Description:
Moving from a volunteer-only to staffed organization is a huge milestone in the lifecycle of a nonprofit. How do you know when you are ready? How do you know what the organization needs? Part 1 of our series will look at these questions, among others:
• Why do we believe that we need to hire staff at this time?
• What positions (functions) do we need to fill? Administrative, executive, or other?
• What can we pay/what can we afford?
• Are there power dynamics involving a founder (or other) that we need to address?
• How do we fully embrace the transition from one organizational structure (all-volunteer) to the other (one with staff)?
• Are there obvious candidates internally or will we be starting/searching from scratch?
• How do we handle potential conflicts of interest if we are considering a candidate from the Board?
• Is the Board operating at a level that would support staff (e.g., high-functioning); are its expectations for an initial hire realistic? Roles of oversight and continuing obligation for development Part 2: We’ve decided to hire our first staff person! What are the initial legal and compliance issue we need to know?
Presenters: Roosevelt Smith, Roosevelt Smith Consulting & Sara Taylor, Staff Attorney, Pro Bono Partnership