I’ve been there…more than once. Maybe you’re the new gal in town. Or you’ve been at the helm for years, and need to shift direction. You’re responsible for leading this nonprofit team and meeting the mission. Gulp.

Believe it or not, it’s not amazing fundraising skills that you need most.

Doesn’t hurt, but even before you can be great at raising money, you need three other things. So if you ARE an executive director, pay attention to how you can get what you need; if you are NOT an executive director, pay attention to how you can help them get what they need.

1. Connections – nonprofits are a social venture and require many champions to help you along the journey. Sustainability depends on funding, leadership and infrastructure. You need to know elected officials, potential donors, beneficiaries of your services, staff, board members, business leaders, community partners, volunteers, service clubs, and so many more. But how do you even know who the stakeholders are? Or who could become stakeholders?
> If you’re an ED, understand you must reach out and ask for help. From staff, volunteers, board members, other EDs, etc. Who will you ask today?
(If you’re a tenured ED, I dare you to meet 5 new people this month that could help you advance your mission).
> If you aren’t the ED, introduce them to your peeps! And then introduce them to people who know more people.

2. Culture – do you understand your organizational culture and do you talk about it? What will your board ask at the next meeting? Do they expect you to have a handle on numbers? What are the attitudes and behavior of this team? Do people always park in a certain space? Is it cool to bring snacks to meetings? How do decisions get made? And does all this make sense?
> If you’re an ED, look around and ask questions. Reach out to your board president, key employees, beneficiaries and ask how they feel when they enter the building. If they feel their voices are heard. If service matters. What does the organization stand for? (If you’re a tenured ED, look around. What have you created? Does it work?)

> If you’re not the ED, talk to them about your experience. Tell them what’s working. Or what they might consider changing.

3. Courage – and this is the bottom line. It’s one thing to want big results. It’s another thing to do what it takes to make stuff happen. Here’s the question – is your mission important enough to do whatever it takes to deliver? I think so. Those people counting on you need you to be more than mediocre – they need you to be excellent.
> If you’re an ED, imagine an organization that everyone knows, everyone respects and everyone supports. Now go tell one person your big idea and be brave enough to start taking the next step.
> If you aren’t the ED, ask them what bold vision they have. Then ask how you can support them. Help give them the confidence to march forward.

Nonprofit executive directors need a lot of things, and I know because I was one for 18 years. But without Connections, Cultural Identity, and Courage they will struggle. And that’s where I come in. If you need help navigating the transition to something new, let me know.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts in the comment box!

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