Nonprofit Boards: Reacting to the Ever-Changing Landscape (Part I)

After a very successful April, where we, at the Calgary Arab Arts & Culture Society, celebrated a unique Arab Heritage Month - with tens of programming and events across 9 Alberta cities/towns, dozens of partners, more than 60 artists and hundreds of productive conversations - I was among the attendees of the Town of Banff second annual Nonprofit Summit, held in Canmore and Banff on April 27 & 28.

I represented the board of the Canmore Folk Music Festival, the oldest Alberta Music Festival .. as we celebrate the 49th Festival this August. But I had experiences and questions generated by my association with the Calgary Justice Film Festival, the Immigrant Council for Arts Innovation, the Heliopolis Center for the Arts, and the Canadian Artists for Public Good.

One of the central themes that I have had lately in my mind is the social fatigue as we at nonprofits - whether artistic or not - tend not to consider seriously. We think that community support is granted .. but we never ask ourselves the basic question of "WHY" .. why would the community keep giving us and for "WHAT"? 

If we are in an expansion mode and have been giving back to more communities than the community we represent, why would our community feel obliged to support us to support other communities?

I am here thinking from the lens of an organization that prides itself of going beyond institutional support - diversifying resources - as funders are already struggling with resources that are thinning and thinning (because of mushrooming of nonprofits asking for funds .. from 400 to 4000 for example)

This shifting landscape is challenging nonprofits as Mission + Limited Resources = Less Impact!

With increased demand for funding, more pressure is on funders to accommodate a rising competition. Thus the paradigm shift on the side of those competing nonprofits means more competition on other social resources .. i.e. seeking non-institutional support from their direct communities. 

But, as funders get fatigued, communities also face fatigue as demand increases. Here the paradox of growth might hit back, and communities will think of the relevance of the ask .. is the organization servicing the community? Does its programming increase jobs or serve the most vulnerable? What about volunteers? Does the organization provide opportunities for volunteers? Or is it a closed one? What about considering community volunteers as the support already given to the organization? Interesting questions, aren't they?

How are nonprofits strategizing to emphasize their social, environmental and cultural benefits? Accordingly, how are they stabilizing their raison d'etre by creating different revenue streams to generate revenue and avoid vulnerability to maintain, if not increase, impact and resilience?

An interesting quote I came across in one of the Summit sessions: "Culture Eats Strategy for Breakfast." Talking about culture and boards .. and how they project it .. and how it gets back at them is definitely a subject worth discussing in future blogs.

If we espouse the notions of "we're the experts in our fields and we should value the value we bring," then we should close our eyes and leave behind the old stories of existing in scarcity. But to reach this we need stronger boards. As we know a nonprofit can exist without an Executive Body, but cannot survive without a Board.

Lots of models and ideas were provided by the speakers and participants, focusing on resilience financially, how to create ways/ideas for the community to give? How to maximize the organization's assets? How do we monetize the expertise of the people of the organization?

But all this means nothing without a vision for the board to indulge in the process of planning for success, developing a strategic plan: Identifying WHERE we want to be, HOW to get there, WHAT are the steps, WHO will do what ..

I am excited to start thinking and exerting the effort within a healthy framework .. 

Wait for the second blog with HOW TO CREATE A BOARD STRATEGIC PLAN.

TBC!

Bassem Hafez, M.A. (He/Him)