Amber Alarid, JVA Consulting

Most of you who have met me, or who have followed our blog in recent years, know that my favorite part of our Executive Director Academy (EDA)—and I dare say one of my favorite days of the year—is our annual “Genius Bar.” During each EDA, we put together a panel of some of our amazing friends and partners in social change to lead a discussion about what it’s really like to be an executive director. Our panel of geniuses shares all, from the logistical questions like “how do you know what forms to fill out to maintain your 501(c)(3)?” to the broader, more personal questions like “how do you maintain a professional and friendly relationship with your board and staff members?”

For the record, I will note that almost every person I’ve recruited for our Genius Bar hates being referred to as a “genius,” because we have been honored to be joined by a group of very humble and down-to-earth folks every time. Personally, I love the name because I think it’s not only fun, but it also honors the incredible knowledge and expertise that every panelist brings to the table.

Each amazing group of panelists has very real, honest, and usually very witty and profound advice to offer our EDA participants, and I’d like to highlight a few of my favorite lessons learned over my years observing this event.

Fundraising is about building relationships—but not just with individual donors. Build a strong relationship with your board to find out what members are willing and excited to do to help raise money; not everyone has the same strengths and interests, so don’t limit everyone to the same fundraising options. Build a strong relationship with funders, and not just the ones you’re approaching for grants; program officers are often well connected people who are also passionate about making the community better, and they can make great champions for your organization when they talk to other potential volunteers, board members and funders.

Empower your staff to be self-reliant. Get the right people on the bus that are passionate and self-motivated, give them specific and mission-/strategy-focused job descriptions, and give them the opportunity to take ownership of their projects. This not only makes your organization more sustainable and successful, it gives you more opportunities for self-care. A self-reliant staff saves you stress when you’re out of the office for meetings or taking a vacation.

Don’t be afraid to start over. Whether it’s getting rid of outdated fundraising events or building your board from scratch, there will be times when you have to regroup and rebuild. These are the times to think critically about the impact your organization is making and how it can become even stronger.

If you want to meet other new or prospective executive directors and get the chance to chat openly with seasoned executive directors who have been where you are going, don’t miss our upcoming EDA, February 23-27 (http://jvaconsulting.com/executive-director-training/#.VMqtdcb8-Lo).