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Powering Nonprofit Success Through Participatory Processes:

Did you know that organizations prioritizing participatory processes and deliberately decreasing barriers see a significant increase in program effectiveness? This Fall, I’m excited to delve into how this framework powers real-world success through our three-part webinar series, Insights for Impact!

On September 18th, Dr. Inderjit Vicky Basra, President and CEO of the Delores Barr Weaver Policy Center, and Jessica Raymond, former Chief of Staff of the YWCA, joined Sharity Global Expert Anne Miskey to offer real-world examples of ways participatory processes elevated their organizations’ mission and impact. Dr. Basra emphasized the importance of including direct and indirect experts in decision-making conversations. She noted, “…layered communication makes the change.” When those in the community who experience the challenges your organization strives to address work alongside those with academic or professional experience in key areas, your organization can begin to affect systemic change. Jessica added, “When we talk about advocating for people and engaging their voices…here is the mic! You sit at this table, you tell me what you need from us, you make the decision…”

Key takeaways from the conversation included:

  • Write equity into your policies and procedures.
  • Avoid “tokenizing” the community you serve. Ensure that if you ask something of your community members, such as asking them to share their stories, you are developing and strengthening a mutually beneficial relationship with them.
  • Identify ways your organization may connect direct experts, those with lived experience, with donors, elected officials, and other community leaders and influencers.
  • Engaging all voices allows you to review and evaluate the impact of your programming with an open mind and heart.
  • Give credit to all the experts helping you execute your mission. Whenever possible, compensate and recognize direct experts, those with lived experiences, for their work on behalf of your organization, just as you would an indirect expert with academic or professional experience. 

Dr. Basra summed up the importance of engaging all voices when she described the success her organization has had with connecting survivor mentors with the recently rescued. “[Survivor’s] concepts around hope look very different because they’re sitting across from somebody, that at some point, was in the same space that they are in…Their survivor-mentor becomes a beacon of hope!” Anne added, “The little ways you can connect your donors in real ways to people” will bring about transformation.

Watch The Full Video Now

 

Tips for interns

Ask Me Anything Summary

So today’s ask me anything is about hiring interns and what sorts of things should you have them doing? should you pay them or not pay them? well interns are pretty hot topic right now, there’s a lot of conversation about whether or not you should be tapping college students who are getting college credit for working at your nonprofit, which makes a difference really about college students getting credit.

And that’s sort of a reimbursement, because they’re getting college credit versus maybe a high school student or college student that’s just volunteering and calling it an internship regardless of whether you pay them or not.

And the prevailing thought is you really should pay them because that opens up that opportunity to people who might not otherwise have access because they don’t have wealthy parents, for instance, to support them.

Regardless of whether or not you’re paying them, you need to make sure that you are really thinking out internships because this is not just someone who’s coming to volunteer.

This is someone who is trying to get learned experience that they can then put on a resume. so if you’re gonna be taking someone, especially if they’re in a bachelor’s or master’s level program, really think out exactly what you want to have them do, what the learning objectives are gonna be, who’s gonna supervise them, and what that timeframe is.

It’s not fair to them to tell them that they’re going to be coming in for an internship and just having them doing regular volunteer activities. just be really clear up front about the opportunity and about what they’re going to get out of it and whether or not they’re going to get paid and reimbursed for things like mileage, cell phone, or other things you’re going to be having them do.

So that’s my quick word on interns. if you have any questions about volunteers or creating loyalty, we’ve got some great sharity experts. just shoot us a note here on social media.

We’ll be happy to return that, note or respond to your direct message, or you can reach us on our website at ‘sharityglobal.com‘. thanks.