Taking Your Club Professional

10 tips to hiring a staff person to manage your organization

Adding a paid staff person to lead your group is a great way to boost your success. Volunteers will always be the backbone of small organizations, but a part-time staffer can manage the administrative and organizational chores that are not well suited to a volunteer workforce.

There are two staff positions to consider: executive director or administrative assistant. An executive director will be the group's leader, planner, fundraiser and administrator rolled into one. An administrative assistant will only manage paperwork and logistical details for the club, keeping the leadership role with the volunteer board of directors. If resources allow, IMBA recommends the executive director model because a majority of bicycling clubs would benefit by a centralized leadership and administrative structure.

Pull the trigger. Go for it! Hiring a part-time executive director is the best way to take your group's work to a higher level. Twenty hours a week is a good place to start.
Find one major donor. Securing one significant donation is the best way to ensure your group will be able to afford your new employee's paycheck. Aim for a contribution to cover least one-third of the salary.
Hire someone with fundraising skills. The staff person you hire should have previous fundraising experience and should spend a significant amount of their energy on this important part of the job. He/she should be expected to raise at least half of their own salary.
Maintain careful financial records. Make sure the executive director keeps accurate books which are carefully monitored by the board of directors. Good bookkeeping is essential for accountability, professionalism and fundraising.
Diversification of programs. To boost membership and fundraising, your club should offer a variety of programs that attract a range of supporters. Advocacy work should be complemented by social activities, skills clinics, kids projects and fundraising.
Use direct mail. The staff person should conduct regular mailings as the primary membership and fundraising tool.
Focus membership efforts on renewals. Renewals are the greatest source of profit for most small organizations. Make sure the executive director prioritizes member renewals over all other fundraising.
Sell high level memberships. Your club will need more than just $20 or $30 members to afford even a part-time executive director. Make sure to include membership levels at $100, $200, $500 and $1,000 on all your membership materials.
Create a great website. This will boost the effectiveness of everything your club does, from fundraising to advocacy. Your staff person should be responsible for ensuring the club's website is up to date and includes all your group's key information. For tips on making an effective website, see Maximizing Your Club's Internet Presence .
Tackle specific projects. The board of directors should help the executive director focus on a couple projects which are followed through to completion. This aids in accountability and will help attain the concrete achievements members and donors want.

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	Taking Your Club Professional 10 tips to hiring a staff person to manage your organization Adding a paid staff person to lead your group is a great way to boost your success. Volunteers will always be the backbone of small organizations, but a part-time staffer can manage the administrative and organizational chores that are not well suited to a volunteer workforce. There are two staff positions to consider: executive director or administrative assistant. An executive director will be the group's leader, planner, fundraiser and administrator rolled into one. An administrative assistant will only manage paperwork and logistical details for the club, keeping the leadership role with the volunteer board of directors. If resources allow, IMBA recommends the executive director model because a majority of bicycling clubs would benefit by a centralized leadership and administrative structure. Pull the trigger. Go for it! Hiring a part-time executive director is the best way to take your group's work to a higher level. Twenty hours a week is a good place to start. Find one major donor. Securing one significant donation is the best way to ensure your group will be able to afford your new employee's paycheck. Aim for a contribution to cover least one-third of the salary. Hire someone with fundraising skills. The staff person you hire should have previous fundraising experience and should spend a significant amount of their energy on this important part of the job. He/she should be expected to raise at least half of their own salary. Maintain careful financial records. Make sure the executive director keeps accurate books which are carefully monitored by the board of directors. Good bookkeeping is essential for accountability, professionalism and fundraising. Diversification of programs. To boost membership and fundraising, your club should offer a variety of programs that attract a range of supporters. Advocacy work should be complemented by social activities, skills clinics, kids projects and fundraising. Use direct mail. The staff person should conduct regular mailings as the primary membership and fundraising tool. Focus membership efforts on renewals. Renewals are the greatest source of profit for most small organizations. Make sure the executive director prioritizes member renewals over all other fundraising. Sell high level memberships. Your club will need more than just $20 or $30 members to afford even a part-time executive director. Make sure to include membership levels at $100, $200, $500 and $1,000 on all your membership materials. Create a great website. This will boost the effectiveness of everything your club does, from fundraising to advocacy. Your staff person should be responsible for ensuring the club's website is up to date and includes all your group's key information. For tips on making an effective website, see Maximizing Your Club's Internet Presence . Tackle specific projects. The board of directors should help the executive director focus on a couple projects which are followed through to completion. This aids in accountability and will help attain the concrete achievements members and donors want.


Help \| Site Map \| Copyright