Use Inescapable Privilege

The Board of Directors possesses inescapable privilege. Paradoxical? Many of us are committed to a future society where privilege is not a factor at all. In the meantime. most people reading these words have some privilege that you can’t eliminate. Plunging ahead without acknowledging inescapable privilege will embarrass others and make a fool of yourself.

What is inescapable privilege? In Cambodia, I’m elderly, tall, and white, which gives me inescapable privilege. A simple example: I was sitting in a crowded lounge, and a young person came in with many packages. I got up to offer my seat, but he refused. I attempted to reject my privilege in a way that embarrassed both of us, making an unintended judgment about Cambodian values.

Here are ten intel ideas to use inescapable privilege for good.

1.??????? Develop a Unique Set of Board Artifacts and Customs

While you may not feel impressive, you have inescapable privilege as a Board Member or Board Chair. You’re noticed and impressive to other stakeholders – staff, managers, clients, and funders.

Madeleine Chu is the Board Chair for Nimmonsburg Senior Care. As a result, Madeleine is asked for comments at times by local media and speaks at many senior events. She has inescapable privilege.

She works with a temporary Board committee and the Director, Hazel Knickerbocker, to create artifacts like embossed pens, stamps, letterhead, umbrellas, laptop covers, and certificates. These items affirm the agency's work and magnify the Board's role in a healthy way.

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2.????? Sponsor a Reception for New Staff.

?? The Nimmonsburg Board hosts an Orientation for New Staff Reception, planning a catered event. This is not a moment for pizza and coke! Aaron Sheridan and other Board members put energy into planning the evening event. After the reception, Aaron Sheridan starts activities with Staff Bingo to help new staff get acquainted with Board members. Each staff member receives an embossed umbrella and a gym membership gift card.

?Madeleine Chu, the Chair, stands to speak and welcomes new staff and connects their work to the Vision and Mission of the Senior Center. It’s an important moment in the life of Nimmonsburg Senior Center and in the lives of the people just joining. She concludes her remarks with certificates for each staff member. Andrea Johnson has been hired recently as an Aide. She took the job because she was unemployed. Andrea confides to a friend later that she had never been to a reception and is eager to be a part of the Center.? The Board has leveraged its inescapable privilege to motivate A level staff performance!

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3.?????? Prepare an Annual Reception for Community Partners

For years, the school that I directed had an annual event for parents and local principals were invited. Sponsorship and attendance by the Board of Directors 10x the gravitas of such an event. Board involvement can be leveraged for good without disrespecting others.

To my surprise, fifteen principals were reliably present for Principals’ Night, including those that lived far away. I realized later that the Board gave out a school imprinted umbrella, a bottle of wine, and recognition. Most principals have difficult and important jobs, but no one recognizes that effort. Isn’t that true of many community leaders? Burnout in nonprofits is a current topic. In the difficult job of School Principal, the Board of Directors and Management of one agency noticed!

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4.????? Celebrate Client Success

Use inescapable privilege of Board membership to show respect to clients. Some agencies have an annual awards event. At Nimmonsburg Senior Center, twenty-two Board members pair up and invite small groups of clients who have earned exercise awards for an evening meal and use the time to get stakeholder feedback on effectiveness of the programs.

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5.????? Celebrate Staff Development

Every staff team has members working on degrees, licenses, and certifications. Most of these are earned without recognition. Think of the 10x impact in morale when the Board plans to celebrate all staff accomplishments. CEO Hazel Knickerbocker tracks all degrees, certifications, and licenses. Twice a year, Madeleine Chu, Board Chair, organizes a Saturday Futures Award brunch for all staff who have reached a milestone.? Board members have time with people who may be future leaders of the agency!

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6.????? Celebrate Customs that Lift Up Core Values

Nimmonsburg Senior Center has a Core Value of ‘Health is Fun’. This is to motivate seniors to protect and develop their health. The Board offers gym memberships to all part-time staff who walk 70,000 steps a week for 26 weeks. ?

The Board also decided to use its Inescapable Privilege for fun. The Board asks each Board member who don’t succeed in the same goal to financially sponsor an annual after-work Happy Moment. If all Board members succeed, the Happy Moment is one drink and one shrimp. If Board members fail, it’s a champagne event with caviar!

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7.?????? Celebrate Annual Goals and Five-Year Targets

The Nimmonsburg Board works closely with the CEO Hazel Knickerbocker to track success of the Annual Goals and Three-Year Targets. They create a celebration with management for meeting annual goals of managers.

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Since the managers have more access to the Nimmonsburg Board than clients or other staff, the Board use of Inescapable Privilege to celebrate success is very meaningful. The Board has used the power of its position to state both respect and satisfaction for people that are well known to the Board.

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8.????? Celebrate Donors

Board attention and expressions of gratitude can 10x the likelihood of financial gifts recurring. While all financial gifts are received with gratitude, there are long term donors and donors who have made gifts over a certain level. When the Board decides to offer relationships, respect for the mission 10x! ?One Board Chair invested in regular communication with two donors. The communication was sincere and appreciated. One result was a totally unexpected gift of $130,000.

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9.????? 911 Awards

The Board of Directors lifts the morale of the entire agency when it uses privilege? to acknowledge staff who succeed under pressure. In one case, the manager was at a public school with a sudden lockdown and a possible live shooter. She was alone and managed staff and students until the crisis passed and students were safely out of the building. When the Board uses its privilege to speak at such moments, everyone is listening.

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10.?? Board Awards

The Board can recognize and celebrate those Board members that call on us all to go beyond the 1,000 minutes annually and impact the public mission to do good.? If an appraisal rates the work of each Board member, there will be some Board members who made the work a great priority. They are the Level 4s. Celebrate their work

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I hope you’ve enjoyed the fictional Board of Directors and Nimmonsburg Senior Center. By the time they finished all the celebrations, Board members contributed far more than 1,000 minutes this year!?

The unique Inescapable Privilege of the Board should be leveraged instead of ignored. Celebrations are an important and healthy way to show respect. Encouragement from the Board has a significant impact on clients, funders, and staff energy.

I’m Ronald Tompkins, Managing Coach for TurnAround Nonprofit and Executive Coaching. More information is on my website at TAConsulting.live. Many leaders start out with certificate training but need team coaching to support them as they lead and change their nonprofit. . If you watch this as a Board member, ask your Executive Director to involve the Board and team in coaching. You can contact me for Team Coaching at 646 824 4647.

Thanks for joining me today

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