 Welcome and thanks to all of you that are able to join us live or perhaps you've tuned into one of our recordings. We're so glad that you're here. Today we have one of our favorites, Melissa Stimer, who is CEO with Gabriel's Angels and Melissa's here to talk to us about what it's like to follow a nonprofit founder so Melissa glad to have you before we jump into the conversation. We of course want to make sure that our viewers and listeners know who they are looking at are potentially listening to Julia Patrick is here with me. She is the CEO of the American nonprofit Academy. I'm Jarrett ransom Julia's personal nonprofit nerd, but yours as well because there's so much nerdiness to go around and I am CEO of the Raven group. We are esteemed to have the ongoing support from our amazing presenting sponsors. Those of you watching you can see left to right those of you listening. Thank you so very much to blooming American nonprofit Academy fundraising Academy nonprofit nerd, your part time controller, the nonprofit atlas, the nonprofit thought leader, and staffing booty. I mentioned that you might be listening to some of this recorded and you can find us on Roku YouTube Fire TV, as well as Vimeo, but wait, there's more my favorite catchphrase to say there as as if I'm doing an infomercial. Listen to us now on podcast so wherever you stream your podcast, right along with Brené Brown I hope that you're also tuning into the nonprofit show so queue us up, because today's episode is going to be one you want to listen to again. So thank you so much for an individual who might be following a founder, like our guest here, Melissa Steimer again CEO at Gabriel's Angels. Melissa, welcome my friend. Thank you so great to be here with both of you. I love Gabriel's Angels and we're going to talk about the origination and the history of that but briefly, give us an idea of what your organization does because it's very unique. Yes. Well and you see it right here on our logo if we simplify it as best we can it's pets helping kids and really what that means is therapy pets along with their handler, which is a volunteer for us is out there, helping children that are vulnerable at risk we go into schools crisis shelters homeless shelters and really focus the kids on some core behaviors to make them healthy and productive adults. Wow. Fascinating. It is fascinating and that is a huge. That's a heavy lift. I'll just put it out there I mean that's a big, big task. Talk to us about the, the mission in terms of the history. We for those of our viewers that are listening to us on podcast we have an image of Gabriel because Gabriel was a real dog. The founder, Pam Gabriel, talk to us about that. So, first of all, I've been in the Phoenix community myself for almost 10 years now and when I landed here as a nonprofit professional. I heard pretty early on about Gabriel's angels. And in fact, I worked for an organization you mom new day centers which is a homeless shelter that actually was got to benefit from the program so I knew Pam on the periphery, got to work with various nonprofit events, really though didn't understand this amazing organization until I started to think about this role and being the the CEO following the founder. So really it started by her going into a crisis shelter here in the Phoenix Valley. She was a volunteer herself she decided she had a new puppy and asked them could I take this puppy Gabriel down to the shelter to just be with me and hang out with her. She socialized. This is a great place to do it. And what she saw was every week she went down there to visit these kids and could bring Gabriel. She saw this connection with the kids like no other she saw these kids open up she saw the confidence that they gained really got more compassion I mean many of these kids haven't been in a situation in their life yet where they've had that sense of healthy attachment. And she really saw that and kind of you know the story goes that she was driving and Gabriel's in the back she looks through the rear view mirror and said, Wow I think we've got something here and left her corporate job and went and started this organization now 22 years ago in 2000. It's a fantastic story and I think for all of us that have been touched by the love the unconditional love of an animal. It's really it really speaks volumes to the power of pet therapy and I know that Gabriel's predominantly has dogs serving in this role, but tell us some of the other animals that Gabriel's angels has had the ability, you know to really engage. Well, we have the opportunity if you get registered with a national registering agency called pet partners to have many different species including we have had here a mini horse so we had a mini course that went into a program and spend some time with us that the horse is now retired we've had bunnies so rabbits or another one that if they are, you know, kind and can sit there for a while then they can be amazing therapy pets as well. And of course cats and we all know some of us who have had cats I've had cats in my life. Some are good about just kind of sitting there and wanting to stay and be pet but the ones who are have been amazing pet therapy pets and you know we want to see more of them come back into the program and not just say it's just dogs. Right. Yeah. Well, you shared so much already Melissa and again, for those of you listening, you know Julia shared that Gabriel's angels is in our community and we are so honored to have you here. It's been really great to watch how you have followed the founder. And I'm curious if you can take us you know through a little bit of the timeline strategies that you've used over this timeline to introduce yourself, your staff, maybe some new initiatives. Talk to us Melissa about those time and strategies that you have implemented to introduce the new leadership. So, first of all, I, you know, didn't sometimes you don't know what you're walking into right and I knew she was a founder I knew she was well revered in this community. I heard it once I heard it a lot a lot of people say well she could talk to anyone she could see the adage of she could sell ice to Eskimos. Not unexpected for a founder right that charismatic leader that entrepreneurial spirit that person who just had that fire in them to keep this going for 20 years. In 2020 and we all know what also happened during that time. There was a time of reflection here at the organization and in fact a board that was getting away from a traditional board that a founder may hire the friends the people who just were there to support her out of the way and let her do what she needed to do. And as that board got more interested and engaged in wanting to really have the organization be able to sustain itself really wanted to be a part of the organization and so there came a time right in the middle of you know the summer of 2020 where it just was not going to work where she could continue as a founder and so I think sometimes you hear where a founder is part of the transition and sometimes they're not. And in this situation they were not. And in fact, because it was also 2020. There was the leadership that was in place with her one of them had been with her for 13 years as the kind of chief operating officer was here for the organization in the time after she left. And when the board really sat down and decided which direction do we want to go and they talked about a lot of different things do we look at other organizations we may be a better fit with. We may remain on our own what does it look like and they made the commitment they want to sustain this organization grow and really keep it moving forward and so they decided to look for a CEO. I am so passionate about this mission myself I personally am affected by pets helping kids. I have two children I'm a mom of two teenagers and I've seen the difference that pets can make, especially kids who may be facing mental health behavioral health so it was important to me right away to be so passionate about the mission and to know oh my gosh I'm following a founder right there's so much that comes with that. So we fast forward about 910 months after the founder had left they had done the search. They ended up choosing myself. And I was chosen and had to step into the organization that now for almost 10 months had no founder leadership was leadership that had been in place for some time. I had to really step into something where I, as a founder was important for the founder, you know to lay the groundwork for this, but where did we want to go and how some things may have to change right. And so I had to think about how do we come out of the gate and you know what happens when the community continues to see that we're still here and we're thriving so we quickly put a communication plan together of communication and communicated with all the external partners donors introduce myself, but it was also important as I worked with the board really share with them, I've got to hit the ground running in the first we all know right 90 100 days you've got to do the work that is under the way I put it is listen and leverage so I needed to do all four of those things in about 90 days. I just want. Yeah, and learn. Lead and leverage leverage okay listen learn lead and leverage. That is great because that's just a great strategy for no matter what you're doing but especially in a transition that you're right Pam is a beloved member of this community and a real dynamo and so those are big shoes to fill if you don't mind me saying. And I heard that that's a really great segue. I heard that many, many times and it's can be easy to defeat you in can I do this am I worthy enough do I have the do I personally have the confidence to do this because you know you really are following someone that everybody said was dynamic and you know we went for events over the course of the first year and I heard things like well Pam would bring three tables Pam made sure this event was successful Pam did this which, of course the founder and especially after 20 years certainly had a real surrounding of friends people wanted to support her so how was that going to happen with you know me stepping in and you know I've been in this community for 10 years I feel some days I'm connected but certainly not the founder and certainly not this charismatic unbelievable you know person that this was my story it wasn't my story to tell right it was the story of the organization to tell and so I had to really think about how I was telling that story to people. And what I had hoped to do what I wanted to hear from them about what they thought was important. And I tried to do all that 90 days but I had some challenges during that time and some missteps that made those 90 days I would say quite difficult if I look back and reflect. Well, that origin story that you shared, I didn't know the founders as you said and we've talked about this Julia separate is there's so much passion and that's typically how the organization is run is with. Pure passion, and you have that Melissa and we've seen it here on the show, you know, we've had the opportunity to see it here in our community as well. And I'm curious, you know, we don't have our crystal ball. Um, how this would have been different if it was done pre coven past coven like it just seemed like serendipitous, the timing of this, because I would say you were not only shaken but stirred right the entire organization, really looking like this is a big milestone, and it will always be, you know, a marker in your in your timeline, absolutely. And for all of you watching or listening, you know, there, everyone has a founder that started your organization that is how we all begin is with a founder or founder's plural. And so this is very, you know, it's an imminent thing, everyone at some point has to follow that founder so how have you seen your community respond to you and your passion, and how have they respond responded to continue to support the mission. Well, and thank you and like I said I mean I think there were different ways of response early on so there were the people that kind of were looking at me as if can you do this is this going to be successful. Are you the right person that was chosen. There were people that were like we are in the they stepped back after the founder left and many of them came on because of the founder, and really said, it's about the organization and the mission, not about the founder, and we are here to support you and make this organization, not only thrives survives grows. And so I was thankful that some of the closest people to this organization for so many years. It was a quick time and it was important that the relationships were built there so I didn't assume that you know it wasn't me going in and asking the questions I needed to ask or telling my own personal story or sharing with them the things that were on my mind that helped really get folks excited about wanting to continue the organization and so. However, I would also say, you know, in those first 90 days when I want to listen and I talked about trying to get a hold of as many people in the community as I could that had a connection and there were some people I tried three four or five times never got back to me. Never, you know responded never said, you know anything to the effect of thank you but I've moved on from the organization, and it left me feeling a little bit like wow I guess I, it's not even worth enough to listen and their intention I had to step to the positive their intention was probably more aligned with the founder than it was for the mission so you kind of got to move on and I really developed some core relationship with those who did want to continue with with the organization. In fact, I stepped in in June first so I'm almost a year. They had not chosen a place for their fall gala but knew that they wanted to bring a gala back. We in July picked a place and the event was November 8 so try doing a gala new just getting to know the supporters. And I again listened to who was out there that wanted to continue with the mission who did I need to meet who did I need to build a relationship and put a committee together of people that had been here for a while and wanted to see it. You know continue on and we ended up blowing the fundraising go out of the water I mean it was. There's a, there's a little bit to me of this natural. You know, everybody wanted to see this, you know survive and thrive that was kind of gathering around, you know this organization after the founder left that they all took a part in the success and I'm so thankful and then we had two events. And then we're a statewide organization so we had a breakfast in Tucson and a breakfast just recently here in Phoenix and all of those far exceeded their fundraising goals. So, I'm thankful and actually success yeah huge success and that really speaks to individuals supporting the mission, right, whether it's your board your advisory you're steering, you know your volunteers your staff, the community at large. What I think is is the message, and it's, you know, how do we move the mission forward, how do we continue this legacy. And again, we all have to think about this whether it's a founder, or a founder like CEO. You know it could be that someone's been there a decade plus, and that starts to feel very much like the second founder. And I had worked in situations like that I, when I mentioned some of my previous roles I had been in organizations where the leader was there 18 years, very much probably like a founder, but I also had. I think where I also had some opportunity and when you look back at your learnings in your career. I also worked in an organization where the founders and there were about 12 of them that were still heavily engaged in the organization and, in some of them ended up as I took larger leadership roles worked for me. So I learned how to navigate those relationships and understand what they bring to the table, and how much by being able to use them the organization can be successful, which I got into this situation and that was not the situation so I had to understand how do I take what the founder had done and utilize some of that legacy to move us forward, and really do it on the guys of it's not about one person it's all of us so our teams that volunteer their time, and we offer the service for free staff that was just coming on board we had staff retiring. As you can imagine, I lost staff that just chose to leave the organization during my first five months staff retired after 10 years. I lost staff anyway because of COVID so all of that was happening as I was trying to move the organization forward and really was about bringing them all together saying we all get to do this together. It's not just one person now. What about the succession planning for the organization at large curveball right but yes, without having that succession plan in place with the founder, and now you're here to follow the founder and you're doing again such a fabulous job. Has the board and yourself really advised a succession plan for the future. And how is that taking place now. Well, thank you for asking that of course as you heard I'm 11 months in and there was already a budget in place and a plan for events and fundraising, which I had to focus on and interestingly enough as we're now taking the second year to focus, you know on how our board is supporting this effort. How does the organization ensure it's got the foundation it needs and in fact just the other day, I had the board at a board training, a few of them. And that's exactly the conversation that came up as we need to start that succession planning now. And I'm thankful I was able to bring on staff that I could see gosh, at least two three of them in the next three to 10 years that could be great leaders of this organization so we're going to start having those discussions. You know that's to me when I hear somebody say that. That's so powerful and that is the definition of a leader. And we've talked about this you know we've done nearly 600 episodes, and you hear that phrase, you know, founder syndrome creep in and it is not always a positive thing. And to your point, it can be a charismatic, you know passionate leader or founding team. And that's a tough thing in for profit and nonprofit, it's both to navigate that away. So good for you for bringing that up because you got to learn these lessons. Yes, yes, I think that's exactly this. This taught you know the board swung the pendulum after the founder had left the organization and there was still some historical staff here really swung that pendulum into operations and really focused on that when I got here. I quickly realized some things they were sharing with me on decisions that need to be made or things I needed to talk to them about in a particular budget line item, I was like, oh boy we have some work to do right. We have to get that pendulum to swing back the other way and they recognize it. They understand that they need to now function more as a true board would, but we're going to work on that for probably some years. We have a thank you for that Melissa we have a question that came in and I'd love to ask it. Okay, the question is, was a percentage of funding lost. Good question. Thank you for that question. The answer to that I would say is a little bit. Not much I think the people as I mentioned earlier that really didn't answer my call that never, you know reached out and said hey I've moved on, you know whatever it is how to try to have a conversation with me. Some of them had been funders to the organization not large ones. So they, we lost them. But I think, as I mentioned before, having a very successful year in fact our budget. And I'm getting my final we just send it our year in April 30. We met our goal and exceeded it by another I think it's going to be 15%. And trust me traditionally in that first year I was making up all the excuses with the board well we may not see the funding come in. Like we saw with the founder she's got 20 years on us she's the initial person that you know is charismatic. Maybe I'm not going to do a good job but I just kept focus on what were the relationships that were responding to me, and who I needed to talk to and make sure that we were building a relationship that I think it made it successful for us to not only keep some of the really large funders, but to also see it grow and new funders come in the door. Well, the community galvanize support right and and that's what you said really is so many supporters that said we're here to see this organization continue. And I think that is very special. Okay, I wrote down your four L's which is listen, learn, lead and leverage and Melissa, if anyone could take anything away from today, I really hope those are the four main, you know, pieces you've provided so much information, very transparent, very very purposeful with so much, you know, intention so thank you this isn't always, you know, a story that's easy to share. And the organization is in great hands are pause I'm not sure which Yeah, we say that all the possibilities we have all the possibilities. Yes. This is, this has been great I would say, Jared, you know, it's a conversation like today that gives me hope for our sector and our nation, you know our nation needs our nonprofits. And when I see this leadership and I see this intent. It's fabulous it's it's just a great, great thing to be reminded of because we have chosen lives that are really challenging. And to see this is super cool and, and so thank you thank you Melissa for for being with us. Thank you. I'm appreciative to share the story and the way the story for me unfolded and I think it happens in different ways for different people but just you know stay true to who you are and I think that will lead to success. And so the story for those of you that would like to look into Gabriel's Angels or connect with Melissa Steimer, Gabriel's angels.org is their web address they're also on social media, Melissa's active on LinkedIn as well. She's always very, very quick is the word I want to say to support and collaborate and really just have these very authentic conversations so Melissa thank you for your leadership it's it's very refreshing and it's, it's welcoming and thank you. Thank you. Thank you both for having me thank you to everyone on this. Yeah, well hey if you might have missed out who we are. Let's make sure you know, again I'm Julia Patrick CEO of the American nonprofit Academy. I've been joined by my trustee sidekick Jared Ransom nonprofit nerd. And again, we want to make sure that we extend all of our gratitude to our partners who are with us day in and day out. Most have been with us from the very first day we started broadcasting. American nonprofit Academy Fundraising Academy nonprofit nerd, your part time controller, the nonprofit Atlas nonprofit thought leader and staffing boutique. Wow, Jared. I'm super pumped up. I'm ready to go and and really embrace even more of the notion of how leadership change can ultimately be a win and be stronger for an organization. It's a great way to start the week you know we always end with our fry yay ask an answer but Melissa, you made Monday, a Monday. So thank you for starting this this week off with such a wonderful conversation to all of you that have tuned in live or watching the recording we are so extremely grateful. We hope that you'll join us tomorrow and the remainder of the week we have a lot happening a lot of amazing conversations that will take place. Until then, we always ask that you please stay well, so you can continue to do well. Thanks everyone and we'll see you back here tomorrow.