SUMMER 2020
UNITING, STRENGTHENING, AND ADVANCING ARIZONA’S NONPROFIT SECTOR. ARIZONANONPROFITS.ORG
Expecting the Unexpected by Kristen Merrifield, CAE, CNAP, Chief Executive Officer
The Alliance of Arizona Nonprofits is an action-oriented group of partners across Arizona — both nonprofits and those in the community who support them — dedicated to uniting, strengthening and advancing Arizona’s nonprofit sector. The Alliance envisions an Arizona where all nonprofits are valued, empowered and thriving.
CONTENTS
2
Arizona Gives Day
3
Republic Bank of Arizona Steps Up for Nonprofits during Pandemic
4
Expect More Arizona
5
Nonprofits Need Funding Now More than Ever
6
Alliance News Updates
Planning for the unexpected: Is there really a way to do that? It seems counterintuitive and darn near impossible. How do we as leaders even begin to start to plan for something we do not foresee ever happening? If you had told me in January that we would all be quarantined to our homes for several months, wearing masks when we got out in public and homeschooling our kids, I would have laughed out loud. Either that, or I would have thought you were recapping your latest zombie Netflix binge. But that is where we all found ourselves in mid-March. I would dare say that this was the first pandemic any of us have ever lived through — much less led through. Admittedly, we all had to adapt as we went and rely on the knowledge Kristen Merrifield, CAE, CNAP and lessons learned along the way. A colleague of mine even suggested capturing these experiences into a “Pandemic Leadership for Dummies” book. There may be some merit in that. One thing that has become increasingly clear, though, is how unprepared many of us are when it comes to crisis communication, business contingency plans and budget scenario planning. The truth of the matter is that the unthinkable can and will happen, and, as leaders, it is up to us to be ready to navigate our organizations and teams out of the catastrophic storm in which we currently find ourselves. Whether the effects of the coronavirus pandemic have been immediate for your nonprofit or business, or you’re bracing for what’s to come, you should be proactively preparing for the possible paths ahead. One way to do this is scenario budget planning. Let me state this up front: It’s very likely all of your anticipated scenarios will be wrong because there are so many unknowns right now — but so is your old budget. Predicting the future is not actually the goal here. Rather, scenario planning is intended to give you an ordered way of thinking and making decisions. It’s meant to help turn those “what if?” questions into “what we will do if … ” plans. Start with what you don’t know. What unknowns are weighing on you the most? What will have the biggest impact and require the quickest decisions (e.g., that June conference or September fundraiser)? You can’t address everything right away, and again, doing so would paralyze you. Get clarity on what’s most important. As a team, identify two to three scenarios. Remember, frame these as possible stories that could unfold and avoid diving directly into the spreadsheet and numbers. Gather the information you do have with input from people and communities who would be affected. Then, think about what timeframe you want to focus on. Be creative but realistic. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2
1
