Interview summary
The non-profit organization I chose for my project is the united way. As part of the donors for the organization, I take this as a unique opportunity to get to learn more about the operations and achievements of the organization. I choose to interview Rachel Hoetker, the current education manager, emergency food, and shelter administrator at United Way of Kern county. Working at the organization from 2010, Rachel has the essential information regarding the operations in a united way. I reached out to the interviewee through her company email address, and we scheduled the interview for Friday 11 th July 2020, at 9 am. She opted to sign the consent form, answer the interview questions, and then forward the answers through my email.
Below are the interview questions and the answers given:
Concerning the non-profit organization management strategies, Rachel indicated that the organization has a local board of directors and several working committees. The president and the CEO have several managers and members of staff working under them. The system of operations enhances the organization’s ability to handle local problems within the organization since the local management teams understand critical aspects in their communities. The organization has audit, finance, and executive committees that aide in the performance of the organization. The management of the organization indicates that a properly managed and also purpose-based committees enhance the performance within a non-profit organization.
According to Rachel, the united way has transparent communication amongst the staff, the executive team, and other external stakeholders. The organization prepares annual reports and has the documents posted on its website and shared with donors, volunteers, and community members. In the internal setup, the organization holds staff meetings to discuss emerging issues within the organization. These approaches ensure that all the concerned individuals get the essential information on the organization.it is a way to have stakeholders aware of the progress and possible developments in the organization. I learn from the communication within the organization that the success of a non-profit organization largely relies on the communication approach chosen. The donors, volunteers, and community members need to understand the developments in the organization to continue supporting the organization in the effort to achieve the vision and mission.
The United Way management team, as indicated by Rachel, is always actively seeking for sponsorship form donors globally. She further illustrates that the organization aims to eliminate suffering amongst members of the community. For instance, the organization recently engaged in a program to distribute foodstuffs to members of the community who have been affected by the COVID 19 pandemic. This indicates that non-profit organizations should always seek to manage funds in a manner that offers optimum results on the community mission and vision strategies.
A critical ethical aspect illustrated by Rachel through the interview is the United Way’s adherence to the mission and also the strict adherence to the rules set by the governments. For instance, the organization offers certification for the volunteers and requires the volunteers to the organization to undergo screening in line with the new development of the pandemic. The strict adherence to the guidelines by the federal governments and other concerned authorities shows that non-profit organizations rely on bodies to thrive in their operations.
Analysis
The united way has been at the forefront in serving communities globally at different levels, depending on the community needs. The critical success of the organization largely depends on the leadership management of the organization. The existence of local boards charged with the task to handle local issues amongst communities ensures that the united way attains the mission of the organization both locally and globally. The local management can assess the communities’ basic needs and develop programs that target the specific challenges amongst the people.
Another strength of the organization lies in the organization’s long-term service to the community and the impact created on the people’s lives. According to Rachel, she chose to work for the United way after learning of the many programs through which the organization has changed people’s lives for the better. Donors and volunteers thus trust and willingly support the organization due to its longterm show of credibility in their performance.
Rachel notes that the organization needs to add more staff members and that they are continually looking for volunteers for the organization’s programs. This means that the organization may not perform its operations at optimum capacity and in a way that sufficiently covers the needs of the society. New and unaccepted needs in communities such as the challenges developed by the COVID 19 pandemic also challenge the performance within the organization. There is a need to create a program that will sustainably cater to the dynamic community needs.
Conclusion
To sum up, the united way’s leadership strategy and management target the primary community needs that can well be solved through the use of a local board. The committees in the organization manage financial, executive, and audit tasks in the organization. The management of the organization understands that the needs amongst communities are dynamic, thus always seek to find funding and volunteers to cater fr the growing demands in the society. The success stories and the evidence of the United way programs improving lives attract support from donors and also volunteers. Non-profit organizations always need to ensure that they attain the mission they were designed for by accomplishing the noble tasks they find in the community.