Leadership in Non-profit Organisations Assignment

Week 4 – Leadership in Non-profit
Organisations

 Discuss the nature and characteristics of no
profit organisations
 Explain the challenges leaders experience i
leading in a non-profit organisation
 Identify the abilities a leader needs for lead
non-profit organisation
 Recognise the competencies a leader need
leading in a non-profit organisation

 Seek to create public good
 Usually driven by a “passion for mission”
 Involvement is usually “married to the cause” realisation of a social mission as a driving force and not profits often established or founded by individuals
 Play an important role in society
 A growing sector… many borne out of profit making entitie
 Extremely diversed sector: length in establishments categories number of staff size of budget

 Has diversed stakeholders Board of trustees Donors Volunteers Employees Members Local (and sometimes int.) government agen Visitors Prospective members/donors/volunteers

 Has diversed stakeholders
NPO
Board of
Trustees
Donors
Volunteers
Employees
Members
Local govt.
agencies
Visitors
Prospective
Members/
Donors/
Volunteers

 NPOs function in complex environment
 NPOs are experiencing increasing competition
 NPOs often are not able to have strategic plan
as they tend to tackle major issues and to quic
address them
 NPOs need to have affordable, accessible
management but with sufficient technical
assistance
 NPOs often receive a one-time only external
support E.g. government funding, corporate consultation

 Leaders of smaller NPOs often have multiple ro
and functions
 Building networks are often time consuming a
risky
 Lacking in access to resources necessary in co
with the pace and scale of change
 Have to cope with changing technologies E.g. data and information collection, technologically
mediated communication (inc. websites, facebook,
tweeting)

Dr. Jemilah Mahmood
• Founder of Mercy Malaysia
• Malaysian Medical Relief Society, 1999
• President from 1999 to 2010
• Member of Advisory Group of the
Central Emergency Response Fund
(CERF)
• Recipient of several awards including
the Isa Award for Service to Humanity
"Your accountability is not just to your don
also your beneficiary. For instance, were y
beneficiaries involved in deciding what foo
buy? Did they receive it in time? Was there
bias in your distribution? Are you ethical in
way you work? Do beneficiaries have a cha
to voice complaints?"

Stakeholders:
 differences in experiences
 differences in expectations E.g. how funds should be allocated, partnerships of NPOs
 each seeking different relationships and connections w
the NPO (and leader)
 stakeholders are sometimes not clear about how they
best contribute to the NPO
 leader needs to constantly engage with stakeholders
 leaders need to learn how to effectively navigate and
consensus amongst the multiple and diverse stakehol

Measuring impact :
Stakeholders…
 are linking value to what they are doing
 wants to see impact of what they are doing
 increasingly demanding for tangible evidence
 wants to know that they are indeed making a
difference
 have differences in assumptions and perceptio
about the relationship between their efforts an
outcomes
 have different measures of impact (and succes

Measuring impact :
NPOs….
 can monitor and demonstrate effort but measu
the impact of those efforts is challenging
 tend to have limited evaluation program capac
 absence of standardised evaluation outcomes
 do not have ‘market feedback’ on how well the
is serving the community
 assessing cost-effectiveness and comparing
alternative actions is difficult

Measuring impact :
NPOs….
 sustained, measurable impact takes time to ev
 requires chain of impact with measurement fo
desired change and level of change
 measurements include quantitative and qualit

Human Resource issues :
 Motivation
 Mixed skills
 Pay satisfaction
 Turnover
 HR support E.g. training, performance management, career
development
 Learning environment
 Conflict and resentment between paid and non
staff (volunteers)

Anita Ahmad
• Program Advisor, Mercy Malaysia
• From 2002 to 2006
• Bachelor of Laws (LLB), Cardiff University, U
• Previously worked at a publisher of law books c
• Managed humanitarian projects
• E.g. Displaced families in Afghanistan,
Displace families in Iraq, Displaced
families in Sudan
• Does project operations planning
• Implements the operation
• Does some of the actual operation, as and when
• Overseas the implementation of the operation
• Write up reports on progress of the operation
• Provide additional support to volunteers
• Went on to do her Master’s in Social Developmen
• Went on to work with the United Nations High
Commission For Refugees (UNHCR)

Volunteers
 NPOs usually rely on the active participation o
volunteers
 Many stakeholders are volunteers
 Thus, contribution of volunteers is significant
 Without volunteers, many services would not b
available to the public

Volunteers
 Do not depend on income from NPO
 Usually are busy and have to juggle multiple
commitments
 Have different relative priority given to their ro
the NPO
 Time availability of volunteers varies, often in
evenings and weekends
 May choose to leave at any time

Zhang Liwen
• Served as a core volunteer
• At Moon Corner, Beijing, China
• Formerly an animal-protection
NPO:
• collecting stray cats and looking for
adoptive families for them
• Works full-time as a customer
relations manager in a company
• Took two months off her full-time
work to prepare for Moon Corner
public awareness exhibition.
“It is not a matter of money. What
really matters is that it gives me an
opportunity to do something for stray
animals and the environment we are
living in”

Volunteers
 Leading volunteers is very different because leaders: Do not have position power Cannot discipline followers Have no formal HR process
 Leading volunteers often requires Community Leadership: Framing
▪ Communicating to the volunteers in a compelling way
▪ Communicating the Why and How Building social capital
▪ Developing and maintaining relationships with volunteers Mobilisation
▪ Taking action to assemble and prepare the volunteers

Volunteers
Components of Community Leadership

The need to balance between:
 structure and flexibility
 formality and informality
 mission and budget or financial results
 leading and managing paid and non-paid staff
 needs and expectations of diversed stakeholde

Leaders in NPOs requires the ability to: have a diverse matrix of skills foster learning build talent adapt to changing expectations adapt to changing structures measure impact communicate and articulate the impact connect to the impact

1. Ethics and values Considered the most important and fundamental Essential for public and stakeholder confidence and trust Having and establishing personal and organisational ethical
standards, code of conduct Establishing accountability structures Ability to communicate the above
2. Board and committee development Recruitment, interacting, engaging and motivating of board m To be able to explain the board’s purpose and role To be able to discuss strategies
3. Accounting and financial management Understand the fundamental principles of non-profit account Establish the principles and standards for effective control an
monitoring fiscal operations Ability to read and interpret financial statements and audit re

4. Community outreach & public relations Strategies in and implementation of building public awareness o
mission of the NPO Critical for fundraising which is affected by the exposure of the N
5. Diversity awareness Preparedness and appreciation of cultural diverse settings Understand alternative views Interaction skills with diverse population Mindful approach and ability to navigate encounters, dilemm
challenges of diversity
6. Non-profit management Understand the central importance of mission orientation an
statement Demonstrate basic knowledge in management including plan
human resource issues

7. Risk management and legal issues Have a working knowledge of the basic laws and regulations
which NPO operates Know the basic steps in risk management and crisis managem
8. Fundraising principles and practices An understanding of variety of fundraising strategies and me Skills used in raising funds from multiple sources Understanding the motives of why stakeholders give to the N Ability to write and present an NPO case statement and grant
9. Program planning and implementation Assessment of clients needs Development and implementation of the program based on t
needs (including activities, staffing and scheduling) Inclusive programs for diverse individuals and groups Promotion of programs through various media Evaluation of program outcomes

10. Volunteer management Understand the reasons why people do and do not volunteer HR planning and techniques for volunteers From recruitment to retention Fostering volunteer/staff relationships Fostering the spirit of volunteerism
11. Information and technological management
 Basic computer literacy skills
 Understand the role of IT in the NPO
 Social impact and responsibility of technology
 Ethical considerations

12. Youth and adult development
 Develop activities and program that is responsive to the nee
youth and adults
 Encouraging and fostering mentoring
 Recognising ‘red flags’ for protection issues
13. Other competencies Leading staff Communication Team building Collaboration Interpersonal skills