I like to think I have some knowledge about how non-profits run because, well, I do. I’ve been on the board or a trustee of several different non-profits. As well, I’m starting a new one this year that we have been planning for several years now and it’s going to be successful. None of these non-profits shall be named to ensure no bridges are burned and that this thought process may be a learning endeavor rather than a chastising. However, I’m talking about multiple non-profits, so if you think I’m talking about you, stop being conceited.
I like helping other people. I’m not necessarily an alpha male, but I’m not a beta male as well. I’m somewhere in between. I have no qualms about fighting my own fights and sticking up for myself or others, however, I always look for peaceful solutions to issues rather than brute forcing things, especially when it comes to relationships or social aggression.
I’m also pretty particular (read that: aggressive) about my time as well. I don’t like spinning wheels. If one avenue does not yield results and unless there is a good cause for me going through the speed bumps of that particular avenue (maybe it’s a new technology I want to learn making it harder than doing in a technology I already know) then I find another, and then another. And if I find there is an issue with the vehicle and the issue is not fixable in an acceptable time frame with an acceptable amount of energy, I find another vehicle.
Really, I’m really particular. Because, I want to do good. I want to move forward. I don’t want to squabble. I don’t want to stop for every person on the road taking on the personal responsibility of investing in this person’s future and problems. Ask any psychiatrist out there. They have a limit to how many individuals they can help in a day. Ask them how many people they could help in a day if they got emotionally involved with each one. I bet the number would go down, because emotional involvement costs energy too. Sometimes, and more often than not, it costs more than the simple work itself.
Try it. Jump off a cliff. I’ve done it. I learned a long time ago that the emotions that went into jumping off the cliff sucked more energy out of me than the leap itself. In fact, after I hit the water and came up again, completing the act actually gave me energy, my emotions were reset (actually, they were better than before) and I wanted more.
That’s how I view volunteering with a non-profit. It’s not necessarily like jumping off a cliff because there are not necessarily energy sucking emotions beforehand. However, it can be. In fact, many people back away from jumping off a cliff because the emotional cost overcomes the joy and renewed energy from completing the act. Why would you jump off a cliff if it were going to put you in tears? Do something else fun and exciting.
That’s it. That’s prime factor in whether I stay with a non-profit or move on. Does it cost more in emotional energy than the joy it brings?
Ok, simply, why would you pay $75 in gas to drive to work if you only made $50 a day? You wouldn’t. You’d either find a new mode of transportation or a new job.
How does a non-profit pay you? Good feelings. You feel good for the good work you do to help someone do something in a situation where it may not have been possible without your help; or something to that effect.
It’s a simple equation. If emotions = energy then energy gained minus energy spent must be greater than zero. Otherwise, it will suck your energy and will take away from other parts in your life.
And THAT was just the setup.
Really, this is about picking a board of directors. My setup simply sets the stage about why it’s so important, because the board can be the greatest source of energy sucking for any non-profit.
Have you ever been a part of a non-profit board? Something happens with the makeup of a board that happens frequently, it becomes composed of people who have an interest in the non-profit subject.
Let’s take the make believe “Citizens Against the Farmer’s Almanac” non-profit group (if such a group really exists, my apology, send me a cease and desist and I’ll change the name to something equally dumb). It is comprised of people who are against the farmer’s almanac. Why are they against it? Who knows? Who cares? Perhaps they lost a crop because they followed the almanac. Perhaps a falling almanac killed their child. Perhaps the conservative nature of the people who rely on the almanac offends them. Who cares? The issue is that they have an interest in it.
Of course they do! People with blind kids are part of the blind society. People with psychic abilities are part of the psychic ability society. People who like kids are part of a kid based society. We go where our interest is. We do not join societies, typically, if we have no interest in it.
Enough of our Citizens Against the Farmer’s Almanac. That’s just too silly to use.
Let’s take a blind society as an example (though, I’ve not been a part of one, so I can’t speak to their organization, except I know people on a blind society board and they are great people, so I trust that they do great work). Who becomes part of a blind society? People who are blind. People who have blind kids, spouses, parents, etc. And people who teach blind people how to read. These are obviously not exhaustive, but the membership usually falls into one of those three groups: Consumers, Caretakers, and Professionals. Again, not exhaustive. Someone could be watching TV one day, see a blind person, and simply be moved to do good by that person and all people who overcome being blind. That is not the norm. Usually people like this will help by supporting the organization in some way, perhaps with money, but are not part of the day to day running and goodness that the organization does.
“Well what’s the problem with that?” you ask.
A LOT!
I had a conversation with a friend the other day about a non-profit and she put a sentence to the thoughts I was having. She said that “board x has too many y”. In other words, we have too many parents on the blind society board or too many professionals on the blind society board.
Why does this matter? Well, it’s simple really. A non-profit is not really a non-profit. Everyone calls it a non-profit because it gives everyone goody-goody feelings. Some people call it a not-for-profit. They are both wrong. It is a non-profit CORPORATION. It’s a business. It will only succeed if it succeeds as a business first. A for-profit corporation does x in order to make profit. A not-for-profit corporation does x in order to do good.
So why is it bad having too many parents on the board? Well, it’s not really. Not inherently bad at least. Nor is it bad to have too many teachers on the board.
What is bad is to have too many non-business people on the board.
Just because you are a great teacher does not in any way, shape, or form make you great in business.
My father told me to never to go to a lawyer for business advice because what does a lawyer know about business? They know the law. Knowing the law does not make you a savvy businessman.
In the end, if your income is less than your outgo, you’re in trouble, regardless of which corporation you are in. They both live off money. They both need money to do what they do. Not only do they need money today, they will need money in 5 months, and in a year. They will need resources and stuff and processes and checks and balances and all the things that go into running a corporation.
But too many chefs and the most you will get is a whole bunch of good recipes, the worst you will get is a bad cliché that is used for any situation in which you have too many chefs in the kitchen (see what I did there? I said it was a bad cliché and then I used it).
Far too many non-profits, especially the small local ones, don’t take into account the business part of the corporation. The focus is on attaining money and following the mission statement. However, there is SOOOO much more to running a business than that.
This isn’t about what it takes to run a good non-profit. This is simply a reminder about the fact that it’s a business. It must be run as a business. To do that you must have people with business acumen.
If you are part of a non-profit that is trying to grow and isn’t, take a look at your kitchen, you may just have too many chefs and not enough marketers, accountants, and business managers.
