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Oct 17

Impact United: United Way of Central Indiana launches interactive data tool

By Sponsor Insight

The new dashboard illustrates community need and the collective impact of United Way’s partners

By Margaret Matray, communications manager, United Way of Central Indiana

Data tells a story.

United Way of Central Indiana has long collected and analyzed data to understand the needs of the community and inform its decisions and strategies.

The data paints a picture of who in our community is living in or near poverty, what their greatest barriers are – and how organizations across the region are working to address those challenges.

Now, United Way is making that data available to the public for the first time. Launched this month, the Impact United Dashboard is an interactive data tool that illustrates community need and the response of United Way’s partners in Boone, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks, Marion, Morgan and Putnam counties.

“It’s our way of making sure that we are showing how we have been accountable to the community, to donors, to funders – to ensure we are lifting their impact but also (showing) how we’re trying to invest in communities where there are gaps in services,” said Denise Luster, United Way’s vice president of impact research and data analytics.

The dashboard provides snapshots of United Way and its partners’ work in key focus areas, including economic mobility, educational success, food, health, housing and transportation. Users can explore the data by focus area, dig into the demographics of those served and filter the data by county.

“This should be a tool that anyone can use to see some key highlights of what’s happening within their community, no matter where they’re located,” said Stephanie Fritz, United Way’s strategic research and analytics senior director.

The tool reflects the most recent data that’s available and is designed to be a “living dashboard” that will be updated as new data emerges, said Daniel Hedglin, United Way’s director of data insights and storytelling.

Throughout the dashboard, data that shows community need comes from national, state and local sources and The Polis Center’s SAVI program at IUPUI. Data showing impact comes from organizations, programs and community-based organizations that partner with, or receive funding from, United Way.

“This data comes from our partners in impact,” Fritz said. “It’s their work that they’re doing in the community.”

United Way’s reporting and analytics team – called the Strategic Information team – began talking about creating a public dashboard last year.

Community organizations that work with United Way report data to the nonprofit quarterly and biannually. A dashboard was a way to show them – and the community – what their collective impact looks like, said Purbasha Dasgupta, United Way’s research and evaluation senior manager.

“This is our collective footprint in the Central Indiana community,” said Dasgupta, who led the project.

The dashboard reflects the “immense collective efforts” of United Way’s partners to serve people in the community, Hedglin added.

According to the dashboard:

  • More than one in three Marion County households are in poverty or are considered ALICE, meaning they earn above the Federal Poverty Level but not enough to afford a basic household budget. (ALICE stands for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed.)
  • About 29% of households that are in poverty or ALICE in United Way’s seven-county service area are families with children.
  • A racial wealth gap exists between white Hoosiers and communities of color. For every dollar earned by a white household in the region in 2019, Black or African American households earned 88 cents on average. Hispanic households earned 76 cents.

Through the dashboard, users can see how particular community needs are being addressed. For example, more than 63% of households that are in poverty or considered ALICE in the region are headed by single women. The data shows that more than half of adults receiving career counseling and coaching from United Way’s partners are from the same population. And 42% of childcare assistance services are provided to single female parents or caregivers.

“Through our various initiatives, we’re not only addressing the fact that we see there’s a need that’s particularly present in this one specific population, but our impact work was able to tie together to help move them … on a trajectory from poverty to ALICE, ALICE to stability,” Fritz said. “Our partners in impact are providing these services to address that.”

Whenever she talks about data, Luster points out that it’s more than numbers. Data represents real people living in our community. The dashboard can educate Hoosiers on where the need is and what can be done to meet those needs.

“The breadth and depth of the need is great, but there are also many organizations out there trying to help address that need,” Luster said.

To explore the data dashboard, visit uwci.org/impactunited.

Oct 17

What’s next?: Perspectives on how local nonprofits are moving forward in 2023

By Feature

Several nonprofit employees share their personal insights a year after NFPN survey

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

How is Central Indiana’s nonprofit industry evolving? What’s next for 2023?

More than a year has passed since Not-for-profit News engaged 500 Central Indiana nonprofit employees as part of a “How Are You Doing?” survey. At that time, we wanted to know how the people who make up Central Indiana’s nonprofit sector were faring during the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, stay-at-home orders, and social and racial justice protests.

In September of 2021, a significant number of survey respondents (54 percent) said they were thinking about leaving their jobs within 12 months. And 72 percent said that their nonprofit’s stance on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) work impacted them.

Recently, we contacted several survey respondents who were willing to be interviewed about what had transpired since last year.

While the nonprofit employees’ responses varied, it was clear that the unprecedented events in recent years significantly impacted how their organizations will fare throughout 2023 — either positively or negatively. One person decided to leave the nonprofit field as a full-time career, while others decided to stay in environments experiencing high levels of employee turnover. For some, the pandemic strengthened their resolve to elevate their nonprofit missions.

The following includes an overview of their responses.

Nonprofit veteran decided to leave industry

A 25-year nonprofit veteran in Central Indiana, who will remain anonymous, quit her full-time job at a local nonprofit, making her among the approximately 4.5 million Americans who quit their jobs in 2021, a statistic reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

“I’ve always prided myself on working in a nonprofit and making it better than it was when I started,” said the employee, who launched a travel agency and consults for her former employer about 5 to 8 hours a week. “I wasn’t feeling that anymore. I wasn’t feeling like I was having any impact on anything. I wasn’t finding value in working for this particular nonprofit.”

While the pandemic accelerated her decision, she said, the work environment — including a high turnover rate among board members, a lack of inclusivity in decision-making, and a toxic culture — already had put her on a course to seek other opportunities.

She said that she believes the nonprofit lost sight of its mission. “To me, this (travel opportunity) is more impactful than raising money for a scholarship or to keep the lights on. It’s filling my bucket, my sense of purpose,” she said. “I’m encouraging people to travel to places they may not normally go. Writing fundraising copy just wasn’t cutting it anymore.”

In looking forward to 2023 and beyond, the former nonprofit employee said, she would encourage nonprofit teams, starting with the top executives, to re-engage with their mission.

“Somewhere, from the top to the bottom, we’ve lost the whole point,” she said. “Are we filling widgets. Are we raising money? With our most recent fundraising letter, they were focused on the size of the document and the need to fill every panel with a lot of text as opposed to what we really needed for our mission.”

Some nonprofits do make a personal connection with their donors, as evidenced by a local cat shelter that sent her a thank you letter for a donation made on her behalf. Along with a handwritten note with a cat image, the nonprofit sent a newsletter that had been written in Microsoft Word and featured numerous images of cats.

“They told me what they were doing specifically with my money,” she said. “There was nothing fancy. They taped a picture of a cat to the front and wrote something meaningful. I still have it because I think it’s so cute. I read it all the time. They got it right.”

The survey respondent also noted that the Great Resignation included people of all ages and industries, including her husband, who changed corporate jobs to work for a smaller company. She believes management will need to have more meaningful conversations with employees about their mission and their role in it. The message should not be “We need you in the office three days a week” or “Here’s a Starbucks gift card,” she said.

Staying the course amidst a sector in constant change

While the recent upheaval in Central Indiana’s nonprofit has been evident in various areas, Patty Cortellini is among those staying the course as director of agency relations for Second Helpings. “I guess it’s in my blood. I truly believe in the mission of Second Helpings,” said Cortellini, who is preparing to celebrate her 13th anniversary at the nonprofit organization.

“From an organizational standpoint, we have seen a lot of turn over,” she said. “A year ago, our CEO, Jennifer Vigran retired, and several other key individuals have moved on to other positions. Internally, we have seen changes among the ranks. The burnout due to COVID is high.”

Cortellini noted that Vigran was among a series of key local CEOs who announced their resignations, including John Whittaker of Midwest Food Bank and John Elliott of Gleaners.

Innovative approaches that Second Helpings implemented to accommodate COVID-19 stay-at-home orders and increasing food needs will likely continue throughout 2023 and beyond, Cortellini said.

“When COVID hit, we pivoted on a dime and created “to-go” containers for drive-through operations. We also implemented home delivery of meals based on need. At the beginning, the calls were screened by the Indy Hunger Network. Now they are screened by Gleaners,” she said. “To this day, we are still delivering food to home bound individuals/families and still packaging meals into to-go containers. I don’t anticipate those models will ever go away.”

The community also has a continuing need for services, based on requests made to Second Helpings, with the number of meals requested doubling from pre-COVID to today. “We have seen the need for sandwiches explode,” Cortellini said. “Currently, we make around 6,000 sandwiches a week.”

Other changes implemented by Second Helpings, Cortellini said, include the following:

  • Second Helping’s CEO, Linda Broadfoot, and the board of directors joined the Good Wage Initiative, a group of Marion County employers who are committed to providing full-time employees a wage of at least $18/hour and access to health insurance benefits.
  • Invested in a new prep area to expand the organization’s services.
  • Switched fundraising events to a virtual format.
  • Formed an internal committee to address DEI initiatives with the guidance of a Martin University professional. The nonprofit had planned to close its office to host the first of two staff-wide DEI training sessions.

Overall, Cortellini said, she is learning to relax. “Just last week, I was able to take a full complete week off,” she said. “I am working on placing more boundaries around me. I don’t feel like we are in a crisis mode like before. We have a little more breathing space.”

Implementing new approaches to nonprofit work

Susan Ferguson, chief program officer at accessABILITY, and a 30-year nonprofit veteran, said that she no longer feels the level of stress she did a year ago. “However, I do believe the almost constant state of stress, overwhelm, and burnout is real in the nonprofit sector,” Ferguson added.

Ferguson noted some positive outcomes because of the major shifts that nonprofit organizations experienced in the wake of the outbreak of the global pandemic.

“New developments include a more remote work environment,” Ferguson said. “We are now looking for new models for space, including renting space in a co-working model for the flexibility it offers. We have a need for a home office, but outside of our administrative and leadership staff, our staff are primarily working from home.”

Community Center’s CEO focuses on community, well-being

For Eric Koehler, CEO of JCC Indianapolis, nonprofit organizations must continue to play a significant role in healing rifts that have emerged in communities in recent years. “The pandemic really polarized our community, our state, our country, our world,” he said. “Our roles as nonprofit leaders in the community are more important than they’ve ever been. Our collective nonprofit mission is to help foster healthier, more inclusive communities from lots of different perspectives.”

He described JCC Indianapolis as a town square of sorts for the surrounding community, no matter a person’s background, orientation, or beliefs. “This is a place where everyone can gather around programmatic interest areas,” he said. “All that other stuff can fall away. That’s probably the most important of our mission. We’re not just a fitness center. We’re a conduit — a vehicle for us to create community. It’s a deliberate process. We foster a sense of community.”

Koehler also said that his leadership team has prioritized the well-being of employees in the wake of the pandemic outbreak. The organization shut down for a day in 2021 for a Mental Health Day, which included a retreat. After the gathering, the employees were able to take the rest of the day off.

“While it’s a common practice in the for-profit sector, service industry organizations may find it difficult to close their after-school care, fitness center, and early childhood programs,” he said. “But we felt like if we don’t take care of our people, they can’t take care of our community.”

Through the national JCC Association, the local JCC also implemented a MESH certification program designed to train participants in recognizing the signs of someone in need of mental health support. The organization also distributed free resources to employees to help them understand where they can seek help for additional mental health support.

On a day-to-day basis, leadership also plays a role in regularly recognizing the good work of their employees.

“As CEOs, our job is to be the primary cheerleader for the organization. Leadership, whether it’s the staff or the board or the executive team, must spend as much time as we can calling out good behaviors,” Koehler said. “We need to praise publicly and provide corrective feedback privately and find moments to celebrate. It shouldn’t be a once-a-month routine. Do it as many times per week as you can. Every time, you tell somebody something nice, you’re filling up someone’s bucket. It probably takes about 20 nice comments to make up for one negative comment.”

To keep up with the demands of his role, Koehler said that he stays grounded through prayer, fitness, and reading. Through decades of serving in the nonprofit sector, he said, he also has learned how to prioritize his varying responsibilities.

“I’ve been working in nonprofits for 30 years and there’s definitely times where you feel it. Sometimes we’re going to have to work an incredible number of hours for a special fundraising event or to open up our waterpark for camp,” he said. “But you can’t sustain that on an ongoing basis.”

Using advice he read in Great at Work: How Top Performers Do Less, Work Better, and Achieve More, Koehler periodically assesses his schedule to make sure that he’s prioritizing the areas that will move the JCC Indianapolis’ mission forward.

“Sometimes it’s very rewarding to check off the quick things that actually don’t move you or your organization forward. It can be satisfying to say that it’s off my list,” Koehler said. “But it’s more important to focus on the things that I’m doing to move my organization and myself, professionally, forward.”

Oct 03

All leaders must adapt to the new world of work

By Sponsor Insight

Establishing an employee-centric work environment is a good business strategy

by Sara Johnson, director, executive education, clinical associate professor

The world of work is changing — and so are workers’ expectations. The call to leaders is clear: Adapt now or risk the organization’s future.

Adaptability is one of the keys to effective leadership. Those who adapt well know how to adjust their style when the situation calls for it. Another key is continual learning — being willing to find new ways to do things that will help you lead others and your organization while also improving worker satisfaction and organizational outcomes.

These elements of effective leadership are especially necessary in our current work environment. As employees around the world return to offices and worksites, leaders must recognize and act upon the reality of our new world of work. Not doing so means potentially losing good workers and watching organizations fail as a result. The price of this turnover can have a ripple effect on our communities and society, including economic impacts, hiring challenges, and an increased competition for quality workers.

Evidence of a workforce shift already is mounting. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, 11.5 million workers quit their jobs between April and June of 2021. People are rethinking what is important to them and … well … it’s no longer “business as usual.”

According to Shahar Erez, CEO of the freelance talent platform Stoke, “The Great Resignation is propelled by three forces: the changing generation, the economic crisis, and the realization among employees that they can have a different social contract — spending more time with family when they work remote and skip the commute.”

In addition to those factors, workers say personal safety also is a consideration during the ongoing pandemic. As new strains of COVID-19 spread, working in a collective environment doesn’t feel safe to some.

Navigating a changing landscape

So, how does a leader adapt to navigate these new realities? Learning fast is necessary as is recognizing that what was once important to their workforce is no longer a priority. In the 2000s, many companies focused on fun — creating workspaces with recreational activities so that their employees could play and decompress at work. Fast forward to today and fun has fallen by the wayside.

In a recent article in the Harvard Business Review, “Future-Proofing Your Organization,” the authors note that what matters to employees now is having their work connect to a meaningful purpose. They also value inclusiveness and autonomy. Workers want to be trusted to do their jobs — on their terms, and leaders need to understand how to balance their employees’ personal needs with the company’s ongoing business strategy.

For years, we have said that a good business strategy includes a focus on customers. Customer-centric business practices have been put in place to achieve this strategic goal. It is now time to use employee-centric business practices that will meet the needs and demands of your workforce; a
workforce that will now choose where to work based on how autonomously and meaningfully they can work.

Leaders, my advice to you is this: Quickly make the shift to being more employee centric. While it may force you into uncharted waters, adapting will help the future success of your organization, those you serve, and your employees as we navigate this new world of work.

Sep 26

Nonprofit engages Grant County youth with a new mobile play experience

By Feature

WonderSpace expands options in area with one of Indiana’s highest rates of childhood poverty

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

After Stephanie Freemyer and her family returned to her hometown of Marion, Ind., several years ago, she was struck by the lack of indoor opportunities for children to engage in stimulating play. Her two young children, ages 5 and 2 at the time, often complained of having “nothing to do.”

“When we were in North Carolina and Pasadena (Calif.), our kids were outside all the time,” Freemyer said. “Then coming here, it was cold, raining, or snowing eight months out of the year. It really impacted our kids.”

Grant County, where Marion is located, is familiar with these types of comparisons when it comes to opportunities for children. For years, it has had the distinction of having one of the highest rates of child poverty in Indiana — as high as 31 percent in 2018 and 22.7 percent in 2019, according to Indiana Kids Count data. That compares to a national childhood poverty rate of 14.4 percent in 2019.

And, as research continuously reveals, childhood poverty can lead to other challenges, including poor academic outcomes and an elevated risk of behavioral, social, and health challenges. In Grant County, 2018 average math and reading proficiency scores lagged behind state averages — 36 percent for math and 40 percent for reading, compared to the state’s averages of 46 percent and 49 percent, respectively.

These types of statistics, along with the lack of indoor play opportunities, were on Freemyer’s mind when she launched WonderSpace as a nonprofit in 2019 with no previous experience in establishing an organization. WonderSpace now includes a mobile play experience of four distinct areas designed to increase health and wellness among young people through physical, exploratory, imaginative, and cognitive play.

Since it doesn’t have a permanent location, WonderSpace welcomes visitors to free one-day or two-day pop-up mobile play days held in schools, churches, and businesses that donate their space. In its first year, more than 600 children and family members attended WonderSpace pop-up events. Last year, it welcomed more than 5,000 individuals to the mobile play event, which features the interactive stations Cardboard City, Imagination Playground, Snug Play, and Higher Flyers. The stations all contain loose parts that encourage exploration, engineering, and imagination.

Freemyer, who also serves as the children’s ministry director for College Wesleyan Church in Marion, noted that many Grant County families aren’t able to drive for an hour to reach destinations like the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis or the Science Center in Fort Wayne. The realization of those restrictions motivated her to move forward with her idea to create a children’s experience in Grant County.

In 2018, Angela Leffler, an associate professor in education at Indiana Wesleyan University, and Freemyer attended a 2018 Hatch-a-thon run by Ministry Incubators, which helps people launch ministry-focused ideas. As part of the competition, they won $500, which they dedicated to securing a business name.

The project continued to evolve after they hosted a community fundraiser to pay for $11,000 worth of play equipment. Sponsorships and donations followed to help fund additional play materials, supplies, and a 26-foot trailer to transport blocks, cardboard elements, and other loose play materials.

Meeting community needs

Tara Griffin, executive assistant at WonderSpace and a former teacher, said it was important to host WonderSpace as a free event to ensure access for children from all backgrounds. She also stressed the importance of families playing with their children, which may not come naturally for some of them.

“It is family directed,” Griffin said. “It’s not a place where parents drop off their kids and come back in two hours. They stay and engage with them. That’s what makes it so special. Families need to be provided those opportunities.”

WonderSpace also has been beneficial because it encourages socialization among young children who haven’t had opportunities to play with other children during COVID-19 lockdowns and social distancing, Griffin pointed out.

The mobile play experience also is designed to meet the needs of children who may need a space separate from the larger areas to comfortably play, Griffin said. WonderSpace has designated calm or quiet areas.

“We try to make it accessible everyone, including handicapped children, children with special needs, or anyone who might be inhibited from playing in a larger environment,” Griffin said. “We want to provide an area for all children to be able to play and engage.”

According to Shayona Funches, a long-time Grant County resident, consultant, and former board member for WonderSpace, the nonprofit is meeting numerous community needs. Funches, who has three children, said that the area has been in decline for decades. During that time, many businesses have closed, including bowling alleys and movie theaters, she said.

“We’re not like Fort Wayne or Indianapolis, where there are a lot of things to do,” Funches said. “At one time, there was always something going on here. That’s just not the case anymore.”

WonderSpace fills a void not only by providing children a stimulating play experience, but also by connecting people throughout the community.

Funches said that WonderSpace has been successful, partly because Freemyer invited community input from the start. She said that it is important for nonprofits to ask questions. “What does your community want? What are their hopes?,” Funches said. “You want to them to buy into whatever you’re doing because eventually you will need their support. It also was important for Stephanie to have a team of people who truly believed in the vision.”

Freemyer continues to receive reinforcement that WonderSpace is making an impact, but one special moment will always stay with her.

During the opening night, a mentor to several troubled youth who were exhibiting signs of play deprivation came over to Freemyer with her smartphone held out. She displayed a photo she had captured while the children were playing. The photo showed a boy’s joyful face. The mentor told Freemyer that it was the first time she had seen him smile.

She immediately recalled her son’s prayer during dinner the night before; he had prayed that there would be smiles at WonderSpace. “I still get choked up,” she said. “I knew we’d see smiles. I just didn’t know it would be so significant.”

Sep 19

3 challenges a strategic planning process can solve amid financial uncertainty

By Sponsor Insight

How nonprofits can position themselves for success as the pandemic subsides

Alexis Kollay D’Ettorre, consultant, Hedges

Is anyone else feeling a bit of déjà vu after hearing ongoing news reports of an impending recession? You too? It feels as though we just finished with a recession … because we did.

The greatest economic downturn since the Great Depression, The Great Recession, took place from 2007 to 2009, and was marked by financial decline worldwide. From a global economic standpoint, identifying causes of The Great Recession can help us avoid similar events … or to recover more quickly if we do. That approach could be especially helpful given that economy experts predict a continued financial slump and possibly another recession.

The good news is that nonprofits can learn from our experiences rebounding from The Great Recession too. Having experienced that financial decline, funders’ responses to crisis, and surviving the worst of the pandemic, how will nonprofits use that knowledge to not just survive but sustain and thrive?

A Nonprofit Quarterly study of nonprofit funding trends following The Great Recession illuminates potential trends as we navigate this economic downturn with no clear end date. While the rate of nonprofit closure was 13.5 percent during the peak of the recession (2008-2010), the rate was only 3.3 percent higher than it was two years prior and only 5.3 percent higher than it was the two years after. And, because new organizations were launched just as often as they were closed, the number of nonprofits remained relatively steady before, during, and after the recession. This study also found that the most stable organizations during The Great Recession were human service organizations. They experienced the lowest rate of closure and the smallest losses overall. Seems promising, right?

But it’s also important to consider that, on average, Great Recession recovery time for nonprofits lasted about five years, from 2010 to 2015. According to nonprofit fundraising software expert Classy, recessions last 15 months on average. In today’s terms, considering 2020 to be the start of the economic downturn, we’re potentially looking at being in recovery mode through 2027. If we want to be part of the 86.5 percent of nonprofits that weather the recession, clear well-thought-out goals, and actions to carry us through to stability are exactly where to start.

Until a decade ago, Hedges primarily provided grants-related services, but as we saw funders begin to show a deepened interest in nonprofits with active strategic plans, we established a service line dedicated to the inclusive, community research-based strategic planning processes that funders and organizations alike were calling for. Today, we’re seeing this need remain as strong as it was then, maybe even stronger. Whether an organization has a strategic plan is still one of funders’ most frequently asked questions.

When inching our way out of the pandemic, a meaningful strategic plan is an extremely effective springboard toward greater strength. On one hand, some nonprofits experienced significant funding gaps during the pandemic that have left them struggling to remain stable. On the other hand, other nonprofits were grateful to receive a healthy number of unexpected gifts as a reaction to the limited finances nonprofits then faced and the higher need for nonprofit services. But, as we begin to leave behind pandemic-bound operations and related funds have gone by the wayside, how will we re-establish financial security in this new climate? Here are three challenges an effective strategic planning process can solve for nonprofits amid the economic uncertainty we’re facing.

Challenge #1: Not being financially prepared

As the time in which many funders granted nonprofits unrestricted pandemic-related funds to address any need ends, it’s still unclear if funders will return to their pre-pandemic gift restrictions, including requiring that nonprofits fully align with their own priorities. But, so far, that seems to be the trend.

Large U.S. foundation funding increased from 2020 to 2021, but COVID-19-specific funding dropped 31 percent between the same fiscal years. Additionally, corporate foundation funding dropped even more drastically, by a rate of 76 percent. While foundations and corporations continue to give, it can be assumed that the unrestricted funding of the most difficult pandemic years will continue to decline.

Understanding what questions funders are asking now is a solid starting point for preparing your organization to manage financial instability. Many of the trending questions we are seeing benefit nonprofits greatly (and, subsequently, the participants who seek their services) include:

  • Describe your efforts to incorporate DEI into your organization’s work as well as your action plan for addressing your DEI limitations. Of course, this concept was coming into focus well before the pandemic, but as the COVID-19 crisis exposed how acutely present disparities in healthcare, education, and opportunities of all kinds are for people of color, funders and organizations alike are no longer able to place this issue on the backburner. Change must happen now.
  • How will your organization sustain this effort after funding has ended? This is a fairly common question, but it’s more important now than ever. This is your chance to feature the ways you were able to weather the pandemic storm and therefore be resilient and better equipped for continued bad financial weather. Strategic plans play a substantial part in an organization’s sustainability. When we set goals and keep our attention focused on them, we don’t stray toward flashy and potentially unbeneficial opportunities. We build strength and consistency leading to long-term sustainability.
  • Tell us how your initiative is innovative. Highlight your efforts to shift practices amid the pandemic to address community needs and then shift back s (i.e., how nimble is your nonprofit, which may predict your continued ability to sustain during the ongoing financial crisis).

As a part of your strategic plan, be sure to address the critical issue of maintaining funder cultivation and stewardship. While this is Fundraising 101 outside of financial insecurity, it’s easy to set aside relationship development when fires are blazing around us. However, nonprofits that don’t maintain communication and relationship with their individual, corporate, and foundation funders in times of challenge will lose their attention to other organizations who prioritize remaining top of mind.

“Trust, security, and stability” are three key factors Classy describes as essential to retaining and engaging donors in a pandemic and post-pandemic environment. Even as individuals reduce their amount of giving to nonprofits, they will still find a way to give to organizations that they trust. In other words, organizations that continually communicate with them, offer secure and streamlined donation methods, and show stability amid the crisis will earn their trust.

A strategic plan not only speaks volumes for your longevity and vision for the future, but it creates a set of instructions for how you’ll obtain and/or maintain stability. We learned earlier that recessions last about 15 months, and recovery time afterward is about 5 years. It would be wise to set financial goals for the coming three to five years which is, coincidentally, the typical timeframe of a strategic plan, and even beyond.

Challenge #2: Impulsively returning to pre-pandemic methodology

We’ve heard it said in countless ways: The COVID-19 pandemic brought our world to a screeching halt and then turned it upside down. While we’re grateful to have the worst of the pandemic in the rearview mirror, we’re still managing the after-effects, including a struggling economy. It’s safe to say that we will be for some time. Nonprofits shifted their practices in record time to continue their work in a tremendously challenging time. In many cases, organizations changed their methods of implementing existing programs and, in other cases, many established new programs to meet new needs. Regardless of whether organizations wanted to make those changes or not, we’re now faced with identifying how well those changes served us during the pandemic and now, as we move out of the pandemic.

With little certainty about what turn our economy will take next, it is critical that nonprofits analyze how they provided services before and during the pandemic. That analysis can help them determine how they can most effectively meet participant needs in the future. The sooner this is determined, the sooner organizations can operationalize their methodology and stabilize funding sources to match that need.

Holy Family Shelter is an excellent example of commitment to evaluating their service methods before, during, and while recovering from the pandemic, to identify ideal next steps. A program of Catholic Charities Indianapolis, Holy Family Shelter operates as an emergency shelter specifically for families, regardless of religious affiliation, serving as a safe refuge for those facing homelessness and supporting them as they seek permanent housing and self-sufficiency.

When facing the pandemic, Holy Family Shelter was forced to temporarily limit on-site sheltering for those experiencing homelessness since their facility includes congregated communal eating and bathroom spaces. If Holy Family Shelter were to simply stop serving clients because of their facility limitations, more than 750 individuals could be without housing and a long-term support system to meet their self-sufficiency goals. Rather than simply stop partnering with those seeking their services, Holy Family Shelter leaned into what was once a much smaller-scale transitional housing program and worked with existing landlords to ensure clients could remain in their spaces.

They also diverted them to hotels and other safe, temporary alternative housing when no other options were available. Meeting basic needs and providing intensive case management services and long-term support toward permanent housing and self-sufficiency remained a critical component of Holy Family Shelter’s partnership with clients, even in this non-traditional service model, because much of it could be done virtually.

Even as the pandemic-related restrictions were lifted, Holy Family Shelter staff members analyzed their pre- and mid-pandemic methods and determined that they can serve far more clients by continuing to use their new methods than they could before, while beginning to re-integrate on-site housing as well. As a result, what came to be known as the Sustain, Support, and Divert program became a central approach. While these major changes certainly required a significant operational adjustment, returning to pre-pandemic programming practices would simply diminish the impact they could have.

Holy Family Shelter’s experience is a prime example of why strategic planning is so critical. Rather than continue along the same path we always have, strategic planning processes allow us to ask critical, and sometimes tough, questions about why and how we do what we do as well as set a realistic plan for operationalizing new methods. And, when new operations, methods, and funding are required, a strategic planning process gives us dedicated time to set goals and related actions that will progressively move us toward our end point.

As you embark on a strategic planning process and evaluate former and current programming, you might ask yourself questions like:

  • What has changed for our participants since the pandemic began?
  • What will never return to how it was before the pandemic (for example, increased use of digital methods, increased knowledge of race/ethnicity-based disparities)?
  • Can our pre-pandemic methods still meet participants’ needs in this new climate?
  • What methods did we shift toward amid the pandemic that have worked well for our participants?
  • Are there programs we implemented before the pandemic that are no longer as relevant? Would other methods be better to solve those issues now?

Challenge #3: Operating in a vacuum

One of the most critical elements of a successful strategic plan is that it’s well-informed by a variety of voices and ample data. Through a community research-based strategic planning process, organizations will hear from stakeholders about what they need to change, and funders will be able to view the organization as sustainable beyond the pandemic. This introspection should be inclusive of both internal and external research.

Internal research will involve taking a close look at your strengths, challenges, and opportunities. It also will provide insights about what are you doing well, what hazards may come in your way (such as shifting funder priorities), and what exciting prospects are on the horizon (such as a sector-wide shift toward virtual services seen during the pandemic)? It’s also important to include your own staff and board. After all, these are the internal crew members who see your work, day in and day out. When invited to share anonymous and authentic feedback, we see crews impart their passion for the cause, the brilliant ideas they’ve been waiting to share, and constructive methods for improving overall organizational success.

This is where welcoming in an external entity to lead your strategic planning process is so important. As my colleague Hannah Gooding shared, a third-party facilitator provides “the necessary neutrality to collect real information.” Someone not currently close to your organization can serve as a “buffer,” making it possible to obtain honest feedback and share it in a productive way.

This comes into play just as much for external data collection. We must take time to ask intentional questions and gather information from sources we don’t connect with every day. External data collection may include surveying and speaking with clients, families of clients, volunteers, partner organizations, funders, donors, and more. You might also consider looking into the practices of similar organizations and gathering current data on best practices in your field.

Summing it up

If we were to magically jump ahead five years and you had made no changes to your nonprofit’s current operations, what would your reflections be? Would your existing finances and fundraising efforts have sustained you? Would your programs remain relevant if you made no changes to their implementation? Would you have all the information needed to address the true needs in our community?

Of course, as we’ve learned through a global pandemic and looming recession, we can’t possibly predict all conditions that would help answer these questions. But gathering data, making predictions, and implementing a plan that prepares our organizations for greater security, sustainability, and impact for years to come will leave us in an incredibly powerful position despite economic turbulence.

Alexis Kollay D’Ettorre has more than 15 years of experience serving dozens of nonprofits. Her passion for people contributes to strong partnerships with organizations across Central Indiana and beyond as they grow their capacity.

Sep 12

New online tool launched to combat Indiana’s workforce challenges

By Feature

Indiana Chamber’s Talent Resource Navigator facilitates connections with career development training

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

Seeking a better employment opportunity but not sure if you’re qualified? Or searching for quality career development training to equip an employee for a promotion?

Those are the types of questions that the Institute of Workforce Excellence (IWE), the Indiana Chamber’s charitable nonprofit, is addressing through its new Talent Resource Navigator, a web-based tool designed to help Indiana employers and individuals access educational and professional growth training programs from one location, according to Todd Hurst, IWE executive director.

The Navigator project, which has been in development for more than a year, streamlines the process of identifying and accessing hundreds of programs that address skills gaps in Indiana’s workforce. Funded by a $2.5 million Lilly Endowment grant, the site is free to employers and individuals. It also is available in Spanish and features a live customer service component.

The development of the online tool is in response to some frustrations experienced by employers across the state, as well as a shortage of skilled employees, according to Hurst.

Based on recent statistics, Indiana employers, like those in many other states, are experiencing difficulties in finding skilled employees to fill job openings. By 2029, 60 percent of net new jobs added in Indiana will require a postsecondary credential. However, only 43 percent of Indiana residents have a credential beyond high school.

While many institutions and organizations throughout the state offer workforce development and talent development training, many people don’t know how to access them — which is one of the challenges the Navigator addresses, Hurst said.

“At the Chamber, we continuously hear from employers that they don’t know where to turn, what’s available to them, or what they’re eligible for,” Hurst said. “Many are having difficulty finding talent. At the same time, the tool is designed to help individuals who don’t know what’s available to them or what career paths exist.”

Evolving to meet specific needs

When the IWE team first started working on the navigator project, the initial concept was to create a platform that puts everything in one place, including all state-funded programs, local nonprofit programs, and post-secondary programs, Hurst said.

“An individual or an employer could just go to one place, find a program, and learn about it,” he said.
“But we learned through conversations with stakeholders and employers across the state, while that’s great, there was still so much more that they needed.”

In some cases, Hurst said, employers and individuals recognized their challenges but didn’t necessarily know how to identify the solution or where to look in the system for the right answer.

The Navigator concept underwent numerous revisions to make it a more comprehensive and personalized experience. “We’ve evolved it to truly embody this navigator concept,” Hurst said.

Anyone accessing the Talent Resource Navigator can select from programs categorized based on location, industry, available funding, and anticipated outcomes. As a result, a person can quickly narrow down their selection to those that specifically address their needs or desired outcomes.

Another feature allows employers to perform a Talent Pipeline Assessment, which evaluates and benchmarks their current talent development strategies against nationally recognized best practices. After the employer completes the assessment, the Navigator will make recommendations about resources that align with their results.

“There’s a lot of good work happening in Indiana — fantastic regional strategies and community strategies that are really impactful,” Hurst said. “But unless you’re already plugged in, you may not know what’s available to you and how to connect to it. The Navigator is not a silver bullet, but we’re beginning to make stronger connections across organizations, among entities that may not have previously known about the other.”

Sep 12

How is your nonprofit inspiring trust?

By Sponsor Insight

Gaining donor confidence in your organization is essential

by Better Business Bureau

If asked, could you easily answer what your nonprofit does to inspire trust and donor confidence? Certainly, you could mention different programs and services offered. But what if you could convey everything in a way that instantly resonates with potential donors?

This is where trust seals come into play. Think about it. When you see the lock icon in an URL, you instantly know any personal and payment information you provide on the website will be secured. Or, how about the number of stars for a customer review? It’s easy to identify one star as a poor review, whereas five stars are an excellent review. We are wired to subconsciously identify these trust seals which also applies to BBB’s Accreditation seal.

Donors seek reassurance that their financial support is being used properly, and for more than a century, they have been coming to Better Business Bureau (BBB) for guidance. Spotting the BBB Accredited Charity seal lets them know they are (or would be) supporting a trustworthy non-profit.

The trust seal is earned through BBB’s Charity Accreditation Review Program which promotes high standards of conduct among organizations that solicit public contributions. The free program evaluates 501(c)3 charities against BBB’s 20 Standards for Charity Accountability — a baseline set of best practices that review the following four key areas of interest to donors:

  • Financial management
  • Fundraising and information materials
  • Governance and oversight
  • Measuring effectiveness

The result is a confirmation of existing strengths and/or identifying areas for improvement which BBB can help address to enrich your charity’s practices. If all 20 standards are met, charities can use the BBB Accredited Charity seal for a nominal fee determined by their organization’s annual revenue. Given its value and significance, a charity would be wise to consider proactive steps that strengthen the public’s trust through BBB Accreditation.

As a fellow nonprofit, BBB understands the trials and tribulations of running a charitable organization.

We value the work local nonprofits do here in Indiana and want to help you succeed as we work alongside you every day. We also know the importance of operational efficiency and how communicating your intentions to the public takes time, money, and energy. One way to ease your load so you can focus on your mission is to become a BBB Accredited Charity.

Get started with your free evaluation today at BBB.org.

Sep 06

Understanding in-kind donations

By Sponsor Insight

by Michael A. Staton, CPA, managing director, Alerding CPA Group

In-kind donations have been part of the nonprofit world for a long time. Galas have silent auctions that require a significant number of items to be contributed for their donors to bid on and generate contributions for the organization to fund its nonprofit mission.

Items are needed to perform the services nonprofits offer to benefactors and perform day-to-day tasks. Examples of such donations can include a box truck to deliver food, clothing, or kitchen equipment used in food preparation to serve to the homeless. The list goes on and on of the many types of items that nonprofits receive on a daily basis from generous donors.

Any non-cash item that a nonprofit receives from a donor is considered an “in-kind” donation and carries its own specific measurement and reporting requirements. In-kind contributions are categorized into two main classifications under U.S. GAAP. They are classified as either in-kind “goods” or in-kind “services.” In-kind goods or services should be valued and recorded in your general ledger based on fair market value.

Fair market value is the price you would have paid for the goods or services if you would have had to go out and purchase the items. Remember, the general rule for donated services is still that you only record the cost of the service if you would have “purchased the service if they had not been donated.” Most volunteer hours are still not considered in-kind donations of services; only those that are specialized.

In September 2020, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2020-07 on Topic 958. The new ASU addresses Presentation and Disclosures by Not-for-Profit Entities for Contributed Nonfinancial Assets. The new ASU was not aimed at changing how we recognize the In-kind contributions, but rather on providing transparency on the disclosure of the donations to the readers of the organization’s financial statements.

The new guidelines require the nonprofit to report the in-kind donations on a separate line in the Statement of Activities so the reader can clearly identify the number of in-kind contributions recognized by the organization. Cash and non-cash donations can no longer be grouped under the “contributions” line item.

There are also several changes that will need to be made to the note disclosures if your organization provides formal statements to its contributors and benefactors. All in-kind contributions will be disclosed by the type of asset contributed. Examples would include legal services, advertising, equipment, materials, food, clothing, etc. The disclosures would also include specific information on whether the asset was “monetized or utilized” by the organization.

The policy used to determine whether to monetize or utilize an asset. If the asset was utilized the organization would describe the programs that benefited from the donation. If monetized, then the organization must disclose their policy on how donations are monetized and any restrictions on the use of the funds. All these changes are part of the overall transparency initiative of FASB and are geared toward providing donors better information.

For more guidance, contact an Alerding CPA Group account representative to discuss this and any other issues you might have.

Aug 29

Local nonprofit expands camp experience to address youth mental health needs

By Feature

JCC Indianapolis’ CEO Eric H. Koehler addresses gaps with support from philanthropic donors

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

As with most executive leaders assuming a new role, Eric H. Koehler assessed opportunities for growth when he arrived at JCC Indianapolis in 2017. One of the areas he identified was the need for mental health and related support services for the youth that the organization had been serving for decades.

“While we’re certainly running a good program, I thought we could run an excellent program by providing additional mental, emotional and social well-being support,” said Koehler, who had previously worked in numerous JCC leadership positions, including as CEO of the JCC in Stamford, Conn. “Everyone has different abilities and needs based on where they are, but we didn’t have the capacity — the deep bench that we really needed to provide that additional support.

Koehler outlined a plan to add mental health support to the campers served by the organization’s programs and started reaching out to foundations for funding support.

Although COVID-19 disrupted the timeline of the programming, the organization was able to hire a mental health and behavioral coordinator and inclusion support specialists to work at its camp programs in 2022. The hires were made possible with a gift from the Glick Foundation, and gifts from the Adams, Bell, Cotlar and Koppel families.

With its expanded offerings under the pilot program, the JCC Indianapolis joins an increasing number of nonprofit organizations that are seeking ways to support mental health needs among youth through their regular programs. 

These programs come at a time when mental health challenges among youth are reaching a crisis level, as described in a recent article published by the American Psychological Association (APA). Statistics show that demand for mental health support is far outpacing available resources.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one out of every five children in the United States had a mental health disorder prior to the COVID-19 outbreak. However, only about 20 percent of the children identified were receiving care from a mental health provider. 

Experts expect those numbers to continue to rise because of children’s experiences with trauma, disruptions and isolation caused by the pandemic. 

About 71 percent of parents responding to a national survey conducted by Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago said that the pandemic had taken a toll on their child’s mental health. Also, the CDC reported that emergency room visits related to mental health increased 24 percent for children ages 5 to 11 in 2020 and by 31 percent among youth ages 12 to 17, compared to 2019.

Introducing a new camp program

After five years of planning and pursuing funding, and navigating the disruptions caused by COVID-19, the JCC Indianapolis hosted its 2022 camp season with several noticeable changes. In addition to the MESH (Mental, Emotional and Social Health) services and peer training delivered by the new staff members, the ratio of campers to staffers and group sizes were smaller and programming was calmer, Koehler said.

In previous years, JCC Indianapolis would host the vast majority, if not all, of the families that registered for camp. This year, there was a wait list because of the desire to keep the groups small.

“That’s something we learned. If we’re going to provide a high-quality summer experience for everyone who’s involved, we can’t just provide bulk childcare,” Koehler said. “We never capped the number of campers like we did this summer.”

Koehler said there also was a noticeable difference in the tenor of the program, which offered quiet zones for overstimulated campers, in comparison to camps in previous years. For instance, the number of programs like an annual lip sync contest, which included high-energy singing and dancing, were reduced in favor of more subdued activities.

“The tone was a lot lower and calmer, which led to a more pleasant experience,” said Koehler, who anticipates that the differences in the camp program will result in higher retention among campers and counselors.

Evolving the camp experience

According to the American Camp Association, camp programs, policies and practices that incorporate MESH-focused services and training can improve the camp experience for participants by building resiliency, self-esteem and self-confidence. As a result, they also can minimize challenges for camp counselors.

When pursuing a MESH focus for JCC Indianapolis, Koehler was able to draw on his experiences in leadership roles at other JCC’s in Virginia, Connecticut and Massachusetts. 

In one JCC program, the organization offered special early childhood programs for children with serious needs from birth. The team partnered with specialists and state and county staff members to supplement their offerings. After a child turned three, the JCC would help place them in early childhood programs, Koehler said. “These were kids who had very significant needs. Some had communication issues or difficulty walking,” he said. “Our goal was to get them from point A to point B. Typically, when those children completed our program, they had significant growth so we were able to include them in our early childhood programs.”

At another JCC, the team provided a day camp program for children on the autism spectrum.  “We focused on social skills learning in the morning and in the afternoon matriculated the children into the broader camp to learn how to improve their communication skills,” Koehler said. 

While the work involved in securing the funding and establishing the MESH focus at JCC Indianapolis was challenging, Koehler said, the effort was worth it.

It’s very rewarding to be able to do this for our community, families, and staff,” he said.

Aug 15

CLD set to intensify efforts to overcome racial disparities

By Feature

$33 million capital campaign will expand nonprofit’s reach in eight underserved neighborhoods

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

As the president of Center Leadership Development (CLD) for more than 20 years, Dennis Bland has regularly contemplated the systemic barriers that lead to troubling racial disparities in Indiana — including with income, health, housing, education, employment and financial security.

It’s a concern shared by many leaders throughout the state, especially in light of statistics that show the disparities have not diminished in many areas. In some cases, as with college-going rates, the disparities have significantly increased.

According to a recent report from the Indiana Higher Education Commission, the percentage of Indiana high school students attending college has declined from 65 percent in 2015 to 59 percent in 2019. While the decline is evident across all races, it is more significant for African American students. The report revealed a 13 percent decrease in the number of African American students attending college during the four-year period. 

As part of CLD’s $33 million RISE campaign, the organization will expand its educational programming throughout Indianapolis, specifically among minority and low-income youth residing in the zip codes of 46222, 46208, 46226, 46218, 46235, 46201, 46219 and 46205. CLD will partner with The PATH School, Christamore House, Eastern Star Church, Mt. Carmel Church and Community Alliance of the Far Eastside to provide in-school and satellite programming for students in their own neighborhoods. 

CLD, which targets five areas as part of its programming — character, education, leadership, service and career, plans to increase the number of students it impacts through its core programming from 4,000 students a year to 6,500 a year. Overall, CLD plans to provide services to 15,000 individuals annually. 

“I think so much about disparities and inequities,” said Bland, who recently helped lead the nonprofit organization past the $30 million mark of its $33 million RISE fundraising campaign. Donors have included Lilly Endowment, the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust, and the NBA Foundation. “Education ultimately translates into empowerment and cultivation, particularly in the areas that help people mobilize, grow or thrive.”

Quality programming is central to success

Bland said CLD’s programming, which ranges from elementary school to college, has been effective because of its comprehensive scope, which includes free tutoring, counseling, remedial courses, career planning, college prep, and college application and scholarship assistance. 

CLD also never assumes that a youth intuitively understands the value of an education, said Bland, who stresses the importance of identifying the issues that immobilize students. Through their programming, Bland and the rest of the CLD team help disadvantaged students and their families understand why students in more affluent communities value the power of education.

Where a student lives can inherently shape their perceptions, he pointed out. “If there’s a community where 90 percent of the students are passing standardized tests and I live in a community where 10 percent of people pass standardized tests, I will need you to give me some insights as to what they are doing right and why I’m not doing what they are doing.”

With deeper conversations with students, counselors can help them develop incentives and skills that align with the outcomes that they ultimately want, Bland added. They can help the students start caring about how they perform academically, he said.

“When young people come here, there’s going to be intentionality around giving them an education on education,” he said. “We’re not assuming that just because a student goes to school, they understand the importance of education.”

Bland said programs can be more effective by meeting constituents where they are — not where others think they should be. “It gives them an entirely different perspective. Ultimately, they begin to act differently because you created a program that meets them where they were,” he said.

Bland said programs also are designed to help participants and their families understand the challenges that are immobilizing them.

“It’s important to ask questions like, ‘What are those areas and issues that will keep you in poverty?’ ‘What are those things that keep you from climbing?’” Bland said.  “It can help them begin to think differently, process differently, and act differently and then begin to pursue paths that may be different than the path they’re on. We help them switch to a path that’s going to help them thrive and succeed.”