Panel offers tips on surviving the economic storm
By Alan Tang
Association of Fundraising Professionals and Olomana Marketing
On Thursday, June 5, the Association of Fundraising Professionals and Pacific Business News gathered nonprofit organization executives – including Laura Robertson, HANO board chair and president and CEO of Goodwill Industries Hawai‘i, and Elizabeth Giesting, HANO board member and president and CEO of the Hawai‘i Primary Care Association – and fundraising professionals for a discussion with four panelists on the economic situation and its affect on fundraising in Hawai‘i. Unlike the period following the tragic events of Sept. 11, 2001, the current economic impact was not sudden. In fact, signs were on the horizon a year ago.
Many agree the fundamentals of this economic situation are quite different from those of 9/11. The confluence of increasing energy costs, the demise of airline capacity to Hawai‘i and the credit market crisis are contributing to what some are calling the “perfect storm.” Many of the changes we are seeing now are not temporary – they are here to stay.
Charlie Jones, Jr., the Hawai‘i partner of global consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton, recently said there are three actions leaders must take when faced with the need for dramatic change or when they intuitively know that radical changes need to be made. They need to:
- Actively seek advice and counsel from inside and outside the organization and use it
- Develop consensus for change within the leadership team or board for the support and buy-in from key players to increase the likelihood of success
- Develop a vision and execution strategy and iterate these with their leadership team to ensure confidence in the plan.
To prepare for this panel discussion, we created a check-list of 21 tips to consider as you develop your strategy to face this “perfect storm.” The first section relates to fundraising and the second section is about operations. Descriptions of the 21 tips can be found on the Olomana Marketing web site.
