IMAGINE NOT FEELING CHRONICALLY OVERWHELMED AND FRUSTRATED in your nonprofit job
It's Possible!
WITH THESE STRATEGIES AND STRUCTURES FOR ALIGNING YOUR TEAM AND TRANSFORMING YOUR ORGANIZATION
(plus, say goodbye to the dysfunction, drama, and distraction that clog up your to-do lists and keep you up at night.)
If you’re the executive director or CEO of a nonprofit organization looking to "move the needle" and make a bigger impact for your org, then you probably already know that you need to make time for strategic & visionary thinking.
Easier said than done, right?
There's no need to remind you that nonprofit work is all-consuming and can feel like one long episode of "Beat The Clock". Knowing that you could work 24-hours a day and still never get ahead of your to-do list is just part of the job for most nonprofit leaders. After all, you willingly signed up to do work that many others wouldn’t. Work that changes people’s lives and changes the world. Work that goes beyond yourself.
And you probably already know that, as with most important things in life, making significant progress often requires taking a step back to re-evaluate, re-prioritize, and re-calibrate from time to time.
You probably also understand that having a “strategic plan” is entirely different than planning to work strategically.
HERE'S WHAT YOU
MIGHT NOT KNOW
Even if you’re lucky enough to have the right team, reliable revenue, and an effective board that has your back (lucky you!)...taking the time to strategize and organize can:
-
FREE YOU FROM TO-DO LIST OBSESSION
Even though you may be an expert at buckling down and keeping your nose to the grindstone - or you’re known for your ability to get stuff done no matter what - powering through is not a sustainable way to work. Being organized, aligned, and intentional will help you concentrate only on your top priorities. -
REVITALIZE & TRANSFORM YOUR PURPOSE
Evaluating and perfecting your mission, vision, and values will allow you to have increased clarity and renewed enthusiasm for your goals - and may open up paths forward that you’ve never considered before. -
CREATE SUPPORTIVE RELATIONSHIPS & SET APPROPRIATE BOUNDARIES
Root out dysfunction and foster healthy board governance by making simple (not always easy!) changes to your bylaws and your operations. -
PRIORITIZE PROGRESS, NOT TASKS
Letting go of trying to be “all things to all people” and doing “what we’ve always done” will allow you to get laser focused on the projects that will make the most impact. -
GET IN TOUCH WITH YOUR LEADERSHIP SUPERPOWERS
Discovering and capitalizing on the unique characteristics that make you so good at what you do will open up new opportunities - for you and for your organization. Even if you are new to your leadership position, you will be able to guide your staff, board, and community toward a greater vision of the future.
Even though thinking and working strategically seem like obvious ideas, so few leaders are actually able to take the time to do it.
Be a Visionary Leader? YES
But where do I start?!
Everyone knows that nonprofits are messy. And many people believe “that’s just the way it is ." Perhaps you believe it, too.
And so you double down on your efforts, push your team harder, do everything faster...on the brink of burnout and never really getting ahead. That’s just the way it is. After all, you do what you can with what you have - and it's your job to deliver.
Or you call in a consultant to “diagnose” your problems and wind up with an expensive plan or process that you won't be able to implement. That’s just the way it is. Constantly switching gears and shifting focus are great ways to ensure that you won't move forward.
Maybe you have to piecemeal projects together and recycle every campaign in order to meet your deadlines - failing to truly inspire or engage your community along the way. That’s just the way it is. Not reinventing the wheel is one thing, but even the best wheels go nowhere when they're on a broken-down car.
You know it's true: there’s got to be a better way.
The good news is, you already have what it takes to re-evaluate and course correct. All you need to do is allow yourself to take a step back and concentrate on the big picture. Even if you’re up to your eyeballs, you can gain greater control of your organization and develop the people and processes that will take your mission to the next level - when you shift your perspective.
The 3 Mindset Shifts You Need to Make to Break the Cycle of Overwhelm
Shift 1
YOU CAN’T BE ALL THINGS TO ALL PEOPLE
True for you. True for your organization. The more you are able to focus on the the most relevant projects and programs - and let go of anything that doesn’t serve the mission - the more impact you can make.
Even when it seems that everything is top priority, you must be willing to make difficult decisions and set the pace for your team and volunteers. Recognize the times when your eagerness to please outweighs your capacity to deliver. You don't have to be a hero or a martyr to be a great leader.
Shift 2
YOU CAN DEVELOP AN EFFECTIVE BOARD
The healthiest, most productive boards are made up of people who understand the difference between governance and management. Failing to make this one distinction creates countless problems for executive directors.
- How do you manage the people who are managing you?
- How can you set them (and yourself) up for success?
These are just two of the MANY questions you’ll need to answer along the way - which will help you formulate an effective strategy for board recruitment, retention, and training.
Shift 3
THERE ARE ENOUGH RESOURCES TO GO AROUND
Stop treating your charity like a charity case. You are doing important work that deserves quality resources and support. You must believe that the solutions you need are available, that blaming “competition” is a cop out, and that playing small is what holds nonprofits back.
By continuously reinforcing the ideas that nonprofits must beg for support, or that fundraising is "getting harder every year," or that there are too many other nonprofits vying for the same dollars, you're working against your own ingenuity. A growth mindset is the key ingredient in your success.
This doesn’t mean being delusional or pretending that everything is just dandy when it isn’t. This means getting clear about why your organization isn't get the support it needs and having the confidence to take the next right steps.
Shh...I'm going to let you in on a
little secret
EVEN THOUGH every person in the United States benefits from the work of nonprofits in one way or another...and EVEN THOUGH nonprofits play a fundamental role in building thriving communities...
...their conventional structures, norms, and ways of doing business don't always support rewarding and empowering experiences for the people who lead them.
Executive directors, CEOs, and other leaders of nonprofits often leave their jobs because they are burned out, emotionally and mentally drained, and constantly confronted with the law of diminishing returns.
The most successful (and satisfied) executive directors know where their superpowers lie; they are crystal clear on the roles and responsibilities of their boards, and they are able to side-step the biggest hangups that hinder so many others.
With so many moving parts to contend with, empowered nonprofit leaders make structure, strategy, and sanity the guiding principles in their work.
And, with your permission, that is what I'd love to show you how to do, too.
INTRODUCING:
A framework for developing the influence and power to do your best work.
Through this program, you’ll develop a personalized guide that outlines your operations and you’ll gain a deep understanding of the strategic value of each core aspect of your organization.
The end result: An indispensable, long-term asset ready to be put to use immediately and referenced for the rest of your nonprofit career.
The Empowered Nonprofit Leader Program is the first course of its kind that…
IS FOCUSED ON YOU, NOT THE ORGANIZATION
Your leadership is the key to meaningful, lasting impact which is why all the lessons in ENLP are centered around ways for you to make the most of the components you already have in place - through deeper understanding and new perspectives.
FITS INTO YOUR CURRENT CIRCUMSTANCES
This course does not require you to make “brain space” for complicated new processes, memorize facts, or completely upend your workflow. It is designed to provide you with information to get past common stop gaps, improve your current processes, and streamline every aspect of your work.
HAS MANY APPLICATIONS
The Empowered Nonprofit Leader Program can be work you do on your own or it can be used as a tool to help educate and engage your team - guiding you to lead others toward transformation.
Here's how it all breaks down:
Module 1
The Foundation
In the first module, we'll set the stage for a successful course experience - getting into the right frame of mind for creativity and thought processes. Starting with a clear picture of what to expect and ways to make the most of this course will give context to each of the future modules.
Module Highlights:
- A complete 360 overview of the ENLP Action Plan
- The six ideas you must let go of in order to move forward
- How nonprofit work fits into the global economy and why it matters
- Review the differences between common nonprofit organization structures
- Getting started on your customized guidebook
Module 2
The Mission, Vision & Values
A well-written and compelling mission statement is not just nice to have, it can be an invaluable
tool to help your organization make better decisions, avoid distractions that derail your progress
and deplete your resources, attract new supporters, and keep everyone moving in the same
direction. All roads lead back to the mission.
Module Highlights:
- How to create or reimagine mission statements that engage and inspire
- Examples of statements that make the grade (and examples that don’t!)
- The step-by-step simple, yet critical, process for reviewing or creating your mission and vision statement
- How to put your ideal mission and vision statements to work for you
- How to workshop your mission/vision/values work with your stakeholders
Module 3
The Budget
Now that you've laid the foundation and perfected your mission and vision, it's time to ensure that your budget is in line with the priorities you will set for your organization.
Module Highlights:
-
Take a look at the responsibilities and processes involved in nonprofit budgeting
-
Review common budget types and characteristics
- Explore, understand, and record your current financial practices
- Utilize budget and financial resolution templates
Module 4
The Bylaws
With your priorities and finances aligned, it's time to explore your organizational bylaws. Do your governing documents support your prioritized mission, vision, and values? Are the provisions in your bylaws open enough to allow for future innovations but restrictive enough to protect the orgs interests? Are they compliant with state and federal nonprofit laws? Do they support a healthy division of governance and management?Getting your bylaws right and reviewing them regularly can become a leadership superpower!
Module Highlights:
-
What to add in - and what to leave out - of effective bylaws.
-
The bylaw review process - who, when, how, why.
- Leveraging your bylaws - how to make sure they support your empowerment and create meaningful stakeholder experiences.
- BONUS: Sample Bylaws - ready to use and not from the Stone Age
Module 5
The Board
Great governance starts with clear expectations about the roles and responsibilities of nonprofit board members. In this module we explore how executive directors and CEOs can foster productive and powerful partnerships with their boards...and how to ensure that everyone is set up for success.
Module Highlights:
-
Examine the governance Golden Rule
-
Review common roles and responsibilities - as well as job descriptions for board members
- Explore recruitment strategies and best practices
- Receive frequently-used board policy samples - ready to customize and use
- Take a look at effective meeting strategies and the Meeting Agenda template
Module 6
The Goals
In the final module, we integrate all of the previous modules into a big-picture understanding of where your organization is today, where it will go, and the steps it will take to get there. All of your groundwork has led you to a deeper sense of purpose and you will be ready to map out a plan to begin your organization's transformation. We will also cover additional topics and best practices that will contribute to the success of your plans.
Module Highlights:
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Explore what prioritizing your scope, your plans, and your outcomes looks like
-
Consider the roles delegation and automation play in your progress
- Delve into the ways you can use data points to determine your strategies
- Receive frequently-used board policy samples - ready to customize and use
- Evaluate your fundraising approach, methods, and game plan
- Review your guidebook framework and how to put it to use today and in the future
The 14-Day MONEY BACK Guarantee
Let me give it to you straight.
The Empowered Nonprofit Leader Program is the most comprehensive, real-world, actionable course for nonprofit leaders who want greater outcomes and less headaches.
By the end of these 14 days you'll have received the Guide Book Framework, the Mission, Vision, and Values Workbook, and the mindset shifts that are needed to do your best work - and you'll be on your way toward greater professional empowerment.
If you don't feel motivated and confident enough to tackle your most pressing challenges and do the work required to transform your organization, simply email me ([email protected]) at the end of the 14 days, show that you've done the work so far, and I'll refund your course fee.
Here’s what you’re getting when you enroll:
The Empowered Nonprofit Leader Program - $997 Value
And these Bonuses:
- 3 Group Coaching/ Q&A Sessions - $297 Value
- 2 One-on-One Coaching Calls - $297 Value
- Members only ENLP Facebook Group - Priceless
Plus:
The Mission, Vision, Values Workbook ($47 value), the Board Orientation Slide Deck template ($197 value), the Policy and Resolution bundles ($94 value), and the Guide Book framework ($397 value).
When you add it all up, that’s a value of $2,326.
You’ll get lifetime access to everything - PLUS ALL FUTURE COURSE UPDATES - for just:
Pay Monthly
6 Monthly Payments of
$87
OR
Pay Upfront
1 Payment of
$497
Questions You May Have Before Enrolling
I'm so glad you asked!
The Empowered Nonprofit Leader Program will take place over an 8-week period. Modules 1-6 will be released weekly (on Wednesdays) with two scheduled "catch-up" weeks added in.
Yes! Though the course content will be released each Wednesday, you can access it any time. Of course, it's recommended that you try to keep pace and finish all of the modules. Any live or recorded group sessions will be scheduled in advance so that you can plan to participate if it works for you. *There are no assessments or tests to take.
Maybe you’re SUPER small and you’re afraid that this course won’t be relevant to you because you don’t have a big budget, a big board, or a big team. This couldn’t be further from the truth. The Empowered Nonprofit Leader course is specifically designed to help you build a framework that will guide your fledgling organization into the future. By the end of this course, you will understand the importance of building a solid foundation, employing efficient practices, and attracting a committed community - and you’ll have a physical handbook designed specifically for your organization that you can reference and share with your growing team. All of the most important aspects of leading a successful organization are together in one place, to learn at your own pace, with a community of supportive peers.
You may be starting out small, but I know your goals are BIG. This course will drastically reduce your learning curve and help you create a shared vision for the future.
They say the biggest gap in life is between knowing what to do and actually doing it - so mind the gap. If you’ve got lots of experience working in nonprofits, some of the information I’m providing may not be new to you. But, perhaps you haven’t taken the time to DO all of the things you know you ought to. By following my process and taking a step by step approach, you can be sure that you are making the most of your mission, your budget, your bylaws, your board - and even gain some creative new ideas for avoiding pitfalls and reaching your goals.
THE MOST IMPORTANT aspect of the creation and delivery of this course is to encourage you to slow down, take a step back, and be ever more strategic in your leadership. In the typical nonprofit environment where you’re required to wear many hats and always do more with less, executive directors and CEOs are often inundated with tasks and do not take the necessary time to THINK, CREATE, and PLAN. The Empowered Nonprofit Leader course will help you do just that.
You can learn almost anything on the internet for free these days - that’s the amazing benefit of the technology we’re experiencing today. What’s not free, however, is having all of the most important information for you and the stage you’re currently in distilled and organized into one complete package. I’ve used twenty years of experience working with and for various types of nonprofit organizations to create a framework for your success - one that you can move through step by step without wasting hours and hours scouring info and articles online. There’s a lot to be said for learning as you go and grabbing info on the fly - but what sets empowered leaders apart from others is the ability to be strategic and that only comes when you are able to think and plan holistically.
The beauty of this course is how it is designed to encourage you to think about the ways in which your fundamental tools and messages work together to solve your most common problems and how you can put those assets to work achieving your most important goals. The synthesis of those ideas, assembled into one concise guide just can’t be found in your google search bar.
Fundraising is an important aspect of every nonprofit leader's (and nonprofit board's) job and it is often cited as a top challenge or area of concern. In the Empowered Nonprofit Leader Program we explore the ways in which fundraising is perceived, valued, planned, and executed in the context of every other aspect of your organization. Attracting and accepting funds does not happen in a vacuum and, for that reason, the Empowered Nonprofit Leader Program focuses on all the things you need to get right in order to make fundraising easier.
Yes!
Here it is:
Here’s what you’re getting when you enroll:
The Empowered Nonprofit Leader Program - $997 Value
And these Bonuses:
- 3 Group Coaching/ Q&A Sessions - $297 Value
- 2 One-on-One Coaching Calls - $297 Value
- Members only ENLP Facebook Group - Priceless
Plus:
The Mission, Vision, Values Workbook ($47 value), the Board Orientation Slide Deck template ($197 value), the Policy and Resolution bundles ($94 value), and the Guide Book framework ($397 value).
When you add it all up, that’s a value of $2,326.
You’ll get lifetime access to everything - PLUS ALL FUTURE COURSE UPDATES - for just:
Pay Monthly
6 Payments of
$87
OR
Pay Upfront
1 Payment of
$497
The Empowered Nonprofit Leader Program is PERFECT for you if:
- You're just starting out in your position or career and you want to drastically shorten your learning curve.
- You're deep in the work and face to face with most of the challenges I've mentioned here.
- You like a bit of hand holding and respond well to a little added accountability. Sometimes all it takes is to feel like you have an ally in order to get started.
- You love the work you do and the people you serve and you don't want burn out to stop you.
- You're plagued with "people problems" and nuanced interpersonal issues.
- You feel like your priorities are dictated by everyone else.
- Your team is moving in different directions and everyone has their own ideas about where they're headed.
- You know what it feels like to inspire others & to have an exciting goal or plan...and you want to get back there again!
If you said “yes” to more than one of the above, I can’t wait to meet you inside the Empowered Nonprofit Leader Program.
Payment Monthly
6 Payments of
$87
OR
Payment Upfront
1 Payment of
