Does your non-profit admin 
team have these essential skills?

Whether leaders are good or bad, their attitudes and actions affect the whole organization. That's just one of the reasons non-profit admin teams should be aware of the role they play. Some organizations have plenty of staff and volunteers, others have just a few. Regardless, the team you have overseeing the whole operation will help determine how productive, efficient and happy everyone else is. 

Forbes recently published a study comparing high-performing traits among the top producing non-profits and found that engaged leadership was a key factor. Yet it’s also one of the biggest challenges faced in the non-profit sector. 

A study from Stanford University on leadership in non-profits digs deeper into the lack-of-leadership problem. They found that many charities struggle with board governance, strategy, impact evaluation and funding in particular. 

The takeaway from this research: prioritize proper training for the leaders on your admin team.

Your people are your organization’s most important asset. Even if your admin team doesn’t include a specialized human resources professional, someone will need to take on these duties. Every non-profit needs expertise in this critical area, including familiarity with the diversity of the community and cultural competency. 

Non-profits are the only organizations that come with volunteered human resources. It’s important to recognize volunteers’ value and work towards making them feel appreciated. Another unique characteristic of non-profits is that they’re often community-based organizations – started and operated by members of the community to benefit the community. Big and small organizations need to keep that community feeling alive by having a local admin team. Many of the top producing charities remain “in touch” with the community.

Staff and volunteer turnover can be one of the most difficult things a non-profit admin team will face, especially when the departing team members managed your database. Ideally, you should always have at least two staff or volunteers fully trained as database administrators. 

Data integrity is essential for the success of your organization, otherwise you could face:

• Unhappy donors who haven’t had their wishes honored (such as changes of address or deceased donors)
• Misconstrued data without proper documentation
• Inaccurate reporting, leading to frustrated stakeholders or board members
• Fines and penalties from poorly maintained “do not call” lists

Knowledge is invaluable in a non-profit, especially when it comes to maintaining the integrity of your databases. 

If the pandemic has taught organizations anything, it’s that they can never be too prepared for worst-case scenarios. The Alliance for Nonprofit Management defines risk management as “…a discipline for dealing with the possibility that some future event will cause harm. It provides strategies, techniques and an approach to recognizing and confronting any threat faced by an organization in fulfilling its mission.” In other words, “risk” is the chance of something bad happening. For non-profits, lots of things can happen, including legal liabilities, financial crisis, poor leadership, staff turnover, natural disasters and extended sick leaves. 

A good admin team will ensure there’s a current plan in place for each risk that their organization may face. That plan will anticipate risks from every angle. At the very least, a risk management policy should be in place, confirming the responsibilities of individuals in the organization and including contact information for those to reach out to in specific emergencies.