Episode 10

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Published on:

7th Oct 2025

Essential Elements of a Successful Nonprofit Strategy with Expert Dr. Collette Portis

In this episode of The NonProfit Nook, host Wendy Kidd and guest Dr. Colette Portis from the Red Development Group continue their strategic planning series. They discuss the often-overlooked aspect of team development and delve into the essential elements of effective strategic planning for nonprofits. The conversation covers the importance of revisiting mission and vision statements and setting measurable goals. Dr. Portis outlines the 15 crucial plans that comprise a comprehensive strategic plan, including goals, financial planning, and community engagement. This episode is packed with actionable insights designed to help nonprofit leaders develop robust strategies that align with their organizational missions and values.

Links:

https://linktr.ee/reddevelopmentgroup

https://amzn.to/42h8UiE - JUST Strategy By Dr. Collette Portis

https://amzn.to/4ntu1a9 - G.O.A.L.I.E. By Dr. Collette Portis

https://amzn.to/3ImXHXd - CEOs Finish Strong: Learn What’s Weakening Your Company by Dr. Collette Portis

SBDC - https://www.sba.gov/local-assistance/resource-partners/small-business-development-centers-sbdc

Junior League of Collin County - https://www.jlcollincounty.org/community/meeting-facilitation-services/

https://www.bosslevelengaged.com/services-for-nonprofits-nonprofitnook

https://thenonprofitnook.com/

https://www.youtube.com/@BossLevelEngaged

https://www.instagram.com/thenonprofitnook/

https://flodesk.com/c/G0H0UB


00:00 Introduction to NonProfit Nook

01:14 Welcome and Guest Introduction

01:39 Strategic Planning Overview

02:11 Importance of External Support

03:21 Revisiting Mission and Vision

05:38 Assessment and Goal Setting

08:29 Identifying Blind Spots

08:46 Financial Literacy in Nonprofits

11:19 Resource Allocation and Team Development

26:42 Personal and Team Development Plans

30:37 Staying Organized with Priorities

30:58 Aligning Values with Your Calendar

31:13 Strategizing for Life and Work

32:04 Community Engagement and Impact

33:46 Event Planning and Execution

37:01 Social Media and Branding

39:19 Marketing and Sales Strategies

43:56 Technology and Succession Planning

52:51 Final Thoughts and Next Step

Mentioned in this episode:

Flodesk

Transcript
Speaker:

Dr. Collette Portis:

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And I will tell you if there is one

piece of a strategy that gets missed.

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90% of the time it is that, yeah, how

am I developing my team so that they

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are growing with the organization?

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How am I deploying my team into spaces

to allow them to gather information

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and bring it back to the table so we

can use it to make decisions so we

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can use it to grow this organization?

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And a lot of times we don't think

about staff development that way.

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Wendy Kidd: Welcome to The NonProfit

Nook, the podcast for nonprofit

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leaders, board members, and community

change makers who want to build

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stronger, smarter organizations.

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I'm your host, Wendy Kidd, a longtime

business owner and nonprofit leader,

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and I'm here to bring you real talk,

real tools and real stories to help

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you thrive in the nonprofit world.

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I'll be talking with local nonprofit

leaders, community change makers,

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and experts in everything from board

development to fundraising and digital

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tools, sharing real stories and simple

strategies you can actually use,

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because running a nonprofit is hard,

but you don't have to do it alone.

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Let's get started.

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Welcome everyone.

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We are here again with Dr.

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Colette Portus with the

Red Development Group.

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We are talking through our strategic

planning series, and if you guys

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listened to the episode prior to this,

that was the first part of this series.

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If you have not listened to

that first part, you really need

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to go back and listen to it.

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Lots of good stuff on how to prepare for

strategic planning for your nonprofit.

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So today we're gonna move into

what we're actually doing.

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First episode was all about the

pre-work, all the things we needed

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to assess before we sat down and

really started making a plan.

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Um, but now we're, we're,

now we're down to it.

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We're gonna start planning.

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And so we need to talk about

what should that look like?

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What are these strategic planning sessions

or days or et cetera, what is that gonna

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look like and what is that gonna include?

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So, come on, Portis, let's talk about it.

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Let's talk about it.

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Dr. Collette Portis:

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Um, so.

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Depending on who you use as your

service provider, my recommendation

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is to use an outside service provider.

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I also know that there are nonprofits that

cannot afford an outside voice, so you

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have to figure out how to do it yourself.

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But then in cases like that, my

suggestion is to bring in some

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supporters who really love you and

who will give you great advice and

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who won't just give you the friendly

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stuff,

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right, to help you, um,

see an outside perspective.

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Wendy Kidd: Right.

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I also feel like, and you tell me how

much this is true, but I feel like

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bringing in somebody from the outside also

helps mediate the conversation better.

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Dr. Collette Portis:

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Absolutely.

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Right?

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Absolutely.

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My suggestion would be

to use your supporters.

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Mm-hmm.

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So your donors.

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Because one, they have a

vested interest in you.

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They've put their money

where their mouth is.

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Mm-hmm.

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But number two, it gives you an

opportunity to help them understand

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where you're going and be a part of it.

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So that means nine times outta

10, they're also going to

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financially support you more.

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Right.

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Right.

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They bring their resources to table.

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Wendy Kidd: Right.

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They're, they're invested in

what you're doing that day.

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Yeah.

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They wanna make sure that you are getting

to the goals that are appropriate.

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Absolutely.

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Um, and I think that that's part of the

strategic planning, and maybe you're

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about to tell us all this wonderfulness,

but I think of strategic planning, the

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hardest part I feel like is, I feel like

people sometimes reinvent the wheel.

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Dr. Collette Portis:

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Mm-hmm.

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Wendy Kidd: They're not going

back to their original mission

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statement, their original vision

statement, their original values.

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They're not using that as a touchstone.

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Instead they're trying

to recreate that wheel.

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Yes.

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And I feel like that, that strategic

planning is not to reinvent that.

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Correct.

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It is not to reinvent your nonprofit

unless you know your nonprofit's got

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problems and you're reinventing it.

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But you should be going back to basics

and trying to figure out what your

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measurable goals are for the future.

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Right?

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Dr. Collette Portis:

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Yeah.

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Your, your mission statement,

your vision statement, your core

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value statements, not words.

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Mm-hmm.

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Because we all define words differently.

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So you should have statements.

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Those are your anchors.

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Those are your guiding stars.

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So anything you put in your

strategy should be pointing

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or leading to those things.

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Yes.

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So your mission statement is the mission.

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Mm-hmm.

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We are working to get there.

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So this year, this 12 month period,

we're gonna do these things in

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order to get closer to our mission.

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Yeah.

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Your core values are, these are the rules

that are going to govern our behaviors

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as we move towards that particular goal.

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So yes, you're absolutely right.

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You need to be, you need

to be aware of those.

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You need to be checking in

with those things to make

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sure they are still the same.

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You don't have to reinvent the wheel.

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Right.

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Understanding your anchors, making

sure they're still your anchors.

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They don't need to be adjusted

or anything like that.

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Then setting your goals, what do

we want to do in the next year?

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What does our work look

like in the next year?

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Sure.

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When we strategize, we have 15

plans, and so clearly, of course,

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my brain is gonna think that way.

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So our very first plan is

looking at what does it look

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like to grow this organization?

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What does growth even mean?

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Where are we right now?

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What did we do in the last year or

the last five years, depending on how

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often they, um, look at their strategy.

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My suggestion though is if you're using

strategy, you need to do it annually now.

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Technology and everything is changing so

fast that you have to do it, um, annually.

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Wendy Kidd: Sure.

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So, so really our first step is

looking back at those assessments we

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talked about in the first podcast.

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So, or presenting those assessments

to everybody that's in the room.

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Yeah.

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Right.

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We talked about, you know, what,

all we needed to assess who,

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who is gonna be in this room?

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We're gonna present all of that to

them and make sure that they understand

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where the organization is right now.

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Dr. Collette Portis:

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Absolutely.

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Because if you don't know where you

are, how do you know where you're going?

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Yeah.

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If I don't know, I'm in Texas, how on

earth am I gonna plan to get to Chicago?

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Yeah.

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I don't know where I am.

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Mm-hmm.

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Right?

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Mm-hmm.

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So first, knowing where you are and

looking at that assessment data,

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understanding where the organization is.

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Also understanding how what you did in

the past is connected to your anchors.

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Mm-hmm.

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Was it connected or were we

just doing a lot of stuff?

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Wendy Kidd: Right.

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Was it successful?

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Was it what we really

wanted to have happen?

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Did something else happen

that we didn't realize?

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Yeah.

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That's all part of that assessment review.

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Yeah.

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Dr. Collette Portis:

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And what's, what's important about that

assessment piece connected to the anchors?

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Nonprofits work from their heart.

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It is always hard work.

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And so when their heart feels like doing

some work, it will move towards that path.

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The question always remains

is that particular hard work

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connected to the mission, right?

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Because sometimes it's not right.

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Um, for the sake of an example, I have

a nonprofit that we mentor and they're

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focused on, um, reducing gun violence.

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Hmm.

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But they were spending a lot of time

doing Thanksgiving baskets and school

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drives, and so they were spending a

significant amount of time hosting these

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big events every year, which impacted

the, how they were able to move towards

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the goal of reducing gun violence.

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Mm-hmm.

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It took their time.

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Yeah.

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And so while that was good stuff to do

and those families needed those things.

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That was not driving them

towards their mission.

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Right.

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Right.

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So making sure that whatever you're doing

is driving you closer to the mission.

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So assessment, um, looking at your

anchors, and then once you've looked at

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your anchors, now let's set some goals.

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Mm-hmm.

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What is it that we need to do first?

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Very first Sure.

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What is it that we need to do

in the next year to help drive

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us closer to that mission?

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Wendy Kidd: Mm-hmm.

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Dr. Collette Portis:

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That's number one.

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What is it that we want to do?

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To help drive us to that mission.

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That need to do piece is gonna

come from your assessments as well.

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Your assessments should be informing

you about what you can do better.

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But more importantly,

what are your blind spots?

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Mm mm-hmm.

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Blind spots are the number one needs.

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That's where we've gotta start.

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Then secondarily, those

things we can improve.

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'cause you're already doing some of that.

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Mm-hmm.

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Your blind spots, you're

not touching at all.

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Wendy Kidd: Yeah,

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Dr. Collette Portis:

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so you've gotta start working.

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Wendy Kidd: Can you give an example of

what one of those blind spots looks like?

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Because I guarantee there's

gotta be a common theme.

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Dr. Collette Portis:

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Absolutely.

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I um, we have another nonprofit that we're

working with, and literally before I came

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here, this is how the phone call went.

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What is your budget?

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Where are your financial statements?

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And I'm naming your cash flow statement,

your balance sheet, your commonized

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statement, and eyes are glossed.

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Yeah.

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And then they pull up the budget

and I'm like, this isn't correct.

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It's like, this is almost

like you're scratched down.

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You know, some numbers at the kitchen

table on the back of a napkin.

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It's not informing or telling a story.

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They don't know.

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Like I didn't know it

needed to tell a story.

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I just knew that the law requires

that I track the numbers.

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Right?

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It's like, no, the numbers are important.

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They tell you a story and they inform

you about what you can and you cannot do.

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Yes.

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What what's possible and what's not

possible if you don't know that you

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really are driving blind, which is

what a lot of the struggle is when

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it comes to, um, to nonprofits.

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Mm-hmm.

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The other piece of that is.

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A lot of times they go get support.

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They've got a CPA, an accountant,

a back office or whatever, but they

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don't know enough to give them the

information they need in order to be

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informed and make the informed decisions.

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Yeah.

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So when you just don't

know, you just don't know.

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Wendy Kidd: Yeah, absolutely.

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So it sounds like an assessment a lot of

times that we're finding as a blind spot

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is simply you don't understand your own

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Dr. Collette Portis:

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financials, you don't Yep.

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Most of the time.

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Right.

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And, and.

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That's been in small

nonprofits and larger ones.

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Wendy Kidd: Yes.

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Yes.

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Dr. Collette Portis:

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Um, to the point where we've worked with

larger nonprofits that had to actually

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get rid of their CFO because we have

no idea what any of these numbers mean.

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They're just numbers and

we're getting our paycheck.

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Not that we don't care, we do,

we just think that they're doing

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what they're supposed to do.

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But then when someone has to explain

and they get to question three mm-hmm.

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And they go, uh.

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Because they don't know.

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Yep.

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That's a big problem.

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Yep.

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Yeah.

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It takes money to, to create impact.

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Like I'm, I'm a Christian woman.

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The word says that money,

answer with all things.

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Well, you, you got, if you,

you gotta figure out how to get

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the answer and then manage it.

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Absolutely.

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You can't just do, you know, and

that, but that's what happens

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because we're working from the heart.

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Absolutely.

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So, assessment to inform

you where you are.

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Mm-hmm.

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Your anchors.

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Mission, vision, core value

statements, setting your goals first.

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What do we have to do?

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What do we need to do?

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What do we want to do?

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Have to do blind spots, need to

do improvements, want to do with

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all those big exciting goals.

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We wanna grow this and we wanna

do that and, and all of that.

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Once you figure that out, then you gotta

figure out what is it gonna cost me?

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Mm-hmm.

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In time, in talent and money, what

is it going to cost me to do that?

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I was sitting with another client and we

were working on their, um, their strategic

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plan, and this client from our heart goes,

I wanna give my people a 10% commission.

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I was like, great.

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That sounds good.

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Let's do it.

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And then I wanna, at the end

of the year, give them a bonus.

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Awesome.

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Let's do it.

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Then I said, okay, well

here's the numbers.

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And she goes, oh my God, no,

we're gonna have to go to 1%.

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Because now I'm, yeah, I'm making an

informed decision based on my numbers.

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Wendy Kidd: Mm-hmm.

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Dr. Collette Portis:

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As opposed to a heart decision, because

her heart would've let her do 10%

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and that would've closed her company.

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Yep.

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But she didn't know that because

she just didn't know that.

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Wendy Kidd: She just

didn't know the numbers.

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Dr. Collette Portis:

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She just didn't know the numbers.

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Wendy Kidd: Well, and I think that

that's honestly something that

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I see a lot of people that don't

know how to do strategic planning.

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That's what I see them doing is they

kind of treat strategic planning

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as a brainstorming session mm-hmm.

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Of, Hey, what are all the

things that we wanna do?

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Right.

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And they, they talk about all

the things that they wanna do,

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but there's no real math done.

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There's no real, you

know, setting smart goals.

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Yes.

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You know, I've heard the smart goals.

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Yes.

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There's no real setting of smart goals.

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There's very just, oh my

gosh, we have so many ideas.

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But that's not what, what all we're

doing in this, in the session.

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There's more to the session Absolutely.

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Than just brainstorming.

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So it sounds like brainstorming is Yes.

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That's one of the first things we're

doing, but then we're doing math.

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Yeah.

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Then we're doing actual evaluation

of these goals, of what's it

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going to take to get there.

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Dr. Collette Portis:

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Absolutely.

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Brainstorming is.

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The truth of the matter is coming out of

your year before and your assessments,

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you, it should be informing you about

what you're doing the next year.

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Yeah.

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Your goal setting shouldn't just be, you

know, all these wild ideas that we have.

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it shouldn't be that.

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Mm-hmm.

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Your, your data should be informing

you that this is the next step that we

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need to take in order to get closer.

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Right.

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And that evaluation also means

what are we not doing anymore?

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Yeah.

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What are we going to continue to do?

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Mm-hmm.

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What is it that we haven't done

that we need to start doing?

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Mm-hmm.

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Those are important questions that need

to be asked and need to be answered.

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If you don't answer those questions, then

when you get to the rest of the plan.

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Then you're all over the place.

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You also have to know who am I talking to?

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Because again, as nonprofits,

we're heart people.

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Because we're heart people

we will help everybody.

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But yes, giving kids backpacks

does not reduce gun violence.

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Right, right, right.

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So I could be helping over here with the

second grader who needs a backpack, but I

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really need to be helping the, the group

of teenagers that are most impacted.

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Right by this.

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Right.

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So making sure you know who you're

talking to and don't be afraid of that.

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So many people are afraid to

narrow who they're talking to.

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I tell people all the time, if

you are talking to everybody,

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you are talking to nobody.

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That is right.

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Wendy Kidd: I love that.

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Dr. Collette Portis:

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If I said, if I said lit

to my grandfather, so true.

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He understands fire.

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Mm-hmm.

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If I said lit to my sister.

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She understands something then what

I say, lit to my niece or nephew.

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Mm-hmm.

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It's one word, three

completely different meanings.

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Yes.

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Granddad is looking for

a lighter or mattress.

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Mm-hmm.

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Right, right.

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Like means something completely.

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So if you're talking to everybody,

you are talking to nobody and you

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don't have to narrow it forever.

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Mm-hmm.

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Just for the next 12 months.

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Become an expert in who

you need to decide that.

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Yes, in your strategic plan,

what do I wanna do more of?

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What do I want to do less of?

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Yes.

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If gun violence is the thing

that I really want to tackle,

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then who's most affected by it?

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Who's the one that's committing it?

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What?

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What's happening in their

lives that's causing it?

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What's happening in their

lives after it happens?

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Become an expert in that and

build your plan around that.

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Absolutely.

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How do we solve for these things?

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Gun violence is the symptom.

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Mm-hmm.

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It is not the problem.

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But if we spend 12 months understanding

it, then we know what the problem

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is that we can solve for that.

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Go back to that piece of assessing

and you should be looking at if you're

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do, if you're, you have programming

and things like that, you should

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have surveys that's happening after

every single time you have a program.

407

:

Mm-hmm.

408

:

And you should be looking at that

data because that data is informing

409

:

you of how you need to move forward.

410

:

Mm-hmm.

411

:

If you're not using that data, you're

not looking at that data, then to

412

:

your point, you are gonna start

creating solutions for problems for

413

:

people who don't have these problems.

414

:

Right.

415

:

These aren't the problem.

416

:

The problem isn't gun violence.

417

:

That's the res, that's the result.

418

:

Of the real problem.

419

:

How do we figure that out?

420

:

And that takes multiple voices.

421

:

So there's some stuff that has to

happen, you know, in that assessment

422

:

piece prior to going into planning.

423

:

You've gotta be informed when you

go into that and informed by data.

424

:

Mm-hmm.

425

:

Not what we think is happening.

426

:

Right.

427

:

You also need to have surveyed your team.

428

:

Yes.

429

:

Yes.

430

:

'cause your front facing people, they

know where, what all the problems are.

431

:

Absolutely.

432

:

The people at the top oftentimes think.

433

:

Or they've overheard but they don't

really know completely what the

434

:

problem is in, in a lot of cases.

435

:

So you need to be looking at your

team, understanding how is the policy

436

:

that you created stopping them from

doing their work or slowing them down.

437

:

All of that kind of stuff

goes into a strategy.

438

:

Absolutely.

439

:

Because once you've built that strategy,

then you've gotta start to build the

440

:

system that supports the strategy.

441

:

Now, I know we're not talking

about that today, but.

442

:

That is the next step after

you've built your strategy.

443

:

So you've got your assessments, you've

got your anchors, you've got your goals.

444

:

Now that I have these things, now it's

time to work on all of the relationships

445

:

and the system that needs to support it.

446

:

So the very first thing is who

are we and what are we doing?

447

:

Mm-hmm.

448

:

And then it's like, okay, well then what

resources, people, time dollars, things

449

:

like that do we have that can support

us in being more of who we say we are?

450

:

Wendy Kidd: Yeah.

451

:

That's part of your

452

:

assessment is absolutely who, who are

your people and what are their skills?

453

:

Dr. Collette Portis:

454

:

Absolutely.

455

:

Wendy Kidd: What strengths

do you have on your team?

456

:

What weaknesses do you have on

your team because you're missing

457

:

those people that you need to, to

help with those types of things

458

:

Dr. Collette Portis:

459

:

and who needs to detach?

460

:

Yes.

461

:

From the team.

462

:

Yes.

463

:

In order for the team to move forward.

464

:

Wendy Kidd: Yeah.

465

:

Is the whole team working

with all cylinders?

466

:

Absolutely.

467

:

Or do we have some kinks?

468

:

Dr. Collette Portis:

469

:

Do we have a cancer on the team?

470

:

Mm-hmm.

471

:

Right.

472

:

Do we, is there somebody holding us back?

473

:

And being okay with letting them go.

474

:

Yeah, that's fine.

475

:

Free them to the wild yonder

and let them find something

476

:

that makes them really happy.

477

:

Mm-hmm.

478

:

And because again, because it's

our heart work, we go, oh my God.

479

:

But they're family.

480

:

Oh my God.

481

:

But they're, but really, we don't realize

sometimes that we're holding them back.

482

:

So now you're in this place where you've

gotta figure out all your resources.

483

:

So there should be a plan

specifically around technology.

484

:

Wendy Kidd: Mm-hmm.

485

:

Dr. Collette Portis:

486

:

How is technology supporting you?

487

:

In doing what you're doing.

488

:

Wendy Kidd: Oh, now you're

speaking my language, right?

489

:

I'm a lover of systems and technology.

490

:

Dr. Collette Portis:

491

:

Absolutely.

492

:

How are your community partners?

493

:

Mm-hmm.

494

:

Supporting you and what you're doing?

495

:

How are you educating your

staff, developing your staff,

496

:

and so that they can show up for

you in the best possible way?

497

:

And I will tell you if there is one

piece of a strategy that gets missed.

498

:

90% of the time it is that, yeah, how

am I developing my team so that they

499

:

are growing with the organization?

500

:

How am I deploying my team into spaces

to allow them to gather information

501

:

and bring it back to the table so we

can use it to make decisions so we

502

:

can use it to grow this organization?

503

:

And a lot of times we don't think

about staff development that way.

504

:

I have a consultant who is on my team.

505

:

And he called me a couple of days ago

and he's like, you need to do this MBA.

506

:

I am like, listen,

sister got eight degrees.

507

:

She's not doing one more degree.

508

:

I don't need it.

509

:

I said, but you wanna know

what the amazing thing is is

510

:

that you have the information.

511

:

Mm-hmm.

512

:

I don't have to have it too, because

all I need to have is a relationship

513

:

with the one who has it and they

have to be willing to share it.

514

:

Absolutely.

515

:

And so it is clear.

516

:

That you are willing to share your

information, and so we're fine.

517

:

We're good.

518

:

So anytime we're at the table and we

need to have this conversation, we

519

:

know who needs to be at the table.

520

:

And that goes back to what you

were talking about, like the

521

:

SWOT analysis and things like

that, and evaluating your team.

522

:

Yes.

523

:

Because your team is, they're,

they're getting degrees and they're

524

:

learning new skills in there.

525

:

When's the last time you found out

what the extracurricular activity aids

526

:

are that your team is doing that could

potentially support your organization?

527

:

Wendy Kidd: Yeah, I, I, I'm planning

on doing an entire series on

528

:

working and developing your team

as a nonprofit, because I feel like

529

:

nonprofits come at this so backwards

sometimes they think about what they

530

:

can afford versus what they need.

531

:

Yeah.

532

:

And it really should be

the other way around.

533

:

Figure out what you need,

figure out who you need, and

534

:

then find the money for that.

535

:

Absolutely.

536

:

Because that's what's more important

for you to be able to serve people

537

:

the way you want to serve them.

538

:

You know, pulling from the bottom of

the barrel talent wise just means that

539

:

your services are bottom of the barrel.

540

:

Absolutely.

541

:

Talent wise.

542

:

Absolutely.

543

:

Dr. Collette Portis:

544

:

And pulling from the bottom of the

barrel is not necessarily a bad thing.

545

:

That means you're bringing now.

546

:

But you also have to realize anytime you

bring someone into your organization,

547

:

you are bringing them with both their

good habits and their bad habits.

548

:

Yes.

549

:

Your job is to help increase

the number of good habits Yes.

550

:

That they have.

551

:

So if your organization has nothing

in a bucket to develop your people.

552

:

You are setting yourself up for failure.

553

:

Yes, AI is a perfect example of that.

554

:

If you are not willing to develop

your people, you will be left behind.

555

:

Um, I, I own a design firm and one of

the things that we do is we design, um,

556

:

obituaries for, you know, the deceased.

557

:

And we do a digital one, and then

there's also one that they can print.

558

:

And then we also do this thing where

they can scan a QR code so that the

559

:

people can access the digital one.

560

:

Well, we had to do one, um, a couple of

weeks ago, and this family was completely

561

:

adamant about printed obituaries.

562

:

So we told, said, okay,

here's the cost to our vendor.

563

:

Mm-hmm.

564

:

We get a corporate discount, wed.

565

:

It's gonna cost you like $500.

566

:

Mm-hmm.

567

:

To get you a, and they were like, what?

568

:

500?

569

:

I'm like, yes.

570

:

And finally they got to a place

where they were decided we're

571

:

not even gonna print them.

572

:

And it went over so well that they were

like, we're never gonna print them.

573

:

Like, why would we ever do that?

574

:

And then you've got this

thing that lasts forever.

575

:

Absolutely that you don't, you know?

576

:

Mm-hmm.

577

:

A piece of paper you might look,

but just simple things like that.

578

:

Simple changes like that.

579

:

But if you aren't training your team, if

you don't have a pot of money somewhere

580

:

that you could tap into 250, $300 to

send a team member to go learn about ai.

581

:

And AI technology, yes, you're gonna

be, yes, you're gonna be scraping,

582

:

and yes, your neighbor is going to

be working faster and more efficient

583

:

than you are because they found a way.

584

:

Now, here's the other piece.

585

:

I know that these are nonprofits and

I know every single dollar counts.

586

:

There are so many resources.

587

:

If you, 'cause I'm a believer in intent.

588

:

Mm-hmm.

589

:

What you intend in your heart is

typically what's going to happen.

590

:

So when you put your, your strategic plan

together and then you put your budget

591

:

together, intend on what you want to do.

592

:

Sure.

593

:

And then you'll start to find that, oh,

we didn't have to pay for that AI course.

594

:

There's a free one that they could.

595

:

They could take or they could

go to or Absolutely right.

596

:

Our resources are providing

these different things.

597

:

'cause now we intend on doing it.

598

:

Mm-hmm.

599

:

So now we can, we can see what

resources are available to 'em.

600

:

Wendy Kidd: So your resources

are not just your team?

601

:

No.

602

:

They are also the people in the community

that you have relationships with.

603

:

They are also the donors that you

have, the volunteers that you have.

604

:

There are so many resources providing

free education, free software, discounted

605

:

software, discounted education.

606

:

For nonprofits.

607

:

Mm-hmm.

608

:

That should be part of your strategic

planning, is figuring out what those

609

:

resources are and once you've brainstormed

your ideas, you've figured out your goals.

610

:

Part of the strategic planning

is figuring out what resources

611

:

you need for those goals.

612

:

Dr. Collette Portis:

613

:

Absolutely.

614

:

When we plan, we have what's

called a community plan.

615

:

So remember I said we have 15

plans that compile one that.

616

:

Make up one plan.

617

:

So walk us through what

all the 15 are real quick.

618

:

So the first plan is growth, looking at

what does business growth look like here?

619

:

Mm-hmm.

620

:

The second plan is work.

621

:

What kind of work is it gonna

take for us to get there?

622

:

The third plan is, what

do I need to do mentally?

623

:

What does my team, where does

my team's mindset need to be?

624

:

I love that because that

is the major barrier.

625

:

Wendy Kidd: Mm.

626

:

Mm-hmm.

627

:

Dr. Collette Portis:

628

:

If you see someone struggling with

something, nine times out of 10,

629

:

it's a mindset issue as opposed to

a resource issue, a people issue.

630

:

Mm-hmm.

631

:

Right?

632

:

So first off, are we mentally prepared and

ready to do what we say we're going to do?

633

:

And if the answer is no, then let's

plan around it so that we can be right.

634

:

Okay.

635

:

Then the next thing is what?

636

:

What does my family structure look like?

637

:

Because here's the thing for

I, I say this all the time.

638

:

For nonprofits, they do a great job

of taking care of the community,

639

:

but taking care of their people.

640

:

They are not doing your, they don't

provide the same when it comes

641

:

to the people who work for them.

642

:

Wendy Kidd: I guarantee you

the listeners are going, yes.

643

:

Mm-hmm.

644

:

Like yes, right now.

645

:

Everybody nodding your head.

646

:

Dr. Collette Portis:

647

:

Yeah.

648

:

Yeah.

649

:

And so if you're an executive

director of a smaller nonprofit, it's

650

:

going to take a lot of your time.

651

:

Yes.

652

:

So how about planning for when I'm

gonna be connected to my family?

653

:

What does that look like?

654

:

And then having a conversation with your

family to say, this year we're gonna be

655

:

doing some amazing things at work, and

it's gonna take this much time for me,

656

:

but what I promise is to send a text

message every day that says, I love you.

657

:

Right.

658

:

Right.

659

:

Or just the little things.

660

:

The little things.

661

:

Every night at dinner, I, I'm going

to ask you, what was your pile,

662

:

what was your wow and what was your

amazing thing that happened today?

663

:

What are you grateful for?

664

:

Mm-hmm.

665

:

Every day.

666

:

Like, it doesn't have to be big.

667

:

It doesn't have to be huge.

668

:

Wendy Kidd: Just say, just

something to show that you're

669

:

invested in that relationship too.

670

:

Yeah.

671

:

Not just work.

672

:

Dr. Collette Portis:

673

:

Be intentional about it.

674

:

Mm-hmm.

675

:

The

676

:

plan after that is then, now how

am I developing me personally?

677

:

What am I going to feed myself?

678

:

What podcasts, what books, what courses,

what am I going to do to make sure that

679

:

I, this person and my, the members of my

team 'cause that personal, each member

680

:

of your leadership team, at minimum,

should have their own personal plan.

681

:

Wendy Kidd: Mm-hmm.

682

:

Dr. Collette Portis:

683

:

Their own family plan.

684

:

What am I going to do in these

areas as it pertains to my person

685

:

and as it pertains to my family?

686

:

What am I going to do?

687

:

And then there's a self-care plan.

688

:

Because we do not work with companies

who don't practice self-care

689

:

because we're working with C-Suite.

690

:

Wendy Kidd: Mm-hmm.

691

:

Dr. Collette Portis:

692

:

And so if you ha aren't practicing good

self-care, whatever you bring with you

693

:

is what you will pour into your people.

694

:

Sure.

695

:

And a lot of times the number one

thing that breaks an organization

696

:

or a company is it's leader.

697

:

Wendy Kidd: Absolutely, absolutely.

698

:

It's not the people hundred percent

699

:

Dr. Collette Portis:

700

:

front facing.

701

:

It's the leader and it bleeds

down into the organization and it

702

:

is steep and it is deep, and it

takes a long time to overcome it.

703

:

So we need to care for ourselves.

704

:

So does that mean you're just gonna take

a bath every Sunday night and read a book?

705

:

Is that, is that what that mean?

706

:

What is that?

707

:

Does that mean, does that mean

like, what does that mean?

708

:

Does that mean you're

gonna go on vacation?

709

:

Once a quarter,

710

:

Wendy Kidd: people please go on vacation.

711

:

Even if it's a

712

:

staycation.

713

:

Oh my God, I seriously take time off.

714

:

You will do so much better at work if

that's the only thing that convinces you.

715

:

You will do so much better at

work if you take a vacation

716

:

Dr. Collette Portis:

717

:

when we start to talk about

systems, remind me to talk

718

:

about my vacation process.

719

:

Oh, I can't wait.

720

:

Yes, I'm all about that.

721

:

Yes.

722

:

Uh, and I'll tell you what

the results have been as well.

723

:

Okay.

724

:

So.

725

:

The next is what, what, what am

I doing to care for in this body

726

:

that I have to carry every day?

727

:

Mm-hmm.

728

:

Because what people don't realize

is one of the greatest, the largest,

729

:

um, one of the, the areas that impact

revenue and uh, results is sick people.

730

:

Yes.

731

:

Mentally, spiritually, physically,

emotionally, sick people.

732

:

It is hurting your organization

and it comes down to real dollars.

733

:

Yeah.

734

:

And we oftentimes understand that.

735

:

So when we're building our

strategy, we need to know that

736

:

Wendy Kidd: yes,

737

:

Dr. Collette Portis:

738

:

we need to make sure, because

when I'm sitting across from you

739

:

and I'm doing your 90 day review,

guess what I'm asking you about?

740

:

What's your personal

development look like?

741

:

Have you been committed to your, um,

your personal, um, self-care plan?

742

:

What have you been doing with your

family and what's the results?

743

:

We have a client who in her

family plan, she, um, every month

744

:

committed to doing hosting family

dinners, and it has been amazing.

745

:

They love, they are like,

we are never gonna stop.

746

:

And her family looks different.

747

:

It's not just blood family, right?

748

:

Right.

749

:

She lives in a new town where she doesn't

have a lot of her blood family, but she's

750

:

got friends that have become family and

it's this amazing opportunity for them

751

:

to sit around and learn about what she's

doing and they ask questions and all

752

:

because they see she's doing this now,

which has led it to her other friends

753

:

hosting family dinners for her family.

754

:

Wendy Kidd: That's amazing.

755

:

And I'm sure that that energy

pours right back into her team.

756

:

I've always called, called

my team, my chosen family.

757

:

Mm-hmm.

758

:

So her chosen family mm-hmm.

759

:

Is now benefiting from her

being this much more high energy

760

:

being and happy and positive.

761

:

And now she can do that with work too.

762

:

Absolutely.

763

:

And that just makes everybody at the, at

the place, at the nonprofit feel better.

764

:

Clients.

765

:

Clients.

766

:

It just makes it so much easier.

767

:

Dr. Collette Portis:

768

:

Her clients feel it.

769

:

Mm-hmm.

770

:

Her donors feel it.

771

:

And this is a nonprofit.

772

:

So her don't 'cause, because a

lot of times we can go, when do

773

:

you find the time to do that?

774

:

No, you don't find it.

775

:

You make it.

776

:

Wendy Kidd: You make it.

777

:

Yes ma'am.

778

:

You have to make the time.

779

:

People ask me all the time,

I'm a time management nut.

780

:

Mm-hmm.

781

:

And they ask me all the time,

how do you stay so organized?

782

:

Because I plan according

to my priorities in life.

783

:

Yes.

784

:

If this is not important to me, it's

not getting time on my calendar.

785

:

Absolutely.

786

:

And everyone.

787

:

Needs to, to look at that.

788

:

If they've never looked at

that in their life before.

789

:

I implore you and give me a call.

790

:

Send me a message.

791

:

I will talk about this time all day long.

792

:

I probably will do a podcast where

I just talk about this, but please,

793

:

please, please look at your own values.

794

:

Yes.

795

:

And then look at your own calendar.

796

:

Yes, and those don't mesh up.

797

:

You're doing it wrong.

798

:

Yeah.

799

:

And I am happy to walk you through

800

:

Dr. Collette Portis:

801

:

and in your, in your life.

802

:

Yes.

803

:

It's the same, like I'm talking strategy

for a nonprofit, for a business, for an

804

:

organization, but it's the same in life.

805

:

Mm-hmm.

806

:

What are my anchors?

807

:

Yes.

808

:

What do I care about?

809

:

Yes.

810

:

What do I want?

811

:

Which is why we start with family.

812

:

Yes.

813

:

And personal.

814

:

What do I want for the thing that is most

connected to me, that is going to impact

815

:

me more than anything else on this planet?

816

:

Yes.

817

:

I have to start there.

818

:

Mm-hmm.

819

:

And then if we can figure that

out, then we can prioritize time

820

:

based on what's getting us closer

821

:

Wendy Kidd: Absolutely.

822

:

To that.

823

:

Absolutely.

824

:

Okay.

825

:

Sorry.

826

:

Yes, we can do it.

827

:

Dr. Collette Portis:

828

:

We've got, uh, we've got growth, we've

got work, we've got um, um, mindset,

829

:

we've got personal development, we've

got family, we've got, uh, self care.

830

:

And now you notice all

this work is on you, right?

831

:

This is right.

832

:

We haven't talked about other people yet.

833

:

Right.

834

:

Finally, we get the other people.

835

:

Mm-hmm.

836

:

Community.

837

:

What am I doing for my community?

838

:

What do I want to be

doing for my community?

839

:

Mm-hmm.

840

:

And what I find is the issue is not

doing something for your community.

841

:

The issue is giving it all away to your

community so you don't have enough seed to

842

:

sow in order to create and harvest so you

can keep doing things for your community.

843

:

Right.

844

:

So you're giving it all away.

845

:

Giving it all away.

846

:

Well, when you develop that

strategy around how I'm

847

:

going to impact my community.

848

:

Connected to my anchors.

849

:

Now my relationships look different.

850

:

Right now, we don't have relationships

with or other organization or

851

:

other people that's draining us.

852

:

We've got a two-way relationship

where you are getting something

853

:

and we're getting something, and

we are supporting one another and

854

:

what we do as opposed to helping.

855

:

Right?

856

:

Right.

857

:

Absolutely.

858

:

You, you didn't, you couldn't get it done

yourself, so I'm gonna help you do it.

859

:

Right.

860

:

Supporting means you are doing it.

861

:

You just need somebody to hold your

arms or you know, you need somebody

862

:

to help you take the next step.

863

:

Right?

864

:

Right.

865

:

So community, how are we planning?

866

:

How much are we giving?

867

:

Are we a nonprofit that

supports other nonprofits?

868

:

Wendy Kidd: Mm-hmm.

869

:

Dr. Collette Portis:

870

:

From other organizations?

871

:

Yes.

872

:

Right.

873

:

What is it that we want

from our community?

874

:

How are we showing up in our community?

875

:

What percentage of our

community do we wanna impact?

876

:

Yes.

877

:

Right?

878

:

If we're working to solve the problem

of homelessness, then what is the

879

:

percentage of homelessness in your city?

880

:

And then what percentage of

that do you wanna impact?

881

:

Because it can't be a

hundred, I mean, could,

882

:

Wendy Kidd: it's called

called a smart goal people.

883

:

It's called a smart goal.

884

:

A smart goal.

885

:

Mm-hmm.

886

:

Dr. Collette Portis:

887

:

Yeah.

888

:

I love those things.

889

:

Yes.

890

:

Yes.

891

:

So community is next.

892

:

Once we were at community, then

the next thing is, let's think

893

:

about events by themselves.

894

:

Why would you pull events

out out of all things?

895

:

Because those are massive undertakings.

896

:

Yes ma'am.

897

:

Everything else is just

kind of day to day.

898

:

Mm-hmm.

899

:

You get to an event, it is a massive

undertaking and it takes weeks and

900

:

months and so much of your resources

that you have to be intentional about it.

901

:

Yes.

902

:

Because that thing could break you.

903

:

How many nonprofits have planned

fundraisers only to make $6?

904

:

Wendy Kidd: Or nothing.

905

:

Or went in the hole.

906

:

Dr. Collette Portis:

907

:

Or went in the hole..

908

:

Yes.

909

:

You had a good time though.

910

:

Wendy Kidd: Yeah.

911

:

I guess.

912

:

Threw a heck of a party.

913

:

Dr. Collette Portis:

914

:

Threw a heck of a party,

but you got $6, you know?

915

:

Exactly.

916

:

So being intentional about that,

what do we want from this thing?

917

:

Yes.

918

:

And not just looking at what kind

of events do we want to host, but

919

:

what kind of events do we need

to be at and what have you done

920

:

in the past that didn't work?

921

:

Yes.

922

:

Yes.

923

:

Again, it's that data.

924

:

Absolutely.

925

:

It's that data.

926

:

It's all data driven.

927

:

What annual conferences

do we need to be at?

928

:

Yes.

929

:

What are required, um, events

or conferences or learning

930

:

opportunities that we have to be at?

931

:

What would we like to be at?

932

:

If we're looking at our blind

spots, what can we connect to?

933

:

That's going to support

us with our blind spots.

934

:

So it's no longer a blind spot

being intentional about how

935

:

you are connecting networking.

936

:

Oh my God.

937

:

Oh yes.

938

:

Yeah.

939

:

Wendy Kidd: I, you know, I, I need to

do a whole, I'm gonna do a full podcast.

940

:

I'm marketing too, because people don't

realize what rooms they need to be in.

941

:

Exactly.

942

:

And they end up, number one,

they end up in the wrong room.

943

:

Mm-hmm.

944

:

They're spending time on

something that doesn't matter.

945

:

Mm-hmm.

946

:

Or.

947

:

They're going into that

room completely unprepared.

948

:

Absolutely.

949

:

There's no plan involved

with going to that room.

950

:

Mm-hmm.

951

:

And it certainly isn't tied to any

particular marketing strategy, which as a

952

:

nonprofit, you need a marketing strategy.

953

:

I'm just gonna say it right now,

because most of them don't have one.

954

:

Dr. Collette Portis:

955

:

Absolutely,

956

:

absolutely.

957

:

Yes.

958

:

You're a hundred percent correct, so Yes.

959

:

You know what?

960

:

Why am I here?

961

:

Right.

962

:

Should be the question that, that you're

asking and what do I intend to do mm-hmm.

963

:

While I'm here and what do I

intend to get out of this room?

964

:

Yes.

965

:

Right.

966

:

Everything I, I, if you don't, if you

all don't remember anything else that

967

:

I say, I want you to remember that

every talent you have, every hour or

968

:

minute of time that you have is a seed.

969

:

What are you doing with it?

970

:

Are you just giving them away?

971

:

Or are you actually planting them in

a place that's going to reap a harvest

972

:

for you so that you can continue

to feed other people and yourself?

973

:

Yes.

974

:

Because it's not okay just

to con to feed other people.

975

:

'cause eventually you'll starve and

then there's nobody to feed the people.

976

:

Wendy Kidd: Well, and I'm gonna

go back to the old metaphor

977

:

analogy that we all rely on.

978

:

The airplane pilot always tells

you to put your own mask on first.

979

:

Absolutely.

980

:

And then help the person next to you.

981

:

Yeah.

982

:

Dr. Collette Portis:

983

:

Because if you pass out while trying

to help them put their mask on,

984

:

then we're not gonna get anywhere.

985

:

Or we're, we're done.

986

:

Doesn't, doesn't make, yeah.

987

:

So come on.

988

:

So we're gonna look at

events and things like that.

989

:

Mm-hmm.

990

:

And then the next three things we're

going to look at is a plan specifically

991

:

around social media, I guess.

992

:

Here's one.

993

:

Wendy Kidd: The bane of

everyone's existence.

994

:

Yes.

995

:

Dr. Collette Portis:

996

:

No.

997

:

There's two things I say all the

time that people use every day and

998

:

they really don't know how to use it.

999

:

Is money and social media.

:

00:37:22,035 --> 00:37:23,055

Oh, that is a good one.

:

00:37:23,055 --> 00:37:23,325

Yes.

:

00:37:23,355 --> 00:37:23,655

Right?

:

00:37:23,895 --> 00:37:24,075

Mm-hmm.

:

00:37:24,315 --> 00:37:25,185

Everybody does it.

:

00:37:25,215 --> 00:37:26,055

I would agree with that.

:

00:37:26,055 --> 00:37:27,585

Nobody really does it.

:

00:37:27,645 --> 00:37:28,005

Right.

:

00:37:28,665 --> 00:37:30,225

So what is your strategy?

:

00:37:30,375 --> 00:37:30,795

Yes.

:

00:37:30,855 --> 00:37:34,875

What do you want people to know You're

an expert in, what do you do here?

:

00:37:35,385 --> 00:37:35,775

Right.

:

00:37:36,225 --> 00:37:39,435

We o oftentimes people go,

we're about to have an event.

:

00:37:39,780 --> 00:37:42,600

We're gonna do some social media

and people are gonna show up.

:

00:37:43,500 --> 00:37:49,530

Well, that's not really a sales

tool, but we think it, and then our

:

00:37:49,530 --> 00:37:54,450

hearts are broken when 20 people

show up to this 250 people event.

:

00:37:54,480 --> 00:37:57,660

Wendy Kidd: And by the way, nonprofits

sales is not a four letter word.

:

00:37:57,810 --> 00:37:58,515

It is not.

:

00:37:59,025 --> 00:37:59,235

It's

:

00:37:59,235 --> 00:38:00,885

not, it's actually a good word.

:

00:38:00,975 --> 00:38:01,785

It's a good word.

:

00:38:01,785 --> 00:38:02,595

It's a good word.

:

00:38:02,715 --> 00:38:03,375

It's a good word.

:

00:38:03,435 --> 00:38:03,525

Mm-hmm.

:

00:38:03,915 --> 00:38:03,916

Dr. Collette Portis:

:

00:38:03,916 --> 00:38:07,455

So social media, the

next thing is branding.

:

00:38:07,725 --> 00:38:07,815

Mm-hmm.

:

00:38:08,325 --> 00:38:08,745

Why?

:

00:38:08,985 --> 00:38:10,515

Why would social media come after brandy?

:

00:38:10,875 --> 00:38:14,565

Because are you, do you look

like who you say you are?

:

00:38:17,715 --> 00:38:18,165

Yes.

:

00:38:18,170 --> 00:38:18,320

Right?

:

00:38:18,675 --> 00:38:20,655

Do you, I mean, are you really?

:

00:38:20,660 --> 00:38:21,000

Mm-hmm.

:

00:38:21,180 --> 00:38:21,680

Do you really.

:

00:38:22,425 --> 00:38:25,935

You know, you need to look

like who you say you are.

:

00:38:26,055 --> 00:38:29,505

And there's so many ways, and I know,

uh, a lot of times nonprofits don't have

:

00:38:29,505 --> 00:38:32,985

budgets to be able to do that, but there

are colleges and universities, there are

:

00:38:32,985 --> 00:38:38,235

students who, our marketing person is a

college student who came to us and said, I

:

00:38:38,235 --> 00:38:39,975

need to get some experience and marketing.

:

00:38:39,975 --> 00:38:40,695

I said, great.

:

00:38:41,265 --> 00:38:41,925

Take it over.

:

00:38:42,135 --> 00:38:43,755

Wendy Kidd: There are some amazing.

:

00:38:45,090 --> 00:38:48,360

Amazing marketing people

who are happy to help you.

:

00:38:48,390 --> 00:38:49,830

Barter is a real thing.

:

00:38:49,980 --> 00:38:50,160

Yes.

:

00:38:50,160 --> 00:38:51,870

By the way, barter is a real thing.

:

00:38:52,230 --> 00:38:56,130

But also look for people who

can be on your board or your

:

00:38:56,130 --> 00:38:57,900

volunteers who have these skills.

:

00:38:57,930 --> 00:38:58,050

Yes.

:

00:38:58,710 --> 00:38:58,830

Going

:

00:38:58,830 --> 00:39:00,150

back to that, people's assessment.

:

00:39:00,210 --> 00:39:00,211

Dr. Collette Portis:

:

00:39:00,211 --> 00:39:02,130

Yes, absolutely.

:

00:39:02,130 --> 00:39:03,390

We'll talk about board development.

:

00:39:03,540 --> 00:39:04,440

Mm-hmm.

:

00:39:05,160 --> 00:39:07,170

So now you've got your branding plan.

:

00:39:07,170 --> 00:39:08,055

You know what messaging.

:

00:39:09,120 --> 00:39:11,820

You wanna push out, you wanna,

you know who you're talking to.

:

00:39:11,820 --> 00:39:13,290

'cause remember we did that a while ago?

:

00:39:13,350 --> 00:39:13,650

Yep.

:

00:39:13,710 --> 00:39:15,600

So now you know who you're

talking to and you know what

:

00:39:15,600 --> 00:39:17,040

message you wanna relay to them.

:

00:39:18,150 --> 00:39:18,870

Now that's done.

:

00:39:19,230 --> 00:39:21,660

Now let's talk marketing,

because people think branding

:

00:39:21,660 --> 00:39:22,830

and marketing are the same thing.

:

00:39:22,830 --> 00:39:23,250

They are not.

:

00:39:23,250 --> 00:39:25,410

No, they are not the same thing.

:

00:39:25,440 --> 00:39:25,680

No.

:

00:39:25,770 --> 00:39:29,160

Branding is what you push out because

you want people to know this about you.

:

00:39:29,190 --> 00:39:32,490

Marketing is what you give so that

you can get people to come in.

:

00:39:32,940 --> 00:39:33,300

Yes.

:

00:39:33,360 --> 00:39:34,140

They're two different things.

:

00:39:34,440 --> 00:39:35,880

What's my marketing strategy?

:

00:39:36,300 --> 00:39:37,680

It can't be social media.

:

00:39:37,740 --> 00:39:38,910

You see, I took a plan out.

:

00:39:38,915 --> 00:39:39,065

Thank you.

:

00:39:39,085 --> 00:39:39,945

So that can't be it.

:

00:39:40,035 --> 00:39:40,465

Thank you.

:

00:39:40,555 --> 00:39:40,905

Right?

:

00:39:41,045 --> 00:39:41,465

Mm-hmm.

:

00:39:41,645 --> 00:39:43,710

It can be part of it, but

it can't be the whole of it.

:

00:39:43,800 --> 00:39:44,220

Yes.

:

00:39:44,250 --> 00:39:44,550

Right.

:

00:39:44,790 --> 00:39:46,440

So what is my marketing strategy?

:

00:39:46,740 --> 00:39:48,420

What am I planning to do?

:

00:39:48,420 --> 00:39:52,440

Do you know that they, there are

community calendars on almost every

:

00:39:52,440 --> 00:39:58,230

news station that allows nonprofits

to put, to add their events to these

:

00:39:58,230 --> 00:40:00,360

community calendars that get announced.

:

00:40:01,140 --> 00:40:01,350

Yep.

:

00:40:01,410 --> 00:40:02,310

On the news.

:

00:40:02,400 --> 00:40:02,700

Yep.

:

00:40:03,330 --> 00:40:04,470

Across the country.

:

00:40:05,265 --> 00:40:06,615

Are we using these things?

:

00:40:06,765 --> 00:40:07,935

How many newsletters?

:

00:40:07,965 --> 00:40:09,405

Who are my partners?

:

00:40:09,585 --> 00:40:12,435

Is American Airlines or somebody,

your partner, would they be

:

00:40:12,435 --> 00:40:16,245

willing to add to their newsletter,

something that you're pushing out?

:

00:40:16,245 --> 00:40:17,265

Are they willing to do that?

:

00:40:17,265 --> 00:40:18,045

Did you ask them?

:

00:40:18,135 --> 00:40:19,875

Wendy Kidd: And I'm gonna say

this 'cause I can hear the

:

00:40:19,875 --> 00:40:22,215

groan already from listeners.

:

00:40:22,935 --> 00:40:24,165

Yes, it takes time.

:

00:40:24,165 --> 00:40:24,465

Yeah.

:

00:40:24,495 --> 00:40:26,475

But if you put it into your plan.

:

00:40:27,270 --> 00:40:30,690

It only takes the time that you have

decided already to dedicate to this.

:

00:40:30,840 --> 00:40:31,230

Absolutely.

:

00:40:31,290 --> 00:40:34,410

If you're not thinking of this

during your strategic plan, of

:

00:40:34,410 --> 00:40:35,370

course it's never gonna get done.

:

00:40:35,430 --> 00:40:35,431

Dr. Collette Portis:

:

00:40:35,431 --> 00:40:35,940

Absolutely.

:

00:40:35,970 --> 00:40:38,970

Now, when we plan with a,

with an organization mm-hmm.

:

00:40:39,390 --> 00:40:43,530

At the end of every single plan

is an accountability report.

:

00:40:43,980 --> 00:40:44,620

Wendy Kidd: Oh, I love this.

:

00:40:44,640 --> 00:40:44,641

Dr. Collette Portis:

:

00:40:44,641 --> 00:40:47,100

They first have to determine,

we've written this plan.

:

00:40:47,190 --> 00:40:47,280

Mm-hmm.

:

00:40:47,700 --> 00:40:51,715

So we've written this family

plan, who in the family is res?

:

00:40:51,930 --> 00:40:53,040

Who is responsible?

:

00:40:53,040 --> 00:40:55,530

Who is the person that everybody

knows to come to when they

:

00:40:55,530 --> 00:40:56,760

need to find out information?

:

00:40:57,615 --> 00:40:57,825

Love this.

:

00:40:57,825 --> 00:40:58,905

Who is this person?

:

00:40:58,905 --> 00:41:02,445

Because guess what, Wendy, when I

do your 90 day review and I ask you

:

00:41:02,445 --> 00:41:05,415

about your family plan, I've already

called your husband because he's

:

00:41:05,895 --> 00:41:07,125

the one responsible for the plan.

:

00:41:07,125 --> 00:41:08,415

Wendy Kidd: He would

absolutely talk to you,

:

00:41:08,505 --> 00:41:08,506

Dr. Collette Portis:

:

00:41:08,506 --> 00:41:10,975

and he would absolutely

tell me all of the tea.

:

00:41:11,055 --> 00:41:14,205

So when I'm asking you a question, it's

not because I don't have information.

:

00:41:14,205 --> 00:41:16,665

I just wanna know if yours

is gonna line up with mine.

:

00:41:16,725 --> 00:41:16,905

Yep.

:

00:41:16,905 --> 00:41:18,315

Wendy Kidd: If you are self-aware.

:

00:41:18,735 --> 00:41:19,155

Absolutely.

:

00:41:19,515 --> 00:41:19,575

Yeah.

:

00:41:19,695 --> 00:41:21,195

Uhhuh, right?

:

00:41:21,255 --> 00:41:21,525

Yep.

:

00:41:21,735 --> 00:41:21,736

Dr. Collette Portis:

:

00:41:21,736 --> 00:41:24,165

Every single one of those

plans, your community plans.

:

00:41:24,165 --> 00:41:25,575

Somebody has to be responsible.

:

00:41:25,575 --> 00:41:28,425

Somebody has to be the

gatekeeper, the holder of the

:

00:41:28,425 --> 00:41:30,165

keys for this particular thing.

:

00:41:30,285 --> 00:41:30,465

Yes.

:

00:41:30,465 --> 00:41:31,830

And guess what happens

in your team meetings?

:

00:41:32,535 --> 00:41:36,045

They're reporting on the plans

that they're responsible for.

:

00:41:36,135 --> 00:41:36,585

Yes.

:

00:41:36,645 --> 00:41:38,355

So now you don't have humdrum meetings.

:

00:41:38,355 --> 00:41:39,885

They're excited about what's going on.

:

00:41:39,885 --> 00:41:42,825

Somebody's excited about events,

somebody's excited about social.

:

00:41:43,125 --> 00:41:43,815

But guess what?

:

00:41:43,845 --> 00:41:48,465

Whoever is responsible for the social

plan now know who's responsible for the

:

00:41:48,465 --> 00:41:52,335

community plan and the event plan, and

the branding plan, and the marketing

:

00:41:52,335 --> 00:41:54,735

plan, and they're talking to those people.

:

00:41:55,005 --> 00:41:57,825

So you've now got interdepartmental

communication happening.

:

00:41:57,915 --> 00:41:58,365

Wendy Kidd: Love it.

:

00:41:58,365 --> 00:41:59,775

And all things are working together.

:

00:42:00,150 --> 00:42:01,260

That is fantastic.

:

00:42:01,260 --> 00:42:01,620

Isn't amazing.

:

00:42:02,040 --> 00:42:02,970

Let me ask you a question.

:

00:42:03,090 --> 00:42:04,440

Wait, did we get through all the plans?

:

00:42:04,440 --> 00:42:04,920

We're not.

:

00:42:05,010 --> 00:42:06,420

Okay, let's finish getting

through the plans then.

:

00:42:06,420 --> 00:42:06,960

I have another question.

:

00:42:06,960 --> 00:42:06,961

Dr. Collette Portis:

:

00:42:06,961 --> 00:42:07,260

Alright,

:

00:42:07,800 --> 00:42:09,870

so we we're at marketing.

:

00:42:09,870 --> 00:42:10,290

That's done.

:

00:42:10,290 --> 00:42:10,620

Yes.

:

00:42:10,770 --> 00:42:12,150

The next thing is sales.

:

00:42:12,390 --> 00:42:12,510

Mm-hmm.

:

00:42:12,960 --> 00:42:16,020

Because our marketing plan

oftentimes is gonna be ambitious.

:

00:42:16,380 --> 00:42:16,590

Of course.

:

00:42:16,620 --> 00:42:18,780

Well, what do we need to do?

:

00:42:18,930 --> 00:42:21,120

What are the boots on the

ground activities that need to

:

00:42:21,120 --> 00:42:22,650

happen in order to get us there?

:

00:42:22,980 --> 00:42:24,780

How much do we need to fundraise?

:

00:42:24,900 --> 00:42:26,430

What does that look like every day?

:

00:42:26,700 --> 00:42:28,860

How much do we need coming

in a day, every day?

:

00:42:28,860 --> 00:42:30,420

How much needs to come in every week?

:

00:42:30,720 --> 00:42:34,200

Who are the resources that we

can tap into to get whatever?

:

00:42:34,200 --> 00:42:41,460

Do we want to plan for having a, um,

endowment where who's responsible

:

00:42:41,730 --> 00:42:46,530

for building that relationship and

potentially having it happen for us?

:

00:42:46,650 --> 00:42:46,980

Right.

:

00:42:47,040 --> 00:42:47,340

Right.

:

00:42:47,400 --> 00:42:51,240

That also influence the financial plan,

which is the last one that we do, but.

:

00:42:51,555 --> 00:42:54,315

That sales plan is how do

we go out and do the work?

:

00:42:54,375 --> 00:42:56,415

Sales is a four letter

word to most people.

:

00:42:56,505 --> 00:42:58,515

Yes, because they haven't

strategized around it.

:

00:42:58,515 --> 00:42:59,755

They don't know how to do it.

:

00:43:00,450 --> 00:43:02,940

And they haven't really thought

about it, and so they just kind of

:

00:43:02,940 --> 00:43:06,030

wing it and then you get those looks

like that person that's bothering

:

00:43:06,030 --> 00:43:08,430

you in the store and you want them

to just leave you alone so you can

:

00:43:08,700 --> 00:43:09,030

Right.

:

00:43:09,060 --> 00:43:09,510

Look around.

:

00:43:09,690 --> 00:43:13,980

Wendy Kidd: Well, and that's the, I think

the thing is, is nonprofits don't equate

:

00:43:14,070 --> 00:43:17,670

sales to themselves because they don't

feel like I have a service or a product.

:

00:43:17,670 --> 00:43:18,600

I'm actually selling.

:

00:43:18,960 --> 00:43:23,340

And it's different because instead of

selling directly to the consumer, you

:

00:43:23,340 --> 00:43:24,900

are actually selling to your donors.

:

00:43:24,930 --> 00:43:25,020

Yes.

:

00:43:25,710 --> 00:43:28,020

What you are providing to the consumers.

:

00:43:28,080 --> 00:43:28,440

Absolutely.

:

00:43:28,440 --> 00:43:29,940

So it is a different process.

:

00:43:29,940 --> 00:43:30,030

Mm-hmm.

:

00:43:30,030 --> 00:43:31,650

But it is still sales.

:

00:43:31,680 --> 00:43:31,770

Yes.

:

00:43:31,980 --> 00:43:31,981

Dr. Collette Portis:

:

00:43:31,981 --> 00:43:33,330

It's a two-sided process.

:

00:43:33,360 --> 00:43:33,960

Exactly.

:

00:43:33,960 --> 00:43:36,210

Because on you, yes,

you're absolutely right.

:

00:43:36,210 --> 00:43:38,940

You are selling to your donors and

your supporters and your volunteers

:

00:43:38,940 --> 00:43:41,730

and all of that, but you're also

selling to the people you serve

:

00:43:41,760 --> 00:43:42,780

'cause they may not trust you.

:

00:43:43,140 --> 00:43:43,680

Wendy Kidd: That's true.

:

00:43:43,860 --> 00:43:44,250

That's true.

:

00:43:44,250 --> 00:43:46,020

You gotta get your buy-in on

the product of the service,

:

00:43:46,365 --> 00:43:46,366

Dr. Collette Portis:

:

00:43:46,366 --> 00:43:48,030

the the payment.

:

00:43:48,720 --> 00:43:52,320

That you are intending to receive

might look different over here.

:

00:43:52,320 --> 00:43:52,920

It's trust.

:

00:43:52,920 --> 00:43:54,540

Over here is actual dollars.

:

00:43:54,570 --> 00:43:55,205

Yes, yes.

:

00:43:56,055 --> 00:44:00,975

So we've got, um, our sales

plan uhhuh, and then we've got

:

00:44:01,275 --> 00:44:03,975

our mar uh, technology plan.

:

00:44:03,980 --> 00:44:04,170

Mm-hmm.

:

00:44:04,275 --> 00:44:05,865

How is technology now?

:

00:44:05,865 --> 00:44:08,745

How, what technology do we need to

be able to do all of these things,

:

00:44:08,745 --> 00:44:12,585

sales and marketing and social and

events, or what are, what are the

:

00:44:12,585 --> 00:44:16,755

technologies we're gonna use to support

all of the things that we're gonna do?

:

00:44:17,025 --> 00:44:18,705

You've got a succession plan.

:

00:44:18,985 --> 00:44:20,305

Wendy Kidd: Yes, please.

:

00:44:20,305 --> 00:44:21,595

Talk to me about succession.

:

00:44:22,405 --> 00:44:22,406

Dr. Collette Portis:

:

00:44:22,406 --> 00:44:25,705

What happens if we've got all of

these amazing things planned and

:

00:44:25,705 --> 00:44:30,085

we've got this phenomenal executive

director and something happens in

:

00:44:30,085 --> 00:44:34,045

our board, voted votes, our executive

director out, and we get a new one?

:

00:44:34,375 --> 00:44:34,825

Mm-hmm.

:

00:44:35,725 --> 00:44:37,045

What does succession look like?

:

00:44:37,675 --> 00:44:39,805

Who and what does that

person need to know?

:

00:44:40,195 --> 00:44:42,565

What's gonna happen with the donors?

:

00:44:43,530 --> 00:44:47,100

Are your donors only connected to

one person in your organization?

:

00:44:47,100 --> 00:44:49,980

Because if so, and that person

leaves, then that donor leaves.

:

00:44:50,100 --> 00:44:50,220

Yep.

:

00:44:50,280 --> 00:44:54,330

We have research to show

that yes, succession planning

:

00:44:54,330 --> 00:44:56,100

says this is what happens.

:

00:44:56,160 --> 00:45:00,300

And it doesn't always mean somebody

leaves, somebody gets sick, somebody.

:

00:45:00,300 --> 00:45:01,860

There's so many things that can happen.

:

00:45:02,160 --> 00:45:06,030

What does succession look like in

your organization, and is the work

:

00:45:06,030 --> 00:45:10,950

of this organization solely dependent

upon any one, two, or three people?

:

00:45:11,295 --> 00:45:12,435

And if it is, you're in trouble.

:

00:45:12,465 --> 00:45:13,935

If it is, you're in trouble.

:

00:45:13,995 --> 00:45:14,235

Yep.

:

00:45:14,535 --> 00:45:17,475

But if you have a succession

plan, then you have a plan.

:

00:45:17,685 --> 00:45:20,985

How am I communicating if something,

the world shuts down again?

:

00:45:21,195 --> 00:45:21,645

Yes.

:

00:45:22,275 --> 00:45:25,485

How am I communicating to my stakeholders?

:

00:45:25,695 --> 00:45:30,345

What am I, what are we saying to other

people, uh uh, about what's going on?

:

00:45:30,405 --> 00:45:32,415

What are we saying to our clients?

:

00:45:32,595 --> 00:45:34,725

What are we saying to our supporters?

:

00:45:34,815 --> 00:45:35,205

Mm-hmm.

:

00:45:35,445 --> 00:45:38,055

Who's responsible for saying it exactly.

:

00:45:38,295 --> 00:45:39,975

And what means are they using?

:

00:45:40,290 --> 00:45:41,310

To communicate that.

:

00:45:41,640 --> 00:45:43,470

So you've got a communication plan.

:

00:45:43,620 --> 00:45:43,710

Mm-hmm.

:

00:45:43,980 --> 00:45:48,630

You've gotta know how, when,

what, where, how much Yes.

:

00:45:48,630 --> 00:45:51,300

To say when it's time to say something.

:

00:45:51,420 --> 00:45:52,200

Absolutely.

:

00:45:52,260 --> 00:45:52,530

Okay.

:

00:45:53,310 --> 00:45:57,780

Um, and then you have your, um,

then you've got your finance plan.

:

00:45:57,870 --> 00:46:01,170

It's all, it should always be your

last one I've seen where other,

:

00:46:01,170 --> 00:46:02,160

Wendy Kidd: why should it be last?

:

00:46:02,160 --> 00:46:03,030

Talk to me about that.

:

00:46:03,150 --> 00:46:03,660

Uh, be,

:

00:46:04,890 --> 00:46:04,891

Dr. Collette Portis:

:

00:46:04,891 --> 00:46:06,120

if you don't have.

:

00:46:07,125 --> 00:46:09,825

All of these other things planned

out, how are you gonna decide how

:

00:46:09,825 --> 00:46:11,025

much money you need to do them?

:

00:46:12,405 --> 00:46:12,585

Yes.

:

00:46:13,485 --> 00:46:13,905

Right.

:

00:46:13,965 --> 00:46:16,905

Wendy Kidd: But let me, let me

caveat this by saying people, this

:

00:46:16,905 --> 00:46:19,695

does not mean you don't look at

your financials until the end.

:

00:46:19,725 --> 00:46:20,085

Oh God no.

:

00:46:20,115 --> 00:46:22,935

You should have looked at your

financials at the beginning

:

00:46:23,145 --> 00:46:24,345

as part of the assessment.

:

00:46:24,700 --> 00:46:25,390

Absolutely.

:

00:46:25,390 --> 00:46:28,420

This is the financial plan she's

talking about is what you're

:

00:46:28,420 --> 00:46:29,620

going to do for the future.

:

00:46:30,100 --> 00:46:30,460

Absolutely.

:

00:46:31,630 --> 00:46:31,631

Dr. Collette Portis:

:

00:46:31,631 --> 00:46:35,620

And it is the plan that now

informs the budget you create

:

00:46:35,620 --> 00:46:37,390

once your strategy is done.

:

00:46:37,390 --> 00:46:37,450

Yay.

:

00:46:37,990 --> 00:46:42,640

It is not your budget, but it

is what informs your budget.

:

00:46:42,700 --> 00:46:43,690

Yes, yes.

:

00:46:43,690 --> 00:46:44,680

The number's gonna be big.

:

00:46:44,890 --> 00:46:45,610

Yes and yes.

:

00:46:45,610 --> 00:46:46,750

The number's gonna be scary.

:

00:46:46,810 --> 00:46:47,200

Yes.

:

00:46:47,260 --> 00:46:50,380

But now that you've got strategy

and you know how to do it.

:

00:46:51,060 --> 00:46:51,420

Uh huh.

:

00:46:51,450 --> 00:46:53,010

Then you can get it done.

:

00:46:53,160 --> 00:46:55,380

Wendy Kidd: If you're not scared by

your plan, you're not doing it right.

:

00:46:55,410 --> 00:46:56,040

Oh God, no.

:

00:46:56,520 --> 00:46:56,730

No.

:

00:46:56,760 --> 00:46:57,145

Uh uh.

:

00:46:57,210 --> 00:46:58,500

Just gonna put that out there.

:

00:46:58,500 --> 00:47:04,140

Somebody said that to me about my

business, and I really never had felt

:

00:47:04,140 --> 00:47:10,560

that fear before until I really learned

how to strategic plan for my business.

:

00:47:10,560 --> 00:47:10,650

Mm-hmm.

:

00:47:10,890 --> 00:47:13,920

And when I did, that's when

I understood that phrase.

:

00:47:13,980 --> 00:47:14,070

Mm-hmm.

:

00:47:14,310 --> 00:47:16,145

That's when I understood

what they meant by.

:

00:47:17,100 --> 00:47:19,950

Your plan's gonna scare you,

but that's what it should do it.

:

00:47:20,100 --> 00:47:20,565

If it doesn't.

:

00:47:20,765 --> 00:47:22,830

'cause it should be intimidating,

is what we're saying.

:

00:47:22,860 --> 00:47:24,330

We're saying intimidating.

:

00:47:24,330 --> 00:47:28,080

We should, it should inspire you and

it should make you want to do better.

:

00:47:28,200 --> 00:47:28,201

Dr. Collette Portis:

:

00:47:28,201 --> 00:47:31,350

It should tell you that you have to Yes.

:

00:47:31,380 --> 00:47:33,570

Go get other people to help you do it.

:

00:47:33,630 --> 00:47:34,080

Yes.

:

00:47:34,140 --> 00:47:38,220

If you can do it by yourself,

then it's not a strategic plan.

:

00:47:38,460 --> 00:47:39,420

That's a good way of putting it.

:

00:47:39,660 --> 00:47:40,560

It's not, it's not.

:

00:47:40,635 --> 00:47:41,955

Yeah, you're cheating yourself.

:

00:47:42,225 --> 00:47:46,725

Your strategic plan should tell you the

only way this is ever gonna happen mm-hmm.

:

00:47:47,025 --> 00:47:49,005

Is if I go get other

people to help me do it.

:

00:47:49,035 --> 00:47:49,155

Mm-hmm.

:

00:47:49,665 --> 00:47:52,935

And then you can look around at your

other relationships and things like that.

:

00:47:52,935 --> 00:47:56,175

And along the way in those plans,

we're asking the question, who,

:

00:47:56,175 --> 00:47:57,645

what relationships do you have?

:

00:47:58,290 --> 00:48:02,040

That can support you, not just

your in, not just your inner team.

:

00:48:02,100 --> 00:48:02,430

Right.

:

00:48:02,460 --> 00:48:03,600

But your outer team.

:

00:48:03,630 --> 00:48:03,840

Yes.

:

00:48:03,840 --> 00:48:06,510

That's your, your resources are

not just your internal team.

:

00:48:06,510 --> 00:48:07,620

Absolutely.

:

00:48:07,680 --> 00:48:08,370

Absolutely.

:

00:48:08,520 --> 00:48:11,760

Who outside of your organization

can help you with these things?

:

00:48:11,970 --> 00:48:15,330

Do you have a relationship

with a local college or high

:

00:48:15,330 --> 00:48:16,470

school or something like that?

:

00:48:16,680 --> 00:48:17,970

Can they support you?

:

00:48:18,090 --> 00:48:18,360

Yeah.

:

00:48:18,510 --> 00:48:20,310

And if the answer is yes,

then we're putting that.

:

00:48:20,800 --> 00:48:24,970

In our strategy, and then that also

goes in that accountability report.

:

00:48:25,120 --> 00:48:25,210

Mm-hmm.

:

00:48:25,450 --> 00:48:28,690

How have you been connecting with

and who have you been connecting

:

00:48:28,690 --> 00:48:30,520

with those accountability reports?

:

00:48:30,520 --> 00:48:35,860

At the end also say what other

plans are, are the the plan that

:

00:48:35,860 --> 00:48:40,240

you are responsible for, what other

plans are connected to it in order

:

00:48:40,240 --> 00:48:42,310

to allow you to do your best work.

:

00:48:42,370 --> 00:48:42,820

Yes.

:

00:48:43,210 --> 00:48:45,790

So now you've got this

interdepartmental communication

:

00:48:45,790 --> 00:48:48,760

happening and this interdependency.

:

00:48:49,275 --> 00:48:51,165

That should not codependency.

:

00:48:52,365 --> 00:48:53,895

Interdependency, yes.

:

00:48:53,895 --> 00:48:59,595

That you should have in your organization

so that people walk away under, I

:

00:48:59,595 --> 00:49:01,365

know what Wendy's value is to me.

:

00:49:01,755 --> 00:49:04,515

So, no, me and Wendy are not

gonna be in a fight for weeks.

:

00:49:06,105 --> 00:49:06,465

Right.

:

00:49:07,035 --> 00:49:09,615

Yeah, because I need Wendy

to gimme information, right?

:

00:49:09,735 --> 00:49:11,145

I know that Wendy is valued.

:

00:49:11,175 --> 00:49:11,595

I know.

:

00:49:11,595 --> 00:49:14,565

She is amazing when it comes

to customer experience.

:

00:49:14,745 --> 00:49:15,885

So I'm hosting this event.

:

00:49:15,945 --> 00:49:17,535

I have to have Wendy, yeah.

:

00:49:17,595 --> 00:49:19,305

I can't do this by myself.

:

00:49:19,305 --> 00:49:20,775

Yes, I need Wendy there.

:

00:49:20,895 --> 00:49:23,355

I need whoever is responsible

for the community plan.

:

00:49:23,355 --> 00:49:24,945

So we actually get people to this event.

:

00:49:24,975 --> 00:49:26,175

Wendy Kidd: I can't

tell you how many times

:

00:49:26,175 --> 00:49:28,875

I hear somebody say, well,

we don't need somebody.

:

00:49:28,905 --> 00:49:30,025

'cause I can, I can make that work.

:

00:49:30,675 --> 00:49:32,355

This isn't about making it work.

:

00:49:32,385 --> 00:49:32,475

Mm-hmm.

:

00:49:32,810 --> 00:49:36,285

This is about finding the people who

are going to take it to the next level.

:

00:49:36,345 --> 00:49:36,915

Yes.

:

00:49:36,975 --> 00:49:37,095

Yeah.

:

00:49:37,095 --> 00:49:39,135

And if that is not you Yes,

of course you need somebody

:

00:49:39,135 --> 00:49:39,525

outside.

:

00:49:39,525 --> 00:49:39,585

Yeah.

:

00:49:39,855 --> 00:49:39,856

Dr. Collette Portis:

:

00:49:39,856 --> 00:49:43,605

Your, the other thing your

strategy should do for you mm-hmm.

:

00:49:43,700 --> 00:49:46,905

Is help you to understand the

value of the members on your team.

:

00:49:47,175 --> 00:49:47,865

Yes.

:

00:49:48,075 --> 00:49:50,385

Uh, where they fit

inside your organization.

:

00:49:50,445 --> 00:49:53,895

It should also help you to identify

where you have so many duplicates.

:

00:49:53,925 --> 00:49:56,955

'cause a lot of times we

attract people who are like us.

:

00:49:57,075 --> 00:49:57,165

Mm-hmm.

:

00:49:57,495 --> 00:49:59,715

And oftentimes when you are struggling.

:

00:50:00,060 --> 00:50:03,300

In business in general, whether it's

nonprofit for-profit or whatever.

:

00:50:03,570 --> 00:50:06,300

When you are struggling, if you

look around, you got a lot of

:

00:50:06,300 --> 00:50:08,940

people who think like you walk, like

you talk, like you look like you.

:

00:50:09,210 --> 00:50:09,720

Mm.

:

00:50:09,780 --> 00:50:11,970

And so everybody's ideas the same idea.

:

00:50:11,970 --> 00:50:12,150

Yep.

:

00:50:12,150 --> 00:50:15,360

You don't have diversity in your

ideas and your thoughts, and so

:

00:50:15,360 --> 00:50:17,040

there's no innovation happening.

:

00:50:17,160 --> 00:50:17,550

Right.

:

00:50:17,850 --> 00:50:19,410

Then there's an innovation plan.

:

00:50:20,220 --> 00:50:20,580

Yes.

:

00:50:20,580 --> 00:50:22,350

How are we taking this

thing to the next level?

:

00:50:22,350 --> 00:50:23,280

I love that.

:

00:50:23,310 --> 00:50:23,880

Right.

:

00:50:23,940 --> 00:50:24,450

I love that.

:

00:50:24,450 --> 00:50:26,970

My city, so every city

does a 10 year plan.

:

00:50:27,390 --> 00:50:28,470

A strategy.

:

00:50:28,620 --> 00:50:28,770

Mm-hmm.

:

00:50:29,070 --> 00:50:33,810

Every country has a 100

year plan, a strategy.

:

00:50:33,930 --> 00:50:34,230

Love it.

:

00:50:34,230 --> 00:50:34,650

Right.

:

00:50:34,920 --> 00:50:37,950

My city is going through a 10 year plan

right now, uh, going through, we're

:

00:50:37,950 --> 00:50:39,810

in 10 year, 10 of our 10 year plan.

:

00:50:39,840 --> 00:50:39,900

Okay.

:

00:50:39,900 --> 00:50:41,970

So we're going through the

planning process right now.

:

00:50:42,120 --> 00:50:42,360

Okay.

:

00:50:42,600 --> 00:50:45,750

And they did something that

was so ingenious and I love it.

:

00:50:45,750 --> 00:50:48,780

I'm actually hosting 139

people tomorrow night.

:

00:50:49,140 --> 00:50:49,380

Oh, okay.

:

00:50:49,380 --> 00:50:51,480

To participate, it's bananas.

:

00:50:52,590 --> 00:50:56,760

They hired this consulting firm

who put together a board game.

:

00:50:58,185 --> 00:51:00,045

I know Wendy, a board game.

:

00:51:00,045 --> 00:51:01,845

Don't you love it Makes

your heart palpitate.

:

00:51:01,845 --> 00:51:03,705

Oh, you know, you know I love board games.

:

00:51:04,125 --> 00:51:04,755

I'm all about it.

:

00:51:04,905 --> 00:51:08,985

I know they put together

this board game of the city.

:

00:51:09,045 --> 00:51:11,055

They have this, these decks of cards.

:

00:51:11,415 --> 00:51:16,395

So anybody in the entire city, men,

women, children, I don't care how old

:

00:51:16,395 --> 00:51:20,760

they are, if they live, work, or play

in this city, can play this game.

:

00:51:21,480 --> 00:51:24,990

And at the end they decide where

things should be and they start

:

00:51:24,990 --> 00:51:27,090

to understand how a city works.

:

00:51:27,450 --> 00:51:28,500

That's, that's very

:

00:51:28,500 --> 00:51:28,950

cool.

:

00:51:29,010 --> 00:51:29,880

Isn't that cool?

:

00:51:30,000 --> 00:51:30,540

That is so cool.

:

00:51:30,540 --> 00:51:33,660

But then what they do is once

you're done and your board is done

:

00:51:33,660 --> 00:51:36,150

and you've decided where all of

these things should be, mm-hmm.

:

00:51:36,900 --> 00:51:38,520

You scan it, you upload it.

:

00:51:38,670 --> 00:51:43,500

What this consulting firm does now takes

all of these digital copies of these

:

00:51:43,500 --> 00:51:45,930

boards, lay them on top of each other.

:

00:51:46,500 --> 00:51:50,310

And see where all the majorities are

and that informs the new strategy.

:

00:51:50,760 --> 00:51:51,030

Wendy Kidd: Okay.

:

00:51:51,030 --> 00:51:51,630

That's so cool.

:

00:51:52,350 --> 00:51:52,770

Is it?

:

00:51:52,785 --> 00:51:53,595

That is so cool.

:

00:51:53,785 --> 00:51:54,675

That is so cool.

:

00:51:54,690 --> 00:51:55,980

I cannot get over that.

:

00:51:56,280 --> 00:51:56,281

Dr. Collette Portis:

:

00:51:56,281 --> 00:52:01,530

I am in love with it, which is why of

course, even though I don't have time, I'm

:

00:52:01,530 --> 00:52:10,170

hosting 139 people of course who are going

to play this game because it it, it's

:

00:52:10,170 --> 00:52:12,960

important to get the voice of your people.

:

00:52:13,695 --> 00:52:15,375

Your strategy should be like that.

:

00:52:15,375 --> 00:52:15,465

Yes.

:

00:52:15,555 --> 00:52:19,215

It should not just be the people

at the top and then you roll it out

:

00:52:19,215 --> 00:52:21,615

and not if you want good strategy.

:

00:52:21,885 --> 00:52:25,005

One of the questions you asked

was, how do you make it work?

:

00:52:27,075 --> 00:52:27,495

Right.

:

00:52:27,555 --> 00:52:28,395

What do you do now?

:

00:52:28,425 --> 00:52:29,115

We're gonna do that.

:

00:52:29,115 --> 00:52:30,105

We're gonna do that in a minute.

:

00:52:30,135 --> 00:52:30,495

Right?

:

00:52:31,815 --> 00:52:35,625

It's like you've gotta get the

voices of the people, because

:

00:52:35,625 --> 00:52:39,465

once I have told you what I want,

and I know you've considered me.

:

00:52:39,470 --> 00:52:39,690

Mm-hmm.

:

00:52:39,830 --> 00:52:40,290

I'm bought in.

:

00:52:40,935 --> 00:52:41,625

Right.

:

00:52:41,655 --> 00:52:43,935

You don't have to come

and get me to buy in now.

:

00:52:43,995 --> 00:52:44,295

Yeah,

:

00:52:44,355 --> 00:52:45,315

I'm already bought in.

:

00:52:45,495 --> 00:52:45,765

Yeah.

:

00:52:45,855 --> 00:52:46,155

Thank you.

:

00:52:46,160 --> 00:52:47,835

Wendy Kidd: If you ask me my

opinion before you even got

:

00:52:47,835 --> 00:52:49,035

started, I know you care.

:

00:52:49,410 --> 00:52:50,430

Oh, absolutely.

:

00:52:50,580 --> 00:52:51,330

Absolutely.

:

00:52:51,360 --> 00:52:52,560

Okay, so Dr.

:

00:52:52,560 --> 00:52:57,450

Portis, we have talked so much, so I

know we've got more to talk about, but

:

00:52:57,450 --> 00:53:01,080

I'm gonna put us on pause for a minute

because I'm gonna wrap this up for

:

00:53:01,080 --> 00:53:05,550

this episode and tell everybody you

need to come back for episode three.

:

00:53:05,580 --> 00:53:05,700

Yes.

:

00:53:05,700 --> 00:53:06,045

Because you could.

:

00:53:06,345 --> 00:53:09,225

See, we have so much to say on this topic.

:

00:53:09,285 --> 00:53:09,375

Much.

:

00:53:09,375 --> 00:53:09,465

Yes.

:

00:53:09,555 --> 00:53:13,335

Uh, come back for episode three and we are

gonna talk about how long it takes to make

:

00:53:13,335 --> 00:53:15,405

your strategic plan and how to implement.

:

00:53:15,555 --> 00:53:16,785

Yes, that strategic plan.

:

00:53:16,785 --> 00:53:19,275

So thanks so much everybody

for coming in today.

:

00:53:19,275 --> 00:53:21,230

We appreciate it and we will see you.

:

00:53:21,615 --> 00:53:25,335

Soon for episode three of our

strategic planning series.

:

00:53:25,365 --> 00:53:26,355

Yes, thanks, Colette.

:

00:53:26,355 --> 00:53:27,165

You're welcome.

:

00:53:28,095 --> 00:53:30,305

Thanks for listening

to The NonProfit Nook.

:

00:53:30,495 --> 00:53:32,595

We're building better nonprofits together.

:

00:53:32,835 --> 00:53:35,745

If you found today's episode

helpful, please subscribe.

:

00:53:35,775 --> 00:53:39,255

Leave a review, and share it with other

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:

00:53:39,675 --> 00:53:43,425

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media and sign up for our email

:

00:53:43,425 --> 00:53:45,435

list for extra tips and updates.

:

00:53:45,795 --> 00:53:48,585

You can also visit The NonProfit Nook.com

:

00:53:48,585 --> 00:53:52,725

to see the show notes and leave a comment

telling me what topics you want next.

:

00:53:53,415 --> 00:53:55,035

Your feedback shapes the show.

:

00:53:55,485 --> 00:53:56,265

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About the Podcast

The NonProfit Nook
Tools, Tips & Real Talk for Changemakers
Welcome to The NonProfit Nook — the podcast for nonprofit leaders, board members, staff, and community champions who want to strengthen their organizations and make a bigger impact... without burning out in the process.

I’m Wendy Kidd—business owner for over 20 years and nonprofit leader for just as long. I created this show because I know how overwhelming it can be to lead a nonprofit. Most of us didn’t get into this work thinking we’d be running a business—we just wanted to help people. But the truth is, running a nonprofit *is* running a business, and I’m here to help make that part easier.

Each week on The NonProfit Nook, you’ll get real talk and real tools.
We’ll dive into the nuts and bolts of nonprofit management—strategic planning, budgeting, board engagement, donor communication, volunteer recruitment, and more. No fluff—just practical advice and conversations that help you work smarter and lead with confidence.

You’ll also hear:
- Stories from inspiring North Texas nonprofits and the local heroes behind them
- Tips from experts on marketing, digital tools, DEI, nonprofit culture, and sustainable leadership
- Real conversations about burnout, boundaries, time management, and self-care—because leadership shouldn’t feel lonely

Whether you're leading a nonprofit, supporting one, or just passionate about the mission, The NonProfit Nook will give you the tools, encouragement, and inspiration you need to thrive.

Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform, leave a review to support the show, and follow us on social media @thenonprofitnook for more nonprofit insights, stories, and resources.

Let’s make nonprofit life a little easier—and a lot more impactful.

About your host

Profile picture for Wendy Kidd

Wendy Kidd

Wendy Kidd is a seasoned event planner, nonprofit leader, and small business consultant with over 20 years of experience helping organizations thrive. As the host of The NonProfit Nook, she draws on her deep knowledge of running a business, fundraising, volunteer engagement, and community building to share practical strategies and inspiring stories with nonprofit leaders.

Passionate about equipping nonprofit professionals with the tools they need to create lasting change, Wendy brings an approachable, encouraging style to every episode—making complex topics simple and actionable.