Solutions Overview
Volunteer Mobilization
According to Independent Sector, every hour of work a volunteer gives is valued at $28.54. That means highly involved volunteers could do (or are already doing) the work of several full-time employees. And when your budget is already stretched thin, those hours could mean a stronger impact for your work.
Cause-based volunteers want to fight for their organizations and an effective mobilization program engages their passion, skills, and creativity on an individual basis. Imagine what might be accomplished if you had the ability to uncover the hidden talents and aspirations of all your volunteers and then release them to work in areas tailored specifically for them. You’ll have created a force of volunteers, wholly engaged at every level, working to accomplish your mission.
“Ian has an authenticity about him that has allowed him to motivate and encourage volunteers to the point of true engagement – not just with the task at hand but also with the spirit in which it is completed. He easily motivates people with his relational style and possesses that unique blend of personableness coupled with execution – he gets things done.” ”
Supporter Engagement
Here’s a question you’ve probably asked yourself: How do we keep supporters feeling connected and involved without sending yet another campaign appeal?
More than anything, effective Supporter Engagement requires a change in mindset. With this different point of view, no longer will your supporters be a large--and perhaps overwhelming--group receiving a form letter. Instead, with proper attention, they’re seen as the individuals they are--each with their own needs, each with their own offerings.
This new approach allows your organization to better understand what your supporters have done for your cause and, in turn, allows you to engage them on a deeper level. And along the way, you’ve turned benefactors into passionate, long-term advocates. I’d be glad to show you how.
“Beyond equipping supporters with knowledge, Ian orients engagement strategies from the point of view of the supporter. He doesn’t merely impart knowledge but places a high value on drawing out our supporters’ passion and skills to benefit the children we advocate for.”
Creativity Coaching
Some of us might produce art in our spare time, but all of us can produce art at work. It could be anything from inventing a new strategy, crafting clear, actionable emails, or even an Excel spreadsheet (or what I like to call, “bringing order to chaos”). We all can be more creative in the work we do and, because we’re fighting for a cause, we need to be more creative in the work we do.
There’s a quote I love from the American playwright Paddy Chayefsky that goes like this, “If I have anything to say to young writers, it's stop thinking of writing as art. Think of it as work." I just love the idea of approaching your art as a vocation, a discipline, and this notion also informs my approach to something I like to call Creativity Coaching.
Simply put, I reverse Mr. Chayefsky’s advice and show people how to start thinking about their work as their art. By tearing down the walls people create between their work selves and “real” selves, employees and volunteers engage their passions, include their whole person into their work, and in turn become more productive.
“Ian has such an extraordinary way of fanning the flames of your passion. With a keen capacity to listen to what motivates you, Ian gently but pointedly draws out your soul-work—what you are made for. Working with Ian opens you up to your potential and the precise way to integrate your unique gifts with the world’s greatest needs.”
Equality & Inclusion
Our society is becoming more diverse every day and in an ideal world, that diversity should be a source of richness and depth of experience in the workplace. But unfortunately, in even the most forward-thinking organizations it can instead be a source of tension.
Equality and inclusion should be the goal of every organization because it’s both morally correct but also a good business practice. Seeking equality means auditing your policies, procedures, and resource allocation to ensure they’re fair and impartial towards all the different groups that make up your organization. Inclusion is a transformative process that invites broad participation and fosters increased empowerment for everyone, but especially for the marginalized and underrepresented.
By creating a truly open and welcoming environment, you free your stakeholders to act without fear or reservation and bring their whole selves to task of advancing your organization’s mission.
“Ian’s extensive work with non-profits and deep respect for people contribute to a strategic and sagacious approach that increases organizational inclusiveness and missional effectiveness.”