As long as your management and board have stepped up to help show value in membership, this will be remembered at dues time. In the 42 days since this health scare began to affect our clients, we have worked 24/7 to bring information, support, and education to many hundreds of their supporters and members.
Let’s be honest. At first, we were as much in disbelief as everyone else at how massive the effects were going to be for our world. But quickly we focused clock-round changing events, dinners, board meetings, expos, and education days, undoing the work of months prior. Often it required fast action with social media, new graphics, important emails, and altering everyone’s websites to reflect changes. Seemed every day more information meant more change.
Board members have had quite enough to handle during this time with their own business decisions and family reorganization. The health of their nonprofit necessarily had to shift to us. Things are calming down a bit and we are planning for a semi-normal future.
Early on we suggested to our client boards that we survey people to see what their needs really were, what they wanted from their associations. For a couple of groups, the board members took on the task of personally calling members. After all, people join nonprofits for the power of collaboration, meaningful communication, for ideas and encouragement, and often for access to seasoned members of their community. There is comfort in being with others who have the same goals and challenges.
At a time like this, in order to keep a nonprofit healthy, it’s important to deliver value, be where you’re needed, and, above all, lend an ear even if you don’t have all the answers.
