 Welcome to another episode of the non-profit show, you know, Friday's always a special day here at the American Non-profit Academy and the non-profit show because this is our ask-and-answer episode. It's super kooky. We get questions all the time. People will come up to me when I'm out and say, hey Julia, will you put this question up? But don't use my name or, you know, different things. And so we're really excited that we formed this partnership with Fundraising Academy because the questions are, sometimes we get the same types of questions, LaShonda, as you know. And then sometimes they're like completely out of left field and we're like, wow, you don't know. So let's hope today we're not in left field even though the Strohs are getting ready, they were getting ready to play. Hey, you know what, speaking of that, I got a witness to you. We're working on getting the Astro's CEO or executive director of their foundation on. Oh, Paula Harris. Yeah, yeah, yeah. She would definitely be a delight. Definitely. Yeah, oh, you know her. She was formerly, I don't know her personally, but I'm very familiar with her. She was a part of HISD, Houston Independent School District's board prior to becoming a part of the foundation with the Astro's. And she has a long history, roughly over 30 years in engineering and just, you know, being a catalyst and champion for women and in a space where we're few and far in between. And she's definitely done some phenomenal things in the community. So she definitely be great to add to the show lineup. Well, we're really excited. I've been communicating with her and she did say she was interested. So just got to get her scheduled. I mean, this is right now, they're in season. Yeah, it's a busy time, busy time getting ready for the all star break. I mean, yeah, there's a lot cooking. But anyway, hey, everybody, you've like entered the ask and answer zone. Of course, LaShonda Williams, one of our favorites here, a trainer with Fundraising Academy, you know, LaShonda was a guest earlier in the week. And it was fascinating. She was talking to us via the law school that she works with about alumni, relationships, affinity groups, working through that into really harnessing the philanthropy of that. And I thought it was riveting. I really, really enjoyed it. So check out that episode because it's super, it's super enlightening. No matter what you do in the nonprofit sector, I think there's some jumps there to learn. Hey, again, everybody, we want to make sure that we thank our partners in crime, as we like to say, boomerang American nonprofit Academy, your part time controller, nonprofit thought leader, Fundraising Academy at National University, Staffing Boutique, nonprofit nerd and nonprofit tech talk. We also can get you where you are get to you. I shouldn't say get you get to you wherever you are. We have the sexy new phone app. Thanks to Kevin Pace, our executive producer that championed this amazing technology. You can take this a quick shot of this QR code and get linked up to us. You can find us on all our streaming broadcast platforms as well as podcasts. So again, we'll go with you wherever you are going. Okay, you ready my friend? I am ready. Let's dive in today. Okay, Jamal from Chicago writes, everyone wants to take their vacations during a federal holiday to get that extra day off. It's causing us some stress in HR and scheduling department. Do you have any ideas, solutions or approaches to make this more equitable? Jamal, that is a good one. It is. It feels great to know I'm not the only one who from time to time likes to double down. We love to double down on the holidays. But the most important thing first and foremost, Jamal, I would say that HR should have a policy in place around vacations. Okay. And then they'll say they'll provide governing guidance. And then within your department, there'll be some latitude for you to be able to negotiate or work with your colleagues or your, I like to call them colleagues rather than your direct reports. But needless to say, I've seen it done a variety of different ways. It worked really well. And there's always that traditional, the first person who submits a request is honored. However, for someone like me who's a little savvy, I'll put in all my dates on January 1 for the whole year. And is that really fair to Julius? Would they say that early bird gets the worm? So I'd be the first one beginning the year ready to submit all my dates on the very first day. But is that really fair or equitable to the team? No. So when we're talking about equity and building teams and making sure that everyone has an office culture that is really a climate that's reflective of a positive work environment, then I would say to talk to the team about some equitable ways as for their buy in and what their feedback is, because it's important that we ask those that are impacted by the decisions because having their buy in will help minimize some of the potential challenges. And then as a leader, I would say Jamal that you can offer some incentives for those who may opt in to work alongside those holidays. So they may have a remote day option or consider an additional comp some comp time or even a comp day at a later time if they yield to one of their colleagues who really would like to be off for the holiday and extend their break because they have family coming from out of town or they have children. So just being very cognitive and mindful of the various situations, but definitely incentivizing the opportunity for those who decide to stay on and come back to work immediately following and prior to the other option that I've also seen enough. It's happened in my work environment in the past is we would alternate dates. So for example, if you decided that you wanted to take Thanksgiving, then you wouldn't take Christmas. So that's another mechanism in place to help create some equity within the division. But most importantly, ask have the conversation with your team and be prepared to provide some incentives for those who will yield to their colleagues that may not have been as early as LaShonda and put a request in on January 1st. You kill me. I swear to God, you kill me. I, you know, I am totally not surprised that LaShonda Williams. Listen, she's on everything, man. You know, I'm telling you in my past life, I'd be all over vacation like double down. Yes. The first thing I want to do is look at the vacation calendar, you know, in higher ed, we tend to have all the holidays. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Mm hmm. Oh, God, that's hilarious. Well, I love your approaches. And I, I think the one thing I wouldn't have thought of and shame on me is to, you know, go back to the team and say, okay, what works for you? You know, what because maybe they have ideas. And I also like the idea of, of course, I've been in the environment where you if one gets one, you know, Thanksgiving Christmas, I was thinking, right, the women in the groups, and I do say women because the ones that are hosting Thanksgiving that are going to have, you know, 25 people over to their home for dinner or whatever, you know, are always wanting to buffer that time versus Christmas, they can, you know, let go, whatever. So I think, yeah, talking with your team and finding out, but I also wouldn't have thought about bumping that time to another period. So saying, look, if you're going to take one of the federal holidays, if you're not, then we'll grant an extra time off somewhere along the way. I think that's smart because especially in the nonprofit sector, where, you know, there are a lot of organizations where you need coverage, you can't just say, oh, we're closed. I mean, it doesn't work that way. I mean, you have you cannot. Yeah. Yeah. And the world we're in, you know, we have these hybrid opportunities as well. So an additional remote work day works, because it makes it convenient where the individual can get an earlier start and kind of still be at home and be able to handle some of those things. Yeah, I love it. Well, Jamal, I hope that helps you because it's really an important issue. And and also, you know, I hadn't put this into the package of equity and and equitable philosophy behind managing and building a team. And so that that's that was a cool thing to bring up. I wouldn't have thought of that. I really wouldn't have. Okay, let's go to oh, LaShonda, you know how I like these name with health. Name with health. Okay, I'm going to witness this to you. This came up at the Cultivate conference that Fundraising Academy had in San Diego. And so this was a question that was brought to my co-host, Jared Ransom, who was there broadcasting and you actually were on the show two days in a row for that. And so this is the question. How important is it to have a college degree in order to be a fundraiser? I only have an AA from our local community college. And I'm concerned that this might make it tough for me to move forward in a nonprofit career. Let's say you, my friend. Well, first and foremost, I'm going to start with that second paragraph. I only have an AA. Shift your paradigm. You have an AA that is an accomplishment in itself. Yeah. And the fact and the fact that you're interested in entering the nonprofit sector, it creates opportunities for you because there is a desire in the nonprofit is sectors not for the fainted heart is for those that are very passionate about being able to make change within their said communities or the organizations in which they are most passionate about and want to be impactful in. What I will say is there are a variety of different types of organizations in different levels to enter fundraising. So for smaller nonprofits, they may not necessarily require a degree. And it creates an opportunity for you to learn in real time. And then it also depends on the type of role that you take. And when you're saying that you want to become a fundraiser, there are various ways that you can enter the field. For me, I was a volunteer for many years and I worked full time as an educator and working in the nonprofit space in a different manner. But before me, I came into full full time fundraising. It was a transition period. So I would say that it matters depending on the role that you like because some roles will specifically require that you have a degree. But to become a part of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, having a degree is not a requirement. It's an opportunity to link up with additional individuals and to find out more information about what some of those requirements are. You can receive some professional development. And then also, when you're looking at career opportunities, consider those kind of spaces in nonprofits that offer incentives and or scholarship opportunities for their employees. Because there are in some there's some spaces where they'll have tuition reimbursement to help you secure that degree. So I would say that you are off to a great start because you have an associate's degree. I would affiliate with a couple of fundraising professional organizations, secure some additional training, you know, watching the nonprofit show, going to the Fundraising Academy's portal to learn more about fundraising, and then identifying a space in which you can join immediately based on your current credentials that will offer you the opportunity and support you with growth in achieving and acquiring your graduate, I'm sorry, your undergraduate degree. But you're off to a great start. It starts with passion. Yeah, you know, it seems to me, and I, before we move on, it seems to me, I get a lot of job things that flow through, you know, my, my, my world, because I'm out and about, right? People are like, Hey, if you know anybody, hey, if you see this, you know, we're looking for that. And it always seems to me that they want somebody who's been in fundraising has a CFRE and they never really say what the undergrad piece of it is. But it's more the experience like it is more about the experience. I mean, you know, people enter fundraising from a variety of different sectors. And as you know, we're talking about in the green room with Paula Harris, who's now the executive director of the Astros Foundation. She's an engineer by trade with over 30 years of experience. And obviously, there's a philanthropic and foundation arm within that organization, which she worked full time. However, it was a transition into that philanthropic space. And, you know, you can enter I know individuals who started off in data management. And, and, you know, you have somebody that's going to be on soon to start off in data management. And now he's the vice president of development. So it does not matter where you begin. It just makes make sure that you remain committed and passionate about the cause and about what you're doing in the philanthropic space and the opportunities will come forward. Yeah, I love I love that. I think it's it's I love what you said to you know, it's about the passion. And I think you in so many ways, one of the things I've learned from you all at fundraising Academy is that there is a process, right? And that can be learned. But it's the passion piece. That's the passion that resonates. Yes, you know, you, you, you you'll have challenges successfully securing gifts if you don't have the passion. When engaging with donors, you know, individually and building the relationship on behalf of your organization, they can feel and they're very perceptive and our donors are becoming more and more sophisticated. And the last thing that you want is to come off, you know, disingenuine. And so it's important that when you're aligning and identifying where you'd like to work that you believe in the mission, and that it resonates through and all that you do in that space, because it's easily conveyed over to your prospective donors. I agree, I agree. And I also just think was Shonda, it's a good way to live. So, okay, here goes our next question. Again, another name with help from Tampa, Florida. I want to put my name in the hat for position on the board of directors for the organization where I work. I think the board is not connected enough to what we actually do. And I believe by serving on the board, I can help with the whole process. Interesting question. Very interesting. Very specific answer for this. So you go first. Okay. So I'm, you know, I'm a stickler for processes and procedures, first and foremost, from an ethical standpoint, you need to make sure that you're eligible to be a part of the board, because there are some instances and roles which, which preclude you from becoming a part of the board. So that's step one. Step two, when you're thinking about joining the board, you want to make sure that you're joining for the right reasons. And with that in mind, you know, making sure that obviously you're joining for the right reasons. And then also thinking about what type of impact you want to make. And are there any potential conflicts of interest? So even if you are eligible to be on the board, what types of conflicts of interest could potentially happen? And I can recall, in my career, when I worked at my alma mater, I was the the president of the local alumni chapter. And when I accepted the position full time to join my institution, I, I resigned that position, because I did not want there to be any impropriety. And I wanted to make sure that there were clear lines that when I'm acting on behalf of the organization, that I'm in that official capacity. And you want to be able to differentiate that it's really important. Joining the board of directors to, to create and be a part of the change that you'd like to see is great, but you also have to self examine. And that is, are you mentally prepared? Are you physically prepared? What is going to be your approach? Because this is a different type of relationship that you'll be transitioning into because the board is no longer the board that is managing you, but you become a part of the board that helps govern the organization. So that to me is a very slippery slope and, and there are some potential ethical issues that may come up. So I would probably rethink that name with held and try to work with your board. And it sounds like your board may need some training and making sure you're effectively conveying what the mission goals and objectives are, having a wonderful strategic planning retreat to help guide the conversation and making sure that everyone is aware of what their roles and responsibilities are. And you know, have really meaningful conversations on where the organization is and where you all would like it to go as a team. Yeah, I agree with you. I mean, for me, this is like an absolute not an option. However, I do think what is an option is maybe finding out if there's some committees that you can sit on because there that's enough of an arms length. And then I also believe in it and seeing if you can't attend the meetings so that you can understand what's going on. And then even more importantly during the meetings that board members can engage with you or ask questions or learn who you are, I think it's a big, big problem for organizations that don't bring staffed folks into the meetings. Whether they never say a thing or they just sit, you know, on a back row, whatever. And that doesn't mean they have to go to every meeting, but I think they need to see what goes on and how it's hard and what people with the board thinks about and how they behave and all of these things. So, you know, I think it's, I love what you said LaShonda, I think it's very, it's a anybody joining a board should really take into consideration all those things that you said, not just this one person, because I mean what you said is foundational to, I think, good leadership. So, you know, name with help, sorry to get you to be Nancy negative, but I just don't think it's the right direction. So, okay. But yeah, it was an interesting question. It was an interesting question. Very. Shandra from New Orleans. I will be going on maternity leave and have a team member who will be taking over my donor portfolio. How do we make sure that any donations that come in while I'm off get credited to my work and not to the temp development team member working on my donors? We've never had this question. This is very interesting. This is another great question, Julia. So, Shandra, so again, it depends on your org structure. I go to policy, I go to procedure in the development environments that I've worked in. If you were the lead on the solicitations, you had some major interest in the prospect, then you would receive credit and or shared credit. In this particular instance, you're referencing a temp and I'm not certain if your team would, you know, create a solicitation code exclusively for the temp. And I'm confident that your supervisor is very cognitive and aware of, you know, based on your contact reports, where you are within that donor cycle or within managing the various prospects that you have in your portfolio. So, what I would do for peace of mind is, you know, to provide an update on all of the prospects, you know, where they are as it relates to moves management or in the fundraising cycle and then provide some specific tips for the person that'll take over during your transition and have a really meaningful conversation with your supervisor about your concerns, because it's really important in the fundraising space that we operate with trust and with high ethical standards and trust is built through relationships and effective communication. So, those are the tips that I would offer you, but I would be very, I just would not think that the template received total credit for any gifts secured in your absence, you know, best case scenario is you receive total credit. Worst case scenario is that it's a shared credit. Yeah, it's really interesting. I mean, it seems to me, when I read this question, it seems to me that there are like other issues within this development team. Definitely some trust issues. Yeah, you know, that they're all like trying to make their quotas and the stress of that. And yeah, going on maternity leave is no fun just because of the stress aspect of trying to figure out how your life is going to change, how the organization is going to change with you, without you. I mean, there's a lot cooking there, but yeah, I liked what you said too about coding, you know, like a maternity leave or shared, you know, response to a portfolio. And I just think it's healthy what you said, LaShonda, about hello, you need to keep that portfolio data system up to date. Exactly, those contact reports let everyone know where you are with all of your prospects in real time. And so, you know, if you've been cultivating and engaging over the past several months, and you have already, you know, qualified the individual for an ask amount. But because of your timeframe with your transition out, you know, you're leaving the temp with the information needed to just secure the gift in essence. And you've done the work. So I'm confident that you'll receive credit. But effective communication is key and start speaking with your colleague, your supervisor. Yeah, I mean, especially in the context of just the stress and the relationship and the cultivation of that. Because if you're working with donors, I would imagine a lot of them would be interested that you've gone on maternity leave or that you absolutely, you know, and you know, I've had individuals that have left for, you know, medical reasons short term and they'll send out a lovely note to let them know, you know, who will be your point of contact during that transition period. And they will ask for you. And, you know, there have been instances where I've been out and, you know, individuals with secured gifts from donors and they'll say, I want to make sure LaShonda gets the credit. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, that's good. That's a good thing. You know, I don't think oftentimes donors realize how house, I would say put upon, but how the structure works and how stressful it is for fundraisers to meet their goal, that they do have goals and that they do have these tracking mechanisms. And, you know, it's hard. It's a hard thing and it is a profession. So therefore, you know, there are these structures. Well, LaShonda Williams, it's always a delight to have you on, to be talking with you, to get your perspective. This was a fun week for me because we actually had you on twice and two completely different roles. And so that was, that's been a lot of fun because we got to know you even more and learn about how your amazing brain works and how you look at things. I will never forget your tip about being that person on day one, submitting their vacation. Yes. The early bird gets the worm, but, you know, we want to be equitable. And, you know, because I'm single, you know, I am the one who will say everyone can go ahead and take their vacation during the holidays. But there are some days like, you know, Memorial holiday that I may say, I'm going to need that one because I'll be here for Thanksgiving and Christmas until the end. And, you know, exactly, and, you know, not oftentimes take an extended holiday coming back from the new year in lieu of leaving early. Yeah, that's smart. Yeah, that's interesting. Well, LaShonda Williams, trainer, Fundraisingacademy, fundraising-academy.org, check them out. We have a really interesting week next week. We're going to be working with Fundraising Academy for the entire week. It is going to be amazing. And we're going to be going through this cycle that they talk about, the fund raising or cause selling cycle. And so often we talk about this, but we haven't been able to come back and do, like, a full week of how this methodology works that I think is just magical. And so, LaShonda, you're going to be a part of that and that's going to be a lot of fun. So make sure you join us for that because it's going to be, like, going to San Diego and learning from the master. So I think you'll really enjoy it. Again, we are blessed to have these amazing presenting sponsors and they include our friends at Bloomerang, American Nonprofit Academy, Your Part-Time Controller, Nonprofit Thought Leader, Fundraising Academy at National University, Staffing Boutique, Nonprofit Nerd and Nonprofit Tech Talk. These are the folks that join us day in and day out. Hey, my friend, I hope you have a great and restful weekend. We will see you soon, huh? Next week. Have a great weekend. Thank you so much. Hey, everybody. As we like to end every episode of the Nonprofit Show, we want to leave you with this reminder and that is to stay well so you can do well. See you back here next week. Thank you.