National Volunteer Month

MARCH | APRIL 2015

How to make

mATTER

Dear Readers,

I’m a firm believer that you should never stop learning. Whether it’s a new

language, a newly discovered hobby or something that’ll make you better at your

job, learning helps us grow.

That’s why I’m incredibly excited about Cause Camp 2015 (and you should be

too!). Because this conference we’re putting on brings together an abundance of

nonprofit professionals that have never before been in the same room all at once.

And the best part? If you’re not in the Lincoln, Neb., area, you can attend

online. We’re not talking any old conference or boring online presentations.

We’ve got Nonprofit with Balls for crying out loud! See all of the speakers on

page eight to pick out your favorite topics. Then all the details and sign up at

nonprofithub.org/causecamp/

This issue is also dedicated to the people our organizations wouldn’t be able to

function without—the volunteers. It’s partially because April is National Volunteer

Month, and partially because we should be reminded to show love to volunteers all

the time. Make sure to check out one of our Cause Camp speakers, Andrew Stanley.

He’s CEO and founder of VolunteerMark, a company that specializes in volunteer

management. He’s got great tips on page six to help you show volunteers you care.

Let’s all vow to keep learning together. I’ll see you at Cause Camp on April 10!

Lyndsey HrabikManaging Editor

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WHy marketing & fundraising

SHOULD WORK TOGETHER

when two worlds collideWHy marketing & fundraising should work together

when two worlds collide

when two worlds collide

wHy marketing & fundraising should work together

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—Lyndsey Hrabik

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But you don’t have to wait until Cause Camp

to start making radical changes to your

marketing and fundraising departments.

If you’re looking to make your marketing

and fundraising initiatives mesh right now,

Hancock says it’s important to get both sides

on the same page.

“Sit down with whatever activity they’re

hoping to do and be very clear and specific

about the dual nature of the goals,” Hancock

said.

Plus, Hancock says to

actually write those

goals down.

For example, what’s

your fundraising

goal? Make sure it’s

measurable. Then

ask your organization

how you’re going to

use marketing communications to help reach

those goals. Make sure to set measurable

goals on both sides of the spectrum and see

how the departments can work together. If it’s

laid out in a manner where both departments

can see the importance of the other, you’ll be

more likely to achieve the end result you’re

seeking.

In the end, Hancock points out that we’re not

all that different from the beauty queens of the

world.

“We’re working for world peace here in

nonprofit structures,” Hancock said.

Which side are you on—marketing or

fundraising?

If you’ve been a part of either department, you

know exactly what I’m talking about. A divide?!

What? That’s craz—ok, maybe it’s not crazy.

Many organizations struggle with communication

between marketing and fundraising. And Heidi

Hancock,principal CRFE for Mosaic Non-Profit

Development, has the experience to prove it. As

development director, she had a hard time getting

her marketing director

to understand and work

with her.

But with experience also

comes understanding,

and Hancock has

learned a lot in her

many years working

with nonprofits.

“The marketing folks aren’t the devil,” Hancock

said. “Your development department [members]

are not blood-thirsty, evil-sucking hounds.”

Strong words? Don’t act like they’ve never crossed

your mind. When there’s a rift and divide it can be

impossible to achieve a cohesive goal.

That’s why Hancock will be teaming up with

Mosaic’s David Svet for Cause Camp 2015. They’ll

show us firsthand that marketing and fundraising

can (and should) be one team. They’ll help us

understand causes of friction between fundraisers

and marketers and diffuse them. Plus, you’ll gain

actionable methods to get everyone on the

same page.

“ the marketing folks aren't

the devil,” HANCOCK SAID. “YOUR DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT

[MEMBERS] ARE NOT BLOOD-

THIRSTY, EVIL-SUCKING HOUNDS.”

See it Live: April 10 at 9:15 a.m. One Team: Aligning Marketing & FundraisingRegister at nonprofithub.org/causecamp/.

Starting a nonprofit can be a tricky task to

accomplish. We’ve been running Nonprofit

Hub as its own NPO over the years, but last year

we decided to expand our mission by opening a

collaborative nonprofit coworking space in our

HQ town of Lincoln, Neb.

Essentially, we started a new nonprofit. We

opened our doors in January of this year, so here’s

what I learned from starting a nonprofit in 2015.

1. HAVE A CLEAR VISION

People in your community will ask what you’re

planning to do, so you need to be able to quickly

articulate your organization’s vision and what

you hope to accomplish in your mission.

2. STRATEGICALLY PLAN YOUR

ANNOUNCEMENT

The community has really embraced our

organization. But we had to make sure our

marketing materials were ready to go before

any announcement was made. This was key to

getting people on board.

3. QUICKLY FIGURE OUT HOW PEOPLE

CAN VOLUNTEER

Plan on people being excited about your

nonprofit. If you have a good idea, your

community will be forthcoming about

helping you out. We had to quickly

determine how we could use the energy

of our announcement to engage as many

as we could. You probably have a lot that

needs to get done—start identifying

tasks now.

4. KNOW YOUR FINANCIALS

Not only did we need to figure out how

we were going to take donations, we

needed to know the cost of starting

our nonprofit, and then how much it

would cost to operate it for the first two

years. Seriously, banks and granting

organizations will want to know.

5. HAVE A BUSINESS PLAN, NOT JUST A

STRATEGIC PLAN

There’s so much to be said here, but

know that you need both to ensure

the success of your organization. Your

business plan covers the who and

what of your new nonprofit, while the

strategic plan plots out the how and

when. Some key components you need

in your business plan include who is

running your NPO, the other nonprofit

competition in your space and what the

target of your mission is.

Your business plan covers the "" who and what of your new nonprofit, while the strategic

plan plots out the ""how and ""when.

—Randy Hawthorne

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—Lincoln Arneal

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For most, being called a grammar nazi isn’t the

most flattering compliment.

However, for one volunteer at The HALO

Foundation, it is the perfect way to recognize her

contributions to the organization. The honor is

part of a handful of awards HALO, which works

with disadvantaged youth in Missouri and Africa,

gives out at a happy hour to honor the volunteers.

“We try to identify a couple things they’ve done

during the year and recognize them,” said Nicole

Gerken, the director of operations for HALO.

“We gave one woman the grammar nazi award;

it might not seem like much, but it is stuff she’s

able to do.”

Volunteer engagement isn’t just a trivial award

or public recognition, but rather part of a

nonprofit’s culture. Engagement starts from the

recruitment of volunteers and includes training,

retention efforts and also appreciation. When

done properly, volunteer engagement can help your

nonprofit operate more effectively and make your

mission work more rewarding for everyone.

Andrew Stanley, president and co-founder of

VolunteerMark, said volunteer engagement ties into

the overall culture and how you treat volunteers.

“For me, engagement is the key metric that’s

impossible to measure,” he said. “It happens when

people feel like they are contributing in

meaningful way.”

After moving to Kansas City, Stanley was looking

for a chance to give back to his hometown, but he

received the runaround during his first attempt to

volunteer. Eventually, he found an organization to

volunteer with, but that first experience gave birth

to VolunteerMark, which is a software company that

helps manage the volunteer experience through

recruitment, communication and scheduling.

continued on page ten

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Want to see a real life example? Check out how Ronald McDonald House does it at nonprofithub.org/ronald.

Stanley said it is important for nonprofits to treat

volunteers like an extension of their employees, but

you can’t treat them exactly the same. Volunteers

can walk away at any time and may drift away if they

aren’t getting what they want out of the experience.

“It’s important to recognize them, but if they don’t

feel like they belong and have a voice, it doesn’t

matter if you recognize their birthday,” Stanley

said. “It ties into the larger culture of how you treat

the volunteer. From there it is a matter of getting to

know the volunteers. What are their hobbies and

interests? What skills are they trying to gain when

they are giving to your organization?”

At HALO, the volunteer-nonprofit relationship starts

from the first interaction. Gerken said they post

volunteer openings on their website similar to how

they would post a paid job opportunity so when a

person signs up they know what they are getting into.

Upon expressing interest, a possible volunteer will

attend a 30-minute orientation to learn about all

the areas where volunteers can contribute. At the

end of the session, the volunteer will complete a

questionnaire to determine their interest. A HALO

staff member will then conduct a phone interview

and bring in the volunteer for a face-to-face interview

with employees.

Even though the process might seem intense,

Gerken said it’s proven to be effective as the

volunteer is engaged in their activity, whether it

is teaching woodworking classes or helping with

administrative work.

After they get involved, the volunteers still have

plenty of interaction with the staff. Gerken said she

schedules one-on-one meetings with volunteers

to gauge their satisfaction with their role, catch

up with them personally and make sure they are

being appreciated. She said based on the meeting,

she can find new opportunities for volunteers,

write LinkedIn recommendations or sign them up

for training classes for further skills development.

In addition, the volunteers can serve on an

ambassador board and provide feedback to the

organization.

Each month, HALO recognizes a volunteer of the

month and promotes that person’s work on their

website and social media. Gerken is continuing to

find new ways to recognize volunteers. This year

as HALO celebrates its 10th anniversary, they will

offer their first formal awards recognizing the top

volunteer, donor, advocate and artist for the past

decade.

“We are a part of their lives,” she said. “We get

invited to their graduations, baby showers and

anniversaries. We are a pretty close-knit group.”

Gerken said volunteers and interns make up 83

percent of their organization. During a month

they have about 100 volunteers working on

the workshops, helping on various community

projects and raising awareness. And no matter

what they do, HALO is a success because of

people donating the time, talent and energy.

“HALO would not be possible without volunteers

and the intern program,” she said. “So we really

are looking for the best fit. It’s not just a fluff

opportunity. What are their skills? Where is the

greatest need? We try to find out what they are

most excited about and put them there.”

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Register for Cause Camp today.nonprofithub.org/causecamp/

Keep your board

membersengaged

Get them on board

with giving

Find board members

who fit with your nPO

sign up for Cause Campnonprofithub.org/causecamp/

211 N. 14th Street

Lincoln, NE 68508