executive directors – Washington Nonprofits

Valuing and Supporting Executive Directors

June 24, 2020 Laura Pierce

Executive Directors (EDs) face many pressures, including fundraising, leading the staff team, setting strategy, and maintaining relationships with many donors, funders, partners, and community members. They may struggle to meet the differing expectations of staff, board, and key community stakeholders. Since most nonprofits are chronically under-resourced, they are holding a great deal of day-to-day management of their organizations as well. ED jobs are now more challenging than ever. Last year, we did a lot of listening to EDs across Washington and summarized what we learned in our Executive Learning Needs Assessment. Among other things, we affirmed that EDs have different […]

A rural, tree-lined highway stretches to a clouded sunset

Staying Sane During the COVID-19 Pandemic

May 13, 2020 Guest Contributor

Covid-19 continues to profoundly alter our world as we seek to cope with it…. we are all in the midst of it and cannot see its boundaries. No one is outside this trauma. So how can we hold ourselves, our organizations, and our communities together? We can learn from some principles that come from understanding organizational trauma and recovery.
1. Contain the experience and create safety and stability.
2. Understand that what you and others are feeling is normal.
3. Accept that with no road map we will make mistakes.
4. Share experiences and feelings with each other.
5. Collectively make meaning from those experiences.
6. Identify pockets of resilience in your organization.
7. Celebrate unity, caring for each other, and coming together. […]