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PMA has recently experienced an increase in client engagements. We are working a number of organizations locally, regionally and nationally across many different sectors, including higher education, health & human services, children services and the arts. This increase in business provides the opportunity to more optimally align PMA staff to focus on two distinct components of our work – client services and marketing/new business development.

Visit the Current PMA Openings page to view the latest positions available.

The Solution: PMA facilitated a brainstorming process that developed The Chairman’s Challenge – a $50,000 challenge program. The program focused on new and increased giving in order to add dollars to the stagnant giving pool. An engaging photo of the chairman was featured on the brochure and website in order to reenergize the annual fund program. The chairman issued a personal challenge to all alumni, his classmates and members of the board. The program was emphasized in phonathon calling to leverage new giving.

The Results: The alumni responded to the The Chairman’s Challenge giving over $90,000 in new and increased dollars to the annual giving program. Halfway through the fiscal year, giving to the annual fund was over $70,000 ahead of schedule compared to 2008.

1. Retain Donors: Cultivating your existing donors is essential. These friends are already supporters of your organization and it is important to keep them.
2. Stay Connected: Being ‘in the know’ on events and happenings with other local and national organizations that are similar to yours.
3. Increase Volunteer Management: Utilize volunteers as much as possible to fill roles and responsibilities staff cannot.
4. Segment, Segment, Segment: When mailing information and donation requests to donors, segment your database as much as possible to personalize your message.
5. Take Risks: Donors like to see an organization on the cutting edge. Show your supporters that you are thinking outside the box.
6. Collaborate: An efficient organization is a good one. Collaborate with organizations with similar missions to cut costs and save time.
7. Utilize Awareness Tactics: Social media and other awareness tactics are relevant and cost-efficient. Reach your donor base through the web, Facebook, and Twitter.
8. Protect Your Brand Reputation: Above all, ensure that your brand and name stays true to your mission and your goals.

In addition to the regular educational programming and community outreach, WCNC’s Raptor Cam has captured the imagination of children and adults alike. As mother eagle Savannah took care of her nest of eggs, and as eaglet Noah hatched and grew into a healthy juvenile eagle, individuals, families, and school groups from around the world watched. Noah will be released into the wild this May and will be tracked by an innovative device that will chart her progress.

Patton McDowell & Associates was retained to boost CRC’s development and marketing team and help facilitate a structural reorganization. Beginning in February 2010, PMA began with a “database diagnostic” to ensure all active donor records were accurate while archiving thousands of older ones. With a more efficient database, segmented annual appeals were launched in the spring.

To promote CRC and its mission, PMA also assisted in the planning of several events, including an Earth Day event at the Metropolitan to highlight CRC’s Sweet Release Society, and a Memorial Day Sneak Preview of the CRC trail with Todd Katzner, PhD, from the National Aviary. To spotlight these events as well as other CRC happenings, PMA worked with NPower to upgrade and improve CRC’s website.

With these development and marketing efforts, Carolina Raptor Center continues to serve a real niche and need in the Metrolina region as well as the Southeast. For more information, visit the CRC website: www.carolinaraptorcenter.org.

The discussion focused on the ‘tension’ that sometimes occurs between mission-focused nonprofit staff and business-minded board members, and the panel shared their experiences and advice about how nonprofit leaders could stay true to their mission while still incorporating business practices such as strategic planning, mergers and acquisitions and even for-profit financial modeling.

Given her experiences in both the private sector and now as a nonprofit CEO, Hardison spoke about how this tension is exacerbated when dealing with low-performing board members. In her experiences as a board member and as staff at a nonprofit, she has found that establishing a strong board orientation process, as well as explicit standards for board members, assists staff down the road when issues arise. Staff then has those expectations to fall back on when confronting board members and volunteers who are absent or not fulfilling their responsibilities.

With his background in organizational development, Sparks provided the audience with several insights on the effectiveness of nonprofit boards. He contends that the ideal size of a board should be between 12-16 members, as this number allows for diverse opinions but isn’t so large that it fractures into competing subgroups. He also suggested boards that get too caught up in operational details should be reminded of their three primary objectives:

1. Do we have the right strategy?
2. Do we have the right CEO?
3. Do we have the right succession plan?

Rob Harrington provided the audience with good advice regarding thoroughly vetting potential board members and establishing terms of service. By properly screening and interviewing potential board members, organizations are able to determine if individuals are the right fit for the organization’s culture and to ensure that they can maximize their skills. Additionally, by establishing finite terms of service, the organization avoids the awkward issue of being ‘stuck’ with a board member who will not resign.

Clearly the topic resonated with many of the nonprofit professionals and board members in attendance, and is one we find exists to varying degrees with every organization with which we work. How do you manage this creative tension in your organization?

Solution
Patton McDowell & Associates designed new communications materials including a new website and appeal sheet to solicit funds and in-kind donations to support the program. A regular annual fund ask will provide a consistent revenue stream to support the program.

Photos of children configured in bright colors attract donors to engage with the children that the program will help. The case for support is made through the eyes of these children and the passion of the physicians and nurses that participate in the program. Efficient operations and a multitude of success stories drive continued support from a wide variety of sources throughout the country.

Results
The Kids First team will depart May 29, 2010 for San Miguel de Allende, Mexico and will perform roughly 175 operations and evaluate 250 – 300 children with a variety of orthopedic problems. The new website and annual fund plan have allowed Kids First to solicit funding and in-kind donations to complete this trip and to look for new and sustainable funding sources for the future.

Throughout its 11-year history, the organization has served over 500 children per year and their families. Jubilee provides year-round programming, with offerings in educational enrichment/academic assistance, athletics and technical/vocational awareness and training aimed at enhancing the workforce through its new Occupational Outreach Center. The results have been extraordinary: 75% of all students attending the afterschool program have increased by at least one letter grade; 60% of all students in the college prep program enroll in an institution of higher learning.
Like many organizations, the economy has taken its toll on Jubilee, and fundraising efforts have been difficult given that a small community like Lynchburg doesn’t have great numbers of local corporate and foundation funders to turn to. What have they done? Three things:

1. They’ve refocused their board on the financial realities of their organization and their fiscal responsibilities as board members, making painful cuts in staff and operations to assure funders and community partners they can remain financially viable.

2. They’ve sharpened their message. Using the media, direct mail and special events, they’ve focused their story on the impact they’ve had, the increase in demand for their services, and the powerful testimonials of kids who have come through the program.

3. They’ve reconnected with their historical donors and board members. This weekend, they’re hosting a critical Spring Event to raise awareness and funds for their program. Hosted at a supporter’s home and underwritten by sponsors, the event will allow their Executive Director and Board Chair make a direct appeal to community leaders and funders who can most impact their future.

Sparks’ recent article in the Charlotte Observer explores the importance of resiliency, which is certainly applicable in the nonprofit sector as well as the for-profit world. He focuses on the three fears often faced by leaders, and provides tips on how to stay resilient and overcome these “shadows.” HIs article follows.

The ability to respond effectively in times of upheaval requires honesty, courage. While I was preparing my remarks for this year’s Charlotte Business Woman of the Year Award honoring Cathy Bessant from Bank of America, she shared an insight that is profound: Leaders are not successful in spite of their setbacks; they are successful because of them. As I reflected on this perspective, I began to see its relevance for all of us. From demotions to divorces, overcoming obstacles and disappointments is one thing we all have in common.

Resiliency is a topic that is rapidly growing in popularity across a diverse spectrum of disciplines, including business, public policy, and performance psychology. From global events in today’s headlines, including concerns over Greece’s economy, earthquakes and climate change, to our own struggles here in the Queen City, resiliency is an important topic for all of us.

Simply defined, resiliency is the ability to respond effectively to disruptive events. The ability to respond – “responsibility” – allows us to transcend our more common reactive mode. When we react, chances are we overreact. Philosopher, psychoanalyst and Holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl said that choosing our response – our attitude – to any situation is the only true freedom we possess. Although we often give this freedom away when we react in anger or fear, it cannot be taken from us.

When it comes to leading with resilience, it’s important to reacquaint ourselves with Abraham Maslow’s concept of “self-actualization.” Although Maslow found that individuals who are more self-actualized tend to be more creative, spontaneous and humorous, he found that above all else, they maintained an accurate perception of reality.

I have spent the past 15 years researching leadership, group culture and organizational performance, and have reached this conclusion: When it comes to leadership, there are three common fears that inhibit our ability to objectively and accurately perceive reality. I call these the “Three Shadows of Leadership.”

The first shadow is the fear of failure. This type of leader is obsessed with winning, success and recognition. They tend to micromanage others and are often considered perfectionists. But as I often tell my students and clients, the curse of perfectionism is that you’re unhappy when you should be happy; bitter when you should be thankful.

The second leadership shadow is the fear of rejection. This type of leader avoids conflict at all costs, preferring to maintain a norm of politeness as opposed to a norm of candor. They’re more concerned about what others think of them than what they think of themselves. This mindset prompts me to remind them: We would worry much less about what others thought of us, if we realized how seldom they do.

The third shadow is the fear of betrayal. This type of leader is a classic control-freak and driven out of need of power. On the one hand, they are decisive and results-oriented. On the other, they are brash and overly confident, more concerned about being “right” than being effective, or even happy.

These three fears – shadows – lead to three distinct styles of leadership. In doing so, they inhibit an ability to accurately perceive reality, and as a result, diminish the ability to lead with resiliency.

So, what can we start doing differently to increase our capacity to lead with resilience? I believe there are three important factors for building our resilient muscles.

First, we have to show up. After a disruptive event occurs, we have to make the decision to be present. Cathy Bessant’s insight into this resiliency factor is that oftentimes, showing up precedes our acceptance or understanding of the situation or the circumstances surrounding the disruptive event. Nevertheless, resilient leaders show up. And when the “event” is framed and managed with resiliency, it can be liberating by giving us the freedom to re-engage on our own terms.

Second, resilient leaders must confront the brutal facts. The ability to stare down reality while maintaining realistic optimism for the future is crucial. Although resilient leaders are optimistic, “hope” is not their default strategy.

Finally, resilient leaders possess a high degree of self-awareness. Not the kind of awareness that validates our perception of ourselves, but the kind that disturbs and disrupts. This kind of acute awareness allows us to know our shadow, and to manage our fear so it doesn’t manage us.

I believe these three resiliency factors share a common theme: courage. The courage to show up when you may be hurt, disappointed or embarrassed; the courage to confront the brutal facts that may be difficult to accept or acknowledge; and the courage to develop the self-awareness necessary for leading effectively.

When we demonstrate the courage to show up, to confront brutal facts and to continuously learn, we, too, will be successful – not in spite of our setbacks, but because of them.