|
|
Editor’s notes, by Jennifer Chandler
 My appreciation for what leadership is – and isn’t – has been sharpened lately listening to stories about first jobs. One young adult close to my family shared his experiences working for a leader who sounds like the antithesis of a "servant-leader." Hearing that young person's misgivings motivated me to search for resources about good governance and inspiring leaders, both of which are abundant in the charitable nonprofit community. Hence the theme of this issue of Nonprofit Knowledge Matters. Whatever your leadership lens, we hope these articles will offer ideas for discussions with your nonprofit peers about the leadership role charitable nonprofits play in communities, and the characteristics you aspire to demonstrate in your own leadership journey.
|
Dynamic Leadership
We expect so much of leaders. And leaders expect so much of themselves. But one person, or even a small leadership team, may have a blind spot. We’ve all read about the “wisdom of crowds” and the challenges of overworked, overstressed leaders making decisions. What if your nonprofit used a governance and decision-making process that made the organization smarter than any one leader/small leadership team? Read more in our guest post by Sheella Mierson.
|
Can everyone lead?
Nonprofit leaders take their role seriously. That’s why convenings hosted by state associations of nonprofits often include conversations about effective leadership. Paul Schmitz, keynote speaker at the recent Nonprofit Leadership Summit hosted by theNew Hampshire Center for Nonprofits, and author of Everyone Leads, has questioned the premise that leadership is only for a few. Another leader and convener of nonprofits in New England, Common Good Vermont (a Nonprofit Ally member of the National Council of Nonprofits), has taken up the mantle of leadership in a big way. Common Good Vermont aspires to weave leadership and citizenship into the fabric of the Green Mountain state so that leadership is not just something that others do, but something thateveryone does. Find out more aboutCommon Good Vermont's initiative in an article by Council of Nonprofits intern Molly Tilghman.
|
Providing Leadership for Collaboration
 A new report from Grantmakers for Effective Organizations (GEO) highlights how funders can support nonprofits engaged in collaborations.Working Better Together: Building Nonprofit Collaborative Capacity lays out insights on the core capacities nonprofits need to effectively collaborate — including strong leadership and an open mindset, the ability to share power and responsibility, adaptability and flexibility, and strong connectivity and relationship building — and how grantmakers can play a vital role in building these capacities. As described in the report, key roles grantmakers can play include: helping nonprofits make connections with collaborative partners, offering core support (i.e., unrestricted) long-term funding, and providing other resources, such as technology, that may be needed to support and enable collaborative work.
|
Leadership to Change Perspectives on Indirect Costs
 Kudos to the many leaders in the nonprofit community who havesigned the pledge to educate donors and grantmakers about the fact that programs run by nonprofits require general operating funds to turn on the lights, process payroll, purchase liability insurance, and pay for a myriad of other “indirect costs.” Charitable nonprofits are also taking a leadership role in spreading the word thatgovernment contracts and grants should reimburse nonprofits for the indirect costs that they incur.
If your nonprofit provides services on behalf of governments, we think you will be interested in a new report from the National Council of Nonprofits, Investing for Impact: Indirect Costs Are Essential for Success. Even if your nonprofit doesn't have any government contracts or grants, you will still find Investing for Impact useful because it shares substantial research for board members and funders about the need to invest in core infrastructure to have a stronger nonprofit. The new report offers nonprofits ideas for how to explain to their government partners and private philanthropy that payment of indirect costs is vital to the effectiveness of the services provided, and for the sustainability of the nonprofit. The report includes practical solutions that governments at all levels can adopt to strengthen the government-nonprofit contracting relationship, ensure higher-performing nonprofit partners (and cost savings for taxpayers). BUT -- it’s up to charitable nonprofits to lead the way with the key messages in the report when negotiating with governments. Lead on!
|
More resources on leadership
|
|
|
|
|
|
No comments:
Post a Comment