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CNS News

Guiding More Good: CNS’s Annual Conference

Guiding More Good

CNS’s Annual Conference

February 2nd, 2019
8:30am – 3:30pm
LaSells Stewart Center
Oregon State University

We look forward to seeing you at CNS’s annual conference!

This day-long event hosts a number of expert speakers to provide informative talks and interactive workshops alongside opportunities for networking. The 2019 conference will include fifteen sessions that cover a wide scope of topics such as fund development, financial accountability, organizational and board development, and diversity, equity and inclusion. The Guiding More Good Conference brings people together from all across the sector to gather innovative solutions, develop knowledge and skills, and renew their energy.

The day includes:

  • Check-in and Light Refreshments
  • Welcome and Keynote Address
  • Breakout Session 1
  • Networking Lunch
  • Breakout Session 2
  • Afternoon Break and Snack
  • Breakout Session 3

“I have attended the Annual Conference in Corvallis a couple times representing different Boards that I have served on. They always have top notch speakers and I find attending to be a great way to get re-energized.” –Melissa Metz, Grand Chapter of Oregon

Sign up for our newsletter to be notified when registration opens November 1st

 

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Toolbox: Board Member Job Descriptions

PURPOSE AND INSTRUCTIONS

The board job description is used to recruit new board members, to remind current board members of their role and responsibility to the organization, and in some cases, to let board members go who cannot discharge their board responsibilities. Therefore, the board member job description should be signed and dated, a copy kept in the board member’s notebook, and another copy kept on file.

Distribute a copy of this handout (available here as a PDF) to each individual at your next board or governance committee meeting. Take 10 minutes and ask everyone to thoughtfully answer the questions. After the meeting, compile and summarize the answers for review at the following meeting.

Step 1: Take a moment to think about your responsibilities as a board member.
What are your responsibilities as a board member? What activities are you expected to participate in? Check off any of the following and add your own:

  • Actively participate in the governance of the nonprofit by making informed decisions
  • Prepare for board meetings
  • Review bylaws and policies and act in accordance
  • Serve on at least one committee
  • Provide financial oversight
  • Help safeguard assets
  • Review, approve and monitor the budget and financial statements
  • Participate in fundraising

Step 2: Take a moment to think about time commitment expectations.
What time expectations would you like board members to commit to?

  • Meetings (including prep) ____  per month
  • Committee work ____ per month
  • Special projects ____  per month
  • Other _____________ ____ per month
  • Retreat (including prep) ____  per year
  • Events ____  per year
  • Fundraising ____  per year
  • Other____________ ____ per year

Step 3 – Take a moment to think about what you expect financially from fellow board members.
Does it make sense for your organization to ask board members to contribute a certain dollar amount? What factors should be taken into consideration in making this decision?

FOLLOW UP

Use the compiled answers from this exercise to create a draft of your board member job description. When complete, the draft should be presented at a board meeting for comment and adoption. At that point, everyone can sign and date their job description and keep them for future reference.

You can download this exercise FREE as a PDF to distribute to your board. The exercise is from our workbook, Becoming a Great Board: 10 minute exercises to get your board galvanized!

Survey on Board Recruitment and Retention

The Center for Nonprofit Stewardship received a grant from The Ford Family Foundation to uncover barriers to and opportunities for rural board service.

One of the chief concerns that emerged from our 2017 client survey—and something that we hear from our rural clients regularly—is an increase in need for directors, but a decrease in resources and people willing to serve.

Funding provided by The Ford Family Foundation is allowing CNS to review board recruitment and retention, looking specifically at barriers and opportunities related to multi-generational leadership and diversity. And we’ll be developing tools and resources to help revitalize how boards are recruiting and retaining directors, as well as how board service is generally perceived and approached.

You can support this project by filling out a short survey!

Your responses are anonymous if you wish, and personal information will never be shared. Just click below to take the survey. Thank you!

Take the Survey

Toolbox: Becoming Your Donor’s Favorite Cause

PURPOSE AND INSTRUCTIONS

This exercise will help you identify ways to solidify your relationships with your current donors by making them feel more appreciated, in the know, and included in the work of your organization.  How donors feel about your organization is a strong indicator of whether they will give again or not.

Distribute a copy of this handout (available here as a PDF) to each board member. Take 10 minutes and have the board members thoughtfully answer the questions in writing. After the meeting, compile and summarize their answers for review at the following board meeting.

Fill out the form to the best of your knowledge. Your answers will be compiled for a discussion at the next board meeting.

  • What do we do now in our newsletter, social media or other communications to make our supporters feel appreciated?
  • What other things could we do to make our supporters feel more appreciated?
  • What do we do now in our newsletter, social media or other communications to make our supporters feel included?
  • What other things could we do to make our supporters feel more included?
  • What do we do now in our newsletter, social media or other communications to make our supporters feel in the know?
  • What other things could we do to make our supporters feel more in the know?

FOLLOW UP

At the following board meeting, present the compiled answers to the board for reflection, along with examples from your past communications or communications from other organizations.

  • Which ideas will be easiest to implement?
  • Which will take a bit more planning?
  • Which ideas can be implemented in several different communication channels?
  • Which should be tried in the next month or two?
  • Which are a good match with other activities on the calendar in the future?

You can download this exercise FREE as a PDF to distribute to your board. The exercise is from our workbook, Building Donor Support: 10 minute exercises to get your board moving! It was developed in collaboration with Kivi Leroux Miller.

Matching Gift Challenge—You Can Make Double the Impact

The perfect time to support CNS is now. Don’t let this generous matching donation slip away.

Past board members, Robert and Susan Poole, have pledged to donate $25,000 to CNS—if we can raise $25,000 in matching gifts. In order to secure their generous pledge, we need your support!

A gift to CNS has a ripple effect that reaches communities throughout the state of Oregon.
Your gift to CNS supports nonprofits seeking learning and resources to build on their strengths and improve their effectiveness. In turn, our nonprofit clients are working every day to provide critical services to their own beneficiaries. They’re tackling problems we all want addressed like hunger, youth suicide, and domestic violence; economic development, water policy, or emergency services; drop-out prevention, stronger reading skills, and college access.

Please support these vital service providers with resources and learning from CNS. Make a donation today to unlock matching dollars and do even more good.

Micro-Plans: Marketing with Intention

A comprehensive marketing plan brings together individual plans for marketing communications, internal communications, and stakeholder communications. They may even take into consideration things like search engine optimization, paid vs. organic traffic, and marketing automation platforms. For many organizations, however, developing campaigns at this scale isn’t feasible due to the large investments of time and funding they require.

Smaller, micro-campaigns are becoming more commonplace for organizations that want something more easily designed and implemented. These tightly focused campaigns reach a small segment of your audience with messaging intended to meet a specific intention or motive. Not only are these targeted campaigns easier for you to develop, but your audience will know the message is just for them.

To frame your plan, start by identifying the business goals you intend to reach through your communications. Beginning with your business goals in mind will help you market with intention.

For example, if your business goal is increased fee-for-service revenue, then your communications are intended to nurture client engagement. If your business goal is to build a stronger brand, then your communications are intended to differentiate your organization from others doing similar work and give credibility to the organization’s management and stewardship. These are your motives.

Next, consider these Four M’s for each of your motives to design the framework for your micro-plan.

  • Message: What is the story you’re telling or the call to action you’re asking for?
  • Market: Who is the target audience? How can you best reach them?
  • Method: How will you implement the micro-plan? On which platforms? When?
  • Means: How much will it cost? Do you have the time and funding to pull it off?

This micro-plan development process will help you mindfully creating a plan that is bite-sized and easily implemented. As you continue developing targeted micro-plans, observe how they come together to resemble a more comprehensive marketing strategy.

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