The Rundown - September 16, 2022

The latest news and notes from the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors

A Local Newspaper Editorializes About the Lack of Trust in Nonprofits

In an age where newspapers are struggling to maintain readers and revenues, we are seeing less and less newspapers staff editorial boards and actually write thoughtful editorials. So, it’s rare when a smaller newspaper actually writes an editorial; it is even more rare when an editorial is written about the state of the nonprofit sector.

The Daily Camera in Boulder, Colorado took the opportunity to talk about the latest data from Independent Sector to talk about the lack of trust in our nonprofit organizations. You can read the editorial here.

The editorial speaks not only about the Independent Sector data showing where trust in nonprofits dipped to 56% this year, but also the barrage of stories which is showing where nonprofits are acting in unethical ways. Most notably:

• Steve Bannon, the notorious former Trump administration aide, was indicted on charges of money laundering, fraud and conspiracy for allegedly misusing donor money meant for the anti-immigration group We Build the Wall.

• In Oklahoma, leaders of a nonprofit created to aid Native American women have been accused of using donor money to line their own pockets. And in January of this year,

• Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey announced a $6 million settlement with Manuel Duran, the former head of Casa Nueva Vida homeless shelters in Lawrence and Boston. Duran was charged with lying to the state and funneling money to himself.

What can we take away from this?

The spotlight is becoming more and more bright on nonprofit organizations of all types and all sizes. Rarely does a day go by and we aren’t seeing some nonprofit somewhere not earning and keeping the public trust. The above cases are certainly large and egregious; but even stories about an unethical non-profit treasurer stealing money for personal use or groups spending money lavishing on things like office furniture don’t help our cause. And if small city newspapers are spending precious resources to write and promote editorials about this subject, we know the level of scrutiny is high.

Changing the Narrative

This was an interesting and insightful piece on the Inside Philanthropy website dedicated to the on-going funding of narrative changing that many foundations (especially in arts) have been engaging in for a while.

I’ll be the first to admit that when I read the article, I wasn’t exactly sure on what narrative change is. The article didn’t help explain it; the author of the article, citing the survey that is the subject of the article, freely admitted that there is no shared definition on what narrative changing is.

My best guess is that narrative changing is about investing in infrastructure that changes widely held beliefs about groups of people. That definition might be a bit too broad, but it at least signals why nonprofits and foundations might have an interest in this work. Narrative changing could easily get more donors or volunteers for certain work. It can also help attract new audiences for work, especially if we are talking about arts-based nonprofit work, where it seems the concept first took hold.

But, as I read the article, something stood out.

Noting that there is still a lack of agreement on what narrative change even is, let alone how to fund it, the report breaks down funder approaches into three overarching categories. There’s funding for mass media, which includes journalism, nonfiction, documentary work and analysis. Then there’s funding for mass culture, which encompasses pop culture and entertainment. Finally, there’s backing for narrative change through mass movements, which the report equates to “community narrative power-building” — that is, “the effort to equip everyday people with the tools to make and act on narrative decisions.”

The majority of narrative change funding to date has been channeled through mass media and mass culture, the authors report.

After reading this I openly wonder if people know how stories work.

Don’t get me wrong, a good communications strategy can help tell a good story. But stories are highly personal and highly relational. I can’t think of any great strategy that is both “highly personal” and “highly relational” that relies so heavily on mass messaging.

At best, mass messaging can be the beginning of a funnel that brings donors, patrons and volunteers to our front door, but it’s the highly personal and highly relational stories and bonds that are built that deepen engagement and keep our work relevant in the lives of others. Mass messaging has never been, and I would argue can never be, the be all and end all of narrative changing. Narrative changing isn’t about telling a better story, it’s about trying to get to individual behavior change; and that change begins on the individual level.

If we aren’t willing to engage with people on a deep and personal level about our work, we will never be able to get to behavior change and we certainly won’t be able to change any narratives. No foundation investment in pop culture or journalism will ever be able to address that.

Registrations now open for Paul G. Duke Academy for Community Leadership!

Registrations are now open for continuing education offered by Edison State Community College in Piqua for the Paul G. Duke Academy for Community Leadership! I have been a proud alumni of both programs and have even been asked to help present sessions and teach classes. It’s an amazing program and I would encourage you to be a part of it if you are in the area! You can register here.

The Paul G. Duke Academy for Community Leadership 1.0 is a series of workshops designed to develop more effective directors, leaders, board members, staff and volunteers of nonprofit organizations. Course topics include the fundamental practices of board recruitment, planning, staffing, budgeting, evaluation, board meetings and community awareness. The classes are designed to help individuals make a difference on their boards and in their community.

The Paul G. Duke Academy for Community Leadership 2.0 has been created and designed specifically for experienced executive directors of nonprofit organizations and alumni of the Academy for Community Leadership 1.0. This challenging and intensive Academy is coordinated by the Academy development team and participants. Advanced participants will conduct original research and exchange results via reports and discussion. Participants will help to further develop the foundational agenda for each of the four monthly sessions that will explore nonprofit organizations—based upon their backgrounds, experiences, pressing issues and needs—through self-analysis, organizational analysis, guest speakers, best practices, resource review and in-depth discussions. At its conclusion, Academy 2.0 participants will be immersed in the annual Mosaic of Community Leadership Conference, both as participants and presenters. Academy 2.0 is the latest collaboration between the Paul G. Duke Foundation and the Edison State Community College Center for Leadership Development. 

We are Trying Something New

Perhaps you read our last “Deeper Dive” where we talked about the amazing power of Youtube as a Social Media platform. Well, a reader challenged me and said hey, “Why don’t you start your own channel?”

Okay, challenge accepted. Here is our channel with our first four videos. We had some readers share them on LinkedIn (THANK YOU!) and the response has been positive. Check it out and let me know what you think! Feel free to drop me a line at pinnaclestrategiesltd@gmail.com or just comment below!

Here is a link to our YouTube Channel!

Check Out Some New Resources

Pinnacle Strategies has created a new resource! Check out our store here on the gumroad platform. These are the three most popular tools that I am hit up for. Take a look at these tools and of course, if you have any comments or questions, please feel free to contact me at pinnaclestrategiesltd@gmail.com.

What Can We Work on Together?

Did you know that Pinnacle Strategies works individually with nonprofit and public sector leaders to help them solve problems, achieve goals and gain confidence in their roles?

Why?

Because, this work is hard and it’s often a lonely road. Our nonprofit and public sector leaders need people that they can talk to to get solid advice and encouragement to do the work that is in front of them. If you feel that this can be of value to you, or a member of your team, please reach out to pinnaclestrategiesltd@gmail.com and let’s talk.

A Quick Note of Thanks!

Thank you all for subscribing to this newsletter. The subscription numbers continue to grow and from what I am learning, this side job seems like it has “sticking power”. I am not getting inquiries and calls from literally all over the world wanting to partner and work together to create value for you, the non profit and philanthropy leader. I feel very excited about the future of this newsletter and if you have any ideas or comments, please feel free to share them with me at pinnaclestrategiesltd@gmail.com

I know many of you have shared this with your friends and colleagues and I am very grateful. Thank you! If you haven’t shared it yet…..well, here is your chance….

Ready to Learn Something New?

One of the prettiest cities in Fall is Indianapolis and travelling there can open a perfect opportunity to sharpen your skills and meet new professionals in the field. I would encourage you to look at some of the offerings of The Fund Raising School at the Lilly School of Philanthropy at Indiana University’s campus in Indianapolis. The professional development school has great programming both on-line and in-person both in Indianapolis and at other sites across the country. Take a look at their course offerings here!

Other Ways to Connect

Our coaching practice has openings starting here in 2022. If you are interested in working with me to get your nonprofit organization on a track to achieve the big missions you have for your organization, please reach out to me at pinnaclestrategiesltd@gmail.com.

Here are some other ways you can keep in contact with Pinnacle Strategies!

Check us out on our LinkedIn Page

Check us out on the Celebrating Leadership Facebook Page.

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