Nonprofit organizations rely on people to move their missions forward. Dedicated staff and volunteers are the lifeblood of any organization. Donors play an important role in funding programs that help the organization achieve its mission. But where do donors come from? Donors would not be as knowledgeable or connected without dedicated nonprofit professionals and volunteers.
I’ve never met a more humble group than those who dedicate their lives to nonprofit service. I have worked in four different nonprofit organizations over my 18 year career and each of them employed a talented team of smart, compassionate, and engaging professionals. Charles Chu at Boston University studied the similarity-attraction effect which explored the phenomenon that people attract others like them. It doesn’t take too much of a leap to think how these fantastic professionals could attract like-minded volunteers.
I’ve written before about my favorite volunteer, Paul, he is extraordinary. Paul is a connector. When we worked together he made sure the right people were in the right room at the right time. He knew everyone and if he didn’t know you, he would by the end of the day. Everything about Paul is genuine, his passion for the mission, his love of people, and his selflessness. The world needs more Pauls. Fortunately, every nonprofit has their Paul. If you work with a nonprofit I bet you could identify that standout individual in your organization. We couldn’t thank Paul enough; he won every award we could give him and it never felt like enough to thank him for all he did. But Paul wasn’t the only impactful person.
Paul was one of 300 volunteers in any given year that supported the organization’s mission. One of the things I valued most about Paul was that he was always thinking about succession planning; he wanted to bring up the next group of volunteers behind him. In many ways it felt like an impossible task, Paul was irreplaceable, but he did it. Paul built a sustainable volunteer leadership group that functioned with the polish and high-level thinking I was accustomed to seeing with the board of trustees. He made a committee that was mission focused, strategic, and goal-oriented. The committee served as a feedback pipeline to executive leadership and the board with clearly defined job description and task force goals – it was extraordinary.
What Paul did was remarkable but it was not done without support. Even when I reflect on the story today, he is the main character. But Paul didn’t work alone. His vision for the committee was supported by staff who managed logistics, frontline fundraisers and faculty who recommended volunteers, and a supportive CEO and board of trustees. Budgets were built to accommodate the committee’s work, facilities were rented, materials provided, it took a village. That village made a seemingly unimaginable task possible. Together, we worked with Paul to build one of the most high-functioning volunteer groups of any peer organization and it continues today. Sustainability was achieved.
The real success in this story lies not only in Paul but in every person who saw and believed in the direction. They were happy to pick up and help where they could. Not every person had to be at the top to make a difference. The best part is that Paul knew that. He was quick to give credit and even quicker to take criticism – a true leader. The wins belonged to someone else, the losses were always his. Paul made sure the event planner was celebrated with a lively toast, the coach received an extra round of applause, and the administrative staff pulled from the edges of the room. The work of Paul’s committee was powered by people, and he made sure everybody knew it.
Every person has the ability to shine a spotlight on someone else. In nonprofit service it is particularly important to ensure people feel valued for their contributions. Nonprofit service is all about passion. That passion can be fueled or dampened by how people perceive their own value and contributions. As a nonprofit leader, it’s important, perhaps even essential, to help people be seen and to celebrate the value of others. Those small acts of kindness and recognition will ensure your organization is always powered not just by people but by the best people.
