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Live United by Erin Haag

When you’re on the outside of an agency looking in, it can be a mixed bag. On the one hand, you can reasonably say, “Not my circus, not my monkeys.” On the other hand, these are agencies that our community needs, and no one wants to see the agency disappear or struggle to be able to serve the most vulnerable.

As a United Way, that can often put us into questionable situations. We’re not in the business of managing other nonprofits. We’re not in the business of running their programs for them. However, United Way has long been recognized worldwide as upholding standards and accountability. Funding is often given to United Way because the brand stands for integrity, for good stewardship of donor dollars. Donors trust that we’ll do the research, and we’ll review the operations and finances of a program and carefully determine if this is the best use of dollars. So what happens when an agency is floundering, and it’s due to operational changes that need to be made, not financial?

What happens when the work that needs to be done to shore up the foundation is more in-depth than United Way can reasonably provide?

Before assumptions are made, there’s no secret message in this article. I’m not talking about any specific agency. I’m writing my thoughts about a variety of situations I’ve encountered over the years in nonprofit work. These experiences span 20 years, two states and a variety of missions. It also includes my own work and agency, because I’d be remiss to thoughtfully consider these things and not apply it to my current situations.

The situations that can bring an agency to this point are varied. Sometimes it’s a matter of good intentions and lack of experience and support. It might be a disengaged board that isn’t providing proper oversight. Sometimes it’s an individual who has created a culture of skewed thinking — fundamentally shifting the perspective and the energy within the agency, which can in turn alter the way the mission is being carried out. Sometimes the dreams are too big, and not rooted in the practical logistics of what the organization is capable of. That’s a hard one, because you can be a dreamer rooted in practicality, but sometimes you do need to take a leap of faith. Surprise, surprise, I’ve been accused of some of those “too big dreams.” Thankfully, others didn’t agree and told me that they felt it was a time to be bold, to take a leap of success. That particular project was very successful and still thriving today.

On a rainy Tuesday night, the board of directors sat around the table and talked about the work of United Way. We had a few minor votes for business, but the majority of the meeting was to get feedback. I often tell my board members that one of the most valuable things I need is that feedback. Many times it’s just listening to me, and telling me that yes, indeed, the situation is a little bit banana pants and I’m not living in an echo chamber of my own head. I first read the term banana pants in an HR advice column, and I’m adopting it for my own use because it’s just perfect. There’s plenty of sticky situations where I walk the line between speaking up, calling attention to some issues and not overstepping. I don’t always get it right, and it’s not always received well. It can often feel incredibly personal, when it very rarely is.

Not my business? Maybe not, but it is our community, and there is an obligation to speak up on things and to help. It’s our community and we don’t want to sweep things under the rug, because ultimately that hurts us all. It’s an art to figure out what to say, how to say it and who to say it to. It’s also an art to listen to others and reflect.

The other night, someone commented they liked my T-shirt, and I said, “Thanks! It’s my favorite shirt to wear to work.” A board member was sitting next to me and she laughed. My shirt says, “I run a tight shipwreck.”

Yes, that’s very tongue in cheek, but it feels accurate many days. I don’t think we’re a little dinghy in the big ocean, but we’re not quite a catamaran either. Despite my joking, we’re a solid organization that has grown, done fantastic things and evolved throughout the past nearly 100 years in Freeborn County. If we’re going to be holding others accountable, we have to hold ourselves accountable. In late summer, the board of directors will be utilizing a framework to ensure that we’re figuring out those big dreams with realistic expectations and capacity and assessing what areas we need to improve on. There are six areas we’ll be examining: Community leadership, equitable community impact, brand strength, awareness and relevance, diversified revenue streams, organizational foundations and network citizenship.

If you’re familiar with my speaking/writing style, you’ve heard these words come out of my mouth before. Diversified revenue streams! Being relevant! It is my goal that we’ll participate in this framework, make our assessment and put into place a plan and act upon those plans to strengthen up our areas. Then, it’s my hope we can take a similar approach and help other nonprofits complete their own assessment. Instead of stepping over the line of managing other nonprofits, let’s give them the tools and support they need to see those things for themselves.

Big dreams of improving. What I leave with you today though is: They can’t do it without you. It might be volunteering, becoming a donor, a business partner — but it can also be speaking up. Speak up when you see things going right. Speak up when you see things going wrong — keep it constructive though! Curious about how you can get involved with us or any other organization? Give us a call at 507-373-8670.

Erin Haag is the executive director of the United Way of Freeborn County.