Collaboration is Critical with Dr. Sharon Elefant and Amber Anthony at The Nonprofit Plug
Welcome to the latest episode of the Nonprofit Connect podcast, brought to you by Rogue Creatives, made to connect with and learn from people in the nonprofit hemisphere. I’m your host, Matt Barnes, and you’ll want to stick around for this one, folks.
In this episode, we speak with Dr. Sharon Elefant, Founder & CEO of the Nonprofit Plug, a boutique nonprofit consulting firm dedicated to empowering, uniting, and developing 501(c)3 nonprofits. We also have a special appearance from Amber Anthony, Strategy Specialist & CFO at the Nonprofit Plug!
Living by the concept of Tikkun Olam – to repair the world – Dr. Elefant is an inclusive social justice advocate, educator, and nonprofit leader with a proven track record of building, growing, and enhancing organizational and fund development efforts on national and global levels.
On top of that, she is also a Fieldwork Coordinator at Pacific Oaks College, the Executive Director at Engage The Vision, and an Online Adjunct Instructor at Central Michigan University.
The importance of collaboration
Let’s be honest… Nonprofits are stubborn.
The entire reason we made our podcast was to encourage more nonprofit organizations to connect and collaborate with each other. The more people we connect with, the more problems they manage to solve.
Why, though? What is it about connecting with others that brings out the best in us? Well, the answer is pretty darn obvious: human beings aren't meant to go through this thing we call life alone. We're social creatures, and as such, it's essential that we help each other out when needed. I mean, have you ever tried to do anything arduous by yourself? Sure, you might be able to do it at first, but after a while, you'll get tired and ask yourself why you didn't seek help in the first place. There is absolutely no shame in asking for help; in fact, it's encouraged!
It'd be really weird if you tried to do everything alone all the time, and the same goes for nonprofits!
In our interview with Dr. Elefant, she says, “Collaboration is critical. It’s almost imperative. Why even be in nonprofits if you’re not going to collaborate? I don’t understand that. And that’s the biggest thing I talk about with a lot of nonprofits that we work with. We’re starting to force people into a room together to try and get them to collaborate.”
It’s all about mindset
But why are nonprofits so reluctant to collaborate with others? Why do they always try to do it by themselves without any help? Well, it all comes down to the classic scarcity mindset. Nonprofits have done so well at convincing themselves they don't deserve help that they may as well trademark the phrase.
Because of this capitalist system we've found ourselves in, it can make some nonprofits feel as though what they're doing isn't deserving of reward or recognition. They're happy to sit there and struggle. We're here to tell you, folks, that that is ridiculous. You are doing good things; you are helping people, and that means you deserve to be recognized; you deserve funding; you deserve respect and reward!
We need to shift our thinking, do away with this self pity, and recognize that we’re worth a hell of a lot.
“It’s really focused on mindset,” says Dr. Elefant, “because, when we’re working with nonprofits, there’s such a sense of brokenness. Just like, begging for everything and we don’t like that. I’ve been in every nonprofit position, and it’s, like, you don’t have to have that mindset!
If you can start respecting yourself and treating your nonprofit like a business, then, hey, perhaps you might succeed in this big, bad world.
Listen to the Whole Episode!
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