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July 2022

Jul 25

Part 2: Is it time to take a break?

By Feature

Lilly Endowment’s nonprofit renewal program highlights benefits of rest

(As nonprofits seek ways to encourage employee retention, enhance recruitment and minimize burn out, Not-for-profit News explores the benefits of Lilly Endowment’s renewal grant programs in this second part of a two-part series. Read Part 1)

[Headline] Part 2: Is it time to take a break?

[Subhead} Lilly Endowment’s nonprofit renewal program highlights benefits of rest

[Byline] by Shari Finnell, editor/writer, Not-for-profit News

(As nonprofits seek ways to encourage employee retention, enhance recruitment and minimize burn out, Not-for-profit News explores the benefits of Lilly Endowment’s renewal grant programs in this second part of a two-part series. Read Part 1 https://charitableadvisors.com/is-it-time-to-take-a-break/)

What would you do with $10,000? How would you rekindle your passion?

Those are the types of questions posed by the Indy Arts Council to applicants of its Creative Renewal Arts Fellowship Program, an initiative funded by Lilly Endowment, Inc., to ensure that artists and art administrators have an opportunity to replenish and reignite their creativity.

For one applicant, the answer to that question resulted in her traveling to Nigeria, recalled Nikki Kirk, director of community investment for the Indy Arts Council.

“As a dance teacher, she had been teaching various African dances but had never been to Africa,” said Kirk, who oversees the arts fellowship program. “While in Africa, she took three classes a day, learning from the folks who are from the region where it started. It re-energized her teaching by allowing her to really get to the heart of what the dance form is all about.”

Jean Luc Howell, director of historic preservation at Newfields, used part of his renewal grant funds to travel with his girlfriend during an extended road trip. Along the way, they visited historic destinations, including the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, N.C., the Winterthur Museum in Winterthur, Del., and Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens in Akron, Ohio. In addition to exploring the historical sites, Howell made wax rubbings of historical manhole covers he came across.

The award came at a time when nonprofit organizations are under intense pressure to come up with new ways to attract visitors, Howell said.

“Having a break was phenomenal, especially now,” said Howell, noting that many organizations operate on a year-round schedule to remain competitive. “We don’t have quiet times like we may have had in previous years, where you can take a breath, clean your office and catch up on other things.”

“With our current seasonal programming, the schedule can feel unrelenting. You must put something out that’s the best or the newest to get people’s attention,” he said.  “You’re competing against people going to the movies or even staying home to stream movies. And there’s pressure to raise money as a nonprofit through income-generating programs. You can lose the passion for why you wanted to work in a museum or a nonprofit in the first place.”

Giving nonprofit employees an opportunity to step back, whether through the renewal grant programs, paid time off or other benefits, has become increasingly important in today’s climate, Howell added.

“There’s so much more pressure,” he said. “Things like this are going to be more important as we move through issues of DEI and other heavy things we’re dealing with at work. You need an extra break from trying to navigate all of that as well.”

Exploring goals through the process

With up to 200 applicants vying for 40 grants through the renewal program, only a fraction of them will be able to take advantage of a renewal, Kirk pointed out. However, she said, the grant application process itself can be therapeutic.

“Some of the individuals that I’ve spoken to have said that even writing the grant application has been renewing for them because it’s about answering questions like, ‘What do you want to do?’ ‘Why do you want to do it?’ ‘How is this going to impact you?’ ‘What’s inspiring to you?’,” Kirk said.

“For the folks who do receive the grant, it’s really impactful and powerful, eEpecially during these times of COVID and excessive burnout,” Kirk added. “But beyond that, for the folks who aren’t selected in this round they get some form of renewal by writing down what they want to do. That type of creative writing style has an impact.”

Lilly Endowment has numerous renewal programs that are designed to help rejuvenate professionals in various sectors, including teachers, pastors, youth workers and human service workers. The program for artists and art administrators was implemented in the late 1990s.

“People experiencing burnout don’t necessarily turn out the most creative work because their minds are in so many different places,” Kirk said. “Being able to take that time for yourself helps you invest further and more heavily in the work as you come back into the space.”

Jul 18

Is it time to take a break?

By Feature

Lilly Endowment renewal programs highlight benefits of rest

by Shari Finnell, editor/writer, Not-for-profit News

(As nonprofits seek ways to encourage employee retention, enhance recruitment and minimize burn out, Not-for-profit News explores the benefits of Lilly Endowment’s renewal grant programs in this first part of a two-part series.)

As a long-time dedicated nonprofit employee, Angie Hoskins understands first-hand the symptoms of employee burnout. In 2019, her stress levels hit a peak as she took on additional responsibilities at Easter Seals Crossroads during a critical transition in roles.

“I was juggling two different positions with no end in sight,” said Hoskins, who is a benefits specialist technical assistant for the nonprofit organization. “I was being pulled in several different directions and working a lot of extra hours during a transition.”

Her concerned supervisors urged her to apply for a grant through United Way of Central Indiana’s (UWCI) Human Services Professional Renewal Program, Hoskins recalled. Under the program, which is now in its 20th year of being fully funded by Lilly Endowment, offers up to $10,000 each to up to 25 human service professionals each year to pause from their day-to-day responsibilities to explore their passions and new ideas. Lilly Endowment funds similar programs for teachers, clergy, artists and art administrators.

Hoskins’ grant request to explore her genealogy by touring Ireland was approved. However, COVID-19 travel restrictions related to international travel in 2020 forced her to make a change in plans. This year, she traveled to Alaska with her husband, Shane Hoskins, for a cruise and land tour. 

After returning to Indianapolis, Hoskins said, she experienced a renewed sense of purpose. “This trip was much needed. I came back not expecting how revived I would feel. I was excited to do my job again,” she said. “It also gave me the opportunity to step back and recognize how many people I’ve been able to help.”

Going beyond recognition

Julie Koegel, program coordinator for UWCI’s Human Services Professional Renewal Program, said that the benefits of the program extend beyond acknowledging an employee’s dedication to their nonprofit work. They can prove to be a motivating factor for retention and innovation among employees in the field, she said.

Nonprofit work can be demanding for many employees, Koegel pointed out. “They’re often working long hours. Some of them are on call 24/7. Some are missing their own kids’ activities because they’re going to the activities of the children they serve,” she said. “People get burned out. During COVID, in particular, it’s been really hard because these individuals have been first responders; among the first ones being called for assistance.”

“We wanted to make sure people who have been working in this field for 20, 30 or 40 years are able to experience renewal,” Koegel added. “We also want to recognize those who are younger, who haven’t been working in the field as long. We want to keep them in the field.”

Recognizing nonprofit employees at all levels

According to Sara VanSlambrook, chief impact officer for UWCI, the grant renewal program is an important way to recognize nonprofit employees who often don’t qualify for other recognitions. 

“Too often, frontline managers and staff are overlooked,” VanSlambrook said. “Awards and recognition are often targeted to executive directors. This program is for anyone at any level within an organization. About 45 percent of the grantees over the years have been frontline staff.”

Renewal grant recipients have included employees ranging from executive directors, vice presidents and managers to receptionists, cafeteria workers and correctional officers, she said. 

VanSlambrook also said that these types of benefits in the workplace can be critical for retention.

“It communicates to human service professionals that they are essential workers, and that we value them,” she said. “It reduces stress levels for those who receive it. It brings new energy and creativity to the work upon returning from an investment like this. They usually come back with new ideas and new knowledge that will enhance their work.”

Applicants of the UWCI Human Services Professional Renewal Grant program must meet the following criteria:

  • Must be an employee of a UWCI agency, UWCI, or an invited human services organization that is actively engaged in a UWCI collaborative activity
  • Must have been employed eight or more consecutive years by a human services nonprofit agency as of the application deadline
  • Must have been employed by their current organization five or more consecutive years as of the application deadline
  • Must serve clients in the UWCI areas of service: Boone, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks, Marion and Morgan counties
  • Must intend to remain in human services work for at least two years after the renewal experience

Over the years of administering the program, Koegel said, she has seen it accomplish its mission among the participants. “They come back to their jobs renewed, with new perspectives,” she said. 

She also said an evaluation revealed that numerous participants said they probably would have left their jobs if they had not experienced the period of renewal offered under the grant.

“They had reached that point where they were so burned out that they were looking at other opportunities,” Koegel said. “This gave them a chance to take a step back, to have permission not to answer their voicemails, not to look at their emails, and to really disconnect for a period of time and really focus on themselves.”

Jul 05

Effective fundraising demands new strategies, timeless principles, and an open mind

By Feature

New edition of Achieving Excellence in Fundraising puts philanthropy in context

by Shari Finnell, editor/writer, Not-for-profit News

As editors prepared to assemble the fifth edition of Achieving Excellence in Fundraising, they shared a sense of unease, recalls Genevieve G. Shaker, lead editor and associate professor of philanthropic studies at the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at IUPUI.

Shaker, who had been involved with the textbook previously in its 30-year history, led a team of more than 50 authors — all with ties to the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy — during one of the most transformative periods in the history of philanthropy. The work on the edition started in 2019 but the team paused as the global COVID-19 outbreak upended the nonprofit sector, philanthropy. The publication was released this spring and was co-edited by Eugene R. Tempel, Sarah K. Nathan, and Bill Stanczykiewicz.

“There was so much happening with fundraising as a result of that period of time,” Shaker said, recalling the uncertainty around the deadly pandemic, heightened awareness about DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) following social justice protests, economic upheaval, and the rush to virtual engagement.

Several questions emerged during that time, she said, including: “How might this be changing things?” “What are the tried-and-true principles we believe still hold?”

“New editions come out about every five years,” Shaker said. “We wanted to make sure those principles were sustained. How can we make a book, attending to the changes this moment, that also will speak to people several years from now?”

In the end, the team decided to move forward, with the understanding that it may take some time to unearth how the events of 2020-2021 will continue to change fundraising and giving. “We couldn’t wait another two to three years to see what happens longer-term. It’s so important that people have a new book, so we went ahead — even with some uncertainties about the ultimate impact of this period.”


Preparing for what’s next in fundraising

One of the editor’s key takeaways is that principles and strategies of effective fundraising will continue to evolve but many of the foundational principles outlined by the late fundraising expert and The Fund Raising School founder Henry A. Rosso remain relevant, according to Shaker.

The revised book introduces new material and research related to fundraising ethics, virtual engagement and online giving, engaging diverse donors, crisis fundraising, planned giving, and crafting appeals. “The digital revolution has been enormous and it’s continuing through innovations like crowdfunding and artificial intelligence,” Shaker said. “Platforms are still emerging and broadening the ways we can communicate with people. That’s a huge change that we’ve seen over these past 20 years.”

Another development is heightened awareness about engaging diverse donors, Shaker said. “We are always seeking to learn more about different communities of donors, to provide more recognition for their philanthropic approaches, and to be intentionally welcoming and supportive of them as donors,” she said. “This change has been happening prior to the last few years, but it’s more at the forefront of all of our minds as we work to create a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive nonprofit sector.”

Adapting to change

According to Shaker, recent events served as a reminder of the importance of constantly evaluating the effectiveness of current fundraising strategies. 

“We cannot do the same things year after year and expect the same result,” she said. “We must be evaluating outcomes. If, for example, a mailing is getting half the response than previous years, you must be open to changing your approach.”

Shaker noted that Tempel, lead editor of three previous editions and founding dean emeritus of the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, often stressed that nonprofit organizations can’t afford to operate as closed systems. “Leaders need to approach their nonprofits as open systems — gathering information, listening, and paying attention to what’s happening in the world, in their community, and in fundraising — and adapting all the time,” she said. “COVID, in a way, was a reset for some organizations. It required them to change and they’re not going back.”

Without the pandemic, some nonprofits still would be entrenched in practices that may not necessarily have been working for them, Shaker added.

Guiding principles of fundraising

While the pandemic accelerated the adoption of online giving and virtual engagement, research also revealed that some of the original principles advised by Rosso more than 30 years ago remain unshakeable, Shaker said.

“It has proven some of the things that we believe about fundraising, including the importance of having strong relationships with donors and finding different ways to engage with donors at all capacities,” she said. “Those principles were reinforced during COVID. The pandemic stressed the importance of knowing your donors as people and considering their circumstances, while continuing to communicate with them about your nonprofit’s work, needs, and the circumstances of those you serve.”

The textbook also addresses perceptions about fundraising, many that stem from some cultural and societal beliefs about openly talking about money, Shaker said.

“Fundraising can be misunderstood, even within our own organizations. There are some misunderstandings about what fundraising is and how it takes place,” she said. “We are often battling those misconceptions and educating others about philanthropy and fundraising. At a personal level, many of us are raised in households where talking about money can be taboo. This is an additional challenge, which can take reflection and practice to overcome so it doesn’t impact the way we interact with donors.”

Shaker said that the pandemic also reinforced people’s enormous capacity for generosity through donations and volunteerism.

“It was a reminder that philanthropy is for everyone,” she said. “It reinvigorated and reminded us of the power of human generosity. And that a more inclusive definition of philanthropy includes thinking about all the things that people are doing in addition to giving financially.”

More information about the fifth edition of Achieving Excellence in Fundraising is available at achievingexcellenceinfundraising.com/.