Leadership Development a Nonprofit Organization

Leadership Development A nonprofit organization is an incorporated organization which exists for educational or charitable reasons, and from which its shareholders or trustees do not benefit financially. Any money that is made must be retained by the organization, and used for its own expenses, operations, and programs. Many non-profit organizations also have tax exempt status, and may also be exempt from local taxes including sales taxes or property taxes. Some well-known non-profit organizations include Habitat for Humanity, the Red Cross, and United Way.

These organizations are also sometimes called not-for-profit organization (Non-profit organization, n.d.). In order to develop good leaders for nonprofit organizations there are some fundamental things that must be looked at. It is important to evaluate the way that things have been done in the past in order to develop a plan going forward. The first is historical information in regards to goal setting. The next thing to look at is the historical utilization of a performance evaluation tool.

And the last thing to be considered is whether there was an official process or template that was used. Once it is determined how things were done it the past it can be seen how things can be changed or improved upon going forward (Huddleston, 2009). A new plan going forward must be mutually developed by all staff who supervise leaders supervisor and above and their direct reports. The plan must be developed by supervisors for the rising star line staff in order to identify potential leaders.

There must be a standard template that it used in order to have consistency. The plan should be reviewed at time of annual performance evaluation and six months later (Huddleston, 2009).

Most leadership experts agree that the following skills are fundamental for all leaders: Interpersonal skills that include good team building Good oral communication sills Good written communication skills A desire to continue learning Integrity and honesty It is also felt that in today's business world it is important to also have project management principles and skills as they are necessary for success (Tedesco and Doncaster, 2008).

In the non-profit sector, there exists a unique opportunity to develop good leadership skills, by participating in workplace giving campaigns, such as the Combined Federal Campaign, America's Charities Campaigns, and United Way campaigns. Workplace giving is a distinctive method of fundraising within the non-profit sector, and while many think of it only in terms of fundraising it has its unique benefits. In workplace giving, the actual solicitations are performed by the employees of the organization, during the workday, that is why it is called workplace giving (Tedesco and Doncaster, 2008).

Some of the unique benefits of workplace giving campaigns include conducting inexpensive market research, leverage of development efforts, and exposure to a much wider audience than is possible any other way, plus developing multiple year revenue streams. In regards to leadership development workplace giving campaigns there are campaign events known as charity fairs which can be used to develop leadership.

During a charity fair, charities from the workplace giving catalog are invited to come to the organization's offices, and staff a table with their representatives, give out their materials, and answer any questions that the potential donors might ask. These events can be an ideal practice field for emerging non-profit leaders (Tedesco and Doncaster, 2008). Charity fairs are seen as one of the best leadership development opportunities that exist in the non-profit world.

Non-profits that have integrated workplace giving campaigns into their overall leadership development efforts often use them to provide low risk, high value opportunities to their staff in a number of areas, including project management, public speaking, and team building. The skills that can be developed and practiced through participation in charity fairs include: Oral Communication -- public speaking skills can be practiced dozens of times in the course of a campaign.

Team Building -- the non-profit action officer can get practical experience in creating and leading a team of paid staff and volunteers. Listening Skills -- the non-profit team will have the opportunity to listen to hundreds of people in the community. These people are potential donors and supporters and being able to listen to them is important. Written Communication -- there are several opportunities to develop one's writing ranging from simple memos to an analysis of the comments from the members of the community that were made at the.