. Sites like Workable.com will automatically post to all of the free job boards which significantly increases the number of candidates for a position. Also consider sharing the position with relevant groups on social media, professional networks, friends, or colleagues. Job seekers can be just as challenged and overwhelmed by positions as you are in searching. Sharing a position with industry specific networks can connect you with candidates that may not see your position on other platforms.

Lara says: Think outside the box with requirements.

Education, titles, and years of experience are often the first things hiring managers consider with an applicant. Everyone does not have the same access to resources, education, and opportunities, but this does not mean they aren't qualified to fill the role. 

For education, consider what you want them to have gotten from their education instead of the degree, education level, or the school they attended. Are you looking for applicable skills or teamwork? Could they have received those same skills in another way?

Every organization uses different titling structures so look at what applicants do in their role and not just the title. Also consider what you are seeking in years of experience and not just the number of years. Covid and non-covid years may mean different types of experience depending on the company and the role. Consider the full picture of what’s needed before requiring education levels, tiles, or years of experience. 

Also, 50% of applicants are looking exclusively for fully remote positions. A full time in-office requirement can drastically limit applicants.

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Question 2 - What are ways to stay organized during the hiring process?

Katyra says: Automate the process as much as possible.

Automating the hiring process can save you time and energy. Most hiring platforms have a way to send automatic responses, invite candidates to interview, decline applicants, and much more. Many payroll systems also have automated processes for hiring – you may need to check with the provider about additional features. Workable.com, the system that posts to multiple sites, also has steps that can be automated. The goal is to move quickly through the hiring steps and be consistent with every applicant.

Lara says: Create an internal process before publishing the position. 

Have a clear process laid out before the position is shared. Decide who else on your team will be a part of the process, let them know the plan, and hold time for meetings and interviews in advance. Create a checklist, folder, and/or spreadsheet to easily see where candidates are in the hiring process.

Purpose Possible uses Google Suite – we create folders for candidates, save recorded interviews, and link files in one central location.

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Question 3 - How do you maintain consistency and fairness in the interview process?

Katyra says: There are a few things you can do:

1 - Have a clear understanding of what you need in a role ahead of time. This will eliminate guesswork when looking at qualifications.

2- Ask each candidate the same questions and don’t deviate! This saves time but it also ensures that every candidate is reviewed and considered equally.

3- Create a scorecard to rate each candidate's application and interview. The scorecard can be completed for each candidate by everyone in the interview and include any notes or questions to follow up on or discuss internally. 

4- Be clear with the candidate about timeline and urgency to fill the role. If you need to hire quickly because of a vacancy or plan to hire in the future, let every candidate know that and when they can expect to hear back from you (whether that’s for next steps or declining). 

5- Make sure your team knows what not to ask in an interview. Questions about age, family, ethnicity, and religion are illegal! Gusto.com has a great blog with a list of questions you shouldn’t ask and a few that you should. 

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Question 4 - What questions can be asked to determine applicant qualities like leadership, self sufficiency, and proactiveness?

Lara says: Ask about real experiences and interactions. Avoid hypotheticals.

Hypothetical questions are interesting but how we think we will react and how we actually react in situations tend to be very different. Asking about real experiences can give you a sense of how a person truly performs. If you're interested in someone’s ability to manage, think about what that entails. If you wonder if they need supervision, ask questions about taking the initiative or leading. Here are a few example questions: 

• Can you talk about a time when you saw a problem no one else did? How did you handle it? 

• Can you talk about a time when your work depended on other’s meeting deadlines and they weren’t?

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Here are some additional notes from Lara and Katyra to help with the hiring process:

• Salary transparency is important in today’s hiring landscape. This transparency also extends to sharing benefits, working location, and expected hours of work.

• Prioritize the needs of the position in the job description. Let candidates know what the role entails, what skills are needed, availability necessary, and any other details that may impact the decision to apply.

• If you aren’t getting applicants or quality applicants, review the job description, position title, and requirements.  Compare your position to others in the market and seek feedback from colleagues.

• Hebba Youssef has a great newsletter and social media presence with a lot of resources and tips for HR professionals and hiring managers.

• Ashle Herd is a trainer and coach offering employers and employees tools to learn, grow, and work better.

• The Chronicle of Philanthropy recently published an interesting article “Desperately Seeking Fundraisers.” This article discusses the wants and needs of fundraisers, the challenges they face which make the role stressful, and ways to improve the position for staff satisfaction and retention. 

If you have any other questions or need support please let us know! Purpose Possible offers recruitment services and interim development for a range of organizations. Same Page HR offers full-service HR administration for small businesses without a dedicated HR department. Reach out to us if we can help with your hiring or organization needs. 

Susannah at the Science of Philanthropy Initiative Conference

In September, I had the opportunity to present at the IU Lilly Family School of Philanthropy Science of Philanthropy Initiative Conference alongside our partner, Mailchimp. While one of our key takeaways from the conference was the realization that we did not take enough data analytics courses in school, others had some valuable takeaways for application in more practical fundraising efforts. As a note, it’s also important to remember that researchers and not practitioners primarily gave the presentations we watched. My takeaways are envisioning the real-world application of the data shared in presentations. 

• Donors don’t trust the communities they are funding to make appropriate decisions about how dollars are spent. Several presentations looked at test data regarding how donors directed funds, and despite knowing that recipients would prefer simple cash to be able to direct resources toward their needs, donors still preferred the paternalistic approach to giving. As organizations, donors, and foundations it is our responsibility to take a more intentional and community-led approach to our fundraising and giving, allowing those we serve to take a more active role in guiding the programs and campaigns we lead. 

• Crypto donations need to be available as an opportunity to smaller organizations. While I still tend to glaze over when I hear conversations about crypto, even I must admit that it is too large of an opportunity for nonprofits to ignore. Both at this conference, as well as The Giving Institute Symposium in July, there are countless studies and actual data on the growing opportunities here. However, what also is notable is that this often is administered and only available to organizations that are large enough to afford the platforms that can manage and process these donations, or the staff capability to add another type of donation to their portfolios. If this is to become a true opportunity for the nonprofit sector, it’s worth exploring how it can be further democratized to be accessible to all sizes of nonprofits, and not just those at an institutional scale. 

• The way we talk about and present the needs of the communities we serve is critical in how we fundraise. UC Berkeley professor Julianna Schroeder gave a great presentation on donor psychology and the ways in which donors tend to dehumanize the communities they contribute to which leads to donors prioritizing funding to services that lean towards more physiological benefits as opposed to supporting the psychological-based needs of communities. As fundraisers, it is of course easier to gauge the power of a donation in pounds of food, the number of people housed, or any countless other ways that communities can be served. However, it is imperative that we also not overuse the things that are easier to gauge in place of discussing the needs that may be less quantifiable, such as mental health services.

Do you have thoughts or experiences related to these topics? I’d love to hear about hear about them! sdarrow@purposepossible.com

Collaborative Budgeting

On September 22, 2022, Laura Hennighausen was joined by Germeen Guillaume for a live webinar discussing 5 tips fiscal and development teams can use as they collaborate on budgeting. Germeen and Laura gave perspectives from both sides and used real world examples and solutions that can organizations can begin to implement immediately. Questions and comments were accepted and answered through the live streaming platforms.

If you have any questions about this webinar or the tips discussed please email info@purposepossible.com or reach out to the presenters directly.

Laura Henninghausen
Purpose Possible Director of Strategic Philanthropy

LHennighausen@PurposePossible.com

www.PurposePossible.com

Germeen Y. Guillaume
CEO and Founder of Visionary Accounting Group

Germeen@VisionaryAG.com

www.VisionaryAG.com

Why Commit to Continuous Quality Improvement

4 Reasons to Track, Evaluate, and Articulate your Organization’s Impact

Chris Brodnan collaborates with Purpose Possible on a new suite of services, offering support to clients in tracking, evaluating, and articulating their organization’s impact. With more than 10 years in the nonprofit sector in Atlanta, including the last four as the Regional Program Director at a summer learning organization, she has extensive experience developing and leading quality improvement strategies. She is excited to share why this work is important to help fulfill your mission and ensure program quality and fidelity. 

In May, we began the conversation on the importance of committing to a formal Continuous Quality Improvement Strategy (CQI) with an initial blog post on this relevant topic. In it, we posed the question “Do you have a clear strategy on how to track, evaluate, and articulate your impact?”  If you remain unsure of your answer to this question, we want to share four reasons on why you should invest in a strategy to affirm delivering mission-aligned successful programs are top of mind at your organization. 

1. Clear metrics demonstrate program strengths and opportunities 

Without having an evaluation plan with clear and measurable data and outcomes, you cannot clearly define where your program is succeeding and in need of improvements. This can be particularly useful if you are running multiple programs from different locations - you may know some sites are more successful than others but without benchmarks, can you clearly articulate why? With a dashboard of aligned Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to compare sites to one another, you can lean into what aspects of each program run well and where potential opportunities exist. Examples  include number of attendees/participants, percentage of returning attendees/participants, and percentage growth of new attendees/participants. 

2. Data provides power to make key decisions  

Once you have developed KPIs and have clear benchmarks of what is working and what is not, you can be empowered to make potential tough decisions. Need to close a program site? The data can be a clear indicator of the rationale and arm you with the evidence you need to make a difficult call. On the flip side, have you discovered your secret to success that will allow you to scale your program? Now you can share that with funders and explain why they need to invest further in your work! 

3. Evaluations tell a story of your impact  

There is always a story behind the data that goes beyond quantifiable numbers. Just because you served a specific number of individuals how do you know were they better off because they came to your program? Evaluations, whether external assessments or internal surveys, provide complementary qualitative data that allow you to build on successes and share more broadly with stakeholders. 

4. Improvement over time demonstrates long-term success and sustainability

When you are collecting year-over-year data as part of a CQI process, you are ideally setting the performance goals higher each year and adjusting your work to align with the feedback you received as part of your assessment. The longer you engage in this process, the more you can demonstrate annual improvements and ideally growth and sustainability in your work. 

If your organization needs support with evaluation and metrics let us know! We are here to help! Feel free to contact Chris at cbrodnan@purposepossible.com or send a message to info@purposepossible.com to get more information on how we can help!

5 Tips For A Binge-worthy Nonprofit Newsletter

By Lib Aubuchon

Want to engage supporters, drive donations, and build rapport with your audience? A newsletter does all that and more. 

While social media can be a powerful tool for building awareness, it’s not great for getting people to actually take action. To build a relationship with your audience that motivates them to attend events, volunteer their time, or donate to the organization, an engaging newsletter can’t be beat. 

For one thing, newsletters allow you the space to go deeper into the stories that create emotional connection with your organization. And we all know when it comes to decision-making, emotion is a powerful force. Also, allowing an organization into your inbox requires more commitment than simply following on social media. So subscribers are already showing greater interest in hearing about the work and how they can be a part of it. 

Whether you’re just beginning to collect emails for your list, or you’ve got subscribers who haven’t heard from you in awhile, these five tips will help you build an engaged audience who opens your emails every time. 

1. Create an intriguing subject line. 

You’ve heard it before but first impressions matter. And when it comes to getting your emails opened, nothing’s more important than the subject line. Try writing your subject line after writing the body of the email. Chances are you’ll come up with something that ties back to the content of the email and lets readers know what to expect. It’s also helpful to do some A/B testing. You’ll discover whether your audience prefers lines like “Summer Update” or “The craziest thing happened at our July meeting…”

2. Don’t worry about sharing a ton of content.

Your updates don’t need to be long think pieces every time. Decide on your overall objectives and then design a simple template (Canva has great options) that helps you meet those objectives. If you want to drive website traffic, create a “teaser” that leads people to click and read more on your website. If you want to get more donations or more volunteers, a brief intro can lead to a prominent signup button. In general, three to five short paragraphs linking out to other content is more than sufficient. 

3. Be conversational.

Your newsletter isn’t an academic paper so make sure it doesn’t sound like one. Don’t sacrifice your organization’s unique voice and culture trying to sound too “official” or “professional.” At the end of the day, organizations depend on human-to-human interactions to succeed. Your newsletter can be an important part of building that connection. 

4. Make it quick, fun, and interesting. 

If you’re bored reading about the quarterly meeting, it’s all but guaranteed your readers are, too. The objective of your newsletter is to keep supporters engaged in the mission so be sure to keep the content easy-to-read and not too granular. Everyone is busy so make sure things are informative but also “snackable.”

5. Always include a call to action. 

To make the most of your reader’s limited attention, give them a clear idea of what they should do next. Whether you want them to click a link, buy a ticket, or make a donation, keep your call to action brief and straightforward. And be sure to use active language that communicates some urgency. Make it as seamless and uncomplicated as possible for your reader to take action. If your newsletter objective is soliciting donations, a button that says “Donate Now” does the trick! 

Newsletters are an invaluable tool for building rapport with your organization’s stakeholders. With valuable content, opportunities to become involved, and timely information about your work, they keep your mission top of mind with your most engaged supporters. 

If you’re not subscribed to Purpose Possible’s monthly newsletter, you’re missing out! Sign up now for fundraising resources, nonprofit news, and programs to make your nonprofit life easier. 

Tips to Help Arts Orgs Stand Out with Funders

Hello! My name is Lara Smith. I am the Director of Client Services at Purpose Possible. Before joining Purpose Possible I worked with Actor’s Express and Dad’s Garage so I have a lot of in depth experience with arts organizations. I also grew up in the arts! My mom was a high school drama teacher, so I was in my first show when I was seven. I went to a theatre conservatory for college but it wasn’t until I was working that I intersected with the world of arts fundraising. Over the years I’ve been lucky enough to work on raising funds for so many organizations through my work as an executive director, consultant, advisor, and leader. While every organization is different, here are three tips that can really help your organization stand out with funders.

1. Focus on the outcomes, not the outputs. I know this is hard for arts organizations – at Dad’s I was balancing telling funders we were bringing joy to 30,000 people a year and talking about the patron going through cancer treatment who told us seeing improv was better for his recovery than the hospital was. Focus on WHY you do the work. If you haven’t seen Simon Sinek’s TEDxTalk, check it out here. 

2. Recognize the value you bring. Know how your work intersects with the people you are talking to. And think of fundraising as an opportunity that you are presenting to others. Too often we think of fundraising as a necessary evil and do it with an implied apology. And here’s another TED Talk, this time on the Art of Asking from Amanda Palmer.

3. Don’t forget about earned income. Unlike so many other nonprofits, arts organizations have an opportunity to charge for entrance, attendance, drinks, parking, and more. You can do this in ways that allow you to remain accessible. Not only does it add income to your bottom line, but funders love to see smart business practices in use. Rely on your board to help you think outside of the box – At Dad’s we had an airline marketer talk to us about price bands and tiered options, which revolutionized the way we charged for tickets. Similarly, we had a pricing specialist talk to us about how to maximize revenue when you only have fifteen minutes to get up to 200 people through a bar line. Identify bottlenecks to earned revenue and work with board members and other experts on how to remove those barriers. 

My philosophy has always been focused on diversifying revenue streams. That way, if any one thing doesn’t hit, you have enough buffer to weather the storm. Think about how you can decrease your reliance on any one revenue source. This encourages longterm resiliency and sustainability for your organization.

If your organization needs support or creative ideas for fundraising let us know! We are here to help! Feel free to contact me at lsmith@purposepossible.com or send a message to info@purposepossible.com to get more information on how we can help!

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Purpose Possible is proud to have worked with many arts organizations providing fundraising support, strategic planning, communications, database management, and more!

Supported in the past:

360Arts Blvd

Alliance Theatre

ARTSATL

Art Papers

Atlanta Celebrates Photography

Burnaway

The Coastal Symphony of Georgia

The Creatives Project

Dashboard

Decatur Makers

Flux Projects

Georgia Humanities

Hammonds House Museum

Indie Craft Experience

Legacy Motion

Little 5 Points Center for Arts & Community

Little Five Arts Alive

Lost In The Letters

Midtown Arts Walk

MINT

Moving in the Spirit

Push Push Arts

re:imagine/ATL

Spivey Hall at Clayton State University

Current Clients:

Arts & Entertainment Atlanta

Atlanta Black Theatre Festival

Atlanta Film Society

Atlanta Sustainable Fashion Week

Comfiart

Dad's Garage

Decatur Arts Alliance

gloATL

Humorology

Kinnara

MODA

NBAF

Roswell Arts Fund

Soulfood Cyher

Southern Fried Queer Pride

T Lange Dance

Village Theatre

Wren's Nest

Funding for Food

Since I was a child, I have, first as a volunteer and later as a nonprofit staff member, participated in food drives, in which local schools and other organizations collect canned goods to combat food insecurity in the community. While shelf-stable foods are an important resource, we’ve all learned over time that a healthy diet requires fresh foods as well. I’ve been privileged to work with a number of nonprofits committed to the idea that everyone should have access to fresh produce and other healthy foods. If you are seeking grant funding for similar food programs, I have some helpful resources to share.

In addition to your Community-Centric information from residents about specific needs and interests, grantors are interested to know the research data that specifies the problem and informs your approach, and how local issues reflect regional/national food-related challenges. Here are some resources to help you get grant-ready - grouped into two general areas:

1 - Healthy Food Access, which may include organizations providing food pantries, congregate or home-delivered meals, nutrition education, and/or working in communities without access to local grocers and other healthy food sources - 

• Food Research and Access Center (FRAC) - A wealth of resources about poverty-related hunger in the U.S., including local and national data and trends

• A FRAC fact sheet has helpful information if you are considering an application to USDA's Summer Nutrition Program, which funds meals for children over the summer. This map helps you find the agency administering the program in each state.  

• The USDA provides a map showing low income areas with low access to grocery stores. Your state or local government may have similar tools available.

• The American Society for Nutrition has data about the “global epidemic of diet-related chronic disease,” including research and data about the benefits of both healthy food and nutrition education.

2 - Food Sourcing, which includes varied interests such as consumer access to locally-grown and/or organic produce, ensuring the success of BIPOC and other socially disadvantaged and beginning farmers/producers, and environmentally sustainable agriculture. I expect that our country’s supply chain problems will spark funders’ interest in this area, so you’ll want to keep current on new programs and data.

If your nonprofit is working in this area, you’ll want to become familiar with the USDA’s programs, especially as they recently announced upcoming increased funding in several key areas.

• Nonprofits working to support beginning farmers or small farms can visit the USDA’s Beginning Farmers and Ranchers page for an introduction to services and funding, including resources for Historically Underserved Farmers, Urban Farmers, and Organic Farmers.

• If your nonprofit is new to Federal Grants, visit the Grants Learning Center at grants.gov to learn more, including how to search for USDA grants. 

• A source of recent scientific research in agriculture is the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, which partners with the Land-Grant University (LGU) System - this link will help you find institutions, many of which are HBCUs and Tribal Colleges and Universities, conducting agricultural research in your region.   

I am honored to have worked with food-related nonprofits who are working to ensure the personal health of individuals, and the economic health of local farmers, both of which benefit our entire community. If your nonprofit needs help in obtaining foundation, corporate or government grant funding in this area, please contact me or anyone at Purpose Possible and we’ll be glad to share how we can help.

Susan Butler Allison
sallison@purposepossible.com
Purpose Possible Consultant

Community Centric Fundraising 101 Live Webinar

On May 24th, Starsha Valentine and Laura Hennighausen led a live webinar exploring the 10 principles of Community Centric Fundraising, why they are important, and how to apply them. Questions and comments were accepted and answered through the live streaming platforms.

If you have any questions about this webinar or the principles discussed please email info@purposepossible.com or reach out to the presenters directly.

Committing to Continuous Quality Improvement: Track, Evaluate, and Articulate your Organization’s Impact

By Chris Brodnan
CHB Consulting, LLC

Is your organization doing incredible work, making a difference, and fulfilling your mission? Do you have a clear strategy on how to track, evaluate, and articulate your impact? Better yet, do you use this strategy to make intentional quality improvements over time? 

It is common for nonprofit organizations to be so focused on doing the work itself and/or funding the work, they do not have time to stop and formally assess their impact, much less commit to a formal Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) strategy. For organizations with limited staff capacity, it can be a daunting task to stop and evaluate - you know you are effective but do not know how to quantify it or collect the appropriate data to track your work. All organizations, no matter the size, need to be able to articulate their impact and whether or not they are fulfilling their mission and purpose. Beyond knowing the work is successful, participating in an annual process with a commitment to CQI ensures organizations are always learning, improving, and growing, establishing relevance and long-term sustainability. 

This work should be guided by the organization’s strategic plan, a roadmap for success complete with key performance indicators (KPIs) to track over time, formally approved by the organization’s board and reviewed at least annually. It is critical that all levels of the organization understand and commit to the process, including the board, demonstrating accountability and a shared responsibility to delivering high-quality services. 

Purpose Possible is partnering with CHB Consulting, LLC to guide organizations through this process through tiered service offerings, from an evaluation toolkit to a robust individualized CQI framework. We feel passionately that all organizations, no matter their size, should ensure they are meeting their mission, telling their impact story appropriately, assessing their impact, and committing to a formal CQI process.  

Contact Purpose Possible today to learn more about tracking impact.

Books for Nonprofit Leaders

Our team at Purpose Possible is comprised of highly experienced professionals in nonprofit leadership, fundraising, philanthropy, business, and much more. This wealth of expertise is gained from years of hands on experience with a wide range of organizations as well as continual self development. Here are some books we recommend for fundraising, understanding wealth, managing a nonprofit and team, professional writing, and the inner workings of how power impacts society and philanthropy.

Fundraising & Understanding Wealth

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Fundraising for Social Change

Fundraising for Social Change is the preeminent guide to securing funding, with a specific focus on progressive nonprofit organizations with budgets under $5 million. Used by nonprofits nationally and internationally, this book provides a soup-to-nuts prescription for building, maintaining, and expanding an individual donor program. 

Buy on Amazon.com

Decolonizing Wealth: Indigenous Wisdom to Heal Divides and Restore Balance

Edgar Villanueva looks past philanthropy’s glamorous, altruistic façade and into its shadows: white supremacy, savior complexes, and internalized oppression. Across history and to the present day, the accumulation of wealth is steeped in trauma. How can we shift philanthropy toward social reconciliation and healing if the cornerstones are exploitation, extraction, and control?

Buy on Amazon.com

How We Give Now:
A Philanthropic Guide for the Rest of Us

In this book, Lucy Bernholz shows that philanthropy is more than writing a check and claiming a tax deduction. For most of us--the non-wealthy givers--philanthropy can be a way of living our values and fully participating in society. We give in all kinds of ways--shopping at certain businesses, canvassing for candidates, donating money, and making conscious choices with our retirement funds. We give our cash, our time, and even our data to make the world a better place. Bernholz takes readers on a tour of the often-overlooked worlds of participatory philanthropy, learning from a diverse group of forty resourceful givers.

Buy on Amazon.com

Train Your Board (and Everyone Else) to Raise Money

Tapping an expert team of fundraising trainers across the U.S., Andrea Kihlstedt and Andy Robinson have produced an extraordinary how-to book of easy-to-use fundraising exercises for boards of all sizes. Some activities are as brief as 15 minutes, others require an hour. And everything you need to conduct any of the 51 exercises - step-by-step instructions, handouts, even questions to pose to participants - is included in the book.

Buy on Amazon.com

Nonprofit & Team Management

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Managing a Nonprofit Organization: Updated Twenty-First-Century Edition

Dr. Wolf's update of Managing a Nonprofit Organization includes material that tackles the demands and challenges faced by nonprofit managers as a result of the legislative and policy changes enacted after 9/11 and in the wake of the economic collapse of 2008. Highlighting the generational issues facing many nonprofits, as current management ages and a younger generation prepares to take the reins, Dr. Wolf suggests ways for organizations to best manage these transitions and adapt to a rapidly changing world.

Buy on Bookshop.org

Creative Trespassing:
How to Put the Spark and Joy Back Into Your Work and Life

Peppered with stories of her own shenanigans--from organizing a wrestling match in the middle of an art museum to staging a corporate culture intervention via post-its--and lessons from the rule-breaking exploits of artists, change-makers, and totally legit business leaders alike, this book is a rollicking, uninhibited guide to using creativity as fuel for a freer and more joyful life.

Buy on BookShop.org

Writing

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How to Say It:
Choice Words, Phrases, Sentences, and Paragraphs for Every Situation

For anyone who has ever searched for the right word at a crucial moment, the revised third edition of this bestselling guide offers a smart and succinct way to say everything

* Apologies and sympathy letters
* Letters to the editor
* Cover letters
* Fundraising requests
* Social correspondence, including invitations and Announcements

Buy on Amazon.com

On Writing Well:

The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction

Whether you want to write about people or places, science and technology, business, sports, the arts, or about yourself in the increasingly popular memoir genre, On Writing Well offers you both fundamental principles as well as the insights of a distinguished practitioner.

Buy on Bookshop.org

Power & Philanthropic Change

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Winners Take All:
The Elite Charade of Changing the World

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The groundbreaking investigation of how the global elite's efforts to "change the world" preserve the status quo and obscure their role in causing the problems they later seek to solve. An essential read for understanding some of the egregious abuses of power that dominate today’s news.

"Impassioned.... Entertaining reading.” —The Washington Post

Buy on Amazon.com

The Tyranny of Generosity

The practice of philanthropy, which releases private property for public purposes, represents in many ways the best angels of our nature. But this practice's noteworthy virtues often obscure the fact that philanthropy also represents the exercise of private power.

In The Tyranny of Generosity, Theodore Lechterman shows how this private power can threaten the foundations of a democratic society.

Buy on Amazon.com

Starsha Valentine on finding her sweet spot

“I am fully committed to ensuring that we support an inclusive sector with leaders representing the full spectrum of the rich communities they serve.”

- Starsha Valentine

In 2016 my very first consulting client asked me “Why did you choose nonprofit management as your career?” This question came after I gave a passionate presentation on fundraising planning to a room full of his wide-eyed board members. Despite the simplicity of my presentation, my enthusiasm for the process of building organizational capacity was likely surprising and frankly…unusual. After a thoughtful pause, my response was “Because there aren’t many people that look like me in nonprofit leadership and this is my sweet spot.” 

Throughout my career I have routinely been the only Black woman in the room. I’ve worked with organizations where diversity and inclusion stopped at the front door and senior leadership resembled traditional Fortune 500 CEOs rather than the communities they served. I’ve attended numerous conferences and trainings showcasing “best practices” that only work for large, well resourced organizations with huge budgets and homogenous leadership. Rarely did I see the dynamic emergent leadership models that leaders of color were using to support their constituencies.   

In recent years, the sector has taken steps to build more representative leadership, however, according to the Urban Institute’s Nonprofit Trends and Impacts 2021, only 21 percent of nonprofit executive directors and board chairs are people of color. Moreover, Black or African Americans represent only 8 percent of all Business Management consultants in the U.S.  These statistics are why I’ve dedicated my career to supporting the nonprofit sector and serving as a consultant to community-based organizations. I, like so many other Black leaders, bring my whole lived experience to my work. That perspective has allowed me to connect with some of the most dynamic Black-led organizations in the Mid Atlantic region. 

Valentine Group Consulting was created as an extension of my personal mission to bridge the capacity gap for Black-led and grassroots organizations in Washington, D.C. In 2020, our evolution drew us to partner with Purpose Possible. PP’s commitment to its Core Values, particularly an “Inclusive + Empowered Team” are in direct alignment with my mission to help build impactful organizations that create a more resilient, equitable world. Our merger with Purpose Possible further fosters our shared vision for connecting people with purpose and will allow us to deepen our footprint while also building the sustainability of the sector. 

Together with the firm’s founding partners, Susannah Darrow and Laura Moody, I am committed to empowering mission-driven organizations to overcome the roadblocks that prevent them from making their purpose possible. I am also fully committed to ensuring that we support an inclusive sector with leaders representing the full spectrum of the rich communities they serve. I am delighted to join the PP team and look forward to the next phase of our journey!

Forward Project Awardees Announced

Purpose Possible joins Mailchimp in announcing the 3 Forward Project Awardees for 2022

In partnership with Mailchimp, we're investing in the unrestricted growth of 15 Atlanta‑based for‑profit and not‑for‑profit organizations over the next three years.

Purpose Possible and Mailchimp first began our partnership in 2019. After multiple conversations regarding the importance of unrestricted funding paired with the staff to support sustainable ongoing funding, we piloted Power to Grow, the initial manifestation of what is now Forward Project. The program supported Atlanta Bicycle Coalition and re:imagine/ATL and we saw the level of impact a program like this was able to have. 

 One thing that was missing was an opportunity for the greater community (the communities being impacted by these social entrepreneurs) to guide the process and select organizations they felt would have the greatest impact. Tiffany Curtis and her team at Indwell Collective shepherded a group of community leaders - from nonprofit organizations to community organizers to small business owners - to design and select this year's awardees. 

Last week, Mailchimp announced the winners of the 2021 Forward Project––a $750,000 grant program that helps a cohort of traditionally overlooked social enterprises accelerate their community impact work in metro-Atlanta over the next three years.

The three awardee organizations, College AIM, The Counter Narrative Project, and the Hand Heart and Soul Project / Little Ones Learning Center, will each receive $200,000 in unrestricted grants to be paid out over the next three years as well as $25,000 in customized consulting services from Purpose Possible. Twelve additional finalist organizations will also receive grants ranging from $5,000-$11,000.

Purpose Possible will work with each awardee to build capacity in fundraising, business development, hiring, communications, and more. In addition to crafting bespoke service offerings alongside each of the awardees, the firm is also contributing $25,000 in pro bono services to one of the 12 finalists - Southern Fried Queer Pride. This contribution continues the firm's commitment to providing pro bono services for Black-led arts organizations in Atlanta. In 2020, Purpose Possible provided gratis grant writing services to Soul Food Cypher, T. Lang Dance, and Atlanta Black Theatre Festival -- each of whom was awarded their very first Metro Atlanta Arts Fund Grant.  

Often philanthropic grants come with constraints on how the money can be used, but Forward Project funds are unrestricted. “Social enterprises cannot exist without operating capital, plain and simple,” says Susannah Darrow Co-Founder of Purpose Possible. “That's why it was so important that the awardees are empowered to spend as they choose to best support the current needs and growth of their organizations.” We can’t wait to get started in 2022!

MORE ABOUT THE AWARDEES

Awardee organizations to receive $200,000 each (to be distributed over 3 years)

College AIM
College AIM envisions a day when every student in Greater Atlanta can equally access and achieve postsecondary success. Founded in 2013 by Sam Aleinikoff, College AIM’s programming has helped more than 700 DeKalb County students explore post-secondary options through workshops, college visits, and 1-to-1 counseling. 83% of those students have continued on to four-year, two-year, and technical colleges.

College AIM will use the new investment to place more high-quality college access professionals in their partner schools and advocate for a more equitable postsecondary landscape.

Counter Narrative Project
Founded by Charles Stephens in 2014, the Counter Narrative Project works to realize an Atlanta where Black gay men and the broader Black LGBTQ community, have greater acceptance in their communities. They advocate for policy change to reduce the prevalence and stigma of HIV. CNP also works to shift the cultural narrative by pushing for more visible and responsible media coverage of Black LGBTQ people. In 2021, they were nominated for a GLAAD Media Award for their digital magazine, The Reckoning, which focuses on Atlanta’s Black LGBTQ+ community.

CNP will invest the Forward Project grant in their digital mobilization strategy and develop content that fights stigma while strengthening their capacity for fundraising.

Hand, Heart and Soul Project & Little Ones Learning Center
Hand, Heart and Soul Project & Little Ones Learning Center have forged an innovative partnership between a for-profit and non-profit to help strengthen food security by bringing fresh, nutrient-dense to families also seeking childcare. Together, they’ll build a community-based corner market, with fresh produce and e-commerce equipped for SNAP benefits. They’re also creating a mobile farm stand to bring fresh food directly to families.

The partnership, led by HHSP co-creator Wande Okunoren-Meadows, will leverage the Forward Project grant to open a new learning center in Clayton County that provides holistic programs focused on health, education, wellness, and nutrition.

FINALISTS
Finalist organizations to receive grants ranging from $5,000-$11,000 (awarded immediately)

Ballethnic Dance Company

Clarkston Community Health Center

COR, Inc.

Friendship Center

Helping Empower Youth

Just Bakery of Atlanta

Our Village United

PushPush Arts

Southern Fried Queer Pride

The Come Up Project

Village Micro Fund

We Love BuHi

ABOUT THE SUBMISSION AND SELECTION PROCESS

The Forward Project welcomed applications from early- and growth-stage ventures as well as more established organizations making a significant pivot in their work. An investment committee comprised of 14 metro-Atlanta artists, small business owners, and non-profit leaders collaborated over the last year to develop the scope of the program and select awardees. Mailchimp partnered with Indwell Collaborative to design and facilitate a democratic selection process.

We are deeply honored and grateful to have the opportunity to work alongside Josh Penny at Mailchimp and Indwell Collective to bring this program to life. 

Forward Project 2021

Community Investment Team Deliberations