This week, we are pleased to host a webinar with a well-respected expert, Angela E. White. Angela will share her expertise and advice on how nonprofit and philanthropic organizations can navigate the current crisis.

We’re delighted to offer this brief Q&A as a “sneak preview” of Angela’s talk and expertise.

The current public health crisis continues to impact daily lives and cause stress across the economy. The nonprofit and philanthropic communities are facing significant uncertainty. They are balancing obligations to their mission and service population, the needs of their staff, and the desire to be sensitive to donors who are similarly facing challenges.

Q: What is the top message you’re giving to nonprofit and philanthropic boards and leadership about how to navigate the crisis?

A: The top message is to communicate. Stay in touch with your board leadership, campaign leadership, and donors. Now is not the time to pull back on communication. Stay in contact and use this time to strengthen your relationships with key stakeholders.

Q: From your perspective, how are remote work and virtual meetings affecting nonprofit and philanthropic organizations?

A: We hear a few key points.

First, attendance at virtual meetings is very strong – even higher than in-person meetings. However, interaction, questions, and discussion are not as strong. Thus, we need to build agendas that engage and make certain that all participants are comfortable with the meeting platform.

Is it the same as an in-person meeting: No. But it’s what we have available, and we must make the best of it.

For staff, there are many tasks that can be completed while working from home – and many ways to connect with donors either virtually or simply by picking up the phone.

Q: In the long run, do you see the pandemic changing governance in nonprofit and philanthropy organizations in significant ways? Or is this a minor blip?

I do think that we will learn and change based upon our experiences in the pandemic. There are several positive changes in the way we work that have opened new doors, removed geographical limitations, and saved time and financial resources. We have the opportunity to learn from this time in our history, keep what is working well, modify what didn’t go so well, and mitigate risk factors for future crises.

Angela E. White is the CEO and Senior Consultant at JGA Associates and also on the faculty of the Fundraising School at Indiana University’s Lilly Family School of Philanthropy.

Join us on June 4

Want to learn even more from Angela? Join us on June 4 for a FREE webinar featuring Angela starting at 2pm ET. Click the image below or register today!

About The Author

Passageways

Passageways is a SaaS provider of collaboration solutions for boards and employees. OnBoard is a board governance solution, designed to improve collaboration for directors and administrators throughout the meeting life cycle. OnSemble's a lovable, drag and drop, Employee Intranet that connects an entire workplace to one central collaboration hub, builds your culture, and inspires employee engagement.

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