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Feb 27

Expanding the mission without bricks and mortar

By Feature

Raphael Health Center meets community’s growing health needs through strategic partnerships

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

On a day-to-day basis, the staff at Raphael Health Center gets an intimate look at the challenges facing residents impacted by social determinants of health — the conditions and environments that can contribute to disproportionately higher rates of heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, infant mortality, and other health risks. The center, located at 401 E. 34th St., is in the heart of a neighborhood with a median income of $56,563 — significantly lower than the national median income of $69, 021.

In recent years, the nonprofit comprehensive care facility which focuses on providing care to underinsured and uninsured households, has seen medical needs significantly increase within the community it serves, according to Sherry Gray, Raphael Health Center’s CEO, and Lauren Scharenbrock, project manager of a new strategic partnership, 34th and Beyond.

Gray, along with other members of the Raphael team, recently announced the launch of the initiative, which will provide medical services to an increasing number of patients without expanding the medical facility.

“We’ve been looking at our building and looking at the needs in our community, and we’re seeing a disconnect,” Scharenbrock said. “There’s a lot going on in a small space. We can only serve so many people in this location. We only have so many rooms, we only have so much space, and we have used every last inch of it.”

Instead of focusing on plans to expand its current building or developing a new medical center, the Raphael team looked at its partners as a way to provide medical, behavioral health, optometry, and dental care to individuals and families more cost effectively.

Through a pilot program with Salvation Army’s mental recovery house, the center will focus on sending medical providers to various partner sites one day or two days a week to meet patients where they’re at, Scharenbrock said.

According to Jesse Links, manager of rehabilitation services for the Salvation Army’s Adult Rehabilitation Center, 711 E. Washington St., the 34th and Beyond initiative has already produced results.

“We saw an increase in our completion percentage, and an increase in retention, and an increase in new people coming into the program,” said Links, noting that the medical center provided on-site services during 75 appointments in January.

Fulfilling an expanding need

As part of the 34th and Beyond initiative, Raphael Health Center also plans to provide a range of comprehensive services to clients served by other partner nonprofit organizations, including Gennesaret Free Clinics and Pathway to Recovery.

Scharenbrock said that the initiative enables patients to receive services more quickly by eliminating the barriers many of them face when seeking medical care.

While receiving comprehensive quality healthcare can be challenging for many American households, it can be particularly difficult for individuals facing homelessness or who are impoverished.

“Healthcare, in general, is too expensive,” she said. “But many of the people we serve don’t have insurance or transportation. Getting them here can be difficult sometimes. We may need to give them bus passes or arrange for them to come by Lyft.

Scharenbrock also noted that many people are not aware of the options available to them.

“We are focused on bridging that gap by going to where they are,” she said. “It reduces the financial barriers, the transportation barriers, and the fear of the unknown because they’re already in a place that is familiar. We’re really hoping to use the trust the partner organizations have with their clients and build upon that to connect them with the services that they need.”

Effective partnerships built upon trust

The comprehensive services provided by Raphael Health Center is an added tool that Salvation Army clients can rely on for help when they’re struggling, Links said.

Links said that communication and trust have been essential in continuing a partnership that could help serve its rehabilitation program clients with co-occurring conditions, such as behavioral health challenges, substance abuse, and psychological disorders.

“We’re not a clinical treatment program,” he noted. “We are a faith-based rehabilitation program. There was a gap in some of the types of services we could offer individuals. We were looking for one place that could meet our men’s needs.”

“Communication is key — being open and meeting our guys where they’re at,” he said. “They never turn them away, whether they’re insured or not insured.”

Feb 27

Committed to the community: An ICONic program

By Sponsor Insight

by Jeffrey Harrison, president & CEO, Citizens Energy Group

Throughout the course of our 135-year history, Citizens Energy Group’s top priority has been to provide safe and reliable utility services to the residents and communities of Central Indiana. Over the years, this commitment has evolved into further supporting the betterment of the communities we serve.

In this spirit, Citizens created the Investment Collaboration On Neighborhoods (ICON) program in 1995 as a nonprofit organization to support redevelopment through public-private partnerships and nonprofit loans.

ICON offers loans with 4 percent simple interest to eligible partners and prioritizes small start-up projects with loan applications of up to $300,000 where expected program outcomes can be met within 24 months. Loans are intended to be paid off within 24 months, with no penalties for early repayment or early payoff due to sale of the property or project.

Since the creation of the program, Citizens has loaned more than $5 million in low-interest loans to local partners to support small neighborhood projects. We’ve seen success particularly when partnering with organizations working on affordable housing or neighborhood revitalization initiatives.

In recent years, ICON has funded revitalization efforts such as the Indy Fringe Theatre, the Murphy Arts Center in Fountain Square, and collaborations with organizations including Great Places 2020; Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) Indianapolis; Mapleton Fall Creek Development Corporation; Martindale Brightwood Community Development Corporation; Near North Development Corporation; and Westside Community Development Corporation.

Nearly 30 years of making short-term, low-interest loans to our neighbors and redevelopment partner organizations has kept us firmly connected to our community. ICON’s redevelopment efforts continue to keep us plugged in to the network of leaders working to enhance quality of life and economic development here in Central Indiana.
To find more information about ICON, including the application, click here

Jeffrey Harrison joined Citizens Energy Group in 2003 and has served as President & CEO since 2015, championing diversity, inclusion, and community engagement during his tenure. Since 2020, he has also chaired Business Equity for Indy, a collaboration of Central Indiana businesses and institutions working for racial justice.

Citizens Energy Group provides natural gas, thermal energy, water, and wastewater services to about 900,000 people and thousands of businesses in Central Indiana.

Feb 20

Practice leadership more intentionally

By Sponsor Insight

by Jeffery Kaufman Ph.D., associate professor of leadership and research, The Klipsch Educators College at Marian University

Leadership is hard work. Every day, all day, how we show up as professional leaders is either building engagement and energy or draining it. The good news is that there are specific patterns of thought and action that can help leaders show up more wholly, and in turn, liberate organizations to unleash their full potential.

Marian University’s Leadership Academy helps individuals in authority roles practice leadership more intentionally. Our practitioner-focused programs emphasize the Adaptive Leadership framework, developed at Harvard University. This foundation provides a leadership focus that recognizes organizations as social systems, differentiates between technical problems and adaptive challenges, and expressly accounts for the nuance and power of authority and group dynamics.

To meet your individual leadership goals and growth, Marian University provides individual leadership courses, executive certificates, a Master of Arts in leadership practice, and a doctorate in Organizational Leadership. Learn more about these various options at the university’s website.

Why?

There is more to organizational leadership than simply meeting technical goals and objectives. Organizations rarely struggle with technical problems given the availability of experts to solve problems that have known solutions.

Where organizations have the most difficulty is in addressing adaptive challenges where people have conflicting values, beliefs, and loyalties. As the stakes rise and the challenges become increasingly complex, perspectives diverge, and stress begins to bubble — first beneath and then above the surface.

Stakeholders may not be sure how to express their passion/fear/outrage in a constructive manner. This program works to develop your capacity and skill set to be more effective in understanding and navigating those most difficult challenges — exercising leadership from any position, mobilizing others to make progress on your organization’s most difficult issues.

What?

We will explore life-giving leadership tools and practices that help create a purpose-driven culture including motivation and engagement, understanding self and others, gaining awareness of authority and group dynamics, and using emotion for wisdom and energy. In short, building capacity to be present to your community as an intentional and centered leader when it matters most.

Feb 13

Grant writing: Tips to enhance your chances of approval

By Feature

Martin University’s vice president of institutional advancement gives insights on strategic fundraising

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

While nonprofits have numerous options for raising funds, mastering the art of grant writing can be critical in gaining ongoing support for your organization. But the odds of approval can be against you. According to numerous estimates, only one out of 10 grant applications are approved.

However, with a strategic grant writing process that includes research, creative writing, and the ability to recognize when a grant is not a good fit, you can increase those odds, according to Kristie Johnson, vice president of Institutional Advancement at Martin University and a Certified Fundraising Executive.

Johnson, who earned a Ph.D. in leadership in higher Education from Bellarmine University and is currently working on an executive MBA from Howard University, recently led a grant writing workshop for the Black Heritage Preservation Program Research training workshop hosted by Indiana Landmarks in partnership with Indiana Humanities and Freetown Village.

The following are highlights of the tips she offered for more successful fundraising through a comprehensive grant writing plan.

Invest time in research before starting the application process. In addition to identifying foundations listed in directories, including the Indiana Philanthropy Alliance (IPA) website, nonprofits could maximize the use of their time by gaining a deeper understanding of the organization. Some grant writers may not take the research far enough.

“Research is really important because you need to take the time to identify where your resources are,” Johnson said.

Review a foundation’s 990 tax documents. Gaining an understanding of a foundation’s giving history also can be an important step in being more successful in the grant writing process, Johnson said. In Indiana, that process can include researching foundations on the IPA website, which provides various pertinent information, including a foundation’s 990 tax documents.

“They’re required by law to complete Form 990,” Johnson said. The document provides financial insights about a nonprofit or foundation. The documents can provide information about a foundation that may not necessarily be evident on its website, she noted.

“The website may indicate that they’ll fund up to a million dollars. But if you look at what they’ve awarded in the past, you may find out that they have never given any organization more than $500,000,” Johnson added. “So, knowing that’s their sweet spot will give you a strong indication of their funding range.”

Be willing to engage in conversations. Documentation about an organization also typically provides a list of its officers. Browsing the list can help the grant writer determine if they have a connection to any board members or officers.

Even if that is not the case, grant writers should be willing to connect with those involved in the organization, Johnson said. “For example, when a grant opportunity becomes available, try to speak with the program officer, if possible,” she said. “Many foundations also offer webinars, workshops, and other resources to ensure that potential grant recipients understand the grant process and requirements.”

Connect with other grantees. Previous grant recipients also can provide insights about a grant opportunity, Johnson said. “If you know that an organization has received the grant funds before, connect with them to see how the process was for reporting,” she recommended. “Ask questions like, ‘How strenuous is the process?’”

Read the RFP thoroughly. Nonprofits also may make the mistake of failing to thoroughly read a request for proposal (RFP) before applying for a grant, Johnson said. It is important to make sure your organization and projects are aligned with the foundation’s objectives and requirements.

Combine creative writing with data gathering. Johnson said grant writing also should provide a good balance between creative writing and data gathering. “It’s important to look at the data to demonstrate how you will determine success,” she said. “But you also have to create a compelling narrative about how your program is innovative, sustainable, and provides a great opportunity for a foundation to invest and partner with you as an organization.”

Know when to pass on a grant opportunity. “It’s important to determine, as an organization, if you have the capacity to manage a grant well,” Johnson said. “Every grant is not necessarily a good fit. Sometimes, you may have to leave the money on the table perhaps because the reporting requirements are every quarter or every six months.

“Some grant requirements may be too labor intensive for your team if you don’t have the staff to manage it,” she said. “It’s a really good idea to just consult with staff members who actually be taking on this initiative to determine if they have the capacity to manage it.”

Join professional associations. Grant writing can be a lonely endeavor, Johnson said. Consider joining a membership-based organization like the Grant Professionals Association. “Not only will they provide you with resources and professional development, but you will also have the opportunity to meet funders from various organizations who are invited to speak to the group,” she said. “Connect with other like-minded professionals in the field so you can support one another.”

Jan 30

Revitalizing the membership model through new approaches

By Feature

Local nonprofit leaders, survey respondents share opportunities and challenges facing membership-based nonprofits

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

No matter the nonprofit entity, numbers are traditionally used as a measure of success. How many people showed up at an event? How many email subscribers are on our list? How many donors have contributed to our cause? How many people are we serving?

In the case of some nonprofits, another critical measure of overall viability is the number of people they can count as members. These membership organizations operate by focusing on providing value to their membership community as well as supporting the causes they serve.  

The landscape has significantly changed since many membership organizations were founded decades ago, according to several local leaders, challenging them to find new ways to engage people who may not be familiar with organizations like the Rotary Club, and Kappa Delta Pi, and numerous foundations, fraternities, sororities, churches, and professional, charitable, and veterans’ associations. 

“There’s been a 20-year trend of associations and membership organizations trying to ensure they’re remaining relevant,” said Tonja Eagan, CEO of Kappa Delta Pi (KDP), an international honor society for educators that was founded in 1911. The organization’s headquarters are in Indianapolis.

Eagan said people who fall in the Millennials category have represented the most significant generational shift in attitudes about membership organizations. Before then, boomers and other previous generations had a deeper connection with membership organizations. “They have these long-standing traditions,” Eagan said. 

“Millennials, mainly because of the use of technology and different ways of communicating and socializing, did not find many of these long-standing traditions as relevant,” she added. “Now, people might say, ‘Why do I need to come to this association meeting when I can just set up a Facebook group?’”

However, Eagan said, new research is providing insights on how associations and membership organizations can effectively recruit and engage younger generations. 

As part of one of those studies, researchers with the 2022 Global Membership Health Study surveyed members, board of directors, and staff of 275 associations in 59 countries. The study revealed a significant gap in how board members and members perceived how their organizations provided value and opportunities for engagement. 

According to the study’s findings, “Associations are seeking to understand the concept of value, especially in this era of constant and evolving change. The study suggests that it’s the lack of value, more than anything else, which is driving members away. Despite the knowledge this gap exists, the data also indicates associations have been unable to successfully bridge the gap.”

For example, while 49 percent of board members and staff who participated in the study strongly agreed with the statement “Membership provides a strong return on investment,” only 35 percent of members agreed with that statement.

Generational gap

Jenny Dexter, president of the Rotary Club of Indianapolis, said the value proposition of joining the organization has changed since the 1990s and early 2000s when the club’s membership levels often ranged from 600 to 650. 

“That was during a time when a lot of businesses had headquarters in downtown Indianapolis,” Dexter recalled. “If you wanted to get connected in the community, you joined an organization. The Rotary made a lot of sense because it is a community service-oriented club and it allowed for networking around service.”

However, with changes in communication, that model may no longer be relevant to many people.

“The business landscape has changed over time,” she added. “Being super involved in your community is important but it looks different.”

As a result, Dexter said, traditional service-model membership clubs started seeing a decline in membership. 

Brand perception about some traditional membership clubs also can be a challenge, Dexter said. “We have to deal with our history. Women weren’t even allowed in many of these clubs,” she noted. The Rotary Club Council, for example, did not vote to admit women members until 1989.

Currently, the Rotary Club of Indianapolis — one of several chapters in the Indianapolis area — has 169 members, which is higher than it has been in previous years, Dexter said. 

The organization has grown its membership by focusing on building a brand experience that resonates with new members, according to Exter. “We’ve asked questions like, ‘What is it like when someone walks in our door?’,” she said.  ‘What are the things that we’re saying about ourselves?’ ‘What are we doing in our community?’ ‘What are our actions that prove we are a modern service membership club?’”

Dexter said she believes the upward trend in the Rotary Club’s membership has the potential to continue as networking and relationship building once again become increasingly important, especially post-pandemic. “It’s another important component to building one’s business,” she said. “You still need to know others on a deeper level to gain trust and prove that you are worth investing in.”

The American Legion, which is headquartered in Indianapolis, also has relied on a membership model since it was founded in 1919. Throughout its history, it has regularly held campaigns to increase membership and membership engagement.

“The Wall Street Journal predicted our demise in 1971,” said John Raughter, deputy director of media relations for the American Legion. “People sometimes point out membership numbers to say ‘They’re dying’ or that ‘This post is closing.’ Yet, there are still twice as many legion posts as there are Walmarts across the United States. We’re still here.”

Raughter said that veterans’ associations may naturally face a decline in membership because of its association with the military, which has declined in numbers over the decades. Membership is open to any U.S. military veteran who served at least one day of active military duty, and was honorably discharged or is currently serving. 

“The military is a lot smaller than it used to be,” Raughter said.

The most important measure of the American Legion’s impact is its ability to be effective in carrying out its mission to influence policy on behalf of veterans, he said.

Engaging a new generation

When seeking to engage new members, Eagan said, membership organizations need to be mindful of generational differences.

Membership organizations can no longer rely on career development, learning a new competency, and networking to attract new members, she said. “We need to ask, ‘How do you make it more relational and more meaningful?’ If associations can’t figure that out, then they’ll continue on this path of declining membership.”

Members are seeking a deep sense of belonging and ownership of the group, Eagan said, nothing the findings of the membership study. “In the old days, pre-pandemic, the way we would do that is to sign them up for a committee right away. We would engage people through volunteerism or a service day.”

However, the appeal of volunteering is not as attractive as it was before the pandemic, she said. “Plenty of research has revealed an incredible decrease in volunteerism since the pandemic,” she said. “People have decided they want to spend their time differently. Or they may be having health issues, or they’ve decided to spend more time with family or their hobbies.”

With those changes, membership organizations, as well as other nonprofits, need to focus on rethinking how they provide value to current and new members. 

Eagan said organizations need to consider a more personalized approach — honing on the individual needs of individual members. “People are just burned out on webinars and being force fed information,” she said. “So, we started new teacher chats — an informal Zoom meet that gave members who are typically first-year and second-year teachers an opportunity to talk to our director of new teacher engagement and a guest, like a school principal who was a former teacher.”

As part of the chat session, people have the opportunity to share what’s going on in their day-to-day lives, including positive or negative moments, their top concerns, and how they’re feeling, Eagan said. “It’s not a formal agenda,” she added. “They just come and chat for about an hour or hour and a half.”

One of the members attending a recent chat followed up with an email expressing her gratitude for the support she received as a new teacher. In the email she said, “I definitely felt welcomed and comfortable to ask you questions, which I probably wouldn’t have been able to ask other staff members at my school.”

Eagan said that type of connection is key to a successful membership experience.

“For many of us coming out of the pandemic, and for Gen Z and Millennials, it’s important to feel that you can have a safe authentic experience and relationships,” she said. “Unfortunately, social media may not provide that authentic experience. And we may not always feel safe sharing our feelings in the workplace.”

With a more personalized approach to meeting the needs of members and demonstrating a clear return on investment from membership dues, traditional membership organizations can be sustainable, Eagan predicted.  

For instance KDP, has partnered with a for-profit organization to provide professional development services to its members, Eagan said. The organization also is seeking ways to support the mental health needs of educators and the students they serve.

“Associations can survive and thrive if they listen intently to the members,” she said. “Members want to be sure they’re investing their time and money wisely.”

Jan 23

Lessons learned from Wall Street

By Sponsor Insight

Strategic planning can help organizations navigate unexpected challenges

by Jan Frazier, owner, PlanningPlus

While home with COVID-19 during December, I watched nearly every movie made about the 2008 housing crisis: Boiler Room, Wall Street, Margin Call, Too Big to Fail, The Big Short, The Wolf of Wall Street. It was interesting looking back at the beginnings of that financial disaster now that we have lived through it. But what I found most interesting was that every movie espoused the same philosophies — greed and self-interest. And that’s not just my interpretation: Every movie actually had those words spoken by one or more characters.

Times have changed … sort of. The 2008 financial crisis, in which little people got hurt but those too big to fail didn’t, was only a precursor to what would become an even worse economic crisis in this country, caused not by corporate greed but by a virus.

A lot of people got hurt, primarily those lowest on the economic scale in service and retail jobs. The government stepped in with myriad loans and stimulus payments, yet we are now hearing of rampant fraud and how some of that money was actually spent. Greed and self-interest?

So, I ask myself, what did we fail to learn? Or better yet, how can we take those lessons as leaders into our organizations?

Lesson 1. One of the critical mistakes Wall Street made prior to the housing crisis was to believe “housing never goes down.” They took their historic understandings of the market and assumed it would be business as usual. Of course, it wasn’t. They failed to consider threats, unknowns, and possible risks when making corporate decisions. They never considered the fact that the housing market would collapse.

As leaders, we must never assume anything. The donor who just loves us passes away or, worse, sends money elsewhere. Or the grant we have received for the last 20 years disappears, with little warning. A regulatory change upends everything. Hence, one of the key purposes of strategic planning. During an effective planning session, you will be asked to think about what might be the unthinkable — both wonderful and tragic — then consider the value of creating a Plan B. It’s important to look outward instead of focusing primarily inward and only what we can see.

Lesson 2. There was much behind-the-scenes juggling going on between the investors on Wall Street, the banks, and the government. Who wins? Who loses? Who is the example? It is critical to understand who your partners are, how you are valuing them, and establishing relationships so that a call or email gets answered. Identify a confidante or two since it’s lonely at the top. Again, during effective strategic planning, review who your partners are and how well you are connected because we often take those relationships for granted.

Lesson 3. Those who entered the housing market as buyers were treated as commodities, lumped together. Personal stories held no sway. Be sure that you treat each of your stakeholders as unique, whether large funder or individual donor. A prequel to any strategic plan should be to ensure the entire leadership staff knows who their stakeholders are and treat each one with respect.

Of course, as strategic planners, these issues tend to jump out at me and my colleagues. And we all need to be reminded during these uncertain times that if we don’t learn lessons from the past we are certainly doomed to repeat them.

Jan 09

Making inroads towards equity in the nonprofit sector

By Feature

The Indianapolis Foundation’s Pamela Ross shares insights about the organization’s initiatives

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

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives have been at the forefront of priorities for many nonprofit organizations in recent years. However, as many leaders have recognized, implementing DEI initiatives can be complex considering that many leaders and employees will have different perspectives on how to successfully move forward.

We recently talked to Pamela Ross, vice president of community leadership and equitable initiatives for the The Indianapolis Foundation to gain insights on the inroads the organization has made since changing its mission to focus on equity initiatives nearly five years ago. The philanthropy, which was established in 1997, and its family of funds contribute more than $40 million annually to nonprofits in Central Indiana. In 2020, it was the steward of more than $825 million in charitable assets. 

As Ross puts it, even after several years of being immersed in DEI initiatives, the foundation still is in the beginning stages of initiating change because it involves uprooting deeply ingrained institutionalized systems.

“We changed our mission to mobilize people, investments, and ideas to create a more equitable Central Indiana where everyone has the opportunity to reach their full potential no matter their place, race, or identity,” Ross said in describing the foundation’s shift in focus. “In order for people to reach their potential and have the most opportunities, we couldn’t keep ignoring the fact that race is a factor in who gets access — access to money, access to resources in all the different sectors, including education and the workforce.”

Ross noted that one of the most important steps for any nonprofit leaders who are seeking to make progress with DEI is to start by addressing institutional racism within their own organizations. 

“We have to have different perspectives at the table — not just those who are working in the community but those who work in finance, those who sit in leadership seats,” Ross said. “We must change the institutional makeup of the organization.”

Ross said that the process requires taking a critical look at hiring practices. “If all of your staff is white and you serve a population that is 90 percent Black, there’s something wrong with that,” she said.  It’s not a matter of looking at diversity but people who have lived experiences. The people who are most impacted by them will be the best advisors on how to create programs, build out programs, and deliver messages. Their perspectives should be represented.”

With institutional change, the organization must be structured in such a way that it persists beyond a momentary place in time, Ross said. “Several things have changed in all of our departments, including practices, policies, and accountability,” she said. “Many nonprofits struggle with making real change because there haven’t been substantive changes within the organizations for years.”

Embracing community representation 

The foundation also implemented a Community Ambassador program to include decision-makers that represent the communities it serves. That program has been instrumental in giving people throughout Central Indiana a voice about critical decisions, including the foundation’s grant-making process. 

“It’s important to ask, ‘What’s your feedback loop for getting information?’,” Ross said. “For us, it was with our community ambassadors through a program that was started five years ago. It made us better in our own anti-racist practices and policies because the ambassadors are our feedback loop. They’re the ones who will say, ‘Why are you still granting dollars to ‘ABC’ organization? This is what they’re not doing in our community.’”

Ross noted that community ambassadors provide an extra level of accountability. “When you say you’re planning to change something, they will hold you to the fire about it.” 

Supporting grassroots organizations

The foundation also examined avenues to support more grassroots organizations that are making an impact in their communities but may not have the resources to invest in traditional grant-making procedures, Ross said. 

According to Ross, a shift toward a more equitable grant-making process requires a willingness to give up a risk-averse approach. “Not everyone has to show up with a beautiful well written proposal,” she said. 

Ross also pointed out that many grassroots organizations may not have the infrastructure typical of larger nonprofits. “We’re not scared away if they don’t look like the most developed and scaled institutions that are typically led by white executives,” she said. 

As part of its equity focus, The Indianapolis Foundation is dedicated to helping grassroots organizations become more sustainable. The foundation has launched a $3 million, 3-year initiative to help grassroots organizations scale through infrastructure development.

“In the not for profit world, it’s called capacity building,” she said. “We call it infrastructure development, because capacity building has this overarching assumption that there’s a deficit within the organization. The organization … the people who are doing the work … can be very solid in what they’re doing, but they need the structures that typically have not been invested in black and brown grassroots organizations in the same way that they have been for other organizations .”

Through the initiative, the foundation helps these types of nonprofits with various aspects of successfully running an organization, including program evaluation, data management, executive mindset, grant writing, board development, and fundraising. 

This March, the foundation also will host a BIPOC (black, Indigenous and people of color) bootcamp that is focused on the challenges of being a black or brown leader in the nonprofit area, Ross said. “We’re trying to create more equitable opportunities for them to scale without feeling like they should be ashamed because they’re not in a certain space,” she said.

Movement of 10,000 app

The Indianapolis Foundation also sought to engage a large community on equity solutions through the development of the The Movement of 10,000 (MVMT10K) digital platform, which is accessible through an app and online. It supports people who are genuinely interested in ways to become more conscious of their decisions and how they invest their dollars and time to create a more equitable society, Ross said.

“If you’re an individual who really wants things to be different, this is a convenient space to learn about what has happened as well as create relationships,” she said. “There’s so much we can learn. We are where we are because too often spaces of power are typically held by white people. And if we’re actually going to change systemic racism and institutional racist structures, we must get to a place where people recognize their power to break those systems by making different decisions.

“The hope is that a lot of different people, especially people who are white and in spaces of power and influence,  can engage so we can see some change,” Ross said.

Jan 03

What are IT managed services?

By Sponsor Insight

by Cody Lents, partner and customer steward at COVI, Inc.

Many business leaders often express confusion when it comes to their company’s information technology. As growth occurs, new clients and new employees bring increased needs. It often becomes necessary to engage with a service provider to offload some IT tasks. One of the many services that COVI provides is IT managed services. But what is that?

IT managed services are tasks handled by a third-party service provider, called a managed service provider (MSP). These types of providers can manage a defined set of business technology services for numerous clients, including large corporations and small businesses. An MSP also may implement a platform that offers technology services cheaper than what it would cost a business to do itself, at a higher level of quality, and with more flexibility and scalability.

Your business can benefit from IT managed services if it doesn’t have the time, skills, or experience internally to manage information technology operations. Relying on expert guidance also allows your company to focus on the day-to-day workload.

For example, a small business owner spending time dealing with a faulty printer could cost the business more money without already having an MSP at their disposal. Small businesses can also face other challenges when sharing one login among several employees, creating an unsecured network.

This is where an IT managed services provider can step in — to provide a streamlined technology process for your company. However, it is important to note that consulting and professional services are not managed services.

Incorporating IT managed services can have a positive impact on how your company functions. From staff to training, the costs can add up without utilizing an MSP. IT managed services options can be timely, predictable and cost effective, which can be useful when budgeting for your company or small business.

Another benefit to business leaders who incorporate IT managed services is simply reliability — allowing you to worry less about potential outages so you can focus more on your goals. MSPs are responsible for keeping you online at all times.

To learn more about how COVI can help your business with IT managed services, visit our site.

Dec 16

Organizational assessments: What are they and why does your organization need one?

By Sponsor Insight

by Erin Hedges, founder and president, Hedges

It’s that time of the year again … the time when we get to say, “Let’s circle back on that after the holidays” or “We’ll regroup in the new year.” It’s the time for forecasting and budgeting … for reflecting on what was accomplished and what goals we should set for the future.

Nonprofit leaders constantly balance day-to-day management with long-term strategic thinking, but the end of the year always brings that task to bear in unique and time-sensitive ways. As the page turns from Q4 back to Q1, nonprofit executives are often wondering, “Is my organization on track and how do I know?” At Hedges, our recommendation for answering this question is simple: Like any successful employee, organizations need an annual review to measure their health, effectiveness, and growth. We call this an organizational assessment.

What is an organizational assessment? An organizational assessment is a measurement tool designed to assess your organization’s current standing — both in areas of strength and areas where there are critical gaps. Ultimately, it should capture your organization’s key strengths and challenges across the core functions of a nonprofit.

At Hedges, we call these the Four Pillars of Organizational Health. These pillars are Programs & Impact, Leadership & Culture, Marketing & Communications, and Finance & Development. Using this Four-Pillar framework, Hedges benchmarks organizations against 30 Organizational Indicators aligned with leading industry standards and informed by our experience in partnering with more than 140 nonprofit organizations over the last 20 years.

This 30-indicator assessment includes overarching questions such as:

  • Are there systems and processes in place to measure the organization’s impact?
  • Do the individuals impacted have opportunities to inform program delivery?
  • Does the organization have strong staff satisfaction and retention?
  • Is the board of directors high performing?
  • Does the organization have a clear brand voice and strong digital media presence?
  • Does the organization have diverse revenue streams and partnerships?

Who is involved in an organizational assessment? The most effective organizational assessments include input from multiple directions. We recommend that organizational assessments include input from staff, board members, and the individuals your organization impacts. Staff members can provide input through a simple staff satisfaction survey and board members may complete a self-evaluation of themselves and the entire board.

These results can then be compiled with client feedback that is captured through existing program evaluation methods or through a separate client satisfaction survey. Critically, you should be able to draw a direct line between the questions you ask in a survey or evaluation and the indicators you use to make your organizational assessment.

Organization leaders such as the executive director or the board chair should oversee the organizational assessment process, but they may also tap into contractors and consultants who specialize in nonprofit operations and governance.

What are the benefits of an organizational assessment? Not only does an organizational assessment answer the question: “Is my organization on track?” but it also provides the following three key benefits:

  1. An organizational assessment can give you helpful data to use for setting measurable goals. For example, you may have a general goal of improving staff satisfaction in 2023. In an assessment process, you may discover that 80 percent of staff feel like the culture at your organization is positive but only 20 percent describe communication as strong. Now, thanks to this assessment data, you can make you 2023 goal much more specific and measurable with concrete baseline data to inform your year-end goal (i.e., from 80 percent to 100 percent) with a clear area for improvement (i.e., communication).
  2. An organizational assessment can make your funding requests more competitive. Self-awareness is a great character quality in people and in organizations. It shows authenticity, humility, and responsibility — all things that supporters love to see from nonprofit organizations. An organizational assessment is a quick, simple way to demonstrate self-awareness, that you take your mission seriously, and that you want to be honest about where you are excelling and where you have room to grow. The data you glean from an organizational assessment not only strengthens your internal goal setting but should also strengthen your grant requests and donor appeals. For example, in an assessment process, you may learn that 100 percent of the individuals you impact say you make a positive difference in your life, or 80 percent of staff see themselves working at you organization in three years. Those are great data points that will ensure your organization stands out in the crowd.
  3. An organizational assessment sets the tone for a positive, transparent culture. More and more, employees want to see their employers take accountability for the culture and dynamics that are present in their workplace. An organizational assessment is a tool that says, “We hear you.” By conducting an organizational assessment process, especially with the help of a third-party facilitator, your organization can get a holistic picture of both the pain points that are holding you back and the strengths you didn’t know were there.

If you’re looking ahead to 2023 and wondering what your organization should focus on and where you need to invest your energy, consider starting with an organizational assessment. Having concrete data to describe where you are now is the best way to articulate where you want to be.

Erin Hedges is the founder and president of Hedges, an Indianapolis consulting firm that advances social change by strengthening Indiana’s philanthropic sector. Contact Erin at erin@hellohedges.com to learn more about Hedges’ 30-Indicator Organizational Assessment.

Dec 16

Freetown Village: Insights on sustainability from a small nonprofit

By Feature

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

For decades, Freetown Village, a small nonprofit organization based in Indianapolis, had been focused on educating its audiences about a unique period in America’s history — specifically 1870, when freed African American slaves experienced a series of firsts, according to founder Opehlia Wellington.

That distinct period served the organization well, according to Wellington. “When I first started Freetown Village, I decided to focus on that period since there were so many things that happened after the Civil War to benefit African Americans,” said Wellington, referring to the passage of the 15th amendment,  which granted African American men the right to vote, as well as the 13th and 14th amendments, which abolished slavery and provided all U.S. citizens, including former slaves, equal protection under the laws. “It was an unusually safe period of time for African Americans.” 

About 15 years ago, Wellington decided to modify and expand that focus — among the many steps she has taken to ensure that Freetown Village maintains its resilience. “After research, I decided we need to expand beyond that era — after 1870 and even before 1870,” she said. “It allowed us to talk about a more inclusive history of African Americans in Indiana. It gave us the liberty to do something different.”

While expanding an organization’s mission can have advantages, it also comes with disadvantages, according to Wellington. Although Freetown Village has put on numerous productions since modifying its mission, the organization continues to address questions related to its productions set in other time periods. Another consideration is determining how to repurpose or address previous marketing materials, she said.

“A lot of people still think we’re only making productions in 1870,” she said. “Many of them are surprised. It requires a significant amount of marketing to inform people.”

Maintaining sustainability as a small nonprofit

With the nonprofit organization celebrating its 40th anniversary, Freetown Village has avoided a statistic that haunts many other nonprofits. According to the National Center on Charitable Statistics, more than 30 percent of all nonprofit organizations will fail within the first 10 years. And, the fallout from the global pandemic will likely result in even higher numbers of failures.

Wellington, a former educator who first conceptualized Freetown Village in 1982, notes several lessons learned as a small nonprofit that has been able to sustain itself after numerous decades. One of the key factors is ensuring that you have a mission that excites you, as well as addresses a need that is not being met by other nonprofits.

“Do you have an audience?,” she asked. “Are other people excited about seeing the value in what you’re doing?”

The next step is determining how to make the nonprofit sustainable. “It’s really about the planning,” she said.

As part of determining whether others see the value also lies at the heart of fundraising because you will need to solicit support at numerous levels. “There are many nonprofits that get money from foundations as well as individual contributions,” she noted. 

However, Wellington noted, smaller nonprofits, including grassroots organizations, have traditionally had challenges with the fundraising aspects of sustainability. Even small nonprofits that have been able to sustain themselves often are not able to generate enough money to do the things they had envisioned, which has happened with Freetown Village.

“There are many things that we had talked about doing but just never got the funding to make it happen,” she said. “There are some inequities in the amount of money that is distributed. Only recently have foundations realized that only about 2 percent of their funding is granted to organizations led by African Americans.”

Wellington said she is hopeful that trend is changing as numerous foundations have intentionally sought to make funding more equitable in recent years.  “Within the last two or three years, with some of the DEI funding, we’ve been able to pick up some new supporters,” she said. “Some of them I would never have wasted my time submitting a proposal because the amount we would have received would have been insignificant.”

“It’s hard to do the same quality of programming and services when other organizations are getting significantly more,” she said. “That’s not to say that all white-led organizations are flush. It’s just that a majority of black-led organizations are experiencing similar problems with fundraising.”

As she looks to the future, Wellington said she will continue to explore options to expand Freetown Village’s mission as she did with the recent production “Sign of the Times,” a one-woman show that shed light on the women’s suffrage movement in the mid-1920’s.

“Knowledge changes the world,” Wellington said. “With every program we do, regardless of the year, we try to make a current connection to it. For our recent show, we were talking about women’s suffrage. Now, in 2022, we see a resurgence of people trying to keep not just women from voting, but black people and Hispanic from voting. It can be eye-opening to see that the same playbook is being used from 100 years ago.”