The NonProfit Times - May 15, 2008 - (Page 7)

EXECUTIVE Session tions fundraising all wrapped into one. Clolery: This isn’t one-size-fits-all when you’re talking about CRM. It’s not just the largest organizations that should be doing this, right? How does a $5 million organization put something like this into play when they don’t have the gazillion dollars to pay somebody of that ilk? Gaffny: Well, there’s still someone who’s in charge of CRM.You raise a good point, though, because that person might also be in charge of two other departments that are under CRM. There’s always going to be this concern that is she or he is “going to play favorites with a couple of groups he or she is in charge of as well as mine.”So that does raise issues. But again, it’s one person in charge. Clolery: I’m talking about dollars and cents-wise. Is this just too expensive to do for a small organization that isn’t a top-tier group? bonuses communally. Clolery: But everybody can’t get fired. Deane: Well, I guess you could. I think the point is that if we do those three things, then whatever your program, it is going to be improving and growing. And so the concept is we’re pulling together versus we’re all pulling separate little carts of goals. Now maybe this won’t work. There are no guarantees in the world. But it is a way of trying to get everybody focused up here instead of down there on their own little horizon. This is the hardest part. If you’re only going to have two or three criteria -- critical success indicators, if you will -- what are they? In a for-profit business, it’s easy. But in a nonprofit, it’s a little more difficult. Christ: A for-profit has issues like research and development, which clearly chew into a short-term bottom line. Clolery: Nonprofits have R&D expenses. Christ: Exactly. So it’s complicated all over. Paul and I, in our other lives, share something in common. We’re both involved in emergency management issues. Paul’s a volunteer EMT instructor and I’m a volunteer fireman. We both get into issues like this. There is a leadership process and a management process from which emergencies are managed. I constantly try to figure out how we can do a good job there. And one of the issues is the communication between top management and the group. There is one clear mission, and then there are assignments that are handed out. And those assignments, although they’re fairly common from one emergency to another, one can be a much bigger job in some emergencies. They’re given titles. It didn’t matter what you were when you showed up, you’re now in charge of water resources or logistics. We don’t even call Executive Session, page 8 In many ways it’s easier for the smaller organizations to implement this kind of CRM. Large organizations cannot be as nimble as smaller ones. Gaffny: It’s too expensive not to. Carey: That’s exactly what I was going to say. If you have donors and you haven’t figured out ways to make sure you understand them and manage the relationship, if you’re a $5-million organization, you’re much more at risk than if you’re a $500million organization. Hazard: In many ways it’s easier for the smaller organizations to implement this kind of CRM. Large organizations cannot be as nimble as smaller ones. Small groups are also closer and more intimate with their donors. Deane: I’d like to build on your point about the measurement being the driver. You know, it’s “I’ve got to bring in $1 million or I’m going to lose my job.” There is another approach, which is you don’t have those kinds of measurements. You still have measurements, but that’s not the measurements you use. For example, at AFP, what we’re doing now is the individual goals are gone. And there are just three goals and everybody’s measured by the three goals.They are: increasing our member satisfaction rating; increasing our membership rate of growth; and, increasing the bottom line. Gaffny: So then what’s the accountability factor? Deane: Basically, everybody gets TM MAY 15, 2008 THE NONPROFIT TIMES www.nptimes.com 7 http://www.streamlinksoftware.com http://www.nptimes.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of The NonProfit Times - May 15, 2008

The NonProfit Times - May 15, 2008 Tying Multiple Sub-Brands To The Primary Idea Executive Session: Giving The Donor The Chance To Say Yes Blogging From The Top Contents Striking The Best Deal Don't Be Fooled Immigrants And Philanthropy Bringing In The Dough Good And Bad Organizational Evaluation Design Your Message You’ve Got Mail? Hybrid Power Calendar NPT Jobs Resource Directory

The NonProfit Times - May 15, 2008

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