A nonprofit had their only office administrator suddenly resign. Then, the dreaded “hit by the bus” scenario played out in real-time. Were Are? bills due? Are grants due? When was the last batch of thank-yous sent? Is payroll automatic? When were we supposed to report on that project? These were just some of the immediate questions needing an answer.
Kudos to this organization for not panicking. They did not try to fill the open position as quickly as possible but instead took a step back and spent some time looking at what the organization truly needed. In addition, they were willing to ask for help in assessing the situation. As an administrative consultant, I was asked to come in and take a look at their immediate needs, create short-term and long-term goals, help implement them these goals, and then train their next office administration.
Three main things I looked for:
Policies and Procedures
Are there procedures and policies in place? Does the organization have a procedure in place when they open the mail? What about entering and depositing checks? Responding to emails? What is their financial policy? A lack of procedures and policies is harmful and dangerous to any organization.
Automation
Ready or not?… If you can link it, automate it, direct deposit it, online pay it...then embrace it! The outcomes outweigh the hesitancy of automation. Payroll, bank accounts, bill pay, automatic deposit, emails, etc., can all be done efficiently and timely through automation.
Systems
Do they have a straightforward method of organization and communication? If not, the nonprofit, employees, and grantees will all suffer. There are dozens of reliable and time tested resources out there for:
- Project management
- Customer relationship management
- Fundraising platforms
- Donor databases
- Donor tracking
- Campaign management
- Workflow automation
- Etc...
The learning curves are small and worth every minute. Invest in something that helps you manage the workflow. Be diligent in committing to understanding it and using it, and help your employees to embrace it. Use it entirely from the beginning of your project to the completion.
The organization I mentioned that lost its employee embraced the changes. They implemented an automation flow that allowed them peace of mind that bills and staff were paid. Emails were sent promptly. Donations were tracked and accounted for. They were meeting all financial obligations and were following policies and procedures that would protect them, their donors, and their grantees. Instead of replacing that employee who was in the office five days a week, they could utilize a volunteer one day a week for the same work. With the additional income, they hired a third-party accountant/bookkeeper that would give them financial integrity and then hired a paid intern/assistant to help them in areas they needed more leadership and creativity.
If you are unsure where you are within your organization, reach out to Loving Venti. We would be glad to share some of the fantastic tools that we have found to be helpful.