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Jan 31

Does your ‘consultant’ always know best?

By Sponsor Insight

by Jan Breiner Frazier, owner, Planning Plus

At some point, nonprofit organizations will find the need to use a consultant, whether it’s to assist with strategic planning, fundraising, board orientation, executive search, marketing or event planning.

If you do, a good question to ask is “Does your consultant always know best?”

While we would like to think so, the answer is “not always.” True, there are many consultants out there with a lot of experience. However, success is often based on connecting with a consultant who is right for you.

There is a different consultant for every type of organizational need, assisting companies that don’t have the expertise, personnel, funds or quite simply the time to really uncover and solve problems on their own.

Our team at PlanningPlus has successfully delivered outcomes in strategic planning, board development, and organizational culture and design for more than 30 years. We have responded to numerous RFPs, interviews, and requests for information, most of which ask for a sampling of past projects, processes, and proposed approaches to a perceived problem the potential client has identified.

While we have both won and lost bids, our most successful outcomes have been achieved when we have worked with clients that are open and committed to developing a true partnership and who share our organizational cultures and values.

When interviewing with a possible consulting partner, regardless of who that might be, make sure to consider the following in your discussion:

  1. Pain point and root cause. When a leader is thinking about bringing in a consultant, they usually are faced with circumstances that require problem-solving. When determining if the consultant is a match, consider whether the consultant has asked enough questions to identify the real pain points of the organization. Often, clients conduct a self-diagnosis to pre-determine the solution to their problem — without getting to the root cause. A seasoned consultant will be able to identify the REAL root cause of your challenge and present options to achieve your identified definition of success.
  2. Past projects. Too often, in RFPs, respondents are asked to provide an overview of successful consultant projects, based on their own definition of success. Be sure to “talk to” the consultant’s clients to ask what worked and what did not, if they would bring that consultant back, and what they would have liked to change. Most of you probably do that anyway but try to get the client on the phone as opposed to email. Very much like tracking down references for employees, you really want to “hear” how they respond to your questions.
  3. Processes. We have seen several consultants who use “templates” — one-size-fits-all — to incorporate into their work. Was this work developed by the consultant or pulled off the Internet? What have been the challenges in adapting off-the-shelf products? What is proprietary to them? The answers to these questions can determine if the consultant will be able to customize an effective solution for your organization.
  4. People. Understanding the consultant’s level of engagement with clients also is important to explore. Has the consultant ever been a hands-on practitioner? And can they demonstrate success? We know that formal education doesn’t fully prepare one for the weird and unusual situations with many clients. Those who have weathered the actual day-to-day challenges you face in your company generally have a fairly large toolkit developed from such experiences.

While this only covers the very top line areas to consider in selecting a consulting partner, this is a good start to begin refining your process in 2022. With the unique challenges we have all faced over the last few years, here’s to starting off the New Year with new energy.

Jan 24

Looking back to move forward in 2022

By Feature

With an unprecedented demand for services, the Urban League and Coburn Place outline plans to support critical community needs, employees and partnerships

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

“Unprecedented.” That’s the word that immediately comes to mind for many Central Indiana nonprofit leaders in addressing the new challenges in carrying out their mission in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

And many of those experiences are now critical in shaping how nonprofits are shaping plans to operate in 2022, including new ways to approach donors, addressing employee burnout and collaborating with other nonprofits, according to two local nonprofit CEOs.

The Urban League of Indianapolis, which promotes economic empowerment among underserved communities through education, job training and workforce development, unexpectedly entered into new terrain during the pandemic, according to Tony Mason, CEO and president. 

“At the onset of the pandemic, we started receiving calls from the senior living communities who were concerned about how their residents were going to get food,” Mason recalled.

After connecting some of the senior living communities to Gleaners, Second Helpings and other food banks, Mason assumed that request had been fulfilled. The team continued to focus on how to shift its operations to a virtual format. 

“But the calls kept coming in,” Mason said. “And they were coming from citizens. We had to do something.”

As a result, the Mason conferred with the rest of the Urban League team about launching a plan to operate as a drive-through food and resource distribution center. Assuming that the drive-through operations would only last a couple of months, the team decided it would serve as a good opportunity to engage and connect with the community while meeting an urgent need, Mason recalled. 

However, by the end of 2021, the Urban League  had continued to provide the service for more than 80 consecutive weeks, at times distributing food to up to 900 households each week, Mason said.

For Rachel Scott, president and CEO of Coburn Place, those challenges included serving an increasing number of victims of domestic violence, a trend that was reflected nationally and globally in response to lockdowns.

“We were inundated with new clients due to an unprecedented increase in domestic violence,” Scott said. “This meant not only hiring and training new staff, but redefining how we serve survivors. We were already set up for mobile advocacy, but suddenly that was all we had. Our staff had to be creative. They did intakes by phone with abusers in the next room because meeting at a coffee shop wasn’t an option.”

Adjusting to growing domestic violence needs

At the same time, Coburn’s development team was forced to turn away donations.

“For the development team, the in-kind donations we rely on to furnish safe homes for families disappeared because we could no longer have people dropping off items in our building, and of course, we couldn’t accommodate our regular volunteers,” Scott said. 

“We produced volunteer opportunities people could do virtually and found other ways to make up for the loss of in-kind donations. We found that many of the things we did because we had to are things we will continue — creative advocacy, engaging volunteers remotely, virtual support groups and new partnerships.”

The team also relied on innovation to meet needs.

One of the answers to meeting the needs of domestic violence survivors was to develop individualized housing safety plans during the lockdown, Scott said. “We worked with other organizations to create solutions for survivors, like hotel stays so they could get to safety immediately,” she recalled. “Our support groups went to a virtual format.”

While delivering programming is critical, it also is important to focus on internal needs, Scott said.

“Nearly every nonprofit organization that provides direct services to the community was pushed to the brink of its capacity in the last two years. We need to prioritize the well-being of nonprofit staff so we can continue to give our best to the people we serve,” Scott said. “That likely means addressing the mission creep many of us have experienced during this time. We all need to step back and make sure we are the best option for clients and, if they would be better served elsewhere, work with other organizations to make sure their needs are met.”

From the perspective of the Urban League, one of the most critical developments from the pandemic has been the formation of collaborative partnerships, Mason said.

“We established partnerships with some of our neighborhood-based, grassroots organizations, such as CircleUp, MD, Before You Fall, Purpose of Life, and Ministries of the Street,” he said. “We had about 10 to 12 organizations which would, from week to week, would come and would also pick up resources and take them back to their congregations or to people in the neighborhoods. We recognized that everyone can’t come down here.

“In some ways, it became an important part of what we’re doing because it positioned us to where we were collaborating more and with emerging and existing grassroots neighborhood-based organizations that would have probably in the past not considered being connected to us.”

Mason said those relationships will continue to be instrumental in meeting the needs of the community in 2022 and beyond.

“It allowed me and my team to better understand who else is out there on the ground doing this work, people who are committed to it,” he said. “People need help 24/7. It doesn’t change. We have pockets of poverty all over the city. Poverty is everywhere. So it’s important to have  this level of connectivity and be in relationships with groups that are doing this work all over the city.”

Scott also said it is important to be transparent when talking to donors. “See and speak the truth about where you are as an organization — not just what seems impressive,” she said. “What a donor wants is tangible ways to help and partner, not just have their own egos inflated. Be candid with your closest donors and supporters. Let them partner more deeply by letting them in on the areas where you need help.”

Jan 10

Empowering nonprofit employees can lead to much needed innovative solutions in 2022

By Feature

CICOA’s CEO Tauhric Brown

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

When Tauhric Brown took on the role of president and CEO of CICOA Aging & In-Home Solutions in January of 2020, a top goal on his agenda was the empowerment of the organization’s employees to dream and innovate.

Based on his previous experiences in a combination of for-profit and nonprofit roles, Brown said, he knew that would be one of the most strategic approaches to continue successfully fulfilling CICOA’s overall mission — making the dream of aging in place a reality for many older adults.

Brown acknowledged the challenges that faced him. Even in normal times, it can be difficult to inspire employees to envision how to do things differently. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, further challenges developed as the organization followed stay-at-home orders and remote work schedules

“Many of us have tunnel vision. We see our work, day in and day out, and that’s really all we see,” Brown said.

However, opportunities can develop when leaders are able to help employees develop peripheral vision — recognizing the ways in which their individual roles, such as what a person does as a care manager, impacts the entire organization, Brown said..

“You really have to unlock that potential that lies well inside of each and every one of us,” he said.

As a result of that innovative focus on problem-solving, CICOA launched an innovation studio in 2021, an intrapreneurship model to encourage staff and partners to ideate, prototype and launch new solutions to meet the needs of older adults, people with disabilities and their caregivers.

One of the first products of the CICOA Venture Studio was the development of Duett, a for-profit start-up organization with a mission to streamline the process of matching people with service providers through technology solutions.

Innovation as an ongoing model

Now that the COVID-19 pandemic is approaching its two-year mark in Central Indiana, it is even more critical to challenge nonprofit employees to discover new solutions, according to Brown, who anticipates that few nonprofits will be able to continue to be successful without incorporating changes that can equip them for long-term sustainability.

He began the process of introducing innovation early on. “When I first started in my role here in January of 2020, I just started having conversations with people,” Brown recalled. “It wasn’t the CEO talking to the care manager. It was just Tauhric to Sherri — getting to know people on a personal level, and then really challenging them to see their work differently.”

Conversations included looking at goals and determining creative ways to respond, Brown said. “How do we begin to develop some additional programs or social enterprise concepts that might help us for decades to come?,” he said. “In other words, not just for this scenario, but for a more efficient, effectively run nonprofit organization that benefits the consumers you serve for years?”

Problem-solving also could involve determining how to deliver more services with fewer resources.

“For us, that was the primary opportunity we saw — and have been capitalizing on pre-COVID because innovation is part of our culture, part of our DNA,” he said. “That spirit existed here pre-COVID.”

In some ways, the pandemic fueled interest in generating problem-solving and innovative ideas, Brown noted.

Since implementing the innovation studio, Brown said, an increasing number of employees have been actively proposing potential solutions for challenges the organization faced during the pandemic, which forced many organizations to do things differently.

“We’re starting to see more staff bringing additional ideas and concepts forward that may not have been presented without this public health emergency,” he said. “Some of those ideas are now being teased out as potential social enterprise concepts that we can take to market down the road.”

Dec 20

Barriers to the boardroom: Where’s our seat?

By Sponsor Insight

by Tashi Copeland, communications manager at CICF

This year, I turned 29. This means old enough to vote. Old enough to grab a glass of wine at Daniel’s Vineyard. And old enough to rent a car. And while I have years of professional experience — and even a few gray hairs — I’m still not top of mind to be a member of anyone’s board of directors. Why is that?

I had the opportunity to watch Dr. Una Osili, associate dean for research and international programs and Dean’s Fellow for the Mays Family Institute on Diverse Philanthropy at Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, present The Truth About Board Diversity. During her presentation, Dr. Osili indicated that while diversity may be trending positively regarding gender — and making some progress with racial diversity — age is still a challenge in the not-for-profit board makeup.

“We find that age is an area where many nonprofits simply do not have anybody under the age of 39 on their boards. And 39 is not necessarily young, but that just gives you a sense that board members tend to be much older than the average population,” Dr. Osili said.

As of 2021, the average age of the U.S. population is 38. When board members are such powerful pieces of the not-for-profit chessboard, organizations must commit to making their boards reflect the communities they serve. For these organizations to successfully do this, they must address some barriers young people face in obtaining these seats.

One such barrier is mandatory-giving policies for their board members. According to a 2018 Board Source Survey, 68% of not-for-profit organizations have a policy requiring board members to make a personal contribution annually. I understand that board members need to prove their commitment to the organization beyond attending board meetings, and a financial gift easily checks that box.

But consider this. In 2021,

So, while my fellow Millennials and I would love to make a sizeable donation, our current cost of living may not allow us to give the extra $5,000 to sit on a board. And that should not take us out of the running to serve as leaders. Young people have time and talent — just not as much treasure.

Now is the time for organizations to create diverse boards and put their capital in action by sponsoring a board seat (look to the Mosaic Fellowship for a potential roadmap). Many organizations’ boards and executive leadership have voiced their struggles about engaging with younger generations. Inviting us to the table would be a game-changer and ensure a smoother transition from one generation of leaders to the next.

Some may have concern that someone younger simply does not have the life experience to lead. This case doesn’t hold anymore. Our technological revolution has led my generation to learn, connect, and produce faster than ever before. Additionally, we’ve grown into adulthood during some of our nation’s most significant historical moments — 9/11, marriage equality, the Great Recession, the tragic normalization of school shootings, a racial reckoning, and a global pandemic, just to name a few. As a result, our worldview was developed through a newer lens of empathy and an appreciation of diversity than previous generations, which most are still wrestling with. But that doesn’t quite translate nicely in LinkedIn profile. Maybe we should all start adding that to our resume’s special skills section?

Including a younger demographic in board structures has proven success. According to the Impact of Diversity Study, boards with higher percentages of members aged 39 or younger tend to be more engaged in governance and have higher involvement. Additionally, this demographic is more likely to have board members who ask others for donations. Young people are more than willing to give up their time while also leveraging their networks to bring in dollars. The engagement is there. The fundraising is there.

If organizations continue to lack the intentionality of having younger representation during quarterly conversations, the voice of an entire generation will be silenced. Organizations literally can’t afford to take that risk. Don’t continue to use board tenure or limited networks as excuses. So many organizations have risen to the challenge of navigating and reworking business practices during this global pandemic. Increasing diversity in the boardroom is just another modification these organizations will have to address.

One of the most powerful concepts when speaking on diversity is the diversity of thought. Bringing in younger board members allows organizations to gain perspectives from a generation redefining business strategy, economic success, and stakeholder priorities. Organizations can fully view operational and reputational risks and opportunities for growth through a new lens by simply inviting this next generation of leaders to the table. We’re ready.

Dec 13

How we adapt to change can lead to positive transformation

By Sponsor Insight

by Allie Petty-Stone, HR and firm administrator, Alerding CPA Group

We could all agree that during the many seasons of this pandemic, the only thing that seemed consistent was change. Many organizations were facing dilemmas on business continuity and workforce retention while many of us were dealing with our own personal anxiety and uncertainty. We stood in a state of “standby” as we awaited each federal, state and/or municipal update, considering how each announcement could alter the terms of how we engaged business and how it may impact the livelihoods of our people.

The crisis demanded continual high-level interaction and engagement with our leadership and how we proceeded was crucial. It was during this period that communication was critical in keeping our staff informed, however, it felt every update became obsolete as a new media blast would often change the basis of our plan.

Through this dilemma, we quickly realized that good business and best laid plans can be suddenly upended by the happenings within our world. Our team had to be adaptive and malleable with onlooking colleagues and stakeholders counting on us; we had to be ready to respond.

First, let me say I’m a believer in finding the silver linings. Self-actualization can be surmised up by perceiving life’s challenges and difficult situations as a gift. It is within these parameters that we find out more about ourselves. Do you welcome the possibilities that can be evoked through change?

Challenges once perceived as an adversary can ultimately turn into an unintended friend. Yes, these disruptors are inconvenient to our way of life and have the poorest of timing. However, if you look on the flip side, these are tests of our readiness and our willingness to ponder solutions. Whether it be people related or situational, we have an instance to grow, learn and build our skills.

Use change as an opportunity

Change is the opportunity to upend the mundane and breathe new life in our own rationale. Engaging with colleagues, advisors and even a team of strong-minded friends is essential to draw on solutions, hone creativity and offer diverse opinions. These have been some difficult months and the struggle continues for many. Change also serves as a reminder to routinely evaluate our business model and to never get too comfortable with the status quo.

A crisis necessitates change and, as a result, we witnessed many businesses modify how they delivered services for business continuity. Many restaurants moved to a pick-up service during lockdown. Some businesses implemented work-from-home scenarios and implemented more technology to create better connections and a secure environment. Nonprofits held fundraisers through online events and auctions. This creative thinking led to alternate opportunities. These opportunities kept connection to their people and communities. Therefore, the pandemic offered an occasion to look through a new lens and create transformation.

Change also can be cruel, so I do not mean to oversimplify or diminish any pain. However, how you overcome your circumstances is what can make or break you. Accepting that there are times that things happen FOR us rather than TO us is a part of discernment.

Your perspective and next steps determine your resilience and agility through these experiences. With each hurdle, you will become more adept and learn to embrace change rather than just simply “getting through it.” I wish you a positively transformative 2022 and beyond.

Dec 06

6 leading nonprofit trends to look out for in 2022

By Feature

Philanthropic researcher, educator predicts a year focused on equity, smaller donor pools, innovation, mission and new HR policies

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

As local nonprofit teams plan for another calendar year, the agenda most likely will include strategies for embracing change, innovation and sustainability in numerous areas, according to Amir Pasic, Eugene R. Tempel Dean of the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy.

With the pandemic and social protests representing some of the most disruptive events in the nation’s history, nonprofits are being forced to regroup on how to carry out their mission and operations, Pasic noted. “Almost all of our lives were turned upside down in many ways,” Pasic said. “The nonprofit philanthropic sector was no exception.”

Pasic pointed out six trends that nonprofits will likely need to address as they move into a new year.

1. Integrating equity as a long-term solution. While conversations and news around racial equity may not be as intense at the height of social justice protests, it will remain at the forefront of agendas of nonprofits, Pasic said. 

“When you had the kind of material, economic consequences of COVID, and then afterwards the killing of George Floyd and other black citizens, you saw the rise of racial reckoning and that becoming a global phenomenon. Equity and inclusion became major topics,” he said. “The fervor might have dissipated a bit, but I think those priorities are going to be there permanently for the nonprofit sector because so many of us became aware of the fact that our institutions and practices have been exclusionary.”

With the growing awareness around racial equity, Pasic added, it will have a “differential impact on nonprofits, depending on where they stand.”

2. Relying on a smaller pool of donors, mostly wealthy. Another trend that emerged during the pandemic is a shrinking pool of donors, Pasic said. “One of areas of research that has been interesting but somewhat worrisome is that giving continued to grow, but it came from a smaller number of donors,” Pasic said. “There was pretty strong evidence that donations are coming from a smaller number of wealthier people. We will be looking to determine if that trend will continue.”

Pasic said that nonprofits will need to make further adjustments if that trend remains. They will need to understand the best strategies for engaging a smaller number of donors until they can expand their donor base. “They need to ask, ‘How do you balance that with planning for a future where you’re trying to replenish those donors over time?’,” Pasic said

3. Rethinking employee work schedules. Another concern related to equity emerged during the pandemic when some employees easily transitioned to working online, while others faced downsizing or layoffs because they jobs demanded an in-person presence,according to Pasic.

Human resource leaders will need to explore ways to adopt hybrid work models while addressing the needs of all employees. “It looks like there’s going to be all kinds of different combinations of people working remotely,” he said.  

4. Offering a mix of in-person and online volunteer/giving opportunities. During the pandemic, a significant number of nonprofits offered volunteers ways to continue to support the mission remotely, Pasic said. “More people started giving online, engaging online and trying to figure out who they can help online,” he said. “At the same time, we saw an upsurge in neighbors helping their neighbors. We saw people knocking on the doors of neighbors they may never have met before to see if they could help by shopping for groceries.

“I think we’re going to see more of this type of decision-making in the future,” he added. “People will continue to figure out what it is that they can do remotely and when they have to travel.”

5. Remind your team of your mission. With many nonprofit organizations undergoing unprecedented changes in adjusting to challenges, it’s important to take the time to focus on the mission, Pasic said.

“In times of difficulty, it’s important to remind yourself why you exist. What is your mission?” he said. “Revive that purpose. It’s not only a time to remind yourself of what that is, but for those who are your champions. It can sometimes be forgotten when we’re all scrambling to make it through the day, but I think that that sense of mission can be rejuvenated and give you some energy to start the next day.”

6. Embrace innovation as an ongoing pursuit. “The pandemic has shown us that there’s no reason to keep doing the way we’ve been doing,” Pasic said. “A sense of innovation and possibilities are some of the positive things that came out of the pandemic. When we know our mission, then we can think of innovative and interesting ways to pursue that. We need to take some of the things we learned during the pandemic and apply it to the future.” 

Nov 29

Nonprofits are exploring innovative ways to thrive with United Way of Central Indiana’s support

By Sponsor Insight

by Jonathan Jones, senior director of social innovation, United Way of Central Indiana

There’s a way to do it better. Find it.

That’s a quote from Thomas Edison, one of the greatest inventors in American history. Even with minimal schooling and a hearing impairment, Edison found a way to channel his imagination and curiosity into innovations that have made all our lives better.

Innovation is never easy, especially in the human services sector. With nearly a quarter of a million households in Central Indiana in poverty or economically unstable, community organizations are working tirelessly – even more so during the pandemic – to address so many challenges facing our Hoosier families.

At the end of the day, there are few hours remaining and resources left for agencies to even consider Edison’s statement. So, in 2018, United Way of Central Indiana offered an innovative solution by creating a new strategy, a significant investment and solid commitment to promoting and funding social innovation initiatives in our region.

Since unveiling the Social Innovation Fund three years ago, United Way has granted $2.95 million to 35 United Way accredited and non-accredited community organizations to “find a way to do it better.” In the spirit of Edison, we’re happy to report that the light bulb is working.

For example, the Indianapolis Legal Aid Society has used its Social Innovation Fund grant to hire a full-time social worker to collaborate with attorneys assisting individuals who are struggling to stabilize their lives. The innovative idea here is the partnership between social and legal services: While the lawyer might be helping a client on an eviction notice or reinstatement of a driver’s license, the social worker can focus on helping the client overcome other social impediments to success like financial and transportation assistance.

In another example, grant recipient Growing Places Indy has used its social innovation funding to expand its Urban Farm Incubator program, the first of its kind in Indiana. Growing Places Indy began its work by supporting new and underrepresented farmers of color in urban areas by providing access to land, mentoring, equipment, job training and business development assistance. Now, the program will expand to include training in farming technologies, and a combination food hub for individuals in need a co-op for local farmers who seek additional support. The innovative concept here is lifting up agriculture as a way to address food insecurity and workforce development – together.

Recently, United Way selected 14 organizations that will receive Social Innovation Fund grants totaling $1.2 million for the 2021-2022 fiscal year. With these funds, organizations will use innovative approaches to combat homelessness, expand nutrition programs for Black individuals living with HIV, and support people affected by addiction and substance use disorder, just to name a few. Just think, roughly 5,000 people in total will benefit from innovation in human services in 2022. By successfully seeding innovation in human services now, we hope to expand these initiatives to serve more people throughout our community.

United Way is proud to be a leader in accelerating new ideas that could ultimately lead to better outcomes for Hoosiers. Thanks to community organizations for their ingenuity and donors for their generosity, innovation will be the key to our community’s success and a brighter future.

The light bulb is on. There is a way to do it better. Together, we are finding it.

Nov 22

Financially preparing and protecting for today, tomorrow, and the years to come

By Sponsor Insight

by Sandy McCarthy, president, Retirement Services, OneAmerica

As professionals in the financial services industry, we’ve devoted our careers to helping individuals attain financial peace of mind, personal protection, and retirement security.

The pandemic, though, has cast this important work in a new light, invigorating Americans’ interests in all aspects of financial preparedness and personal protection, and highlighting the deep connections between financial, physical, and emotional wellness.

This is a pivotal moment for our industry and the Americans we serve, as we guide those who have just experienced, first-hand, the complex and unexpected path life can take. In this new environment, widening the lens and broadening the view on the traditional idea of financial wellness can help Americans feel prepared and protected for today, tomorrow, and the years to come — whatever those days and years may bring.

Retirement and personal protection strategies go hand-in-hand

As a longtime veteran of the financial services industry, I’ve seen first-hand the energy we’ve collectively spent educating retirement plan participants about market risk, asset allocation, and the importance of beginning deferrals early. Though these are, of course, critical elements, there’s more that’s needed to help individuals establish peace-of-mind about their financial security.

As an industry, we must guide individual workers, and their employers, to look beyond the retirement plan — to realize that true, comprehensive plans for financial wellness also incorporate personal protection and decumulation strategies. This is especially critical and relevant post-COVID, as the pandemic forced the idea of financial protection for loved ones, and our own mortality, to be top of mind in a way we haven’t seen previously.

As uncertainties abound, the products and strategies we provide are a port in the storm — allowing individuals to safeguard retirement savings, set aside money for health or longterm care expenses, or ensure loved ones are protected. And the focus on healthcare expenses, in addition to retirement funds, is one that can’t be overlooked.

According to HealthView Services, a 65-year-old couple in good health will need $387,644 to pay for healthcare costs for the remainder of their lives. And the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reports that someone turning age 65 today has almost a 70 percent chance of needing some type of long-term care services and support in their remaining years.

Still, according to a survey from the American College of Financial Services, only about one third of retirees currently have any type of long-term care plan.

Widening the lens on financial wellness

In recent years, we have honed in on examining the critical role emotional and physical wellness play in holistic financial wellness. Financial stress can cause emotional or physical health issues, just as emotional or physical health issues can result in financial strain and resulting stress. These factors are important considerations, especially as our industry navigates how best to engage and educate American workers to take action toward overall financial wellness. We have an opportunity to meet each person where they are, and to help American workers take the next step in their personal wellness journeys — acknowledging and aligned with their individual circumstances or life events. According to Employee Benefit Research Institute’s 2020 Retirement Confidence Survey, 7 in 10 workers (69 percent) feel confident in their ability to retire comfortably, though only 27 percent feel very confident. Overall confidence is up slightly from 2018 and 2019, when the survey showed 64 percent and 67 percent. We’re collectively making progress, but there’s still work to be done.

Connecting where it counts

For many Americans, the workplace is the frontline for financial education, and it may even be one of the only places where individuals receive financial guidance. As an industry, it’s up to us to help employers understand the value of providing employees with opportunities to improve holistic financial wellness — both for the well-being of individual employees, and to meet company objectives. Employees who are less stressed about financial, physical, and emotional health are more focused, present, and able to contribute to business success.

This is a significant concept, considering data from the 2021 PwC Employee Financial Wellness Survey showing that nearly two thirds of full-time employees say their financial stress has increased since the start of the pandemic. This has an impact on both productivity and retention, with 45 percent saying finances have been a distraction at work and 72 percent indicating they would be attracted to another company that cares more about their financial well-being than their current company.

The promising news is that employers understand the important role they play; 62 percent of employers feel “extremely” responsible for their employees’ financial wellness, up significantly from 13 percent in 2013, according to Bank of America’s 2020 Workplace Benefits Report. Employers — along with the financial professionals who guide them — will continue to play an increasingly greater role in helping employees strengthen their financial foundations.

Our industry exists for times like these, and our purpose — to protect and secure — has only been emphasized and reaffirmed over the past 18 months.
We’re an industry connected to the people we serve, and it’s an honor to engage with a wide network of professionals committed to bettering the lives of individuals and their families.

Editor’s note: A version of this article was originally published in LIMRA Marketfacts #4, 2021.

Nov 22

Is trust-based philanthropy here to stay?

By Feature

Indiana philanthropic organizations are weighing advantages of maintaining unrestricted funding models and alternative reporting processes post-pandemic

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

In addition to a paralyzing pandemic and social unrest, 2020 marked the year that philanthropic organizations in Indiana, and nationally and globally, abandoned the rulebook on how grants traditionally had been issued.

Many Indiana philanthropic organizations, weighed down by the enormity of the challenges facing communities, including job losses and food insecurity, decided to distribute funds to nonprofits without the need for detailed grant requests or reporting processes.

“They woke up and asked, ‘What can we do?” recalled Claudia Cummings, president and CEO of the Indiana Philanthropic Alliance, which represents 190 philanthropic organizations in the state. The leaders of “one foundation showed up at the office one morning and mailed out checks to every single grantee — whether or not they had requested funds.”

Other philanthropic organizations shared similar stories with the alliance, including distributing funds without restrictions — trusting that the grant recipients would use them to carry out their mission quickly and optimally in the midst of the global pandemic.

In that way, the COVID-19 pandemic may have accelerated the adoption of better practices across all industries worldwide, according to Cummings.

“Many things we would have thought to be impossible pre-COVID were adopted by a lot of institutions. It has opened up opportunities,” Cummings said.

“While writing out checks to those who never even asked might not be something that’s triggered all of the time or even ever again because it may not be a good practice, we have learned that dollars can go out rapidly and we understand the mechanisms that can make that happen.”

That demonstration of support didn’t come without challenges, Cummings said, noting that the markets went down in the wake of the pandemic outbreak.

“It was impacting the ability of philanthropy to even respond financially. It was a really rough first six months but what I saw on the ground was incredibly inspiring. Our members, even in light of what was happening with the markets, made the decisions to give more than they had ever given before

Pledge to transform philanthropy

The question on the minds of many interested in the future of philanthropy is whether these types of changes are temporary — or are they signaling a significant shift in how philanthropic organizations operate.

“Clearly, nothing in society globally is the same now as it was two years ago,” Cummings said. “No one has ever seen something this unprecedented. Now, we’re asking, ‘What happens next?’ There’s kind of a middle phase of trying to move as a response to recovery.”

The Council on Foundations is among the organizations that is advocating for change, encouraging philanthropists to pledge to reform the sector by adopting the following reforms, especially during the pandemic:

  • Make new grants as unrestricted as possible, so nonprofit partners have maximum flexibility to respond to the crisis.
  • Reduce what we ask of our nonprofit partners, postponing reporting requirements, site visits, and other demands on their time during this challenging period.
  • Contribute to community-based emergency response funds and other efforts to address the health and economic impact on those most affected by this pandemic.
  • Communicate proactively and regularly about our decision-making and response to provide helpful information while not asking more of grantee partners.
  • Commit to listening to our partners and especially to those communities least heard, lifting up their voices and experiences to inform public discourse and our own decision-making so we can act on their feedback. We recognize that the best solutions to the manifold crises caused by COVID-19 are not found within foundations.

While these measures are specifically focused on COVID-19, the council also advocates for long-lasting change in the areas of diversity, equity and inclusion as well as how philanthropists partner with nonprofits and the community working for social change.

Indiana philanthropy organizations advocating for change

Many Indiana organizations were among the philanthropists that accepted the pledge, Cummings said, and the expectation is that many of them will continue to accept the challenge to evolve. She also noted that numerous Indianapolis philanthropic organizations have already embraced change.

“Clearly, nothing in society globally is the same now as it was two years ago,” Cummings said. “No one has ever seen something this unprecedented. What happens next? There’s kind of a middle phase of trying to move as a response to recovery.

“What we hope to see is that our members will continue some of the practices that were learned at the height of the pandemic, including alternative reporting processes and an increase in unrestricted funds,” she said. “These are things that allow nonprofits more time to focus on their core mission.”

Nov 08

How do we reimagine shelter?: Pandemic forces Indianapolis leaders to seek new ways to address homelessness

By Feature

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

In recognition of National Homeless Awareness Month, Not-for-profit News gained insights from nonprofit leaders on the latest efforts to support those experiencing homelessness.

When Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb issued a “stay-at-home order” on March 23, 2020, it became painfully clear that not all Hoosiers would have an equal ability to safely navigate the global pandemic of COVID-19, including people experiencing homelessness.

“It’s hard to be safe when you don’t have a home,” said Chelsea Haring-Cozzi, executive director of the Coalition for Homelessness Intervention & Prevention (CHIP), the organization leading The Indianapolis Community Plan to End Homelessness 2018-2023. “The way people were able to stay safe during the pandemic was to stay in their homes and engage in all the hygiene practices. That’s really scary if you don’t have that home in the midst of a public health crisis. It really elevated the nation of housing really is healthcare. We have to continue investing in and supporting permanent housing choices for people.”

Since the outbreak of COVID, community leaders and government officials have combined efforts to meet the needs of the city’s homeless as their numbers have swelled — to 1,928 on any given night based on a January 2021 point-in-time count. That’s up from 1,588 in January 2020. While some of those differences may be traced to a different counting method — over a five-day period instead of a one-night period, numerous factors have led to an increasing number of people experiencing homelessness, Haring Cozzi said.

In the past, Haring-Cozzi said, people may have avoided being counted in the homeless system because they relied on couch surfing for shelter. “What we saw this last year with COVID, people who may have stayed with family and friends found that was no longer a viable option. People are now saying, ‘I can’t run the risk of additional people in my house outside of the family unit.’”

Also, with social distancing rules in place, congregant housing, like Wheeler Mission’s shelters, were required to reduce the numbers of guests to abide by guidelines for social distancing during the pandemic.

Clearly, those challenges aren’t over. “We’re still in the midst of the pandemic,” Haring-Cozzi said. “Because of COVID, there are more people experiencing homeless, living unsheltered, and who are housing unstable.”

Another major complication in meeting the needs of those facing homelessness is inadequate staffing, according to Perry Hines, chief development officer for Wheeler Mission. Employee shortages have made it increasingly difficult to support initiatives to expand services at a time when they’re most needed. During a normal year, Hines said, the organization would serve 700-800 people with beds and/or meals at its facilities. In 2020, that number climbed to 1,200-1,300 per day because of the increased need, he said. 

“This year, we are planning for increased demand. What that means is finding beds and anticipating an increased need for food and social services — especially during the winter contingency time frame, which is Nov. 1 through March 31,” Hines said. 

However, some of the programs needed to support individuals and families experiencing homelessness, such as overseeing accommodations in hotels, require additional staffing, Hines said. 

“We are severely lacking in employees. We need help. At any given time, we will have 20 to 30 job openings. Our employees have a tough job. They’re on the front lines,” he said. “A lot of times our employees can go to McDonald’s and get $15 an hour. We don’t pay $15 an hour, so that makes it real tough to keep things in place. On top of the demand for more services and more people coming into your doors, you’re having a tough time getting qualified people to help open the doors.”

Planning a future with minimal homelessness

While the impact of COVID has been devastating for many individuals and families with inadequate housing or no housing, it has been impactful in accelerating collaboration around how to imagine alternatives to homeless shelters, Haring-Cozzi said. 

One of the primary ways that leaders are envisioning a new path is by considering alternatives to the prevailing sheltering model.

“A lot of sheltering is based on these congregate models,” Haring-Cozzi said. “That doesn’t allow for spaces where people can isolate and have privacy and for family units to stay together. The pandemic and the use of hotels really opened up a lot of our community leaders’ eyes on how to create safe sheltering models — one that serves public health purposes and serves the purpose of keeping families together. It becomes housing-centered.”

Those experiences helped shift the conversation to how to get people connected to permanent housing, Haring-Cozzi added. “We have started some intentional work around shelters being part of a rehousing process and not a destination — not a place where people stay for long periods of time,” she said. 

Another layer of support that needed to be addressed is the access to technology, according to Haring-Cozzi. With so many services going virtual during the pandemic, including mental health services, many people experiencing homelessness didn’t have the technology to access them. “We realized we have to make services accessible in a different type of way,” she said.

Hines also said that efforts must focus on expanding support services, including those that address mental health and addictions, to ensure that the needs of a segment of the population experiencing homelessness are met. 

“We are always asking how can we do more beyond addressing the immediate needs? That’s the emergency shelter part. We also are asking how can we solve the underlying problem? That’s the social work part,” Hines said. “We know that there are a lot of joblessness issues that result from mental health and addiction issues. Our hope and dream is that we want to end homeless in Indianapolis but that means addressing both the structural issues as well as the underlying causes.”

Haring-Cozzi said that she is hopeful that significant change can be realized as a result of the millions of dollars in federal funds targeted to homelessness throughout the nation, including Indianapolis. “This is probably a once in a lifetime opportunity to take these federal resources and really focus on how you shift systems and how you help support people getting back into permanent housing,” she said.

She also said that the collaboration around addressing homelessness — among nonprofit agencies, service providers, and government entities — will be instrumental in realizing real change.

“I’ve seen collaboration this past year in ways I have never seen it before,” she said. “We’re all working under the same shared agenda. We’re trying to keep people healthy and then get them into housing. That’s significant. This last year really helped kind of solidify that shared vision. We don’t want to manage homelessness. We really want to move towards ending it.”