205. Systems to the Rescue + Time-Saving Hacks for Every Nonprofit Professional - Rachel Bearbower
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Overview
Meet Rachel. We throw new strategies, innovations and trends your way - and we know how overwhelming it can feel (especially for small teams), so we're bringing in a small shop expert. Rachel's a former fundraiser, ED and founder who's worked in the trenches of underfunded, systemless organizations. She's here to help us walk through some key strategies for the new year and set our organizations up with solid foundations that will lead to greater impact, more dollars raised, and working smarter, not harder.
Today’s Guest
Rachel Bearbower, Founder + CEO, Small Shop Strategies
“If you’re doing all the things, you’re not going to do anything very well. I feel like being in a small shop is like juggling, but you have to be intentional about what ball is going to drop, because one is going to.”
Episode Transcript
Download Full Episode Transcript Here
Episode highlights
Rachel’s story and journey to where she is today (2:50)
What small nonprofits faced throughout the pandemic and what they need today (4:30)
3 basics to get right to set your organization up for success (7:00)
1. Get clear on what you do really well and shed the rest.
2. Get clear on what you can accomplish. What is actually realistic?
3. Get clear on your language and messaging.
How to build a solid foundation for your nonprofit (16:00)
Keeping up with new strategies and technology and staying innovative in a fast paced world (21:00)
How leaders can decipher their next best step (24:00)
A powerful moment of philanthropy in Rachel’s life (27:00)
Rachel’s One Good Thing: What you think about gets bigger. (29:00)
Powerful quotes
“I've worked with over 100 organizations in the last 20 months, and each one of them has said things like, “I have felt so isolated. I didn't know where to turn, I have no idea if I'm doing this right. I just feel like a fraud.”” -Rachel
“And yet there was the sense of resiliency of like, but I'm you know, I'm really trying to figure this out. I'm here to stick it out.” -Rachel
“There's a lack of time and a need for community.” -Rachel
“So many of the organizations are learning new things, they're duplicating efforts, they are recreating the wheel, and so that takes up a lot of time.” -Rachel
“If you kind of break this into two groups, you have relationships and you have systems. Your systems can be automated, your relationships cannot. They take two different types of time.” -Rachel
“That lack of time really has to start with figuring out how much time you have for the relationship building and how much time you have for system building.” -Rachel
“Every nonprofit I think I've ever met ever on the planet Earth is doing too much.” -Rachel
“What you can automate needs to be a priority, so that you can focus on those bigger relationships. That's how you're going to grow.” -Rachel
“If you're doing all the things, you're not going to do anything very well. I feel like being in a small shop is like juggling, but you have to be intentional about what ball is going to drop, because one is going to.” -Rachel
“Get very, very clear on what you can accomplish. What is actually realistic?” -Rachel
“I don't know how many times as an executive director, I typed into Google, how to be an executive director.” -Rachel
“Number one, pause, take a deep breath, just try to see the picture.” -Rachel
“So often, you're so deep into the woods, that everything becomes a priority. And that's simply just not the case. And if you can't get yourself out of that space to think that that's another strategies, give yourself space to think because your brain is holding so much in your head.” -Rachel
“If you find community, you are going to find that light at the end of the tunnel. And not only find that light, but find your way out.” -Rachel
“We are absolutely in a place where technology can make your life significantly easier.” -Rachel
“For the small organizations, I think you really have to understand that there is going to be work on the front end, there will absolutely be an investment in your time to create a system to create to set up a project management system, to create a welcome series, or to learn how to use Zapier. There will be that time investment, but if you're not willing to try, then you're not going to be able to really move forward in this time and space.” -Rachel
“Having that circle of circle of friends, circle of allies, people who are going to help you look a 360 view of what it is that you are going to do, and be able to talk through what are the things that might come up what are not. And in the nonprofit industry, I feel like our organizations and our leaders have have been these gatekeepers, who are not sharing a lot of information.” -Rachel
Connect with Rachel
Website / Instagram / Podcast / LinkedIn / Freebie: Lead: Thank You Note — Small Shop Strategies
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