On the ballot in November is a local initiative to expand child care and after school initiatives for low income families, making child care and time outside of the traditional school day not only more accessible but also more affordable.  We encourage Travis County citizens to research the topic and be an informed voter.

In 2023, Seeds for Change Consulting worked with United Way for Greater Austin to assess and provide recommendations to its newly formed coalition.  The Shared Services Alliance for Early Learning aims to streamline resources for child care providers, allowing administrators to work more effectively and efficiently. The Alliance is a key component of United Way's Success by 6 and membership includes child care providers of all sizes - from a single provider caring for a few children to nationally affiliated franchises with dozens of local sites. Our collaborative work focused on technology tools, services, and solutions including hardware, software, and internet accessibility.  Ultimately, we aligned our recommendations with collective desired outcomes of:

• ​improving effectiveness
• time savings
• money savings
• enable effective planning
• improve accountability

 
For more information on United Way and the ballot initiative, here are some links.  

September News Report (KVUE): youtu.be/JReCDlHyBKg?feature=shared
August News Article (KUT): tinyurl.com/2024care
United Way for Greater Austin: https://unitedwayaustin.org/
Success by 6:  https://unitedwayaustin.org/success-by-6-plan/
Website:  https://www.affordablechildcarenow.com/

And thanks to Cathy McHorse and the team at UW for trusting us to do great work!

​Seeds for Change is thrilled to be collaborating with The Kindness Campaign to find their next superstar Program Director. This Austin-based remote position is perfect for the mid-level non-profit professional with experience in program implementation and evaluation, relationship building and networking, and aligning programs with mission and values.  Applicants with knowledge of, and experience with, social and emotional health and wellness and/or the education space (especially in Texas) will be prioritized. Be a part of a dynamic and growing organization focused on kindness, joy, and caring.  Applications accepted on an ongoing basis with a final deadline of August 26. 

By: Carolyn Haney and Sarah Andrews

Beginning stages of developing a Board/What do you need to have a successful board

• Bylaws - Outline the ? words - who, how many, when (terms), how, etc.
• Board Member Agreement - Go over this in person- not over email;  to set expectations - common understanding of what it means to be a board member with time, talent and treasure.
• What does the organization need AND what do the Board Members want by being on the Board?

It is important to make sure that the board member and the organization are
both getting what they need/want. If this doesn’t happen, the board members get bored/uninterested and there is disengagement and then they leave.

• Calendar of Board Meetings

This is going to depend on size of board, size of organization, how long the organization has been around, and where the Board members are located. Try to make this as consistent as possible. Using technology (i.e. Zoom Meetings) is a great way to engage people in Board meetings who cannot make it in person.

• Financial Commitment

        Give/Get discussion. You may want to consider having some community
members on your Board who do not give/get as much; however, they are representative
    of the clients/community you are serving.

• Board Chair Expectations and relationship with ED:

    The ED and the Board Chair should have a pretty committed relationship. This Board Chair can be a voice for the ED when talking to the whole Board. The Board Chair and the ED should be in regular communication.

• Board Matrix- who do you need on your board?
      - In general, you need to determine what you need the makeup of your BOD to be. This will depend somewhat on how your BOD functions. For example, if you’re a small org, a working BOD may be more beneficial to you to build capacity. In that case, looking for members who can fill certain roles - marketing, finance, etc. Large org, may want BOD with big connections, big pockets, or both.

- Several helpful online tools for creating a BOD matrix through Board Source and 501Commons


TOOLS FOR BUILDING A PRODUCTIVE BOARD
Strengths Finder
One popular tool that you can use with your BOD is called the Strengths Finder test.  This is a high-level overview business-focused personality test that helps people find their top strengths in the workplace. There are 34 core strengths and the test typically identifies each persons top 5. You can then take these findings and from a high level see where your BOD falls in broader categories - meaning, do you have members who are generally good at executing tasks? At thinking strategically? Building relationships? Influencing others? So on. It also helps you cultivate more self-awareness and relationship-building among your BOD and is a great exercise to engage in during a BOD retreat or special meeting where you are just focused on the interpersonal dynamics of the BOD members.
TIP: Have everyone bring results to the meeting and discuss their findings with each other. This helps people to really see not only new ways they can be of service to the org, but also new ways that they can work together. For example, STRATEGIC/IDEATION with ACTIVATOR.

• https://www.leadershipvisionconsulting.com/what-you-can-do-with-strengthsfinder-in-60-90-minutes/

​Fall 2019 Morning Lecture Series will cover topics related to Effective Board Committees and How to Maximize LinkedIn as a Networking Tool

​Writing a strong grant requires clear and concise writing to effectively explain your program and justifications for funding.  However, it often also requires organization and thought to truly shine.  The following are four helpful tips that will help you develop a strong application now and position your organization for strong future requests from the same foundation.

Be Prepared
Do your research in advance to ensure that the program for which you are requesting funding is a good match with the grantor and that your funding request is reasonable.  Keep a good  grant calendar so that you are aware of upcoming deadlines and are not rushing an application. Give yourself time to think and write. Have important attachments at the ready. 

Write as Team (when possible)
Especially for new programs or new applications, it can be helpful to sit down with staff from development, programs, and finance to review the questions and potential answers.  This is also a good time to discuss budgets - how much you will need and what attachments will be required.  Be sure to give everyone a chance to provide input.

Review as a Stranger
When reviewing your work, make sure you do not use acronyms or jargon that may be unfamiliar to someone outside your organization, your issue area, or even the nonprofit field.  If possible, find a friend or peer that would be willing to review your responses and ask questions.  At the very least, ask someone in your organization who is not involved with the program to review the grant.

Be Responsive After Funding
Most grants require that a report be submitted at the end of the grant year or even quarterly.  Once funded, be clear with your team about about who is responsible for writing narrative, pulling data, and collecting financials. Be sure to start reports well in advance of their due dates and submit them on time.  Even if a grantor does not require a report, it is still a good idea to send a brief letter or report letting them know their funds were appreciated and how they were used.

by:  Seeds for Change Consultants Andrea Torres and Amy Nunn

I always tell clients that strategic planning never looks just one way. The planning process and the output must look like the organization’s mission, size, maturity and level of participation.  In other words, it’s a reflection of the organization itself.
 
Some clients require “re-visioning” where we take a step back and focus on their mission, vision and values. Then we constructively prepare them to meet that new mission. Other clients have a solid sense of what they are and where they want to go, they only need our help defining those next steps. And certainly clients exist at all stages in between. 
 
Strategic Plans are road maps. They are intended to give organizations concrete direction so they avoid the ad hoc movements so many of us practice in our work (and personal lives). Initially some executive directors fret that the plans will permit their board to more closely monitor, and interfere, with their work. Another way to look at this scenario is that the executive director now has permission to concentrate on top priorities and to avoid projects not in scope. (As board members we’re all guilty of dreaming up creative but unrealistic expectations for the nonprofits we serve.)
 
Below are suggestions to make the planning process effective and painless:

1. Ensure that the board and staff are equally sold on the idea of strategic planning, even if that means having those soft conversations with both sides early on.
2. Allow the board to help shape the priority or goal areas, the strategic direction.
3. Give staff responsibility for putting the “meat on the bone.” It’s their job to decide how something will get done.
4. Form a strategic planning committee made up of staff leadership and board members who can usher the process along and avoid too much large-scale decision making.
5. Once the plan is approved staff and board should revisit the plan at least quarterly and adopt the ladder approach. As soon as one year is completed another year is added and so on down the road.

 
Seeds for Change Consulting prides itself on guiding organizations through the strategic planning process in a way that puts the group on sure footing and without hassle.  
 
~ Bergan Casey, SFCC communications and organizational development consultant

Seeds for Change founder Stacy Ehrlich has another project successfully completed – this time the project’s collaborative partners proved to be close to her home and heart. Stacy’s teenage daughter has authored and published a bilingual children’s story – Chuy El Chihuahua. Simms based Chuy on childhood bedtime stories told to her by her dad.

Simms has donated over 800 books to local non-profits – all current and former Seeds for Change clients. SFCC team member Sarah Andrews was the lead graphic designer and high school friend Chloe Ezell brought the book to life with her colored illustrations. Stacy guided Simms in launching a late fall 2018 Kickstarter campaign to raise over $5,600, made possible through the generous support of 89 backers. You can read more about the project from the BookSpring November blog post https://www.bookspring.org/2018/11/chuy-el-chihuahua-a-kickstarter-campaign/.

Local non-profits receiving Chuy books include BookSpring, Partnerships for Children, The Jeremiah Project, and People’s Community Clinic. Simms will be doing a select number of in-person storybook reading engagements throughout Spring 2019 including National Charity League – Hills of Austin Chapter and several BookSpring Title 1 partner schools. A select number of books are available for purchase in 2019 at Austin book retailers BookPeople and Over the Rainbow.

Guiding her daughter through a successful philanthropic project as well as networking and connecting all of the project partners were Stacy's biggest achievements for this project. Developing a homegrown community service "do gooder" and philanthropic champion was icing on the proverbial cake.