Certification standards for industries and businesses give purchasers assurance that what they buy is supported by well-defined standards, procedures, processes, and skilled staff.
It was with this in mind, and with our over 30 years of experience working in the non-profit sector, that we felt the need to address issues that impact a charity to mitigate its risk.
What were our findings over the years that identified the need for a solution?
Leadership
Senior staff were missing in action, and I understand this, as computers are a challenge for many of us. Hiring a person identified as a fundraiser appeared to be a solution, but the role required was more extensive, and few had the broader set of skills or knowledge necessary.
Order
With the adoption of microcomputers, networks, and now cloud storage, there was a need for electronic filing standards. Staff time became the target of lengthy searches. How information is created and housed is a priority. It pertains to elusive topics like backup strategies and file storage for the tools used by a non-profit.
Risk
What are the factors that ensure a charity continues to meet its mission and goals?
Sustainability has presented a perplexing problem to me for many years. With staff and board changes, the charity appeared to be in constant churn. New ideas, whether good or bad, permeated fundraising management. At some point, I thought this was a problem with no solution until now.
In reviewing how other organizations protect their businesses and how they are regarded by those they contract with, I investigated certification. We are all familiar with products that carry a certification or industries that meet ISO standards. (International Standards Organization)
Certification attests to the existence of well-defined processes, procedures, policies, and standards. It confirms that staff members are well-trained and qualified to perform their jobs. Accountability ensures compliance. The lack of formal standards is reflected in the charitable sector, where few exist.
We will examine areas that need action so that donors who invest in a charity’s mission are confident their dollars are well spent.
We will deliver each area in separate, short presentations with implementable ideas. The reflections and findings are based on our thirty years of working with the non-profit sector. As we are a software provider, we assure readers that our software will not be the focus.
In 2013, I wrote a book published by the Hilborn Group. The title is “Build a High Performance Team Using Knowledge Management“. The issues addressed in the book are still evident today, if not exacerbated.
The articles for discussion will include:
1. Data Management for donors, funders, advocates, government, media and stakeholders. Defining data and managing contact information. Standards used to ensure continuity. Audit trails
2. Training. Staff training to protect the charity’s most important financial assets.
3. Knowledge Base. Managing electronic files. Retain staff policies and procedures.
4. Technology in-house or contracted. What the charity uses to do its business and communications. Renewal dates and registration/serial numbers. Current and past users. Backup requirements and frequency.
5. Accountability. CEO to administrative assistant. Where does responsibility lie?
If any one of these areas goes awry, the charity is at risk. When the data used is compromised or lost, how would the charity recover? If everyone left your fund development department today, never to return, how well could the charity manage? These are the questions that need answers.
There are organizations in Canada and the USA that identify those charities worthy of a donor’s support. In questioning one of these organizations, we asked if they had looked beyond the reporting they used for their assessment. The answer was no; they did not examine a charity’s operations. We were curious, as a charity we were familiar with was listed. The analogy is a perfect little white house with an immaculate lawn, where you open the front door to find that hoarders lived there.
The charitable sector helps so many. If we can help a non-profit work more effectively so that its staff have the time to meet the charity’s goals in a non-stressful environment, we will have succeeded.
If you can tell a charity’s donors that it operates with well-defined standards and procedures and has skilled staff, donors will understand their dollars have value.
The charity’s size is not relevant to this discussion. Good practices are universal.
Sharron Batsch is the developer of @EASE Fund Development Software and the author of From Chaos to Control, Build a High Performance Team Using Knowledge Management. She has worked with a wide variety of charities for over 36 years as both a consultant and volunteer fundraiser and event chair. She developed and managed a training program through Continuing Education for the University of Manitoba for the business use of microcomputer solutions offering 147 courses annually. While at the University she redeveloped a certificate program in Information Management and hosted a breakfast series for senior IT managers. She has received awards for her work in Knowledge Management from the Consulting Engineers of Canada and the Alberta Consulting Engineers. Her work helps define how charities can best use the data they collect and create an environment with 15 second retrieval using a Knowledge Management System. She specializes in information management for the not-for-profit community.
