Moving the Needle

The Support Center congratulates this year’s Nonprofit Excellence Awards winners and wish them every success in the future!

Don Crocker, CEO/Executive Director of the Support Center, has been on the selection committee since it’s inception in 2007.

The awards are a collaborative effort between the NY Times Company,  Nonprofit Coordinating Committee of New York (NPCC) and Philanthropy New York.

It is especially exciting to learn about smaller nonprofits valuing and practicing excellent management for a strong foundation.

Sadie Nash Leadership Project:
Gold Prize for Overall Management Excellence
Sadie Nash promotes leadership, activism and service among young women with programs centered on achievements of women, use of role models, service-based learning and community organizing. www.sadienash.org

God’s Love We Deliver:
Silver Prize for Management Excellence
God’s Love We Deliver improves the health and well-being of men, women and children living with HIV/AIDS, cancer and other serious illnesses by alleviating hunger and malnutrition. www.glwd.org

New York Lawyers for the Public Interest:
Bronze Prize for Management Excellence
New York Lawyers for the Public Interest advances equality and civil rights, with a focus on health justice, disability rights and environmental justice, through the power of community law practice and partnerships with the private bar. www.nylpi.org



By Shakeela Pegues, Intern, Support Center

As a little girl growing up I always knew that college was part of my dream.  The question was who and what would keep me on the right track to achieving those dreams.  As the years began to pass by I found myself thinking more and more about college and what I wanted to major in.

In the middle of 12th grade, I decided that I wanted to own my own day care center, so I searched for an internship that would help me have a better understanding of the business world.

Shakeela Pegues

After two months of looking for an internship with the assistance of Futures & Options, I obtained a position with the Support Center for Nonprofit Management.

While working at the Support Center I have enhanced my abilities in time management, marketing, analyzing and sorting data, and increased my typing skills. All of which will be a huge advantage when I begin college in the fall of 2010.

Time management has been a valuable skill in balancing school, work, and my social life.  I have learned how to prioritize and accomplish what is most important and to identify what I can leave for another day.

I have also improved my computer skills.  I not only learned how to complete spreadsheets and sort data, but I have become a better typist, a skill that I have been trying to improve for almost a year.

The goals I set for myself in the 12th grade began to change as my knowledge of the business world increased. Half way through my internship at the Support Center, I realized that the joy I got out of working with kids was being able to interact with them individually.  If I decide to own my own business, I would spend less time with the kids and more time behind the scenes, which was something I did not desire.

I began looking into colleges and found that Mercy College would be the best fit for me because it offered both Early Childhood Education and Business Management, which I could pursue if I would like to become more business oriented in the future.  The faculty and staff at Mercy College are dedicated to supporting my success every step of the way, just as the Support Center has been.

My goals in the next five years are: graduating Mercy College with a masters degree in Early Childhood Education and to be a role model and inspiration to children.

>>> Futures and Options empowers New York City’s underserved youth to explore careers through career development and paid, mentored internships.

By Gilles Mesrobian, Senior Fellow, Support Center

Gilles Mesrobian

Leadership transition is challenging but the transition from a founding Executive Director to a new Executive Director is perhaps the most vulnerable point in the evolution of an organization.  Studies show that 50% of searches fail in these situations.

I was a founding director myself and there are clearly things that a founding ED can do to lay the groundwork for a successful transition.

Perhaps the first step is helping the organization address succession planning before you leave–even before you know you want to leave. Succession planning should be in place for all organizations. One never knows when a medical crisis or family emergency could take you away from your job for a short term, long term, or permanently.

Once you know you are going to leave, planning a proper departure will help the organization prepare for the challenges ahead.

Identifying your exit strategy is critical and communicating it to all parties in a manner that is positive and constructive for the organization is important.

A parting ED can also help the Board or Search Committee understand the skill set needed in the new ED.  Remember that the search process is not about replacing you, but rather about finding someone who can lead the organization to the next step in its evolution. You can help the Board understand what that means.

Being prepared to move on in your career is also critical so that you don’t feel the need or desire to fall back on your prior commitment to the organization you founded.

Setting healthy boundaries for you and the organization, staff, Board and new ED is important. You need to strike a healthy balance so that you can be relied upon for information and assistance when called upon without meddling in the organization.

Any role you play moving forward will not be as the ED but as an experienced professional who understands the unique challenges of the organization, perhaps better than anyone.  Nothing will sour your relationship with the organization more than meddling or getting involved in the day-to-day management or politics of your past employer.

And finally, a little soul searching is needed.  Accept the fact that your commitment to the organization and your career are changing as you depart. Both you and the organization you founded are moving on to new things. Embrace the opportunity for change and what it promises.

>>> Emergency Succession Planning for Arts Organizations