Last week, I had the very good fortune of being invited to speak to the Association of Fundraising Professionals Yosemite Chapter in Modesto, California. That photo up top is me with the direct mail legend himself, David Barnes, who has been in the fundraising profession for 40 years. Much love to Jennifer Svihus for inviting me and many thanks to Deena for suggesting me as a speaker!

The Tour

Past AFP Yosemite President Lynn Traver was so kind to take me on a neat tour of Modesto, which I learned was the scene for the movie American Graffiti directed by George Lucas. I always enjoy learning about the landscape of the particular communities I visit – I always ask questions like: What are the main social issues being addressed by nonprofits here? What are the main industries that support philanthropy? In Modesto, a huge moneymaker is agriculture – with tomatoes, dairy and wine being top producers for the economy and local philanthropy. A social problem that many organizations address in the community are gangs and homelessness. I was told that the Salvation Army in Modesto is the only Salvation Army in the country with a transitional housing center.

As part of our little tour, I also got to meet with Amber Wallen, Development Manager at the Gallo Center for the Arts. She gave us a nice walk-through of their beautiful space that hosts most of the city’s arts events and performances. The Gallo Center is named after the family behind the E&J Gallo Winery, who make significant contributions to the arts and philanthropy in Modesto. We even took a brief ride up to the corporation headquarters, where I got to see the most beautiful peacocks (yes, real peacocks!) roaming the property. I so wish I’d been able to do a full wine tour during my trip – hopefully there will be another opportunity to do something wine-related when I get back to California at some point. My life just won’t be complete until I do.

The Conversation

The topic of my talk there was New Leadership for a New Nonprofit Sector. Given the high-profile nonprofit scandal that had rocked the Modesto Bee just that morning, it was a timely conversation indeed. In the audience were various nonprofit leaders – fundraising professionals, communications staff, board members and CEOs.

The session was the kick-off of a new format for the AFP Yosemite’s quarterly meetings for their members. It was sponsored by DirectLine Technologies, represented by the lovely Martha Connor, whom I also had the pleasure of meeting. Martha is the kind of person who makes everyone she meets feel like a superstar and her energy for the nonprofit sector is contagious!

I love that AFP Yosemite is experimenting with new models of education, professional development and support for the nonprofit leaders in their community. Their board understands that fundraising training is only one part of the equation; leadership in the development profession is important, too! Led by “ruthless innovator” Jennifer Svihus in the role of VP Education/Program, they are making great strides to connect the philanthropic community and support strong leadership for all nonprofit professionals.

What struck me about being in community with AFP Yosemite in Modesto was the conversation we were able to have during the session. When asked to commit to doing one thing differently after the session, I heard:

• I’m going to stop going to all the meetings myself, and let some of my younger staff attend for me instead so they can have the opportunity to lead.
• I will formalize the now-informal program that my nonprofit has in place to train emerging leaders to learn different areas of the organization’s work.
• I will innovate our fundraising department by trying out a new idea to create “ambassadors” within the organization who will be deemed a special group of leaders responsible for cultivating donors for the university.
• I will reconsider our hiring parameters to ensure that we are not missing out on talent just because they do not have the “required” credentials or number of years of experience.

]]> http://www.rosettathurman.com/2012/02/a-conversation-about-nonprofit-leadership-with-afp-yosemite-and-a-tour-of-modesto-california/feed/ 0 http://www.rosettathurman.com/2012/01/rethink-the-language-of-nonprofit-leadership-development/ http://www.rosettathurman.com/2012/01/rethink-the-language-of-nonprofit-leadership-development/#comments Fri, 27 Jan 2012 18:37:06 +0000 rosettathurman http://www.rosettathurman.com/?p=11560

Earlier this week, I gave a presentation for the National Human Services Assembly’s Field Services Council about how to develop a new generation of nonprofit leaders. We talked about some of the new research about what Generation X and Y nonprofit professionals need as well as ideas for how managers, organizations and associations might experiment with different strategies.

What I wanted to share here today is part of the conversation we had about the language we use in nonprofit leadership development as it relates to young people in the sector.

Develop vs. Support

The conventional wisdom in nonprofit leadership development is inherent in the term itself. It can be seen as the idea that nonprofit professionals need to be “developed” from what they are to what they should be. Like tadpoles. Or, it could be interpreted as a continuum of support systems that are required for professionals to reach their full potential in life and work.

I like the latter much better.

That’s why I wonder if now is the time to explore using the term ‘support’ more than we say ‘develop.’ When organizations hear that they need to develop their younger staff, they often go immediately into, “Oh, we don’t have money to develop our staff. It’s expensive to send them off to training or conferences.”

Sure, it is. But there are so many other ways to support young nonprofit professionals that cost little to no money. And the problem is that these opportunities are being grossly underutilized. Maybe because the language we’re using sounds a bit daunting for the average organization.

In contrast, the word support can refer to a wide range of activities from something as simple as saying YES when a young staff member asks to sit in on an important board meeting to giving permission for a group of interns to attend a free nonprofit panel discussion during the day.

Next vs. Now

Another thing we discussed was the language we use when we talk about younger nonprofit leaders. Whenever organizations talk about under-40 professionals, they tend to use the problematic term “next generation” or the more hip “next gen.” While it’s extremely important for groups to have programs geared toward this age demographic in the sector, the term implies that these young people will ONLY become leaders once they get older, over 40. Beyond that, it’s not clear who or what determines when (or if) a “next gen” professional actually transitions into a NOW generation leader.

See the problem here? The very programs that seek to help young nonprofit professionals can, by their very name, defer – or worse – belittle, the leadership they are already exhibiting within their communities, day after day.

In a previous post, I’ve written about The Normative Problem with the Term ‘Next Generation’ Leaders. I invite you to read it and then consider whether that term is really appropriate or useful for the field of nonprofit leadership development and where it needs to go.

My hope is that in 2012, we start thinking beyond who’s “next” and focus on who’s “now,” standing right in front of us with the courage and capacity to lead in a bigger way.

What do you think about the language we use in the field of nonprofit leadership development? What else, if anything, needs to change?

Happy new year! I’m still getting settled back in the DC area after a month away in Hawaii and Florida. My body is NOT happy about the change in weather, let me tell you! Part of me refuses to believe that it’s 2012 already. I feel like 2011 was a fast-moving year. Some parts of it felt rushed, which I didn’t like. I was on the road a lot, so it was nice to take a month off (mostly) to relax, spend time with family and get some reading and writing done.

What My Work Looked Like in 2011

I wanted to take a moment to reflect and summarize my public work over the past year. With 25 speaking engagements last year, I’ve been able to meet and learn from hundreds of nonprofit leaders around the country. For that, I am so grateful. If we met last year – anytime, anywhere - let’s reconnect on LinkedIn so we can stay in touch! I’d love to know what you’re working on for 2012 and if I can help.

Here’s a listing of my speaking and training work in 2011:

• March 2, 2011: Speaker, Maryland Nonprofits 18th Annual Conference, Annapolis. “Leadership Lineage Within Your Organization: Who’s Now? Who’s Next?”
• March 3, 2011: Moderator, “Technology Trends Among People of Color: Should You Rethink Your Social Media Strategy?” Foundation Center DC.
• March 15, 2011: Speaker, 2011 Nonprofit Summit, hosted by Ausherman Family Foundation, Frederick, MD. “Work With Me: How to Get the Best Out of All Four Generations in the Nonprofit Workplace”
• March 25, 2011: Speaker, YNPN Leaders Conference, Grand Rapids. “6 Ways to Rock Your Nonprofit Career”
• March 26, 2011: Speaker, BenchMark 3.5: The Fourth Conference on Nonprofit/Nongovernmental Management,  the Third Sector, Social Entrepreneurship/Enterprise, Philanthropy and Voluntarism as a Field of Study in Higher Education, San Diego. “Technology and Education for Leadership in the Third Sector”
• April 6, 2011: Keynote Speaker, Securing the Future, hosted by Leadership Cincinnati and the Cincinnati USA Chamber of Commerce. “Cultivating the Nonprofit Rockstars in Our Midst”
• May 19, 2011: Keynote Speaker, Colorado Nonprofit Association Leadership Luncheon, Denver. “Cultivating Leadership Across Generations”
• June 9, 2011: Workshop Presenter, Psychiatric Institute of Washington, DC. “Social Media 101 for Mental Health Professionals”
• June 19, 2011: Speaker, AAUW National Convention, DC. “How to Get the Best Out of All Four Generations in Your AAUW Community “
• August 2, 2011: Special Program Speaker, Maryland Nonprofits, Silver Spring. “New Leadership for a New Nonprofit Sector”
  
• August 11, 2011: Webinar Presenter, Center for Nonprofit Management, virtual. “9 Ways to Build Your Professional Network for Career Advancement and Social Capital”
• August 25, 2011: Workshop Presenter, Words Beats & Life Board of Directors Training, Washington, DC. ”Building Your Professional Network for Social Capital + Community Change”
• September 8-9, 2011: Workshop Presenter, Texas Nonprofit Summit, Austin. “6 Ways to Rock Your Nonprofit Career”
• September 11-12, 2011: Workshop Presenter, Texas Society of Association Executives (TSAE) New Ideas Conference, Houston. “How to Develop a Personal Mission Statement” and “The Art of Managing Up”
• September 14, 2011: Workshop Presenter, ”Social Media 101 for Nonprofit Leaders.” Fair Chance DC
• September 22, 2011: Speaker, Tennessee Credit Union League CEO Conference, Kingsport. “New Leadership for a New Nonprofit Sector”
• September 28, 2011: Workshop Presenter, Foundation Center, Washington, DC. “Blogging 101: Why, What, How and Where”
• September 28, 2011: Workshop Presenter, DC Learns Adult Education Professional Development Center (AEPDC), Washington, DC. “How to Develop a Personal Mission Statement” and “New Leadership for a New Nonprofit Sector”
• September 30-October 2, 2011: Nonprofit Rockstar Leadership Intensive, Washington, DC
• October 16, 2011: Session Facilitator, Share Our Strength 2011 Conference of Leaders, Baltimore. “Sharing Our Diverse Strengths”
• October 19, 2011: Closing Keynote Speaker, Vital Signs: The Illinois Nonprofit Conference, Springfield. ”New Leadership for a New Nonprofit Sector”
• October 22, 2011: Full-day Workshop Presenter and Facilitator, National Association of Pupil Transportation’s Leading Every Day Initiative, Cincinnati, Ohio.
• November 15, 2011: Guest Speaker, George Mason University, New Century College, Fairfax, VA “6 Ways to Rock Your Nonprofit Career”
• November 17, 2011: Workshop Presenter, Thursday Network Greater Washington Urban League Young Professionals, DC. ”GPS for Your Life – Mapping Your Journey Through the Quarterlife Crisis”
• November 29-30, 2011: Opening Plenary Speaker, Conference of Nonprofit Communities of Hawai`i, Honolulu. “Cultivating Leadership Across Generations”

My consulting work in 2011:

I was also interviewed in a few press outlets in 2011:

Three Themes for My Work in 2012

After reflecting on what my work looked like last year, I came up with a few intentions for what I want my work to look like this year. Perhaps my list gets you thinking about what your themes would be for the next 12 months. What words or concepts would help you stay mindful of doing your best, most meaningful work in 2012?

Alignment

Through my blog, as well as my speaking and training work, I’ve been able to connect with thousands of professionals all over the country. I surpassed the cognitive limit of 150 “friends” mark a looong time ago. Over the past year, I realized I was adding way more people to my network than I could realistically keep up with (or wanted to try to keep up with). It started to feel frustrating to not be able to answer all my emails, but I wanted to find a way to maintain connections with specific people in my life and work. This post helped out a lot. I also did a mass unfollowing on Twitter a few months ago. Now, I have a smaller number of people I follow on Twitter, plus a special, private list called “friends.” I’ve also culled my Facebook down further to about 100 people that I truly wish to keep tabs on. (I use LinkedIn solely to maintain my professional connections, so that rarely gets overwhelming.)

In 2012, I want to stay aligned with the people who matter to me and only partner with individuals and organizations that fit with the work I want to do in the world. This means saying ‘no’ even more than I do now, or, when I need to, saying nothing to the deluge of emails that hit my inbox every day (there is really no way to “keep up,” no matter what I keep telling myself). Because what I’ve noticed is that when I can focus 100% on doing the work that’s most important to me, I am able to meet the needs of my clients and colleagues in a more meaningful way.

Contribution

Over the past month, I’ve been thinking constantly about which aspects of my work make the most impact for the people I want to serve – nonprofit leaders, young professionals and now, entrepreneurs (especially women and people of color). My most popular speech in 2011 was New Leadership for a New Nonprofit Sector and I’m hoping to go deeper with that thread of writing and teaching this year. I also continue to see steady interest in my sessions on working across generations and building a strong nonprofit career. My goal in this speaking and training work is not to just illuminate the nonprofit sector’s challenges but to also surface the opportunities for change through authenticity, diversity, innovation and advocacy.

This year, as I strive to live in greater alignment with my strengths and values, I hope to have more organizations book me for leadership development workshops, especially the one that’s been the most immediately powerful for the personal growth of staff: development of a personal mission statement. I will also be asking myself with every opportunity: is this how I want to contribute? What unique gifts can I bring to the table?

Community

One of the biggest lessons that I learned about my work this year is how lonely it can be as an independent consultant/speaker/coach/trainer/whatever. (By the way, this month marks TWO whole years that I’ve been working for myself. Yay!) I’m an introvert and I work well alone. I’m comfortable with that, but I’ve also started to miss the feeling of community that comes with being on the staff of an organization and working on a team with colleagues I can learn from and grow with. I was struck by this in November, right before all the holiday parties began, when I realized that I didn’t have one to go to.

I’m not sure if my need for community extends to seeking a full-time position just yet. My plan right now, though, is to be on the lookout for opportunities to contribute to a great organization in a long-term capacity by January 2013, maybe sooner. In the meantime, I will be making it a bigger priority to connect with like-minded colleagues in person at least once every week, not just online.

So, those are my themes. I learned a lot last year and I look forward to learning even more this year! Here’s to an amazing 2012 filled with meaningful, purpose-driven work.

What did you learn about yourself or your work in 2011? What themes will you be taking into the new year?

Most nonprofit professionals (even nonprofit consultants) have someone to answer to when it comes time to get paid. Technically, you work for whomever signs your checks.

On paper, you work for an organization. The board. A supervisor or department head.

But when you think about it . . . that’s not who you really work for, is it?

If you went to work just to please The Big Cheese, your nonprofit job wouldn’t have much meaning, would it?

Of course, it’s easy to be able to say, “that’s not my job” or “I just do what they tell me” or “I’m just the intern” if you view yourself as working simply to fulfill a job description or organizational position.

But I’m willing to bet there’s a 99.9% chance you didn’t take the nonprofit gig you have now just so you could work for your supervisor (as awesome as she may be).

You took it because you thought it would be a good place filled with good people that would allow you to do good work.

But good work for who?

Who does your work impact on a daily basis?

Who will it impact 20 years from now?

That’s who you really work for.

This is me! In Hawaii! Earlier this week, me and my co-author Trista Harris had the opportunity to speak at the second annual Conference of Nonprofit Communities of Hawai`i. Our morning plenary on the second day of the conference was on “Cultivating Nonprofit Leadership Across Generations.” It was our first time presenting a keynote session together and we were so nervous about how we were going to navigate both of us being on stage at the same time presenting one set of material. (Our solution was to put two chairs on stage and present informally to the audience.) I think it went well, as lots of people took away new ways to apply the ideas we shared about how to approach nonprofit leadership. We also presented a few breakout sessions during the conference on next generation issues in philanthropy as well as nonprofit career advancement.

Mahalo (the Hawaiian word for thank you) to the entire conference planning committee for having us! Very special thanks to Anne Swayne, Lisa Maruyama, Jennifer Creed, Sandra Gibson, Alan Tang, Ruth Limtiaco and Cara Mazzei for bringing us to Hawaii and making our stay so pleasant. Last but not least, much love to everyone who bought their very own copy of our book, How to Become a Nonprofit Rockstar!

Here is our slide deck to give you an idea of what we were talking about in our plenary session.

Blog Post Roundup

Here are all the blog posts I wrote about the conference. Hope they give you a sense of the amazing speakers and passionate nonprofit leaders in Hawaii.

• This Week in Honolulu: Second Annual Conference of Nonprofit Communities of Hawaii
• Nonprofit, Business and Philanthropy Leaders Discuss the Culture of Innovation in Hawaii
• Pierre Omidyar’s Philanthropic Journey: From eBay to Aloha
• Jeanne Bell: Ideas for Leading a Sustainable Nonprofit

Follow the #np808 conversation on Twitter

Watch Pierre Omidyar’s luncheon keynote on philanthropy

]]> http://www.rosettathurman.com/2011/12/updates-from-second-annual-conference-of-nonprofit-communities-of-hawaii/feed/ 0