A key determinant of any successful organisation is having access to the right resources at the right time. The quality of the people involved and the appropriateness of their skillsets are a big part of this. Recent research in the NFP/Charity world has highlighted some interesting information in this regard.

The difference between an organisation thriving, rather than just surviving, can be complex and due to a multitude of factors; but a common and often crucial factor is the quality of the people involved. However a conundrum in the NF/Charity world where organisations are often resource poor can often be how to identify, attract and get the skills they need on board...and where they need them.

In the corporate world an entire sophisticated search and recruitment industry exists to solve this issue - albeit often at a considerable investment. The skills of these search and recruitment specialists should not be underestimated for finding great people for NFP/Charity organisations. But the catch 22 for many NFPs/Charities, especially smaller ones or those in early stage development, are that they are sometimes too resource poor to access these services.

So how do resource poor organisations go about finding and accessing the skills they need?

Recent research about Chartered Accountants

Through one of my advisory roles I recently got to read a new piece of research produced for Chartered Accountants Australia New Zealand.  Called What Really Counts – The Contribution of CAs to the NFP & Charitable Sector.  This research has been produced by specialist academics at The Australian Graduate School of Management, the Curtin University Not-for-profit initiative and Victoria University of Wellington and sought to better understand the long-standing and ongoing contribution of Chartered Accountants to the community.

The research was quite wide ranging in scope and was conducted across Australia and New Zealand and was responded to by over 2,600 Chartered Accountant members and 285 firms.  Hence it provides some interesting insights.  One of the key findings was that over 88% of respondents were actively involved in volunteering their services in some form or other.     

While the research just focused on Chartered Accountants I strongly suspect that some (many?) of the research findings are probably equally applicable to other professionals. 

Of relevance to the question at hand is a section somewhat self-explanatorily called:  Ask and you shall receive 

The research found that over half of the respondents reported that they began volunteering simply because they were asked. Usually by those already connected with an organisation, rather than through advertising or promotion.  This compared to the next largest reason being 30% who actively sought a volunteer role.

Hence NFPs & Charities should not underestimate the simple and straightforward approach.  It doesn’t mean you will be successful every time, but your chances of success are increased by 100% compared to not asking at all!

Other Tips for Success

  • Be clear what skills you are looking for – As Granddad used to say: Better to use a rifle than a shotgun if you want to precisely hit a target
  • Be clear on your organisation’s value proposition – the good you do and why someone would want to assist and how they may benefit from that.   You may be passionate about your organisation but why should they bother?   We often make the mistake of assuming that others know what our organisations do.  Clear communication is required.  What is your elevator pitch?
  • What is your organisation’s existing knowledge of who connected to you does what?  Knowing who that you know is a specialist in a particular area can be an excellent avenue for a warm request.  Good information capture systems (they don’t need to be complex) and a relationship database can be worth their weight in gold.
  • Next, widen your net – once you are clear on what skills you need, consider who you know that may know people with the sort of skills you need – and then seek their assistance to recommend and make introductions.
  • Leverage your social media platforms.

Being mindful of busy people

We’ve all heard the saying If you want a job done, give it to a busy person.  Often they are the people with the focus and the skills organisation’s need.  However, in an increasingly busy world it is hard to vie for their attention. 

Tellingly the research I refer to above also listed “a lack of time” as the single biggest barrier for Chartered Accountants to providing more volunteer support.

Hence, keying into a desire to assist, while also respecting this scarcity of time is likely to get you better results.

I know from personal experience when I’ve been approached for roles that hold some interest but I am to busy for that the framing of the request can be the key to success.  For example; requesting a specific skill set for a short defined time, and/or a specific project, rather than what looks like an open-ended commitment can tip the balance to success.

Interestingly I have also stayed on in roles longer than what I was initially asked for in some cases.  And I strongly suspect I am not alone in this.  While only asked to commit for a defined period such as a year, one becomes increasingly aware of the value of the organisation once involved motivating for a longer commitment. 

Don’t completely discount advertising

While I have noted above that direct referral is the most powerful method one should not close off to other means of fishing for results. 

Increasingly there are useful forums for casting your net wide if you don’t know of candidates directly.  For example, when looking for board members; The Institute of Directors offers an advertising forum for board members at reduced rates for NFP/Charities.  Another good vehicle is Appoint Better Boards. 

Likewise, your own social media platforms can be an excellent form of getting the message out there.