Happy Holidays to All from do good Consulting!

As we take down our holiday lights and get back to work in this new year, do good Consulting would like to say Happy New Year to everyone. The advent of a new year always brings with it the hope of change – change in our personal lives and changes at work, too. As you look to strenthen your organization this year – to grow it's fundraising program (yes, even during a recession), to do more with less, or to build a better, stronger team – do good will be there to help you. Let us know if we can help.

Best wishes for the New Year everyone! Happy 2009!

Laura Huth, President & CEO, do good Consulting

Q&A: Computer donations

Dear do good:
Recently, a company called our organization to say they had five computers to donate from a recent company upgrade. A volunteer who took the call told them we would take them, sight unseen. I’m a bit skeptical. After all, if the company doesn’t want them anymore, can it still really be useful equipment for our group?
- Skeptical in Champaign

Dear Skeptical:
Based on what you’ve shared here it’s hard to tell how useful this equipment could be for your organization.

Because I don’t know anything about the equipment you use (e.g., Mac, PC, Linux) or the type of units the company is donating – it’s impossible to say whether the systems or platforms are even compatible. And not knowing what exactly the company plans to donate can be a real wild card: you could end up with some really nice, new units, but you could also be left holding some real lemons. If you end up with truly unusable units (and we've seen it happen before), having them discarded or recycled can be difficult and costly. One other factor to consider is how “clean” the units come: if there is sensitive data still on the machines, they must be wiped before use, which takes time and the use of a professional to do properly (and requires you to install a new operating system, too).

The first question I would have you ask yourself is whether or not your organization even needs new equipment right now. Perhaps you are outfitted just fine and do not need (or have room for) new computers. If you don’t need them, they should be politely declined, suggesting instead a couple of other organizations you know of who could potentially use them.

The second question is whether the donated computers are any better than what you use now. If you’ve done a technology assessment at your organization, great! This assessment provides you with a detailed list of what your organization owns and uses (platforms, models, programs, peripherals, network stats, etc.) and what gaps or needs exist. Ideally this list would also provide you with an upgrade timetable showing when each piece of equipment should be upgraded over time. Optimally, the list would also contain a “minimum equipment level” (showing minimum memory, hard drive size, operating system details), so volunteers and staff know if donated machines can be used at a glance.

Use this assessment, then, to see how the donated equipment fits into your plan, if at all. If you don’t have a technology assessment, you’ll need to review your machines vis-à-vis the donated ones to determine if the donation amounts to an upgrade on your end. Be sure to consider network-ability, licensing, software, and other such details.

do good always suggests having someone that really knows the ins-and-outs of this type of equipment help you if you are not completely knowledgeable. It’s unlikely that equipment that can’t or doesn’t communicate well with your systems will have a value-added impact. In certain cases, it could end up costing your organization in add-ons and peripherals trying to get everything working smoothly. What you don’t want is a donation that ends up being a step backward for your group. These days, integrating used equipment is hardly worth it with the relatively competitive cost of new PC hardware.

With that said, companies are often in a better situation technology-wise than many non-profits. So it is possible that the computer donation would result in an overall upgrade to your systems. However, it’s important to note that some fancier equipment might require a higher level of technical skill for proper functioning and management, and this is a cost you’ll have to be prepared for. Plan to bring in a technology expert to guide you through the transition to minimize data loss and down time and to help with training and use. When it comes to your information and communications, extreme care must be taken for efficiency and data safety, and proper training is crucial for maximum functionality.

Good luck, Skeptical, and I hope the computer donation works out for your group and fills an important need on your end by creating better, stronger programs. Be sure you thank the company donating them in every possible way: on your website, in your e-newsletter and printed newsletter, and any other publicity opportunities you provide to your donors.

- Laura Huth, President & CEO & Tim Newcomb, Internet Technologies & Constituent Management Systems Specialist, do good Consulting

Need help or want more information on conducting a technology assessment? Contact do good Consulting for help.

Have a question for do good's non-profit experts? Ask do good at dogood@dogoodconsulting.org.

Group Spotlight: GlobeMed

by Cheryl Middaugh, do good Consulting Associate & Consultant

The idea that using stories to strengthen fundraising appeals is, by now, fairly conventional wisdom in the nonprofit sector. But one budding nonprofit organization based in Evanston, Illinois recently demonstrated how first-hand storytelling—interacting directly with those most connected to the organization’s work—can be a powerful network-building tool.

GlobeMed is a student-driven organization giving young people the tools, training, and resources they need to manage sustainable projects that improve the health of people around the world. Its 18-chapter, nationwide campus network supports health-related projects in programs across the globe, ranging from maintaining a Ghanaian community health center focusing on nutrition, disease prevention, and immunization to raising funds for the expansion of a birthing center in Haiti.

With a humble start as a small student group at Northwestern University in Chicago, GlobeMed’s work evolved from providing direct relief to a few project sites into a movement of young people dedicated to making a lasting positive impact on global health. As the scope of its work changed, so did its structural and funding needs. A new corporate “angel donor” allowed the organization to hire its first Executive Director in 2006 and to expand the scope and quality of its training programs for students. The organization grew—adding nearly 10 new chapters in less than one year. And, as is the case in so many small nonprofits, its leadership became increasingly aware that relying on a single funder was unhealthy and unsustainable.

By early 2008, GlobeMed’s young leadership had recruited a new, highly engaged Board of Directors, acquired a couple new mid-level institutional funders, and added a new key full-time staffer as part of a large-scale plan to diversify the organization’s fiscal base. But grassroots support—the vast databases that larger, more established organizations boast—was notably lacking. In an effort to expand its core of key supporters, GlobeMed organized an informal dinner party aimed at exciting and engaging new potential funders. A grand gala it certainly was not: indeed, a board member hosted the gathering at his Evanston home and underwrote the catering, drinks, and supplies. It was an intimate gathering of 35 potential funders, students, staff, and stakeholders, but it proved to have an incredibly high impact. Following only a brief address to the whole group by the host and Executive Director, the rest of the evening was devoted to ensuring that the four student leaders who were in attendance—leaders representing the most successful chapter projects in GlobeMed’s network—told their stories to everyone in the room.

Watching the contagious excitement spread around the room was a strong testament to the power of the story. True, it is fundraising sector “common knowledge” that the story is the most powerful rhetorical tool for appealing to potential donors. As fundraisers, we put stories in our annual appeal letters, on our websites, and in most of our correspondence with donors. But, as exemplified by GlobeMed’s dinner party, a story becomes immeasurably more compelling when it is told by those actually working to put words into action: those seeing a written mission statement transform into a tangible, hands-on, real-world impact.

By the end of the gala, GlobeMed had recruited a new board member, expanded its mailing list for its first annual campaign, reinvigorated its internal sense of identity, and perhaps most importantly, developed a new core base of individuals inspired by GlobeMed’s dedicated student leadership who will serve as ambassadors to the community. In short, GlobeMed’s event accomplished everything that a successful event should be.

The level of intimacy and informality of GlobeMed’s dinner party example is, of course, not replicable at all types of organizations. But what we can all take away from this success is the idea that our best advocates are usually those who are most directly involved in the work of our organizations. Even in big organizations with large development or marketing departments it can be exceptionally powerful to connect donors, board members, and other key stakeholders—directly when possible—with those who carry out the great work of the organization.

If enthusiasm is contagious, then in a dense group it’s epidemic. For more information on GlobeMed, go to www.globemed.org.

Have a group you want to see highlighted? Let do good know at dogood@dogoodconsulting.org.