Meetings Management: Get Back to Those Unable to Attend a Meeting

Although some may argue that it is the responsibility of persons unable to attend meetings to find out what was discussed and what assignments may have been made, it’s clearly in your best interest to see that they are updated promptly and thoroughly.

• Make it a point to meet with those unable to attend within two or three days after a missed meeting.
• Summarize key points of the meeting and go over information that requires their attention and follow up.
• Give them deadlines.

Even though persons should be expected to follow up on meetings they were unable to attend, your initiative to meet with them conveys the importance of what was missed and keeps alive their responsibilities to complete assigned tasks as expected.

Generate Interest in Endowment

An important part of building an endowment begins with generating interest in the topic among your constituency. That interest will, in time, convert to commitment.

Here are some specific strategies you can implement to generate growing interest in the value of building a sizeable endowment:

• Illustrate what endowments are accomplishing for others. Share examples of what a substantial endowment has achieved for other charities. Use the illustrations in speeches, at board meetings and publish a “did you know?” chart in your newsletter or magazine.

• Conduct “imagine” exercises at board meetings and among major gift prospects. Ask those present to imagine your charity receiving whatever would be considered a “transformational” gift directed to your endowment — one that would transform your organization and what you are able to accomplish. If it were up to them, how would they utilize annual interest from the fund? This exercise will help participants visualize what such a gift could accomplish.

• Profusely publicize any endowment gifts you receive. Plaques needn’t be just for bricks and mortar; use them to recognize endowment donors. In internal publications and among your community’s media organizations, feature articles on your endowment donors and how their gifts will make or are making a profound impact. Recognize those donors in public settings.

For more ideas on building your endowment, read the About.com article, How and Why to Make Endowment Fundraising a Priority for Your Nonprofit, authored by Stevenson, Inc. Founder and CEO Scott Stevenson. Also, purchase your copy of Endowment Builder , a 70-page resource full of ideas and procedures you can take to grow your charity’s endowment.

The Member Handbook: You Produced It, You Might As Well Make it Useful

Member handbooks can range from the indispensable to the forgettable. The best serve as a key element of individuals membership experience. The worst are not only a waste of time and resources, they can actually drive potential members away.
Below are online handbooks from three sharply contrasting membership organizations. Comparing and contrasting the approaches used in each might well spark new ideas or valuable directions for your own handbook.

A more in-depth consideration of member handbooks can be found in the April issue of the Membership Management Report. For this and other valuable content, subscribe today.

• The Snyder Chamber of Commerce (Snyder, TX) uses an eight-page PDF-based member handbook that features a message from the Chamber president, a list chamber events in the upcoming year, an introduction to the Chamber, a “top ten reasons to join” list, an introduction to the Chamber’s ambassador group, a list of Chamber committees, a list of membership benefits, and an application form.
• Americorps’ VISTA program (Washington, DC) offers a website-based (instead of PDF-based) online handbook that has links to chapters ranging from training and financial support to leave benefits and administrative policies. Also included are a number of appendices and an image gallery.
• The National Automobile Dealers Association (McLean, VA) uses a 55-page handbook that is updated annually to reflect statistics, accomplishments and leadership changes in the past year. The publication covers more traditional membership issues, but focuses primarily on news and developments in areas like industry affairs, legislative affairs, public affairs and legal and regulatory affairs.

Building Your Board: Use the Best Person to Recruit Other Board Members

Although building an outstanding board doesn’t happen overnight, one exemplary and enthusiastic board member can work wonders.

If you’re transforming your board into a capable “can-do” group, charge your most capable individual (or recruit one who can) with responsibility for identifying, cultivating and recruiting others who “fit the mold.”

Meet regularly with this individual to review names and map out recruitment strategies for each prospect.

As you are slowly able to add capable new board members, their increasing presence will help to attract others.