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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.

 

How do I get my board to be engaged?

Ask Me Anything Summary

Sometimes it’s just getting board members to show up at meetings, getting 100% of them donating, or getting them excited about a plan so they will do some fundraising.

How do you do that? One tip is to have a business plan in place that your board members helped create and are excited about. The number one thing our Sharity experts find when working with boards is that they don’t feel confident about what their work is trying to achieve.

Board members know you’re doing good work and important work. But that is not enough to make them feel comfortable when talking to and pitching someone they know in the community who is a potential major donor.

So give your board members the tools they need. Come up with a three year strategy plan, with strong, measurable outcomes that will move the needle. That will get them excited, they’ll start writing checks and will be more engaged. And regular feedback about how you are achieving those outcomes will make them really proud to be on your board.

If you need any help with your board, creating that plan, or how to start that process, give Sharity a call. Or, if you have a burning question about nonprofits, please reach out. You can email me at info@Sharityglobal.com, contact us through the website, or message us through LinkedIn or Facebook.