Resources
Make Wise Risk Moves, Not Hasty Resolutions, This Year
By Melanie Lockwood Herman In his recent New York Times guest essay titled “This Year, Make a Resolution About Something Bigger Than Yourself,” author Roger Rosenblatt urges readers to put aside “self-oriented promises” and choose “airtight commitments” to improve our world. He writes: “The task of improving the world may seem impossible, but it isn’t. … Continued
6 Signs You Might Need to Hire a Full-Time Risk Manager
by Rachel Sams Wondering if your organization needs to hire someone to handle risk management full-time? Every nonprofit, and every risk management journey, is different. We can’t offer you a magic formula that will tell you whether you need to hire a risk manager, but we can definitely tell you what factors to weigh as … Continued
Relish the Ride: Tap into Powerful Lessons to Manage Mission Risk
“I’m not a genius. I’m just a tremendous bundle of experience.” – Buckminster Fuller By Melanie Lockwood Herman “Are we there yet?” “Why is this taking so long?” “If we hadn’t hit traffic, we would be there already.” “We should have left earlier!” If you’ve heard one of the above comments from a “Captain Obvious” … Continued
To Reach Your Risk Potential, Tell Better Stories
By Melanie Lockwood Herman This month I’ve been obsessively watching Season #1 of The Big Door Prize, on AppleTV+. The show’s mechanical protagonist is Morpho, a machine that—after collecting two bits of Personally Identifiable Information—offers a forecast of one’s ‘true potential’. Reactions from townsfolk to the machine’s prophecies range from delight to detachment and despair. … Continued
Live Long and Prosper: Strategies for Longevity in Risk and Life
By Melanie Lockwood Herman When NRMC meets with prospective consulting clients, they almost always express concern about sustaining their risk management efforts. We hear things like: “We were full speed ahead when we began our ERM program a few years back, but it has withered on the vine. We need to build something that is … Continued
2020 Risk Forecast: Risk Trends Facing Nonprofits
The jovial celebration of each passing year also ushers in a sense of unease and uncertainty: what will we face next? In 2020, nonprofit teams face new risks brought on by global megatrends as well as a few familiar risks that continue to morph and present new challenges. The NRMC team anticipates these risk trends … Continued
Make Progress in Your Risk Program Real, Not a Mirage
By Melanie Lockwood Herman In their terrific book, Risk: A User’s Guide, authors McChrystal and Butrico describe “structure” as one of 10 dimensions of building a “Risk Immune System.” But they caution readers that changing the structure of a function may not necessarily mean the function is improving. Experienced nonprofit leaders know the illusion and … Continued
From Worry to Action
Worried about risk? Use this 5-step worksheet to create a basic action plan for risks and worries that your nonprofit is facing.
How To Take More Risks In Your Leadership
By Rachel Sams When I led a newsroom, I learned from staff feedback that my team wanted more support from me. Our news organization had a lot of change initiatives. I spent time with my bosses to understand what changes were coming and plan how the newsroom could cover them. I worked to protect my … Continued
Growing Up Fast: Risk Program Maturity
By Melanie Lockwood Herman Every year on my daughter’s birthday, I am reminded of how quickly time passes. So many milestones in her life seem like they happened moments ago: her first Halloween-themed birthday party, the first day of kindergarten, her first dance recital, and so on. During a recent birthday chat, I refrained from … Continued
Reimagine Your Risk Roundtable
By Melanie Lockwood Herman During NRMC consulting engagements and conversations with our Affiliate Members, our team often hears about the work and deliberations of risk teams. During the Virtual Risk Summit, I was delighted to join my colleague Ann Terlizzi, Director of Risk Management at Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota, for a fast-paced session we … Continued
Whether it’s Pastry or Risk Process, Use a Light Touch for a Perfect Result
By Melanie Lockwood Herman If you’ve ever served a pie whose crust was tough instead of flaky, you may have overworked the dough before baking. This frequent error can happen when you’re mixing the dough or when you’re rolling and shaping it. Experienced bakers learn that a light touch is the secret ingredient to memorable … Continued
Make Patience a Prerequisite
By Melanie Lockwood Herman While visiting my parents in the lovely coastal town of Falmouth, MA, I’ve observed two distinct types of drivers. The first type of driver pulls onto the main roadway, seemingly unaware (or unconcerned) that drivers with the right of way must brake to avoid a collision. This first type of driver … Continued
Focus on Residual Resilience, Not Residual Risks
By Melanie Lockwood Herman & Erin Gloeckner What value does your organization derive from risk management? Controlling specific financial losses and harm? Or cultivating a capacity for resilience no matter what losses or liability might arise? Risk management often looks at singular risks inside a vacuum, determining why each risk is bad, how bad, and … Continued
Perfect is the Mortal Enemy of the Good: Why Minimum Viable Risk Practices are Perfect
By Melanie Lockwood Herman Seasoned hiring managers and interviewers often listen carefully for an interviewee’s response that acts as a red flag waving “don’t hire this person!” For me, it’s a statement like this: “I’m a perfectionist,” or “My biggest weakness is that I don’t want to stop working on something until I get it … Continued
The Resilience Mindset: 7 Musts if Your Mission Matters
By Melanie Lockwood Herman and Whitney Thomey Across the vibrant and diverse nonprofit sector in the U.S. and internationally, leaders and teams are recognizing that we’re not going back. Initial thoughts of returning to a pre-pandemic state are dissipating as we collectively grasp the significant implications of a risk event for which an entire world … Continued
Spring Planting: Finding Inspiration to Spruce Up Your Risk Management Program
By: Katharine Nesslage Every spring, I get an itch to spruce up my home and garden with colorful, cheerful plants. Similarly, risk leaders often feel inspired to do some spring cleaning and infuse their risk programs with new practices to make them brighter and more impactful. To scratch my gardening itch, I visited an outdoor … Continued
Take a Hike! (around Your Risk Landscape)
“Seek to understand your context better. Things that are out of place in a context bear closer inspection.” – Karl E. Weick & Kathleen M. Sutcliffe, Managing the Unexpected By Melanie Lockwood Herman Environmental, climate, and weather-related risks often occupy prominent positions on the risk lists at nonprofit organizations. The NRMC team refers to these … Continued
Humble Haiku’s Mighty Lessons for Risk Leaders
By Whitney Claire Thomey This Saturday is International Haiku Poetry Day, leading me to reflect on the lessons I’ve learned from this simple form of poetry—the humble haiku. If you’re wondering how this pint-sized poem has the potential to teach risk leaders important lessons about evolving organizational risk practices, I invite you to read on! … Continued
Choose Your Own Adventure to Risk and Reward
By Melanie Lockwood Herman If you’ve ever faced a personal crisis or a crisis at your organization, you know how all-consuming and paralyzing it can be. It’s hard to see beyond the hour or the day when the bad news keeps coming. During these stressful moments, you may find yourself flip-flopping between options or second-guessing … Continued
Do This, Not That: 5 Essential Risk Policy Drafting Tips
By Melanie Lockwood Herman This week I’ve been busy helping consulting clients and Affiliate Members make sense of (and hopefully improve!) an array of longstanding risk-themed policies, from employee handbooks to vendor contracts and risk-scoring frameworks. In between writing and re-writing, I was able to finish an insightful book that I mentioned last week, Essentialism: … Continued
Choose Essential: Define Your Singular Risk Priority
By Melanie Lockwood Herman This week I’ve been reading Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown. The book’s themes touch on a prickly subject for me: saying “no.” A very wise friend once told me that we often say yes out of fear that if we say no, we won’t get asked again. … Continued
Unplugged
By Whitney Claire Thomey “Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.” – Anne Lamott When you find yourself traveling at the speed of risk, is it necessary to stay plugged in to organization communications, local and world news feeds, and updates from social media? Staying “on” all … Continued
Do What You Love, Love What You Do
By Melanie Lockwood Herman During our Zoom Family Meeting on Valentine’s Day, I made my siblings and parents laugh out loud when I told them that I was spending the day with my one true love… my job! Since we are obsessive Life360 members who track each other’s comings and goings, they already knew that … Continued
Toss the Register, Make a Plan Instead
By Melanie Lockwood Herman One of the most common risk management tools is a detailed list or inventory of ‘threats’ facing an organization. Many risk leaders refer to their ever-expanding, sometimes colossal spreadsheet as a “risk register.” During our 25 years of guiding risk teams through risk analysis, we’ve discovered that risk inventories and registers … Continued
How to Adopt an Optimistic Risk Frame
by Melanie Lockwood Herman Several years ago, I experienced the phenomenon of a waning friendship whose decline I struggled to fully understand. I was perplexed that my friend’s texts and invites caused dread instead of delight. Racking my rational brain led to endless questions but no clear answers. Recently I stumbled into sense-making about this … Continued
It’s About Time
By Whitney Claire Thomey I recently succumbed to a barrage of ads and installed Blinkist on my phone. If you haven’t heard, this app is a crib-notes tool for lovers of nonfiction audiobooks. The app distills a vast array of nonfiction books into 15-minute soundbites. The app’s bold promise? To turn your unallocated time into … Continued
Book Smart, Part 2: “Ah-Ha” Moments from a Year of Reading Well
By Melanie Lockwood Herman As I shared last week, the term “book smart” is an adjective meaning “Having knowledge acquired from books or study; scholarly, bookish; frequently implying lack of common sense or worldliness.” (Source: Lexico.) And although ‘book smart’ is often a pejorative term, my bias is that reading is the ultimate learning tool. … Continued
Book Smart: Lessons from a Year of Reading Well
By Melanie Lockwood Herman According to Lexico, a collaboration between Dictionary.com and Oxford University Press, the term “book smart” is an adjective meaning “Having knowledge acquired from books or study; scholarly, bookish; frequently implying lack of common sense or worldliness.” Although ‘book smart’ is often a pejorative term, my bias is that reading is the … Continued
7 Techniques to Reimagine Your Relationship with Risk
By Melanie Lockwood Herman In just over a week, clocks around the world will strike midnight, and risk professionals will be opening the door to another year of risks. There will be good and bad surprises we never envisioned, the arrival of future professional friends we haven’t met yet, and the inevitable departures of close … Continued
Future Focused: 3 Virtues and Vows
By Melanie Lockwood Herman “But you can build a future out of anything. A scrap, a flicker. The desire to go forward, slowly, one foot at a time. You can build an airy city out of ruins.” ― Lauren Oliver, Pandemonium This week I’ve been reading the October/November issue of Fast Company. In a piece titled “The … Continued
Name the Elephant: Coping with the Biggest Risk to Your Mission
By Melanie Lockwood Herman This week I’m reading An Insider’s Guide to Risk Management, by David M. Rowe. In Chapter 8, Product Innovations and Insurgent Competition, Rowe explores the intersection of change and risk management. One of the themes in the chapter is what Rowe describes as the tendency to “concentrate so much on the … Continued
Restore Productivity with Timely Pauses
By: Katharine Nesslage I just finished reading Daniel Pink’s When: The Scientific Secrets to Perfect Timing, an interesting read that explores the science behind human productivity. Many people believe that productivity patterns are black & white; if they’re a morning person, they are most productive in the morning, or if they’re a ‘night owl,’ the … Continued
2020 Risk Refresh: An Update to Our Forecast of Risk Trends Facing Nonprofits
Enjoy this timely update to the popular 2020 Risk Forecast we published earlier this year. Review our original article to explore additional risk trends including the need to: Ignite a reskilling revolution (our prior #1), and Contribute to climate action and other causes (our prior #5). 1. Master Contingency Planning Elvis Presley famously said, “When … Continued
To Infinity and Beyond: Unleashing Imagination to Build Your Organization’s Resilience
“An infinite-minded leader does not simply want to build a company that can weather change but one that can be transformed by it. They want to build a company that embraces surprises and adapts with them.” – Simon Sinek By Melanie Lockwood Herman As we continue to cope with disruptive consequences caused by COVID-19, many … Continued
Anything Could Happen: The Wild, Wild West of External Risks
Many nonprofit teams spend a great deal of time worrying about external risks—risks that are truly beyond your control to influence or prevent. This webinar explores the wide world of external risks and offers tips and strategies to build resilience and preparation.
Toss Your To-Do List
“Connect today to all your tomorrows. It matters.” – Gary Keller By Melanie Lockwood Herman I’ve just finished reading The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results, by Gary Keller. The premise of the book is that achieving “extraordinary results” is “directly determined by how narrow you can make your focus.” This premise … Continued
Lessons from the Coop: The Sky is Falling!
“To be wise is not to know particular facts but to know without excessive confidence or excessive cautiousness… (T)o both accumulate knowledge while remaining suspicious of it, and recognizing that much remains unknown, is to be wise.” — Managing the Unexpected: Sustained Performance in a Complex World, Karl E. Weick & Kathleen M. Sutcliffe by … Continued
2020 Risk Forecast: Risk Trends Facing Nonprofits
The jovial celebration of each passing year also ushers in a sense of unease and uncertainty: what will we face next? In 2020, nonprofit teams face new risks brought on by global megatrends as well as a few familiar risks that continue to morph and present new challenges. The NRMC team anticipates these risk trends … Continued
Just My Cup of Team
“We may be hard-wired for power struggles, greed, and workplace conflicts. But as social creatures, we also derive enormous pleasure from creating, sharing, and implementing new ideas with other people.” – Amy C. Edmondson By Melanie Lockwood Herman What better time than January, the start of a new year, to experiment with novel ways to … Continued
Don’t Faint at Complaints: How Negative Feedback Can Enhance Your Reputation
“The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing.” —Henry Ford Rumors and false information can move at the speed of a digital virus. One false allegation can ripple through social media in minutes, and a single misunderstood statement can become a Hydra head, turning faithful supporters into outraged opponents—not to mention … Continued
A View to the Horizon: Managing Reputation Risk
by Katharine Nesslage and Melanie Lockwood Herman A famous Peanuts cartoon uses a cruise ship as an analogy for life. In the cartoon, Lucy explains that some people place deck chairs at the back of the boat to see where they have been, while others place their chairs in the front to see where they … Continued
Surprises Await: Embrace the Future
“The future is already here—it’s just not very evenly distributed.” – William Gibson By Melanie Lockwood Herman Whether you’re finalizing your FY 2020 budget, wrapping up a 2020 work plan, or prepping talking points for a seasonal pitch to donors, my guess is that your agenda this month is fairly future-focused. As risk advisors, the … Continued
Insurance FUN-damentals: A Broker’s View
This week we speak with Derek Symer, a Principal and Senior Vice President at AHT Insurance. Derek brings two decades of experience and a unique understanding of nonprofits to his clients. His passion for this sector drives his continued knowledge sharing and gives him valuable insight into the multitude of risks facing nonprofit organizations today—ranging … Continued
Put on Your Thinking Map: Create a Contingency Map in 5 Steps
By Melanie Lockwood Herman A short plane ride to Columbus on Saturday offered the ideal opportunity to catch up on overdue reading from some of my favorite weekly e-newsletters. One piece from the team at McKinsey caught my eye by combining two favorite topics in a single headline: “Bias busters: Up-front contingency planning”. The authors … Continued
Oil Cured Tuna, Mayo, Celery, Toasted Rye, Oh My!
by Melanie Lockwood Herman In his article, The Tuna Fish Sandwich Test, Korn Ferry CEO Gary Burnison writes that “As much as people talk about being ‘lifelong learners,’ few really make the effort. It’s one of those little fibs they tell themselves or say at job interviews.” Burnison explains how he sometimes asks a “quirky … Continued
Egalitarian Risk Leadership: Flatten or Fatten?
By Melanie Lockwood Herman In our capacity as advisors and coaches, the NRMC team develops and adapts risk management frameworks, strategies and tools for the complex nonprofits we serve. No two consulting clients or Affiliate Members are the same. To make the consideration of risk a worthwhile endeavor, versus a rote ritual, it’s crucial to … Continued
Don’t be Dispassionate: How to Use Emotional Impulses to Make Better Decisions – Full Article
By Glenn Mott “Heuristic / you risked it.” —Hank Lazer Recently, I had an opportunity to read a special issue of the Harvard Business Review called “The Brain Science Behind Business”—a compilation of previously published articles about neuroscience. Reading these articles got me thinking about the role of heuristics in risk management. Heuristics refers to … Continued
High or Dry: Weed and the Workplace
By Melanie Lockwood Herman Is your nonprofit workplace a “drug-free” zone? Although nonprofit leaders are in agreement that impaired staff pose an unacceptable risk to the safety of people who serve and receive services, the legalization of medical and recreational marijuana creates a host of challenges for nonprofit employers who wish to take a stand … Continued
Use Design Thinking to Find Creative Solutions to Worrisome Risks
By Katharine Nesslage “Some of our important choices have a timeline. If we delay a decision, the opportunity is gone forever. Sometimes our doubts keep us from making a choice that involves change. Thus, an opportunity may be missed.”– James E. Faust As disruption—rapid change in current behavior with no time to oppose it—becomes the … Continued
If Ruminating on Risk Inspires Worry, You’re Doing it Wrong
By Melanie Lockwood Herman During a recent risk workshop, one of our participants commented, “Thinking about all of the potential risks facing my organization makes me really worried!” Her remark reminded me of the distinction between what many leaders believe is the narrow purpose of risk management and its true aim. The narrow view of risk management’s … Continued
Rewarding Risks: The Prodigious Power of Volunteers
By Christy Grano It’s National Volunteer Week, an opportunity to celebrate the contributions of volunteers and the indelible impact that volunteer service makes on communities across our country. In the promotional materials for National Volunteer Week, the Points of Light Foundation reminds us that: “Whether online, at the office, or the local food bank; whether with a vote, a … Continued
Out of Focus: How Being Less Focused (and More Aware) Pays Off
By Glenn Mott Mindfulness, like it’s complement gratitude, has been much hyped—with good reason. Our underlying mindset and conditioning are nearly invisible to most of us; by itself, the conscious mind is insufficient to get at the deeper mindset. Nonjudgmental, present-moment awareness (aka mindfulness meditation) has been shown to change attitudes, emotional responses, and habitual … Continued
Heartfelt Risk Lessons From an Authoritarian Piano Teacher
By Christy Grano If you learned to play a musical instrument as a child, like I did, then you may agree that music appreciation does not always happen in the first few lessons. How many of us wish that our 10-year-old selves had recognized the magic of musical expression, rather than avoided practice? Like many … Continued
Running Successful Risk Workshops
Attend this webinar to learn top tips for an engaging risk workshop, based on 20 years of conducting hundreds of NRMC workshops and trainings. Whether your workshops sessions are dazzling or dragging, we hope this webinar will provide everything you need so that your attendees will walk away feeling informed and refreshed.restricted
Risking It All to Save the World: An Analysis of Risk Management Practice and Risk Leadership in the Nonprofit Sector
The risk management discipline continues to evolve and gain traction across the nonprofit sector, with organizational leaders recognizing risk management as a mechanism for loss prevention, quality improvement, informed decision-making, and mission advancement. Using results of two recent surveys conducted by the Nonprofit Risk Management Center (NRMC), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit committed to enhancing risk management … Continued
Elastic: Flexible Thinking in a Time of Change
Elastic, by Leonard Mlodinow, is available from Amazon and other booksellers. The NRMC team is pleased to feature this book review from Felix Kloman, a former member of our board and long-time student of the discipline of risk management. A graduate of Princeton University in 1955, he served two years in the U. S. Navy, joined … Continued
Get Fresh: How to Solve Wicked Problems by Scrapping Sameness
“Problems cannot be solved by thinking within the framework in which they were created.” – Albert Einstein by Melanie Lockwood Herman This week I’ve been reading Sticky Wisdom: How to Start a Creative Revolution at Work. The first chapter of the book explores what the authors refer to as “the first law of creativity.” The … Continued
Clearing the Air: How to Find Powerful Lessons After a Loss or Near Miss
By Melanie Lockwood Herman The hindsight bias, also known as the “I-knew-it-all-along” effect, is the tendency to believe that past events were predictable. In the risk realm, an important part of a risk leader’s responsibility is reflecting on mistakes, losses, near misses and situations that didn’t go as planned or hoped. The NRMC team strongly … Continued
Dampening Drama: Lessons from a Large Family
by Christy Grano I was the oldest of seven siblings, with two military veterans for parents. That’s right, seven kids, just like the Von Trapp family in The Sound of Music. We didn’t march to a whistle or live in a mansion, but efficiency, order, and education were certainly high priorities. Charts mapped out our … Continued
Got Growth? Managing Risk When Your Nonprofit is on the Rise
By Christy Grano and Melanie Lockwood Herman For several years our NRMC team has had the opportunity to work with a number of nonprofits that have grown rapidly from a small capable corps of nimble and idealistic pioneers to strong, sustainable organizations with functions, departments, and even signs of bureaucracy. We’re grateful for the opportunity to … Continued
The (Vivid) Red Car Syndrome
By Melanie Lockwood Herman This week I’ve been reading Rick Nason and Leslie Fleming’s book, Essentials of Enterprise Risk Management. Nason and Fleming take the reader on an enjoyable and insightful tour of basic ERM concepts using a pull-no-punches style that is refreshing for a book on this topic. I especially like the sections of … Continued
What Kind of Risk Champion Are You?
This week we’ve been discussing the traits and tendencies of the risk leaders we encounter at NRMC. We see positives across a wide spectrum of approaches and philosophies and get especially excited when leaders tell us they are forging new paths to strengthen risk management in their organizations. Since so much about risk can be … Continued
Resolve to be Resolute
Eat healthy, exercise more, save money-sound resolutions, all. How many of us will still be at it after January? Surveys suggest that somewhere on the order of 80 percent of resolutions fail. This may explain why 30–day challenges have become popular, and in many cases have replaced the yearlong commitment of a New Year’s resolution. A quick … Continued
Happy Boxing Day!
By Melanie Lockwood Herman In the spirit of Boxing Day, the holiday celebrated in nations of the British Commonwealth and in the American Commonwealth of Massachusetts, this edition of the RISK eNews contains a “boxed set” of resources. Reflection Questions for 2018 During multiple consulting engagements this year my conversations with clients focused on the … Continued
Competition: A Risk Aware Definition
By Glenn Mott To voice the word “competition” is to summon the idea of defeating or establishing superiority over others. People sometimes modify this by adding the word “healthy” to competition, as a sign of good intentions. Which only emphasizes the point. Competition, in its contemporary usage, is a word with thorns for those who … Continued
Accidental Risk Champion: Accidentally On Purpose
(Pictured, from left to right: Philip Briggs, Kevin Duke, Julie Reyburn, Heather Chadwick, Amanda Rudy and Ma’Rion Horhn.) by Melanie Lockwood Herman Last weekend the Fall 2018 cohort of NRMC’s Risk Leadership Certificate Program journeyed to our headquarters in Leesburg, VA for the second of three weekend programs. During RLCP cohort members explore six core … Continued
The Power of Anecdote: True Stories of Nonprofit Risk from the Front Lines
By Christy Grano While attending the Risk Summit, it occurred to me that a powerful benefit of the conference was the opportunity to exchange true stories and tough lessons learned on the frontlines of nonprofit service. After hearing several leaders describe how their organizations narrowly escaped significant losses or recovered from a loss, I began … Continued
Risk Management Activity Planning: How to Get Unstuck after a Risk Assessment
Risk assessment can sometimes be overwhelming, resulting in a lengthy, daunting list of risks that need to be managed. Prioritizing the list of risks is another challenge, often resulting in arbitrary numerical scores. Attend this webinar to simplify your approach to risk assessment, and to focus your energy on implementing risk management activities instead of … Continued
Revamp Your Risk Register
By Erin Gloeckner Of the conventional, commonplace risk management tools, the risk register seems to reign supreme. Typically a chart or spreadsheet that details risk information and management controls, I sometimes wonder why template risk registers continue to pique the interest of teams that have tailored and customized other aspects of their risk management programs. … Continued
Don’t Be a Buzzkill: Restore Trust in Risk Leaders
By Erin Gloeckner Recently, an NRMC Affiliate Member wrote to our team asking how to convince her peers that risk management is in fact a mission driver, rather than a drag. Buy-in for risk management initiatives is sometimes hard to obtain because team members are resistant; the other side of the problem is that sometimes … Continued
How Neuroscience and Risk Management Link to Fear and Memory
“To our brains, daily life is like tightrope-walking over a vast pit full of furious honey badgers and broken glass; one wrong move and you’ll end up as a gruesome mess in temporary but exquisite pain.” – Dean Burnett, Idiot Brain: What Your Head is Really Up To By Melanie Lockwood Herman To prep for … Continued
Gibberisk: Risk’s Mangled & Made-up Words
By Melanie Lockwood Herman Have you ever exuberantly crooned the chorus of a popular song and later discovered that you had mangled the lyrics? Today’s music fans can use a search engine to quickly verify the lyrics of a favorite tune. But when I was a kid (!), I recall being completely surprised by the … Continued
Risk Lessons from Soccer’s Sidelines
By Eric Henkel I spent a big chunk of time recently as a supportive sideline spectator at a soccer tournament with my kids. They play on two different teams, so there were a lot of games and not much downtime. While sidelined, it occurred to me that like the parents of competing soccer players, risk … Continued
Belt and Suspenders: Redundancy in Risk Practice
By Melanie Lockwood Herman “Daring and prudence, when used together, lead to new and safe structures.” – Why Buildings Fall Down I was reminded of several risk practice fundamentals this week while reading a fascinating book, Why Buildings Fall Down. The book chronicles structural failures, including the collapse of dams, bridges, stadiums, and buildings, and … Continued
Create A Risk Management Function That’s Built To Last
By Melanie Lockwood Herman and Eric Henkel Many nonprofit organizations have made it a priority to integrate risk-aware thinking and decision-making into day-to-day operations and strategic planning. Plenty of organizations demonstrate expertise in managing risks related to programs, facilities, and clientele. But nonprofits’ ever-changing risk landscape invites a broader and deeper approach to risk management. … Continued
Love My Way – Resources for Risk-taking
By Melanie Lockwood Herman “You can never win or lose. If you don’t run the race.” – Love My Way by The Psychedelic Furs Driving home one Valentine’s Day my radio was tuned to 1st Wave on Sirius/XM and a special program featuring love songs from the 1980s. First up was one of my favorites, … Continued
Don’t Get Stuck in a Rut, Trust Your Gut
By Melanie Lockwood Herman “You have to leave the city of your comfort and go into the wilderness of your intuition. What you’ll discover will be wonderful. What you’ll discover is yourself.” – Alan Alda In last week’s Risk eNews (“Embrace Your Leaky Brain to Conquer the Unknown“) I shared a lesson from the book … Continued
Embrace Your Leaky Brain to Conquer the Unknown
By Melanie Lockwood Herman This week I was dismayed to learn about the damaging effects and destructive force of a leaky faucet. For the past two weeks I have noticed–but repeatedly ignored–a strangely stiff faucet handle and minor leak in one of my sinks at home. Now it’s time to pay the piper, or in … Continued
Reversing Decisions: Risk Lessons from the Peanut Gallery
By Eric Henkel Changing your mind and reversing a previous decision generally seems like something to avoid. However, it may be the best thing to do when new information makes it prudent to do so. A recent New York Times article about peanut allergies discusses new guidelines issued by the National Institute of Allergy and … Continued
Glossary of Risk Management and Insurance Terms
This glossary was originally published in Coverage, Claims and Consequences: An Insurance Handbook for Nonprofits. Accident — Unexpected or chance event. This term is frequently defined in older commercial general liability (CGL) policies. Accident medical reimbursement insurance — Covers medical expenses for injuries arising out of accidents, regardless of liability. Traditionally also provides a schedule … Continued
Proper Planning Prevents Poor Meeting Performance
By Eric Henkel Many of the employees we meet in Center-led Risk Assessments yearn for a more generous communications loop in their organizations. Our team has also observed the growing interdependency of work tasks and the need for thoughtful collaboration and communication. Email and instant messaging may feel like time-saving communications tools, but they are … Continued
How to Go Around or Over the Bumps in the Road
By Erin Gloeckner This holiday season has been a hectic one for me. The eve of Thanksgiving Day, I drove a few hours to visit family in West Virginia, and I hit a buck on the highway going 70 MPH. Miraculously my boyfriend Alex, my dog Hugo and I were not hurt, but the hood … Continued
Lessons on Learning
By Melanie Lockwood Herman This month I’ve been reading Nonsense: The Power of Not Knowing, by Jamie Holmes. One of the memorable reminders in the book is about the importance of learning, something my team has been focused on recently as we prepare to unveil our 2017 line-up of risk-learning and leadership opportunities for nonprofit … Continued
Say What? How Unconscious Bias Affects Our Perceptions
By Eric Henkel You probably regularly encounter situations where you are convinced that you know exactly what is going on, only to find out that things are the exact opposite of what you thought. When it comes to how we view our environment and the people we interact with, there is often a disconnect between … Continued
You’ve Got a Friend in Me
By Melanie Lockwood Herman “When the road looks rough ahead, and you’re miles and miles from your nice warm bed… you just remember what your old pal said, ‘Boy, you’ve got a friend in me.'” – You’ve Got a Friend In Me, by Randy Newman (from the movie Toy Story) In her article titled, “Do … Continued
5 Questions to Re-Focus Your Risk Function
By Melanie Lockwood Herman A colleague recently sent me a copy of “The Five Most Important Questions You Will Ever Ask About Your Organization,” a book organized around a short list of simple but provocative and powerful questions. In a series of essays authored by familiar management luminaries, the book offers a straightforward way to … Continued
Unmasking the Discipline of Risk Management
By Melanie Lockwood Herman Note: This article is excerpted from the Nonprofit Risk Management Center’s book, Ready…or Not: A Risk Management Guide for Nonprofit Executives. The discipline of risk management is incorrectly masked in mystery. Leaders of nonprofit organizations may believe that formulas can be applied to discern both the likelihood of good or harm … Continued
Going Up? Elevator Talk, Risk Management and the Nonprofit Board
By Melanie Lockwood Herman The Board of Directors sits atop the organizational chart of a nonprofit organization. Board issues are either self-initiated or are “elevated” by staff for board consideration. Both approaches are inherently necessary to the board’s governance role. And while there are myriad definitions, governance is essentially the “means in which the leading … Continued
Risk Champions: What’s in a Name?
The risk champion in a nonprofit may be called Risk Manager, CFO, Chief Risk Officer, Director of Special Projects or even CEO. Despite the varying titles, the clear trend in the nonprofit sector is to designate a point person to champion the design and implementation of best-in-class risk management. This webinar explores the role of … Continued
Top 10 HR Risks Facing Nonprofit Organizations
Watch this webinar to learn what’s hot, what’s problematic, what’s on the horizon, and what to look out for in Human Resources in 2011. Tune up your HR practices with sound policies, careful reflection on past mistakes and mishaps, and a positive attitude.
Risk Management and Strategic Planning
Nonprofit leaders are long accustomed to strategic planning exercises that involve the examination of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. The fine-tuning of an organization’s vision” and “mission” statements is often part of the process. This webinar will explore ways to integrate an appreciation for risk into your planning cycle. Learn how to update your planning … Continued
Obtaining Buy-In and Support for Your Critical Risk Management Policies
Getting staff and volunteers to answer the question: “What’s in it for me?” can be a very effective impetus for following risk management policies. In-service training that elicits their ideas on how to make the workplace safer in general and in their areas specifically will engage people in the solutions and make them understand why … Continued
Managing Legal Risks in a Nonprofit
The American legal system is the subject of ongoing debate, countless publications, and a growing number of television dramas and situation comedies. It’s even the stuff good novels are made of. Yet the legal field is intimidating – many laypersons (non lawyers) feel that lawyers speak a different language, view the world through a lens … Continued
Risk Management’s Unintended Consequences
Have you ever done a good deed just to realize later that it resulted in some unintended, negative consequence? Perhaps this realization came after implementing new risk management practices at your nonprofit. After reading a CEB report titled 'Reducing Risk Management's Organizational Drag,' I agreed with the authors' perspective that risk management can sometimes result … Continued
Tis the Season for Nonprofit Fundraising Risk: Part 1
December 9, 2015 By Erin Gloeckner Twas the month before the new calendar year, Not a creature was stirring, not even a reindeer. The development officers hung their stockings with care, In hopes that new funding would soon be there. You may recognize the inspiration for the poem above (‘Twas the Night Before Christmas’ or … Continued
Reality Check: Using References Effectively
November 4, 2015 By Emily Stumhofer Do you ever wish you could meet a literary character in real life, rather than from simply reading about the character through the eyes of a narrator? Although a face-to-face meeting Sherlock Holmes, Jane Eyre, Robinson Crusoe, or even Hermione Granger might be fun, to get the clearest picture … Continued
Tis the Season for Nonprofit Fundraising Risk: Part 2
December 9, 2015 By Emily Stumhofer The holiday season abounds with fundraisers for charitable organizations and many people are happy to give, perhaps more than they would in other seasons. However, the flip side of the charitable coin is that a pledge to donate in the future can sometimes wind up being a costly risk, … Continued
Join the Culture Club
December 23, 2015 By Melanie Lockwood Herman Assuming you love your job, what is it about your nonprofit that makes it a wonderful place to work? Despite the undeniable uniqueness of nonprofits, most organizations have the following elements in common: a compelling mission, a defined leadership structure, multiple stakeholder groups and vulnerability to financial stress … Continued
HELP! I Need Somebody’s Risk Help
March 16, 2016 If you’ve ever heard the catchy Beatles tune, Help!, it might have caused you to reflect on times you’ve sought help in your personal or professional life. Here at the Center, we offer RISK HELP and risk management guidance to our valued Affiliate Members and consulting clients. In today’s RISK eNews, the … Continued
Art Appreciation in a World of Risk
March 23, 2016 Art Appreciation in a World of Risk By Melanie Lockwood Herman Last week I took advantage of an opportunity to combine two of my favorite pastimes: reading and relaxation. While on a short vacation, I read 33 Artists in 3 Acts, by art world chronicler Sarah Thornton. In her never dull book, … Continued
Make Mission Magic by Tidying Up
June 17, 2015 By Melanie Lockwood Herman During a short trip to Chicago last week I purchased an interesting book for the flight home: “The Life-changing Magic of Tidying Up,” by Marie Kondo. I was equally intrigued by–and skeptical of–the book’s promise to change my life. Marie Kondo is a Japanese cleaning consultant who divides … Continued
Storm Season: Risk Lessons from Tornado Alley
July 8, 2015 By Emily Wilson Dark storm clouds were just beginning to swallow the sky over my college house as my phone started making an eerily familiar sound. While growing up in Alabama, I often heard tornado watch and tornado warning alerts broadcasting from the sirens mounted on posts every few miles along the … Continued
So Good
September 30, 2015 by Melanie Lockwood Herman Throughout my life I’ve shied away from buying items of clothing that prominently advertise a corporate brand. As a child I recall my father saying that if he were ever to purchase a shirt featuring a certain reptile emblem, he would immediately cut it off before wearing it. … Continued
What Do You Know About D&O?
This issue of Risk Management Essentials is devoted to exploring nonprofit insurance policies and coverages. While there are many different policy types and forms with which risk leaders should be aware, one of the most talked-about and valued policies for nonprofits continues to be directors and officers liability insurance, commonly known as D&O. Question #1: … Continued
Obsessed with a Cure: Why Risk Champions Should Think Differently
By Arley Turner Last week I came across a TEDX talk by a student at Carnegie Mellon University on the topic of living with and managing ADHD. My ADD brain went “OH” and clicked “play.” Not only was the student, Stephen Tonti, funny and engaging, but his experiences and opinions on ADHD really resonated with … Continued
How the Grinch Stole the Workplace
January 22, 2015 By Erin Gloeckner It’s normal to have a cranky day at work, but string together too many cranky days and you might start sounding like the Grinch. You’ve worked with a Grinch before—that employee who makes snide remarks, starts rumors, complains without end, or uses body language and other behaviors to display … Continued
A Word of Advice
February 11, 2015 By Melanie Lockwood Herman Helping our members think through their risk-related challenges is incredibly rewarding. We approach member questions as wonderful opportunities to learn about and understand the pressure points in risk practice in the public, nonprofit, and business sectors. But although we formulate and dispense Risk Help each and every day, … Continued
Can’t Touch This: How to Bring Your Strategic Plan Back to Life
February 25, 2015 By Melanie Lockwood Herman In an article titled “Why Strategy Execution Fails—and What to Do About It,” in the March 2015 edition of the Harvard Business Review, authors Donald Sull, Rebecca Homkes and Charles Sull explore what happens when mission-advancing strategies collide with the realities of organizational life. The authors cite several … Continued
Inspiration, Not Perspiration: Risk Reporting and the Board
By Melanie Lockwood Herman Today’s public entity leadership cares deeply about the risks facing the organization. A Board wants to know that its leadership team has thoughtfully considered the risks that threaten the mission and objectives of the organization. Boards also want assurance that the leadership team has developed plans to keep the entity’s home … Continued
Ask and You Shall Receive
May 6, 2015 By Melanie Lockwood Herman I’ve been a movie fan since December 1971, when I saw a film on a big screen for the first time, Bedknobs and Brooksticks. So I was immediately drawn to an article titled “The man of many questions,” co-written by successful movie producer Brian Grazer and featured in … Continued
Trust Me
By Melanie Lockwood Herman In “Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action,” Simon Sinek writes that “trusting relationships are invaluable for us to feel safe.” Entity leadership teams who want to fully embrace risk management should begin by getting on board with trust. This simple goal—fostering a trusting environment—can mean the … Continued
Popcorn Anyone? Risk in the Movies
By Melanie Lockwood Herman and Erin Gloeckner This week we read a wonderful article published by the American Bar Association about how trial stories are sometimes inspired by movie plots. It caused us to reminisce about a few personal, “ah-ha” moments while watching films on the big screen. Here are a few favorite film quotes, … Continued
Risk Mind Readers
By Lexie Williams I had the opportunity to interview conference presenter Dr. Nitish Singh about the advantages of implementing psychometric testing in order to improve risk management programs. Read on to find out how Dr. Singh’s psychometric powers could apply to your public entity. What is psychometric testing and what is the benefit of applying … Continued
Fascinated by Uncertainty
By H. Felix Kloman Review of John Brockman, ed., The Universe: Leading Scientists Explore the Origin, Mysteries, and Future of the Cosmos, HarperCollins, New York 2014 Who are we? What do we know about our “universe?” What are our future possibilities? These are the questions posed to some eighteen physicists and cosmologists in the latest … Continued
Enough is Enough: Banish Meeting Madness
By Emily Stumhofer We all go to meetings, sometimes even multiple meetings in the same day. A recent Bain & Company study reports that managers spend 15 percent of their time in meetings, and executives spend two full days per week in meetings. And according to a report on the “state of the modern meeting” … Continued
We Are the Champions, My Friends: Risk Champion Q&A
By Erin Gloeckner Risk management is a team sport. A team approach encourages the consideration of alternative perspectives on risk, as well as integration of aligned risk management practices throughout your organization. Still, it helps to have an experienced risk management thought leader on board; this ‘risk champion’ can inspire buy-in from the whole team … Continued
Operational Risk Management: A Word from the Wise Guys
By Melanie Lockwood Herman Although a growing number of nonprofit leaders profess to be ready for Enterprise Risk Management, a far greater number admit that their operational risk management programs are far from adequate. What is operational risk management? The term refers to risk identification, risk assessment and risk management activity focused on day-to-day activities … Continued
The Nitty Gritty of a Risk Committee
By Melanie Lockwood Herman “Let’s form a committee!” is the frequent battle cry of nonprofit leaders facing a complex problem for which there are no obvious, immediate or cheap solutions. When more than one brain is needed to ponder a perplexing problem, forming a committee seems to be a good first step. But are risk … Continued
Enterprise Risk Management: The Final Frontier
By Melanie Lockwood Herman It’s hard not to notice the growing use of the term “Enterprise Risk Management” among risk professionals. Yet there seems to be little agreement about what that combination of three words really means, and perhaps more importantly, whether the addition of “enterprise” to the more familiar term “risk management” makes a … Continued
How to be the World’s Smartest Risk Manager
By Melanie Lockwood Herman I’ve just finished the National Geographic book, “How to Be the World’s Smartest Traveler.” Who doesn’t want to be the world’s “smartest” anything?! As a big fan of the expression, “don’t believe everything you read,” I had no expectation of becoming the world’s smartest traveler when I cracked the cover of … Continued
My Generation Reaping the Rewards of a Multigenerational Workforce
My Generation: Reaping the Rewards of a Multigenerational Workforce By Melanie Lockwood Herman and Arley Turner Nonprofit missions require high performing, collegial work teams. And increasingly, nonprofit workplaces are staffed by individuals from three, four or even five generations. These intergenerational staff teams are charged with delivering services and programs that advance ambitious, communityserving missions. … Continued
The Risk Management Process
By the Nonprofit Risk Management Center Measures to address risk should be practical and within the reach of the organization. Every nonprofit, from the largest to the smallest, can and should take time to look into the future and predict both downside and upside risks. In fact risk management is extremely important for small nonprofits … Continued
Keeping Our Eye on the Ball
By the Nonprofit Risk Management Center Just days ago the Commissioner of the Tax Exempt and Government Entities Division of the IRS, Steve Miller, told exempt organization lawyers gathered in Washington that the IRS will be “more aggressive” in monitoring the “efficiency and effectiveness” of charitable organizations. And this week, grantmakers from all over the … Continued
The Role of Resilience in Risk Management
By Melanie Lockwood Herman As consultants to diverse organizations we encounter dedicated leaders and the nonprofits they serve at various stages of their respective risk management journeys. On one day we may consult with the board of a nonprofit considering the risks and rewards of a significant change in governance or structure (e.g., a merger … Continued
The Power of Salt
By Melanie Lockwood Herman I thoroughly enjoy cooking and entertaining. Recently, I have had salt on my mind. Perhaps it is because of a speech I heard that reminded me of growing up and learning to cook. My sister and I prepared meals for the family once a week. One night we made pancakes. In … Continued
Halloween, Unmasking Risk and Your Nonprofit
By Melanie Lockwood Herman You’ve probably heard it from others or perhaps have even uttered it yourself: Halloween isn’t the same as it was “back in the day.” When I was a child Halloween costumes began as grand concepts that morphed into wearable works of art over a period of days or weeks. And the … Continued
Managing Risk in an Improbable World
By Melanie Lockwood Herman In his fascinating book, Struck by Lightning: The Curious World of Probabilities, University of Toronto professor Jeffrey S. Rosenthal explores the science of probabilities. Rosenthal’s text offers a compelling argument for thoughtful risk management while reminding readers to accept the ever-present companion of “randomness.” According to Rosenthal, randomness is often neither … Continued
Truth Be Told
By Melanie Lockwood Herman Truthfulness is an important value in the nonprofit sector. We see ourselves as people with integrity and we encourage and expect that our staff, volunteers, clients and other stakeholders will be truth-tellers. We recognize the critical need for truthfulness when issuing financial statements, reporting on the use of grant funds, filing … Continued
Learning from Experience
By Melanie Lockwood Herman As our country prepares for the annual holiday where Americans predictably over-indulge, I’ve been reflecting on an important concept in risk management: the role of experience. As I’ve told many audiences, experience is an invaluable risk management tool available to every nonprofit leader. Yet as Paul J. H. Schoemaker reminds us, … Continued
The Flaw of Unintended Consequences
By Melanie Lockwood Herman My travels often involve taxi rides and I find that there is much to learn while traveling from the airport to the center city. Sometimes the lessons are provided through a conversation with a taxi driver, while in other cases I learn simply from observing my surroundings. During a short trip … Continued
2010: An Odyssey of Your Making
By Melanie Lockwood Herman Instead of dreaming about sugar-plums, many nonprofit leaders will fall asleep tomorrow evening dreaming about better times for the organizations they serve. Let’s face it, 2009 was a rough year for the vast majority of organizations that provide vital social services, deliver inspired cultural programs, and conduct research and advocacy to … Continued
Back to Basics: Effective Risk Management May Require Culture Change
By Melanie Lockwood Herman When nonprofit leaders reach out to the NRMC for advice on weaving risk management into the fabric of their organizations they often assume that what’s missing is a long list of policies. While adding new or updating existing policies may be in order, a bigger-picture issue almost always requires more immediate … Continued
Learning from Loss: Risk Management Wisdom May Be Close at Hand
By Melanie Lockwood Herman I have had the opportunity to participate in many programs that showcase “great ideas” emanating from success. In one instance, I served on the selection committee for an awards program that recognizes excellent management techniques. Representatives of the “finalists” for the award share their management innovations in a workshop. The most … Continued
Employee Separations: Learn to Say Goodbye
By Melanie Lockwood Herman The Jackson Five version of the Davis Clifton song “Never Can Say Goodbye” has enjoyed a lot of airtime lately. Although the song has nothing to do with employer-employee separations, hearing it reminds me of the heartache that many nonprofit executives face with they realize that it IS time to say … Continued
Risk Management Culture and Your Volunteers
By Melanie Lockwood Herman We’ve been obsessed with “culture” in recent weeks. At a conference I attended in Toronto in mid-August Nancy Axelrod, governance guru and founding President of the Nonprofit Risk Management Center told an audience of nonprofit CEOs that “culture trumps strategy.” Nancy’s comments reminded me that no matter how carefully a nonprofit’s … Continued
Influence Matters: Stakeholders and Risk
By Melanie Lockwood Herman What is a Stakeholder? One way to define the concept of “stakeholder” is a party who has a “stake” in control of the nonprofit because he or she is in position to exercise influence over the organization’s conduct. Another definition is individuals and groups who can affect and are affected by … Continued
Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something You
By Melanie Lockwood Herman Several years ago during the weekend before a Risk Summit, I spent some time with my family in New England and wound up as a second-year participant in sixth year of the Pewter Run, a timed event for those who love to collect, ride (and repair!) vintage and antique motorcycles. The … Continued
Shift Happens
By Melanie Lockwood Herman I’ve been engrossed in the pages of a new book this week: Surviving and Thriving in Uncertainty: Creating the Risk Intelligent Enterprise by Frederick Funston and Stephen Wagner. The pages of this text offer a refreshing approach to integrating the principles of effective risk management into organizational planning, strategy-setting and decision … Continued
One Thing
By Melanie Lockwood Herman Recently I attended a conference of association leaders gathered for a shared purpose: to re-energize. Of course, there are many ways to define “re-energize.” For me (and I suspect for others), the opportunity to “re-energize” is the chance to unearth and adapt a new approach for managing the challenges that await … Continued
It’s Hard to Be Humble
By Melanie Lockwood Herman Confidence and leadership appear to go hand in hand. Effective leaders both project and inspire confidence. Since those responsible for risk management in a nonprofit organization are leaders it seems to follow that confidence should be part and parcel of every risk management effort. Yet according to business guru and author … Continued
An Ounce of Experience is Worth a Pound of Speculation Maybe
By Melanie Lockwood Herman During last week’s Risk Management & Finance Summit for Nonprofits in Philadelphia, attendees heard a variety of messages about ways to consider and manage risk they encounter in their nonprofit organizations. Various themes were explored in plenary and workshop formats. One of the most powerful themes expressed in different ways from … Continued
Baby, It’s Cold Outside
By Melanie Lockwood Herman The recent, abrupt change in weather this week offered a reminder about the importance of preparation. Yesterday morning I retraced my steps into the house to retrieve a pair of gloves for the drive to the office. I was not prepared for the cool temperature and rather surprised to see my … Continued
History’s Mysteries… Unearth to Understand
By Melanie Lockwood Herman Although no new episodes are being produced, re-runs of the long-running program “History’s Mysteries” appear from time to time on the History Channel. The program capably debunks the idea that history is boring and offers compelling evidence of the expression “truth is stranger than fiction.” Recently, while watching an episode of … Continued
Buyer’s Remorse
By Melanie Lockwood Herman In a thought-provoking “CEO to CEO” feature article in the September/October 2010 edition of Associations Now magazine, four CEOs were asked: “If you could take back one business decision you’ve made in the last five years, what would it be?” Three of the four answers revealed regret in the area of … Continued
Making My List and Checking It Twice
By Melanie Lockwood Herman Humorist Robert Benchley wrote that, “There are two kinds of people in the world: those who divide the world into two kinds of people, and those who don’t.” I’m in the first category. Although I’m intuitively aware of the dangers of oversimplification, from time to time I can’t help myself. In … Continued
Salty and Sweet
By Melanie Lockwood Herman Recently I’ve noticed an interesting trend in restaurant desserts: the addition of salt as a prominent ingredient. Experienced home cooks know that a small amount of salt is typically present in even the sweetest desserts. But the trend of featuring salt in the name of the dessert and prominently in the … Continued
Happiness…Just Beyond the Bend
By Melanie Lockwood Herman I generally tuck incoming issues of the weekly publication The Economist somewhere safe to read and savor at a more convenient time. The December 18th-31st Special Holiday Double Issue however offered this middle-age reader an irresistible headline and I was compelled to read the lead story without delay. The story, titled … Continued
The Right Stuff
By Melanie Lockwood Herman The Tom Wolfe book “The Right Stuff” chronicles the lives of a group of navy test pilots as well as the early years of the U.S. Space Program during the late 1940s to mid 1960s. The film version of the book reinforces the theme that while decidedly human, these pioneers of … Continued
The Grand Finale
By Melanie Lockwood Herman It’s finale week on reality TV. Several of the most popular reality shows on network television wrap up this week, with winners and “losers” receiving prize money, trophies, apprenticeships and recording contracts. In my experience many nonprofit leaders approach the process of managing risk as a seasonal exercise. In the view … Continued
Out of Control
By Melanie Lockwood Herman Being “in control” feels good on a number of levels. When road conditions are optimal and the sky is clear, motoring down a country road can be a joyful experience. Inching along in bumper to bumper traffic with no apparent reason for a back up is enough to try the nerves … Continued
Transitions: Make the Most of Organizational Change
By Melanie Lockwood Herman Long-time residents of the Greater Washington area become accustomed to the abrupt change in seasons. After a record-setting winter and what seemed like only a week of moderate spring weather, summer conditions have once again arrived before the calendar marks the new season. Steamy hot days interrupted by very brief storms … Continued
The Power of Ten
By Melanie Lockwood Herman Earlier today I received a notice about a school-related function that will be held on 10/10/10, a date the invitation described as “The Powers of Ten Day.” While reading the notice I was reminded that the line-up for Center’s annual conference will include a number of firsts, including six workshops offering … Continued
Short, Sweet and Shallow
By Melanie Lockwood Herman The sense of frustration that overcomes me when I cannot remember something that seems vital in the moment has become a recurring, increasingly unpleasant phenomenon. Like many of my generation I instinctively blame the inability to recall information on my aging brain. I blame my inaccurate recall (e.g., “cappy hampers” instead … Continued
Near, Clear and Substantial
By Melanie Lockwood Herman Human beings are more generous with their time and money—and more willing to help victims who are in close proximity, with whom they feel a sense of kinship, and when they feel that their generosity will be more than a “drop in the bucket.” In contrast, we tend to be less … Continued
Adapt to Thrive
By Melanie Lockwood Herman A new article on the “teenage brain” caught my attention last week while I was killing time in an airport bookstore. The feature article in this month’s National Geographic Magazine explores new research on the evolving brains of our teenage friends and family members. But contrary to previously published studies, this … Continued
Be Thankful… By Getting Ready
By Melanie Lockwood Herman Countless Americans will take time this week to pause and give “thanks”—for healthy families, for regular employment, and for a beautiful meal prepared with skill and love. During these reflective moments many of us will think about the nonprofit sector organizations that improve our lives, brighten our communities and give us … Continued
It’s a Wrap
By Melanie Lockwood Herman December is a popular month for wrapping things up and filling things in. Whether you’re wrapping up an end of the year report to stakeholders, filling a sleigh with brightly wrapped packages, or finalizing a budget spreadsheet with numbers in red and black ink, you’re probably wrapping, filling, shipping, or filing … Continued
The Opposite
By Melanie Lockwood Herman One of my favorite episodes of the sitcom Seinfeld is called “The Opposite.” In that episode, which aired in 1994, Jerry Seinfeld persuades his friend George Costanza that George’s natural instincts frequently lead him astray. George decides to take Jerry’s advice and “do the opposite of everything he would normally do.” … Continued
The Outer Rim of Risk
By Melanie Lockwood Herman The discipline of risk management invites a close-up examination of events and circumstances that threaten the mission and goals of an organization or that offer the promise of mission-advancing benefit. Nonprofit CEOs, CFOs, senior staff and even board members are instinctively drawn to taking a closer look at the risks that … Continued
Embracing the Unknown
By Melanie Lockwood Herman This week I’ve been reading a wonderful book titled Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life, by Karen Armstrong. I ordered a copy for purely personal reasons, but found inside this inspiring new book several wonderful connections to sound risk management practice. In Chapter 7, titled “How Little We Know,” Armstrong reminds … Continued
Let’s Get Lost
“To dare is to lose one’s footing momentarily. Not to dare is to lose oneself.” – Soren Aabye Kieregaard By Melanie Lockwood Herman On Friday night I began reading a book called Crashing Through, by Robert Kurson. The book is about the life of Mike May. At the age of three, May was blinded in … Continued
Remember This
“…who we are and what we do is fundamentally a function of what we remember.” — Joshua Foer By Melanie Lockwood Herman It took a few pages (“locations” for Kindle readers) before I was fully committed to the book I’m reading this week, “Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything.” It wasn’t … Continued
Uncommon Sense
By Melanie Lockwood Herman During the past fifteen years many workshop attendees have commented that risk management is “common sense.” I’ve agreed with this assessment on countless occasions. I’ve also shared my view that moving beyond the limited view of individual experience—by tapping into the perspectives of a diverse group of stakeholders—is the best way … Continued
Safety in Numbers
By Melanie Lockwood Herman As a child I saw the “upside” and “downside” in the number three. Being one of three children increased my odds of finding a sibling compatriot for innocent fun or mischief. If one sister was unavailable, the other could likely be roped into playing Monopoly or ping pong or a scheme … Continued
What’s in Your Fanny Pack?
By Melanie Lockwood Herman I’ve noticed that the fanny pack has made a comeback this Summer. For those who are loathe to carry a handbag or “man bag,” the fanny pack offers an alternative catch all big enough to hold a water bottle, sunscreen, cell phone and other heat wave necessities. The light-weight, just-enough space, … Continued
Award Season Is Upon Us
A SOURCE for Tools, Advice, and Training to control risks… so you can Focus on your Nonprofit’s mission. February 9, 2011 Award Season Is Upon Us By Melanie Lockwood Herman The first quarter of a new calendar year ushers in a familiar round of award shows that disrupt network television’s customary prime time programming. … Continued
Confessions of a Risk-Taker
By Erin Gloeckner As an employee of the go-to organization for advice on any and everything risky, I realized that some people probably assume I’m a professional worrywart. You probably wouldn’t be surprised if I told you I constantly fret over danger, like Ben Stiller’s risk analyst character in Along Came Polly. Well here’s the … Continued
The Perfect Ride
By Melanie Lockwood Herman “Riding on a motorcycle can make you feel joyous, powerful, peaceful, frightened, vulnerable, and back out to happy again, perhaps in the same ten miles. It is life compressed, its own answer to the question “Why?” — Melissa Holbrook Pierson, The Perfect Vehicle: What It Is About Motorcycles. On Sunday, September … Continued
Off to the Polls!
By Melanie Lockwood Herman In less than two weeks’ time Americans will head to the polls for yet another “historic” election. Although I can’t recall any election during my lifetime that wasn’t billed as “historic,” I accept the label and look forward to standing up and being counted. I’m also looking forward to the end … Continued
Nothing to Fear but Fear
By Melanie Lockwood Herman In the Quaker village where I live, Halloween is more than an opportunity to see little ones in this year’s most popular costumes. A handful of villagers spend months planning elaborate displays that will delight or frighten the customary throngs of families foraging for treats. Homes and homeowners are decked out … Continued
Say Something!
By Melanie Lockwood Herman As an advisor to nonprofits striving to better understand and cope with myriad risks, I spend a lot of time trying to come up with practical solutions to complex problems. As anyone who’s worked with the Center knows, we don’t offer “systems” ready-made for installation. We try to understand an organization’s … Continued
We’re All Human
By Melanie Lockwood Herman When nonprofit leaders approach NRMC for advice about strengthening their risk management practices, most imagine that what they need is a new “system,” a toolkit, workshop, a list of definitive do’s and don’ts, or a checklist. NRMC resources include all of the above. But what we often discover in our risk … Continued
That Time of Year
By Melanie Lockwood Herman It’s “that time of year.” You know what I’m talking about. It’s the time of year when it is often hard to find an empty parking spot near the door of the neighborhood fitness center. Church attendance is up and restaurant menus are offering an impressive number of “light and fit” … Continued
Let’s Get Civilized
By Melanie Lockwood Herman This past weekend I had an opportunity to share my thoughts on the “Top 10 Risks Facing Nonprofit Organizations,” at a conference of dedicated staff and volunteer leaders. What makes a presentation on this topic fun for me—aside from the sheer impossibility of predicting the wonderful questions I’ll get from the … Continued
Tell Me a Story
By Melanie Lockwood Herman Simple, clearly written policies represent one way to engage in risk communication. But don’t limit your risk communication methods to written policies. In some cases the use of stories may be a better way to share why a risk issue is important, how it relates to mission-fulfillment, and what you expect … Continued
Risk Comes With the Territory! What Big Business Execs Can Learn from Values-Based Nonprofit Leaders
By Chris Croll These days we live in a hyper-networked world of “real time” and “always on” media coverage. Few provocative quotes escape notice. From the blogosphere to the business section of your local paper, it seems as if each day brings new stories about corporate executives who could benefit from spending more time discussing … Continued
6 Tips for Making Risk Management Stick
By Melanie Lockwood Herman Is your road to a great risk management program paved with only the best of intentions? Even skilled and experienced nonprofit leaders sometimes find their risk management efforts falling victim to internal and external booby traps. Consider the following tips to avoid common planning pitfalls: Communicate freely and visibly. An essential … Continued
Everything You Need to Know About Risk, You Learned in Kindergarten
By Melanie Lockwood Herman As I prepare for my daughter’s eighth grade graduation this week, I feel nostalgic for the days when she began her academic career as an energetic tow-headed little Kindergartener. I remember her coming home wide-eyed and excited to tell me all of the things she was learning at school. There were … Continued
Uncertainty is My Constant Companion
By Melanie Lockwood Herman My travels during the first half of Summer included a wonderful trip to New England. In addition to missing the oppressive heat wave in the DC area, the trip provided a perfect opportunity to ride my 1964 Norton Electra, which is garaged at the home of an experienced mechanic (I can … Continued
Mind the Gap
By Melanie Lockwood Herman Readers who have been to a “tube” station in London will instantly recognize the title of today’s essay on risk. Introduced in 1969 on the London Underground, “Mind the Gap” signs were posted to warn riders to exercise care when stepping over the varying-in-size gap that exists between the station platform … Continued
8 Essential Words
By Melanie Lockwood Herman A few days ago I was reminiscing about the dinner table of my childhood with a close friend. Our conversation about language led me to recall a “word of the day” game that I played with my siblings and parents. Each evening one of the kids was expected to show up … Continued
Something Old, Something New
By Melanie Lockwood Herman In less than a month’s time I will have the honor of attending the wedding of a dear colleague. Although she is definitely a trendsetter, rather than a slave to fashion, I will not be surprised if she wears “something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue” as she glides … Continued
Risk Revolution
By Alex Ricketts As the Fourth of July approaches, I find myself reflecting on our country’s history. I can’t help but marvel at the extraordinary risks the founding fathers took when they broke ranks with the mighty British Empire. The revolutionary rebels of the 1770s faced charges of treason if they failed in their fight … Continued
Dangerous Risk Management Myths and Untruths
By Melanie Lockwood Herman Each year as the July 4th holiday approaches, fireworks stands start popping up in shopping center parking lots here in Leesburg, VA. These seasonal sales operations come and go. In our work with nonprofit sector and insurance industry leaders, we frequently encounter myths and misconceptions. While some myths come and go … Continued
It Shouldn’t Be So Complicated
By Melanie Herman I can’t help but smile when a friend or colleague recommends a favorite book. And although I’m not afraid to tackle a book that I know little about, I’m much happier opening the cover of a book that comes with a personal recommendation. During a recent trip to Orlando, a client recommended … Continued
Taking Risks on FM Radio
By Melanie Lockwood Herman Nothing makes me feel older than when my daughter changes the radio station in the car and her choice of music makes me wince. The music on her preferred “hit music” stations generally strikes me as simplistic, absurdly repetitive and in some cases, mildly offensive. But sometimes her choice is a … Continued
Risk Lessons from the Fall Classic
By Melanie Lockwood Herman Last month I was drawn to the duel between the impeccably groomed St. Louis Cardinals and the bearded Boston Red Sox. I really enjoyed watching these well-matched, and well-behaved athletes, battle it out for baseball’s big prize. One of the things I like about watching baseball is that there is always … Continued
Happy at Work
By Melanie Lockwood Herman Productive and engaged are words that come to mind when I picture a high-performing employee in a nonprofit. The literature on performance management is packed with advice about inspiring great performance among the members of a staff team. Some of the techniques I often cite in workshops include the generous sharing … Continued
Try a Little… Kindness
By Melanie Lockwood Herman Last week I wrote about the connection between managing risk and a happy workforce. Yesterday I had the opportunity to hear Dr. Christine Carter speak about “Raising Happiness at Camp” at the opening keynote session at the American Camp Association annual conference in Atlanta. Dr. Carter is a sociologist at UC … Continued
Inspired by Risk
By Erin Gloeckner The staff members at the Nonprofit Risk Management Center find inspiration from many sources. We are moved by the ambitious missions of our consulting clients. We admire the unwavering dedication of our volunteer board. We marvel at the steadfast commitment of nonprofit leaders who embrace our tough love advice about risk management. … Continued
9 Truths about Black Holes and Dark Risks
By Melanie Lockwood Herman The March 2014 edition of National Geographic Magazine featured a fascinating article about black holes (“The Truth about Black Holes,” www.ngm.com). The term “black hole” is often used to describe a space where things go, but never escape. I found some of the “truths” about black holes eerily familiar. The characteristics … Continued
Risk and the Board: What Could Go Wrong?
By Melanie Lockwood Herman During my career I’ve reported to and served on some terrific nonprofit boards. And something I’ve learned first-hand is that no two nonprofit boards are exactly alike. From size, to focus to meeting format, nonprofit boards are perhaps best compared to snowflakes: each is different in some respects from the others. … Continued
Don’t Drink the Water: How to Avoid Risk-Taking Side Effects
By Erin Gloeckner Imagine crystal clear waves washing up on white sand beaches, lively steel pan music floating through humid air, and sweet rum punch flowing freely into your glass. Several years ago I enjoyed all three delights during a heavenly vacation in serene Trinidad and Tobago, a Caribbean country comprised of two islands located … Continued
Is Cloud Computing Risky?
By Melanie Lockwood Herman There are certain facets of nonprofit management that haven’t changed in the 25+ years I’ve been working in the nonprofit sector. As was true in the “old days,” it’s still vital to recruit qualified staff to execute the vision of the nonprofit board. And it remains true that written policies that … Continued
Some Assembly Required
By Melanie Lockwood Herman Many of us avoid buying furniture and appliances that display package warnings like “some assembly required.” We are easily demoralized knowing it could be a long time before we enjoy a new purchase. Yet when it comes to risk management, the assembly process should not discourage us. Assembly is always required … Continued
Risk Talking at Your Nonprofit
By Melanie Lockwood Herman Talking about risk is essential to fortifying your nonprofit’s reputation and mission, and providing a safe environment for the people who serve and those who rely on you for services. Yet starting a conversation about “what could go wrong” isn’t always easy to do. During a recent conversation with a … Continued
The Greatest Risk of All
By Melanie Lockwood Herman “I’m only human Of flesh and blood I’m made Human Born to make mistakes” – Human, The Human League, © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., EMI Music Publishing. Many leaders of leading nonprofits worry excessively about external threats: competing organizations, fickle institutional funders, increased government regulations, the unpredictable … Continued
Stop and Think About Inherent Dangers
By Melanie Lockwood Herman Some dangers are so familiar that we don’t give them the attention they are due: distracted driving, crossing a busy street, navigating an escalator, or using a ladder. The potential danger of everyday events popped into my head on Monday as I was tumbling off said ladder. Earlier this week, I … Continued
Protecting Vulnerable Clients from Abuse
By Mark E. Chopko, Esq. This article is an excerpt from a chapter of the Center’s soon-to-be-released publication, Exposed: A Legal Field Guide for Nonprofit Executives, by Melanie Lockwood Herman and Mark E. Chopko. To pre-order a copy of the book, which will be shipped or available for download in September, click here. Many community-based … Continued
3 Risk Resolutions
By Alexandra Ricketts and Melanie Herman The beginning of a new year is a wonderful time to begin tackling a fresh set of goals. Whether your list of goals is personal, professional or related to the vision and mission of your nonprofit, we all have hopes and expectations for the coming year. In the paragraphs … Continued
Wanted: People Willing to Talk About Risk
By Melanie Lockwood Herman “…the traditional division of authority and power is an anachronism that blights the work of public-sector employees as much as private-sector work teams and nonprofit project groups, amongst other things, encouraging the attitude that workers, like little children, should do as they’re told, not think and be seen, not heard. It … Continued
It’s Not Me, It’s You!
By Melanie Lockwood Herman One of my favorite parts of the Seinfeld episode titled “The Lip Reader,” is when Gwen tries to soften her break-up with George by saying, “It’s not you, it’s me.” George responds, “You’re giving me the ‘It’s not you, it’s me’ routine? I invented ‘It’s not you, it’s me.’ Nobody tells … Continued
Don’t Be Superstitious about Risk
By Melanie Lockwood Herman I’m a compulsive calendar checker. I no longer have a black, spiral bound desk calendar, but I consult my electronic calendar at least a dozen times throughout the workday. With the Ides of March approaching, I was reminded of the role that superstition plays in risk management. For example, during a … Continued
Volunteers: Instruments of Your Mission
By Alexandra Ricketts As a risk advisor to nonprofit organizations, I often hear leaders refer to volunteers as the heart of a charitable mission. This hopeful outlook often inspires passionate volunteer service. But the risk of discord exists when nonprofit leaders are naïve about the cost of volunteer service. Volunteer service may be unpaid, but … Continued
Playing to Win
By Melanie Lockwood Herman As a teenager I was open to just about any job that would enable me to keep the gas tank full in my Fiat 850 Spider convertible. Of course I also needed cash to fund the cost of replacement parts, which I always bought from a nearby junkyard. Half the fun … Continued
Volunteers, Social Media and Risk
Here are a few tips for managing the risks that arise from volunteer use of social media or the use of social media to attract, support and connect volunteers. Don’t overreact — Posting a “tit for tat” response to every negative post by disgruntled volunteers may cast your nonprofit in a negative light. Stakeholders may … Continued
Trying My Patience
“Patience is quiet hope and trust that things will turn out right. You wait without complaining. You are tolerant and accepting of difficulties and mistakes. You picture the end in the beginning and persevere to meet your goals. Patience is a commitment to the future.” – The 52 Virtues Project By Melanie Lockwood Herman Mother’s … Continued
Myths of Volunteer Risk Management, Part 3
by Hal Denton and Fiona Lally This is the third in a series of articles concerning myths about volunteer liability. This installment covers the concept of agency as it relates to volunteer activities and how an organization should address its potential liability for the actions of its volunteers. Myth 3 Organizations can’t completely control what … Continued
Myths of Volunteer Risk Management, Part 1
by Hal Denton and Fiona Lally This is the first of a six-part series on common myths about the risks of using volunteers in nonprofit organizations. We’ll look at each myth for its impact on liability assessment, the purchase of insurance, and risk management planning. Myth #1 The biggest risk associated with the utilization of … Continued
Myths of Volunteer Risk Management, Part 2
by Hal Denton and Fiona Lally This is the second of a series on common myths associated with the risks of using volunteers in nonprofit organizations. We’ll look at each myth for its impact on liability assessment, the purchase of insurance, and risk management planning. Myth #2 Risk management for volunteers is primarily a question … Continued
We All Do It: Mistakes in Nonprofit Life
By Melanie Lockwood Herman Human beings are prone to making mistakes. In his poem titled, “An Essay on Criticism,” eighteenth century English poet Alexander Pope reminds us that occasional screw ups are inevitable and rooted in our humanity. The best known line from the poem is “To err is human, to forgive divine.” If mistakes … Continued
A Golden Opportunity
A Golden Opportunity The age distribution of the American public is changing. Healthier lifestyles and medical innovations have increased the longevity of the American population. Our citizenry now includes not only higher percentages of senior Americans, but greater numbers of elderly members who are living well into their 80s and 90s. Unfortunately, medical technology and … Continued
Stepping Back: The Outer Rim of Risk
By Melanie Lockwood Herman The discipline of risk management invites a close-up examination of events and circumstances that threaten the mission and goals of an organization or that offer the promise of mission-advancing benefit. Nonprofit CEOs, CFOs, senior staff and even board members are instinctively drawn to taking a closer look at the risks that … Continued
Managing Special Event Risks
Managing Special Event Risks By Joe Risser and Melanie Lockwood Herman Note: This article is excerpted from a forthcoming publication from the Nonprofit Risk Management Center: Managing Special Event Risks: 10 Steps to Safety—2nd Edition. The book will be available for purchase in September. For more information, or to-pre-order a copy, click here. Summer is … Continued
What Is a Risk Management Plan?
During the past two years the Nonprofit Risk Management Center has been engaged in a process of defining what it means to create a risk management plan. While that exercise could have been both interesting and insightful for its own sake, our motivation was the need to create a software tool that helps nonprofit leaders … Continued
Less Is Really More
By Melanie Lockwood Herman Nonprofit execs often worry they don’t have enough handbooks, manuals, and guidelines setting forth the organization’s risk management policies. This article suggests that the real worry should be that those documents are overweight and inefficient. The article suggests ways you can streamline and energize your program-policy documents. This article first appeared … Continued
Rock n Roll n Risk Management
By Melanie Lockwood Herman and Alexandra Ricketts A friend of the Center, who happens to be an accomplished sound engineer, forwarded a terrific article to us this week about how the best rock n’ roll roadies can do things many music fans might believe are impossible. Why? Well, one reason seems to be that roadies … Continued
Risk Management Resolutions
By Melanie Lockwood Herman Although the first month of your New Year is history and no doubt you have already made progress on many of your annual resolutions, we’d like to suggest three really important ones from a risk management standpoint. Unlike a resolution such as jogging 10 miles that can be painful to achieve … Continued
New Resources Emerge from Collaboration
A recent collaboration between ChoicePoint and the Nonprofit Risk Management Center has led to the creation of a Risk Management ToolKit for customers of ChoicePoint’s state of the art background checking services. As part of the company’s continuing efforts to help nonprofits effectively manage risk, ChoicePoint has launched a new Web site and toolkit. The … Continued
New Year, New List Five Risk Management Resolutions for Your Nonprofit
Five Risk Management Resolutions for Your Nonprofit By Melanie Lockwood Herman During a recent airline trip I opened the in-flight magazine and saw an ad for an expensive piece of exercise equipment that promised an effective cardiovascular workout with only four minutes of effort. The longer I stared at the photo of the machine, the … Continued
Culture Shock: Embracing Risk Management is Necessary, But Never Easy
by Melanie Lockwood Herman This article was inspired by the writings of Diana Del Bel Belluz, M.A.Sc., P.Eng., President of Risk Wise Inc., a Toronto-based risk management consulting firm. To read Diana’s inspirational eZine, visit www.riskwise.net. “We can rebuild him. We have the technology.” Some readers may recall these statements from the opening credits for … Continued
The Eye of the Beholder: Managing Reputation Risk
By Melanie Lockwood Herman William Shakespeare unknowingly offered timeless wisdom to risk management professionals immersed in crisis planning when he wrote: “The purest treasure mortal times afford is a spotless reputation.” Yet no amount of wishful thinking will ensure that a spotless reputation will be available when we most need it. Reputation is what gives … Continued
Calculated Risk: The Risk Management Checkup: Ten Tips
by Dennis M. Kirschbaum, ARM Most of you who are reading this newsletter have given some thought to managing risk within your organizations. You’ve taken a look at your insurance requirements, reviewed your personnel policies, examined your service delivery to make sure that safety procedures are being followed, and that your financial controls are fully … Continued
Planning for Summer Fun
Planning for Summer Fun By Michael Gurtler The beginning of the summer swim season is just around the corner. Many pools, beaches, lakes and ponds will see high rates of use over the summer weeks. In addition, many nonprofit organizations will sponsor special summer events that involve swimming and other forms of water-inspired recreation. While … Continued
Calculated Risk: The End of the World as We’ve Known It Not!
by Dennis M. Kirschbaum, ARM During the last century, a handful of historians and academicians debated the question of who was the first risk manager. In his new book, The Polar Bear Strategy, author John Ross traces back the history of risk management to a seventeenth-century Monk named Blaise Pascal, who suggested that it was … Continued
Stepping Around or Stepping Up?
Coping with difficult risk management issues By Linda Varnado Recently, my newspaper in San Antonio — and many others across the nation — carried an article1 with a startling headline: “Body lay in kitchen for 2 years.” The headline compelled me to read the short news item. The story reported that an elderly woman in … Continued
Accountability Measures: A Closer Look at Service Statistics
Accountability Measures A Closer Look at Service Statistics By John C. Patterson In this age of increased accountability, nonprofits are subjected to increased scrutiny in financial management, outcome measurement, and new service statistics. Service Statistics Service statistics may include an organization’s membership, numbers of clients served, and hours of service delivered. Organizations have a great … Continued
Resolve to be a Risk-Aware Nonprofit
Hold your head high and be proud of where you have taken your organization. Whether you know it or not, your organization is an inspiration. The mission matters, and when mission fulfillment happens every day, that’s inspiring. At the Nonprofit Risk Management Center, we are grateful to hear your stories about missions that inspire us. … Continued
Managing Risk in Turbulent Times
Mix equal measures of optimism and resolve and bake until golden By Melanie Lockwood Herman I’ve been told that I am an incurable optimist. No matter where I stand or sit, I can’t help thinking that tomorrow is a fount of wonderful possibilities. I’ll admit that there have been a few moments in the last decade … Continued
Reality TV and Risk Management
By Melanie Lockwood Herman This article first appeared in riskVue, the Webzine for risk management professionals. For more information, visit www.riskVue.com. When the first generation of reality TV programs debuted in the late 1980s and early 1990s, I was appalled. The ratings for programs like COPS (1989) and MTV’s The Real World (1992) seemed to … Continued
Putting on Your Own Mask First
When the Abstract and Reality Collide By Melanie Lockwood Herman This February I had an opportunity to hear a presentation by Patti Digh, author of the new book titled “Life is a Verb: 37 Days to Wake Up, Be Mindful, and Live Intentionally.” Throughout Patti’s speech, I was reminded how her advice seemed to apply … Continued
Let’s Get Entrepreneurial
By Melanie Lockwood Herman Are nonprofits “entrepreneurial”? Or is the term only applicable to for-profits? The website Dictionary.com offers the following definition of an entrepreneur: “a person who organizes and manages any enterprise, especially a business, usually with considerable initiative and risk.” Effective nonprofit leaders demonstrate initiative and embrace risk-taking when they launch programs to … Continued
Happy Endings
By Melanie Lockwood Herman As another calendar year draws to a close, the subject of “endings” comes to mind. Every day across the U.S., nonprofit leaders experience endings of one kind or another. The departure of a long-time employee, the retirement of a board member, and the decision of a small commercial vendor to narrow … Continued
How to be the Worlds Smartest Risk Manager
By Melanie Lockwood Herman I’ve just finished the National Geographic book, “How to Be the World’s Smartest Traveler.” Who doesn’t want to be the world’s “smartest” anything?! As a big fan of the expression, “don’t believe everything you read,” I had no expectation of becoming the world’s smartest traveler when I cracked the cover of … Continued
Staff Training: Neglected Element of the Risk Management Equation
By Melanie Lockwood Herman Nonprofit leaders are quick to rank staff training as an important goal in the workplace. During discussions with funders and other external stakeholders many managers tout the commitment of their organizations to provide inservice training to paid and volunteer personnel. Yet the commitment to training may waiver when grant dollars or … Continued
Developing Risk Management Policies for Your Volunteer Program
There is no single way or ideal approach to managing the risks that arise from volunteer service. In No Surprises: Harmonizing Risk and Reward in Volunteer Management, the Nonprofit Risk Management Center explores various facets of risk associated with volunteer programs and organizations. This popular book, now offered as a 5th edition, outlines practical ways … Continued
Election Year Risks
Avoid these Campaign Pitfalls Most nonprofit managers are aware that a charity may not directly campaign for, or against, a candidate for public office. The penalty is severe — loss of tax-exempt status. However, there is often confusion about related activity, and whether it is improper — or permissible — under IRS regulations. For instance, … Continued
Have You Renewed Your Nonprofit’s Corporate Status?
Most states require nonprofit corporations to file an annual report with the state in order to maintain the nonprofit corporation’s good standing in that state. If you fail to submit the annual report, the state is unlikely to remind you. Instead, you may discover down the road that unbeknownst to you, the corporation’s good standing … Continued
How to Bring the Power of Intuition to the Discipline of Risk Management
By Melanie Lockwood Herman In her thought-provoking book, Artistry Unleashed, Hilary Austen lays out a framework for tapping surprise, uncertainty, ambiguity and change to improve personal performance. To a traditionalist, risk management theory and practice seem to be at war with Austen’s invitation to embrace uncertainty. The stereotypical risk manager works to eliminate or reduce … Continued