Photo by Carf

Networking is the building block to maximize the successes of a nonprofit organization.  The strength of a network is built upon the development of personal and extended relationships to the nonprofit.   The greater the network the more likely the skill set of the network will be able to deliver the outcome desired.  A network should be viewed as a tool to create a competitive edge.  Building a network takes time and effort.  Results should not expected to be immediate.    To maximize the networks value to those participating make sure that the following components are answered:

What useful information are you providing?

What consistent message is being conveyed?

What are you offering to the network of contacts that can viewed as help or a service?

One recent idea is taking hold thorough out America and is called”Green House. ” No it is not about building within the environmental green model.  It is about taking the large 100-200 patient Nursing Homes and caring for people in smaller settings.  The setting has the look and feel of a private home or apartment.  The house unit is built so that seven to ten seniors has his or her own room. The common living space of the house consists of a shared living room, dining room, kitchen facilities and a  common room.  It almost sounds like aspects of a commune or a kibbutz. Remember the phase “It takes a village to raise a child. ” Why not “It takes a village to care for our elders”.

For more information on the Green House concept for elder care or the physically/medically disabled check out the web link below.

http://www.ncbcapitalimpact.org/default.aspx?id=146

The Massachusetts Safe Schools Movement is a great example of a successful campaign to bring about change.  The success was due to a focus not in based on gender but on safety.  The message was presented as a public health problem that needed to be addressed. Thereby, changing the discussion from a political one to a public health policy discussion base on statistics.

The Bay Windows had a great summary which describes the twenty year movement and lessons learned.  Nonprofits can learn from it on how to turn political lobbying into program advocacy.

If a nine and six year old can understand ways to help individuals, why is it so hard for the government to grasp it.  I think it is because a child thinks of one action at a time and government overwhelms itself to solve it all at once.

Deinstitutionalization was hail in its day as the greatest achievement of providing mental health individuals with equal rights. Has the achievement of this new found liberation improved individual treatment or allowed government a means to lower their costs to the mentally ill? What government has learned since the closing of many mental health institutions is that without community resources that provide services to track outpatient access, regular medication treatment and resources for involuntary commitments when an individual is unable to control ones behavioral, there will be failure.

The evolution of the governments requirement for health insurance plans to include mental health services on parity with other services  should begin to show measurable outcomes in the coming years on whether such an act was sufficient.  The next evolution in treatment will be to what degree does treatment have to be available equally.

I would suggest that the key to success will be providing families the ability to choose their clinical service providers whom are most convenient to their lives and met the service plan needs. Our choice as consumers goes a long way towards accepting the outcomes each of us may experience in regards to our choices.  Life is not perfect and neither are human beings. If things do fail, blaming another persons for those directed for an individual does not solve the current problem. Therefore, a team approach which includes an individuals primary medical professional provides for ownership as a group.

Massachusetts recently was mandated to offer children mental health services in their community and not institutional care. How will a persons geographic location effect the outcome?  Since children mental health services are being pushed to be more in the community I would suggest learning from the past of how adults are now service in the community.

One point of view can be found in the book “The Insanity Offense” by E. Fuller Torrey.

 The approach comes down to five simple options.

1. Direct Face to Face contact
2. Telephone contact
3. Special Event
4. Direct Mail
5. On line fund raising

The higher the donation being solicited the more personnel that the approach is going to have to be.

There are five factors to calculate when planning the personnel approach. Is it realistic for the Chief Executive of the nonprofit organization and/or Board President to spend up to 25 % of their time contacting potential big donors?  Is it realistic that the amount of time is available for contacting 8-12 individuals a week over a 40 week period?  Is it realistic to target 320-480 individuals? What does the organization know about the potential donor to make a connection to the potential donor?  What is the organization going to do to recognize the donors?

TV and the Web have become the natural leader, role model and gospel of truth for most people.  Yes, that’s right electronic machines are what people depend upon for setting their beliefs, priorities and actions.  The initial reaction to any information is that every thing is true.  The problem is that if a statement or action is not true, the harm is already done.   Today, information flow is immediate and so is the reaction.  Leaders of nonprofits have to understand how to use these channels of communication to maximize its impact, promote and protect its message.  There may be a time where leadership may have to be sacrificed to save the nonprofit organization even when it is not fair. 

John Hancock was not liked by England. He had lots of ships and signed the constitution.  England called him a bad guy.  Our country called him a good guy.  He is such a good guy I did my project on him.  He was a wise leader. He had lots lots of money.  He had lots of jobs and made more money.

George Washington fought a lot and was the first president.  He led lots of people in fights. No not fist fights.  Big huge battles.   He was so good he won our country.  He decided to share with everyone.  As the leader of the country he was a wise leader.  Everybody listen to him.  My friends and I called him the big cheese. 

From Papa:

The one pattern that is consistent in history is the victor writes the official history.  The other two factors is that time does heal and economics is ultimately the strongest influence to move anyone individual or group towards the desired outcome.

John Brown - The famed abolitionist leader would probably be labeled as an “Insurgent” and a terrorist by our current government and those labels would be repeated by the many media sources without much critique or analysis.  Whether one believes the fact that he was fighting against injustice for the rights of oppressed people, his resistance would be intolerable.  Therefore, I ask you to wonder how many leaders are considered marginalized “Insurgents” in their field of work today.  I further challenge you on whether the discomfort of any particular insurgent might be remembered more fondly in the future, as some remember the noble fight of John Brown.   Strives in societies evolution did not occur with the acceptance of the norm, but with individuals willing to be first.  As a leader or in selecting leadership consider whether the risks of being first are worth it, if ultimately society is better off?    As a leader or in selecting leadership consider whether the risks of evolving the nonprofit are worth it, if ultimately society is better off?

For more detailed information on John Brown check out:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Brown_(abolitionist)

Lord Jeffery Amherst who is reputed to have given blankets contaminated with smallpox to the Native Americans in hopes of wiping him out, thus making him one of history’s first Bio-Terrorists. Regardless of whether that actually happened, Lord Amherst is known to have endorsed the concept and called for the “extirpation” of Native Americans in his own writing. Despite that history, he is admired by many Americans even to this day. His name adorns some great institutions and several towns and counties in the United States and Canada. I highlight his legacy because of his connection to both government and a nonprofit education institution. The second reason I highlight his legacy is that the past can come back to haunt an organization. There are many businesses that have been identified even presently of links to war time actions of their past former leaders and their actions required the companies to make financial arrangements in response in present day value. While today it may be difficult to prove that the wealth of a nonprofit was built upon the funds earned by inappropriate actions of a former leader, just the accusation can cause sufficient financial harm if the assets of a nonprofit are not large enough to weather the furor. It is better to be up front and take action once information is known.

For more history on the evolution of Lord Jeffrey Amherst’s reputation check out : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeffrey_Amherst

Recently the Boston Foundation released a study on the state of nonprofits in Massachusetts.  While the report  focused on Massachusetts I recommend it as a resource for every nonprofit.  I would suggest that while reading the report you consider four questions.

1. How can outsourcing maximize the organizations assets and resources and lower its costs?
2. How could being part of a cooperative maximize the organizations assets and resources and lower its costs?
3. What is the status of the organizations strategic plan?
4. What succession planning has been completed by the organization?

You may click on link to the report to go to the Boston Foundation web site and download the report.  Please note the report is PDF and is over 100 pages.