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March 2023

Mar 13

What now?: 4 steps to revisit your vision, mission, and values

By Sponsor Insight

by Kate Brierty, consultant at Hedges

Keeping an organization aligned during times of relentless rapid change can seem like an impossible task. Yet, it’s a task that many nonprofit leaders have faced on a whole new level since our world has been repeatedly hit with landscape-shifting changes over the past few years. The most successful leaders have taken on the difficult task of finding ways to keep what’s essential to their organization, while helping their team adapt their work to make meaningful impact in this new landscape. However, kicking off the plan to revisit, update, and align what’s at the core of your organization can be daunting.

In 2021, we gave organizations 5 questions they could answer to determine if the time is right to revisit their organization’s Vision, Mission, and Values. Many of you then shared that your organization’s essential statements were overdue for a review and refresh. So, today we want to offer insights into the obvious next question: What do we do now?

Although reviewing and revising your organization’s Vision, Mission, and Values is no small undertaking, there are a few straightforward steps you can adapt to implement a successful process for your team. We’ve outlined a 4-step update process that can leave your organization feeling more aligned, relevant, and ready to take on the changing landscape with confidence.

Step 1. Design and communicate the plan

An effective Vision, Mission, and Values review-and-revision process is intentional and inclusive, which does not happen by accident. Before you jump into editing, create a game plan for your organization’s approach. There are a few key questions to consider when structuring your revision process: What is actually up for adaptation? We encourage you to be open to reviewing all components of your Vision, Mission, and Values since they are so tightly linked and are all essential to your organization’s work.

Remember that leaving a statement open for review does not necessarily mean it will lead to any edits. However, if there is a piece of your Vision, Mission, and Values that is not on the table for potential edits, you should be transparent and provide context for that decision with all process participants to avoid frustration down the line.

Which stakeholders need to be invited to the process, and at what level of participation? Consider what voices and perspectives are needed at the table and then determine the most effective ways to allow those folks to participate. If these statements were originally created by a small group, then this is the perfect opportunity to be more inclusive and allow more voices to inform the process.

How will decisions be made? Get and be clear about how input will be considered, when decisions will be made, and who will be making them.

What is the timeline and what are the resources needed for this process? Once you know who will be included and how decisions will be made, then determine the timeline and resources (financial, staffing, etc.) that will be needed to complete this process as designed. Note: If you have another planning process happening soon (like strategic planning) you can consider how to thoughtfully combine these two planning pieces to maximize the resources allocated.

Once this plan is mapped, ensure that it is communicated to all relevant audiences in advance of asking them to participate. No one should find out about the process for the first time while being asked to give input on drafts. Thoughtful planning and communication can make sure no one feels blindsided or marginalized. Before the process begins, let your team know:

  • How the process will look and who will be involved
  • What about the Vision, Mission, and Values is actually up for review and adaptation
  • Who will make decisions and how the decisions will be made
  • How they specifically will be invited to participate throughout the process

Step 2. Answer core questions

Although it can be tempting to jump right into editing your current statements, consider beginning with an open conversation about what should be true for your organization’s Vision, Mission, and Values.

Revisit the definition of each of these statements and invite your team to answer the central questions that define them:

  • Vision- If your organization were successful, what would the new reality look like for your community?
  • Mission- What role does your organization play in helping create that new reality?
  • Values- What beliefs and principles are central to how you do your work and operate in the community?

Whether you find that your team’s responses are perfectly aligned or very different, taking the time to openly answer these questions from the outset can help inform and strengthen the rest of your process. If you see lots of alignment, this can help you prioritize those concepts most important to people across your organization. If there is a great deal of misalignment across responses, it can pinpoint areas where you will need to put in effort to help everyone understand and get inspired by your organization’s updated Vision, Mission, and Values.

Step 3. Re-visit each statement in your current context.

Now you can draft updated statements in an informed way by bringing together your current statements, your team’s reflections from Step 2, and any other research and data you have available. While each statement should be tailored to meet the unique needs of your organization and its context, there are some tips to consider to help you draft the strongest statements with your team:

  • Strong vision statements…
    • are specific and simple, so everyone can easily understand this essential message.
    • provide a challenge by describing the ideal reality your organization wants to see.
    • inspire action and attract people to your cause.
  • Strong mission statements…
    • are succinct enough to be remembered and repeated by your team.
    • utilize positive language to describe the important work your organization does.
    • balances the emotional and pragmatic aspects of your work to ensure it is engaging but practical.
  • Strong Values Statements…
    • help to tell your organization’s story by expressing who you are and how you want to be known in your community.
    • have enough context to help folks understand what this value means to your specific organization.
    • can be utilized to guide decision-making and measure how these values show up in your work at the team and individual level.

Once these statements are drafted, be sure to follow the inclusive review and revision process that you mapped out and communicated in Step 1. It can be helpful to remind folks of the research and feedback steps that informed these updated drafts when you share them out.

Step 4. Share and incorporate

This is the easiest but often the most skipped step for a successful update process- Once you have these updated statements finalized, you should utilize them!

  • Be thoughtful about how you want to roll out these updated statements with internal and external audiences:
    • Consider how you can use these updated statements to help better align your current stakeholders and attract new supporters to your work.
    • Be sure that stakeholders who were involved in the update process are thanked for their perspectives and time when these new statements are shared.
    • Be proactive about providing context for any significant content changes you made, so that folks can understand the intentionality behind any of those larger edits. For Example- If you changed the way you identify the audience you serve in your Mission Statement, then you should be proactive in the way you communicate why the change was made and why you’re excited about it.
  • Update all tools that are tied to your Vision, Mission, and Values to ensure these updated statements are guiding your work:
    • Update all digital and printed materials to reflect your refreshed statements.
    • Utilize the updated statements to help guide decision-making across the organization. Make sure leadership is modeling how these statements are used in critical full-team decisions and planning as well.
    • Revise the structures and tools utilized to recruit, train, and evaluate the entire team- including staff, board, and volunteers- to ensure alignment with your organization’s updated Vision, Mission, and Values.

The best part is that these simple steps are also a cyclical process that can keep your organization ready for whatever changes come your way in the future. Consistently utilizing these updated statements (as outlined in Step 4) should help you easily identify when your organization has grown to the point where a Vision, Mission, and Values review and revision process might be needed again.

When you do determine it’s time for that update, you can simply repeat these 4 steps to help you shape a process that will leave you with a more invigorated and aligned organization primed for even greater impact. If you are interested in how Hedges can help your team engage in this 4-step process, please reach out to me at kateb@hellohedges.com so we can find a time to chat.

Kate Brierty is passionate about asking the right questions to help groups have conversations and make decisions that will create real impact for the people they serve. She has lived out this passion for over a decade in education and nonprofit spaces in Charlotte, Detroit, and Indianapolis. In all her work as a consultant at Hedges, Kate is focused on pursuing meaningful results while keeping people at the center of her work.

Mar 13

Overcoming the challenges of recruiting and retaining nonprofit fundraisers

By Feature

IU fundraising expert outlines how to adapt with new perspectives

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

While many nonprofit organizations throughout Central continue to face hiring challenges, the task of attracting, hiring, and retaining fundraisers has proven to be one of the most concerning developments going into 2023.

In late 2022, as many as 46 percent of nonprofit fundraisers in the United States and the United Kingdom reported that they were planning to leave their current employer within the next two years, according to a report recently released  by the Institute of Sustainable Philanthropy and Revolutionise International. Of those surveyed, 9 percent said they were leaving the profession entirely.

Those findings can be disturbing, especially since the pool of qualified fundraisers has historically fallen short of demand, according to Genevieve G. Shaker, associate professor of Philanthropic Studies and Donald A. Campbell Chair in Fundraising Leadership.

“Fundraisers are always in demand,” Shaker said. “This has been an ongoing issue, and the pandemic exacerbated it.”

As with many other nonprofit roles, the fundraising employees left to fill in the gap are at risk of burnout, stress, and lack of job satisfaction, she added.

According to a recent report released by The Chronicle of Philanthropy, nine out of 10 fundraisers surveyed indicated that unfilled fundraising positions have significantly increased their workloads. The respondents cited numerous problems that have led to high rates of burnout, including logging 12-hour workdays and facing unrealistic fundraising goals.

Those types of working conditions can exacerbate risks of nonprofit organizations losing additional fundraisers, Shaker said. “Fundraisers were feeling a significant amount of pressure during the pandemic to continue to meet organizational goals and needs,” she said. “However, this is ongoing. We know that the demands people are feeling in fundraising have not lessened.”

While the situation may seem dire for many organizations, Shaker said, it also is important to note that not all turnover is bad. “Sometimes it’s good for the individual as well as the organization,” she said. 

However, in the case of fundraisers, organizations may face the challenge of seeking ways to nurture the relationships developed by a departing fundraiser. 

Moving forward with solutions

Nonprofit leaders faced with a lack of fundraising talent can recognize better long-term outcomes by engaging in a different approach to traditional solutions, according to Shaker.

For example, HR representatives can start tapping unrecognized talent from throughout the organization. Ideal candidates are those who have demonstrated that they are passionate about the organization’s mission, people who serve in administrative roles, and, in some cases, volunteers, she said.

“These candidates may be recognized as those that are very involved with the organization and already integrated in the community it serves,” she said. 

Under an effective model, the organization must be committed to the candidates’ growth, Shaker said, setting up a runway of sorts for them to become accustomed to the work as well as fundraising goals. 

“Expectations may need to be different,” she said. “For example, the expectations for Year 1 shouldn’t be the same as Year 2. Goals should accommodate the candidate until they’ve hit their stride. It will require some investment by nonprofits to bring people up to speed.”

Also, when seeking candidates outside of the organization for fundraising roles, consider people with varying backgrounds, Shaker recommended.

As indicated by the Association of Fundraising Professionals, fundraisers come from varied backgrounds, from sales and business to stay-at-home parents, Shaker said. “People have always come from different pathways to get into fundraising,” she said. “But I don’t know if we’ve been great about seeking them out, encouraging them, and facilitating their growth, interest, and development in the field.”

Managers can explore ways to ensure that new fundraisers are being supported through networking in professional organizations, and certification in areas like fundraising management and principles and techniques of fundraising.

“Once you have identified someone who is engaged in their first fundraising opportunity, you really have to support them through professional development and mentoring,” Shaker added. “It must be intentional.” 

Encouraging and retaining current fundraising professionals

Another area of concern for many organizations is retaining employees in a highly competitive job market. 

Shaker said that it is important to alleviate pressure on fundraisers and other employees by outsourcing some responsibilities, such as database management, grant writing, and event planning. “This allows them to focus on the key work,” she said.  

Again, changing expectations can be critical to overall morale. “If your fundraising team is down by two people, you may need to do one or two fewer events,” she said. “It’s important to have conversations on topics like this so that it doesn’t feel like a mandate.”

Future of fundraising

Overall, Shaker said, nonprofit organizations and other industries that use fundraising professionals could benefit from initiatives to increase awareness about the field.

“A lot of people may not know much about fundraising while others may be afraid to ask people for money,” she said. “It’s not a field that students typically hear about coming out of high school. Not many people say, ‘I know I want to go into fundraising.’ We need to proactively educate people about the field and raise the profile. Leaders need to keep spreading the word about the ability to make a difference in their communities through this amazing profession.”

Mar 06

Making tax season less taxing

By Sponsor Insight

United Way, IRS, and community organizations partner for Indy Free Tax Prep

by Fatma Yousif, community impact manager for United Way

Since 2015, United Way of Central Indiana has partnered with volunteers, community organizations, and groups across Marion, Boone, Hendricks and Morgan counties to administer the IRS grant that supports the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program — known locally as Indy Free Tax Prep.

Indy Free Tax Prep allows qualified individuals and families to file a complete and thorough tax return for free. Last year, 138 IRS-certified volunteers prepared nearly 4,400 tax returns for central Indiana residents resulting in $6 million in refunds.

The program’s success is due to the hundreds of volunteers who want to contribute to their community in a meaningful way. It’s all about making tax season less taxing for our neighbors.

As one volunteer recently commented, “I really love volunteering for Indy Free Tax Prep because you are learning and helping the community at the same time. It’s the best feeling.”

This year, our goal is to have 250 volunteers prepare more than 6,500 returns.

All Indy Free Tax Prep volunteers who prepare returns must pass tax law training that meets or exceeds IRS standards to be certified. This training includes maintaining the privacy and confidentiality of all taxpayer information. In addition to requiring volunteers to certify their knowledge of the tax laws, the IRS requires a quality review check for every return prepared at a VITA site prior to filing. They also assist taxpayers with the preparation of thousands of Facilitated Self-Assistance returns. 

Indy Free Tax Prep sites and volunteers offer free tax help to people who need assistance in preparing their own tax returns, including: 

  • people who generally make $66,000 or less,
  • those with disabilities, and
  • taxpayers who speak limited English.

United Way and its partners are proud to offer Indy Free Tax Prep. It truly serves the community by assisting families in keeping more of their hard-earned money. If you are interested in learning more or volunteering, you can email me at Fatma.yousif@uwci.org.