Strengths

○      strong staff leadership (human capital)

■strong horizontal linkages between different staff functions (not siloed)

○      name recognition

■positive reputation in Nashville community

○      lots of options for donors (with different types of funds and everything)

■flexibility

■be all things to all people

■100% customizable expereince for donors

○      governing board with many big names on it and lots of expertise–Also addresses a guiding question

■board brings high -profile to organization in the community

■diversity of interests and sectors reperesented

○      Approach to giving – as relates to mission and vision – is strong

○      Not reliant on donor funds to operate org

■100% of donated funds go to services

■expense/income ratio is good

■opperationaly efficient

○      Strong investment strategy

■millions in income each year just b/c of investments

 

Weaknesses

●      Lack of openness

■financials ARE available

■they define what should be transparent and what shouldn’t

■try to make information available, but on their terms

■keep it close to the chest – not willing to share information

■flood response

■Lehman may not be open to feedback, questioning about strategy

●      lack of understanding how expectations evolve

●      strong belief in the success of the organization as-is

●      Organizational structure-tasks don’t seem to be clearly delineated (as of Ellen’s interview)–addresses a guiding question

■not knowing when to delegate

■eveyone is involved in all projects – especially Ellen is involved in every project – high positional authority

■not sustainable for Lehman or staff

■in a transitional moment – from small, diy organization to bigger

■Is there any push-back from staff? Is Lehman open to internal collaboration? At what point does being a visionary get in the way of managing a transitioning organization?

■Lehman guides all

○      Volunteering

●      Unknown strength outside of Nashville – Nashville-centric board, staff, initiatives

must come to Nashville to establish

 

 

Opportunities

●      National or international consulting – networking with other CFs

○      not involving finances, but knowledge

○      network of sharing information with other foundations and NGOs who are responding to community needs

●      Grow volunteer opportunities within organization

○      not currently opening their doors to people who want to get involved in the work of the foundation – outside of specific events.

○      givingmatters.org lists 350 volunteers – who? where? how?

●      Replace VP – Lani Wlikeson Rossmann

●      Revisit United Way merger – in a less formal way than full merger.

○      Administrative partnership for overhead costs?

○      Horizon scanning for upcoming issues and needs?

○      Team up on timing solicitation

○      Creating database of “need”

○      Refer givers if needs don’t align

○      Do all your “banking” in one place: UW is checking account, CF is savings account

●      How are needs measured/assesed/forecasted/tracked?

○      Formalize this process – who is responsible? what professional sources are being tapped?

●      Advocacy and Lobbying

○      being proactive instead of reactive to issues that effect donors

○      current approach is to be very aware of issues (i.e. tax law), but only to react to changes, not effect them.

●      public interface – really reaching all audiences

○      facebook?

○      what else can they be doing to reach more than the npr crowd?

○      facilitates cause marketing, but don’t do it for themselves

●      Create a strategic plan that really works

○      Current plan doesn’t address what the gaps are, seems to be more of an account of what has been done in the past

○      Good to be flexible about goals and vision – it should be a responsive, living document – but there needs to be a sense of accountability from the staff to adhere to the document

 

Threats

Economy/resource constraints

Changing Tax Law – tax deductible donations

Changes in regulatory environment

Trust-level with community

must be very cautious about the face of the org – i.e. Lehman – because she is synonomous with the organization, any negative reflection of her will reflect poorly on her

negative media

ethics violations

Staff burnout

is the workload at a sustainable level? are expectations realistic?

Lack of succession plan