The Stache Says

A Nonprofit Professional's Guide to Working the Room

183:907385079 (Cheryl Floros) — Wed, 05 Mar 2025 02:22:38 GMT

Maximizing Every Moment

Let’s be honest—networking isn’t everyone’s favorite activity. For many nonprofit professionals, it can feel awkward, forced, or even like a waste of time. But here’s the reality: your ability to work a room directly impacts your organization’s success. Whether you’re looking for donors, sponsors, or key connections, networking is a necessary skill. And like any skill, it can be mastered.

Floros & Associates recently hosted a number of nonprofit CEOs, who are members of our Philotimo Executive Sessions, at the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce’s annual gala—in my mind, one of the biggest networking events of the year. Some are seasoned pros, but a few weren’t as comfortable in that setting. So, I gave them a few simple, no-nonsense tips to make the most of the evening. And now, I’m sharing them with you.

1. Dress the Part

Professional—not formal, not cocktail. This isn’t a wedding, and it’s not casual Friday. Many attendees are coming straight from work, so aim for sharp, polished, and confident. First impressions matter.

2. Timing is Everything

The first 80 minutes of a networking event are your prime hunting time. Show up on time! Walking in late is a missed opportunity to connect when people are fresh and eager to meet others.

3. You’re Here to Network, Not Eat

Most of these events serve food buffet-style during the reception. Pro tip: eat a late, heavy lunch so you’re not distracted by the food. Grab a plate right before the doors open for the program portion, but remember—you’re there to make connections, not to indulge in a three-course meal.

4. Bring Business Cards and Work the Room

Don’t get stuck in long conversations with just a few people. You’re here to make connections, not have a deep dive over sliders and pasta. That said, if you’ve got a “big fish” on the line, trust your instincts and spend the time needed to make a solid connection.

If you’re not a comfortable networker, no problem—find a buddy who is, or stick with me (I’ll introduce you around).

5. Have Your Ask Ready

This is just the first date—you’re not closing any deals here. What’s your next step? A coffee meeting? A tour of your facility? Have a clear and simple call to action so that the conversation leads somewhere.

6. Get Their Info & Follow Up

If you don’t follow up, you just wasted your time. Get their contact info and connect within a day or two. No needy, desperate emails—just a simple LinkedIn connection and a quick follow-up to confirm your next step.

7. Stick Around for the After-Event Networking

Some of the best conversations happen at the bar afterward. Many people head there once the main event wraps up, so if you didn’t get to talk to someone earlier, this is your second chance.

8. Stake Out the Exit

Here’s a trick I learned years ago: stand near the exit with your development director and casually chat. A lot of people will have to pass by you. If there’s someone you didn’t get a chance to connect with earlier, this is a great opportunity to grab a quick moment with them before they leave.

9. Master the Soft Sell

No one likes the pushy nonprofit person who won’t stop talking about their cause. Your job is to tell your story in a compelling way without overwhelming them with details. Keep it high-level and leave them wanting more.

10. Understand the Corporate Mindset

Corporate donors and sponsors don’t give just because you have a great cause—there are 17,000 nonprofits in San Diego County alone. They need to see the ROI. Figure out how you can help them succeed, look good, and meet their goals.

11. Always Play the Long Game

Networking is about relationships, not transactions. This is just the first step in building something meaningful. Whether you’re meeting someone for the first time or deepening an existing connection, make sure you leave a strong impression and set the stage for the next conversation. Forging long-term funding relationships based on a mutually beneficial partnership are essential to building your organization and key to your success.

At the end of the day, networking isn’t about schmoozing—it’s about connection. The more you refine your approach, the more natural it will feel. So, suit up, show up, and make the most of every opportunity.

Happy hunting!

Onward and upward!

PS: If you or your nonprofit could use strategic guidance to elevate your networking, fundraising, or partnerships, let’s talk. Email me at Jim@FlorosAssociates.com to set up a quick call—We would love to help you take your career or organization to the next level.

What is your expiration date?

Sun, 04 Sep 2022 00:52:40 GMT

Every Non-Profit Organization (NPO) CEO has one.
But how do you know when yours is?

Are you going to be that three-year and out, or the 31-year CEO that has to be gently asked to leave or nudged to retire? CEOs do have a shelf life. If you are a cutting-edge, push-hard, calculated risk-taker, then your expiration is probably sooner. You will either burn out, step on one toe too many, or become bored and complacent because you have all the trains running on time. How do you stay inspired, energetic, and still feel like you have something to prove? If you are an “alpha” like most CEOs (you know you are – just admit it!), then you are most likely looking for your next challenge and conquest after 5-8 years.

If you are that 31-year CEO – how are you staying relevant? Are you still relevant? Are you energized every day and pushing the envelope like you once did, or are you just going through the motions to keep the organization successful enough to keep your job? Are you giving it your all, or are you doing what you have to do to survive and make it to retirement? Are you complacent? Is your board complacent?

Remember when you were in your first CEO job? That excitement, fear, passion, and mission to prove to your new board and staff that you were the right person for the job. You had the energy and drive to prove yourself everyday – and it was exhilarating and so much fun! You were in the game baby! Let’s do this!

But after so many years and proving yourself worthy, are you still embracing each day with that same excitement and passion? Or are your efforts slowly eroding and you are not really giving it your all? Are you cruising a bit? Are you willing to admit it? If you are, is that fair to your staff, board, donors, stakeholders – and most importantly – your service population?

Someone once told me that an NPO-CEO had a 5–8-year shelf life. I gotta agree. I stayed 20 years at an NPO and fought to stay energized and challenged. How many annual galas, retreats or board meetings can one endure and still remain 100% engaged and enthusiastic? Or does it feel like Groundhog Day – wash, rinse, repeat? I started a consulting business, served on and chaired boards and commissions, and got heavily engaged by serving on national committees and special campaigns. And it was all great! But was that in the best interest of the organization that was paying me, and I was leading? I really don’t know for sure.

The ultimate authority of every NPO is their Board of Directors. Board members are volunteers, serve without compensation, and are not typically experts in running an NPO. They most certainly are experts in their respective fields, but an NPO is different. It’s different. And the board members who think they are experts, think they know better, and can’t wait to get into the weeds – well, those are the ones that keep CEOs awake at night. They can even be dangerous. They’re well-intentioned and trying to feel relevant and contribute, but let’s put it kindly – they

can also “push you off course.”

How does this relate to our topic above? Board members are volunteers and have lives – family, career, faith, hobbies, etc. Being on an NPO board is not, and should not, be the most important thing in their lives. As such, boards often will see that long-term CEO as comfortable as an old pair of shoes. Things appear to be ok “so I’m not going to rock the boat.” And life goes on. Maybe that’s all right. Maybe not?

I certainly don’t know the answers to all these questions. I have my own thoughts based on 38 years in the NPO sector. Your answers, experiences, and opinions might differ.

Know this – an NPO CEO needs to decide what their expiration date is, and plan for it. Discuss it with your board on the front end so there are no hurt feelings. Succession planning is key. Ideally, you should strive to have 2-3 internal candidates that can at least compete for “your” job. By the way, is it really yours, or are you just the caretaker for a bit? I think the latter.

At the end of the day, the thing that matters most is your service population. This is the sole reason your agency exists in the first place. Never lose sight of that and always do what is in their best interest!

Onward and upward!

Stay well!

Jim

Are Nonprofits a Business? A 30,000 Foot Overview of the Business Model of Nonprofit Organizations

Mon, 04 Jul 2022 21:14:57 GMT

Anybody who believes that a nonprofit shouldn’t be run like a business is sadly mistaken. And those organizations that are not run like a business are destined for failure. Gary Ridge from WD-40 once told me, “Some organizations have the heart but don’t have the business sense, and some have the business sense but not the heart. You have both.” The organizations I have run, especially the San Diego Food Bank, had both. It had the heart, but we had the business acumen. If you think about it, the San Diego Food Bank was a hundred-million-dollar corporation with 85 employees and many moving parts. You can’t run an organization like that unless you’re running it with fundamentally strong business principles: stellar financials; a healthy volunteer base; solid donor base, which is your sales if you want to bridge it to the private sector. You must also add marketing, media, PR, and culture—a tremendously important aspect of any successful business, nonprofit or otherwise—because you build to culture. You can train or educate people to do a job, but if they don’t fit your culture, they’re not a good fit.

I’ve seen many times in the nonprofit sector that somebody gets this great idea. They’re charismatic. They have people who want to support them, so they start their own nonprofit organization. They begin raising money and start doing things in the community. They have some success but then hit a wall. Because they don’t have a strong business model, they can’t attract sophisticated, more significant donors, larger grants, and the like. They lack strong financials. They don’t have strong board governance, and they don’t have the fiduciary responsibilities of board members firmly in place. Their fundraising program is not one you can base a foundation. They need a CRM, a big part of the fund development program. A reliable database is essential for any nonprofit. It’s where your volunteer and donor information is collected and stored, so you know how they want to be treated, what their histories are, what programs they’ve given to when they’ve given, what mailings, and how you’re going to approach them. A CRM also goes a long way toward donor stewardship. New donors are great, but retaining existing donors is probably even more important. It’s better to steward and groom those donors so they not only continue to support your cause, but you’re taking those donors and stewarding them up to larger gifts. In Nonprofit 101, there’s a fundraising pyramid that highlights the life of a donor. It shows where they enter your organization, their pathway through the years, upgrades to more significant gifts, and then ends with the hope of a planned gift in their will.

A strong business model is essential to any long-term successful nonprofit organization. Going back in my work history to my first nonprofit job, my first boss was a gentleman by the name of Frank Klein. He was from IBM World Headquarters, and at the time, IBM had a program, “Executives on Loan,” where they would loan out executives heading towards retirement. IBM would pay their salaries for 2 to 3 years, and these executives would bring private sector business sense to nonprofits. I’m in my mid-20s, and my boss Frank, who was probably one of the most influential people who shaped the way I have conducted myself throughout my nonprofit career, sat me down and said, “Jim, don’t fall in love with your charity. Businesses do business things for business reasons. Their philanthropy is tied to their organizational goals. If you help them achieve those goals, they’ll support you. And if you don’t, they’ll find another nonprofit. There are 10,000 worthwhile nonprofits.” Well, that was a little stunning to me, but I’ve used that philosophy my entire career, and I can’t tell you how many times I have heard from sponsors, donors, and media partners, “You know what, Jim, we’ve never heard that from any nonprofit. All you guys say is, “Oh, please support us because we have a worthwhile cause.” So especially in the corporate sector, I enter every relationship focused on ROI. What do they need to succeed and feel like this was an impactful, beneficial relationship? Many times, especially when I bring in media partners, these organizations support us, not through their philanthropy budget but via their marketing budget, because they will be involved with million-dollar campaigns. This has been integral to my success in developing business relationships for the nonprofit organizations I run. I never expect anyone to support us because we’re a good cause. I will make our case and try to have them realize that this is a very valuable organization. But really, it’s a business partnership, and if they’re taken care of and feel it’s a beneficial relationship, then they’ll support us. We’ll get the funding needed to further my organization’s programs. I also want to overdeliver because I intend to develop long-term relationships. I want to ensure those sponsors and donors come back year after year, so I do not have to chase that money. I won’t need to fill that hole with a new donation. Instead, I can get and count on those existing donations, and that’s how I build the organization.

If you need assistance, feel free to call on Floros & Associates . We have for-profit solutions for nonprofits.

The Greater Good podcast host Jeff Wohler chats with Jim Floros

Fri, 24 Jun 2022 21:14:57 GMT

This week on The Greater Good, host Jeff Wohler talks to Jim Floros about his lifelong career in the nonprofit sector. The chat kicks off with Jim walking through his storied career and his inspiration and lifelong quest to make the world a better place. “Everyone’s life ends the same way and if you’re not trying to improve the human condition, then why bother?” Then they shift gears a bit to discuss Jim’s proudest accomplishments which concluded during his time at the Burn Institute, bridging the divide between the nonprofit and the regional burn center, and of course during his time at the San Diego Food Bank, where he not only led the organization but the San Diego community through the Covid crisis.