| Why do we need at least three board members on the team? |
| Healthy organizations are built with engaged, committed and focused board members. This is an organizational process which requires involvement of the boards of directors as much as of their professional staff members. |
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| What if we can't find enough board members to commit to this? |
| Your organization may not be yet ready for this type of capacity building effort. We can be a resource for you for ideas to build your board commitment. |
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| How do we find a mentor for the multi-year program? |
| This role is very individual to the needs of each nonprofit team, and ideally is discussed among the board members. The role of the mentor is similar to an organizational coach, in that this person can bring in an outside point of view to a discussion or challenge, and ask relevant questions to help the organization see the issue more fully and come to a solution. The mentor should be someone who is not either a staff member or a board member, and thus can be objective to the organization. |
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| Give me some examples of capacity building projects? I don't understand what that means? |
| Although each organization's needs are different, fairly common capacity building efforts can include board development, fund development planning and implementation, marketing or public relations efforts, developing or enhancing a volunteer base, collaborative projects, planning and preparing for organizational growth, and/or getting an effective financial management system in place. |
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| Why are these training sessions held during the day? People might have difficulty getting time off of work. |
| We hold them during the day due to the concentrated amount of time needed for the subject matter and for the teams to be able to discuss together as a group. People tell us that what they learn at these sessions also helps them in other areas of their lives - work, other volunteer efforts, and even in their families. Perhaps an employer would consider this training opportunity as work time. |
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| How much time can we expect to put into the HOP multiyear process? |
| The first six months are the most intense, with two full-day training sessions, a strategic planning session and some prep work for that, and the likelihood of some additional time to finish out the strategic action plan. It's important to plan for this and be able to commit organizational resources to this to benefit fully from this program. |
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| How do we find a consultant for the strategic planning process? |
| We will supply you with a list of consultants from our general area who are familiar with the HOP program, and you are free to contact these individuals or others you may know of. At the first training session we will discuss with you some things to consider in hiring a consultant. |
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| What if we have a board member that can serve as a paid facilitator to the organization? |
| Although the professional expertise that board members contribute to an organization can be an important part of board service, hiring board members as paid consultants can raise the potential for conflict of interest. Professional facilitators, in addition to providing services, offer an important side benefit: their objective outside perspective on the organization can be stimulating for board and staff. |
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| What qualifications should we look for in a strategic planning facilitator? |
| A strategic planning facilitator should have qualities similar to those you would expect of a professional staff member: expert knowledge in strategic planning, a respected track record with other clients, a working style that fits well with your organization, experience with non-profits and, when possible, with organizations similar to yours. |
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| Do you have tips for hiring a strategic planning facilitator/consultant? |
| Identify a couple of possible dates for your Strategic Planning Session that will work for all or the majority of your board and key staff. Clarify within your organization what you hope to accomplish, and how much time you have to devote to the planning session(s), as well as what follow-up you might want from the consultant. Contact potential facilitators to discuss your needs, potential dates, and budget. Clarify what the facilitator could and would do for your group, including discussing their areas of expertise in strategic planning, familiarity with non-profits, their ability to ask questions and get discussion going, and your overall comfort level in communicating with them. Check references of previous clients for the facilitators you are considering. Choose a consultant and gain a written agreement from them that describes the scope of the project and outlines the tasks they will perform (before, during and after the planning session), the nature of the final product (written report or summary), their fee, travel expenses (if any) and payment schedule, planning session date, time and location, and any equipment they might need (e.g. flip charts, etc.). The chief executive / lead board member or Executive Director of your organization should be the main contact with the facilitator. |
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