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Getting your player ready...

Live United by Erin Haag

Twice a year, United Ways from around the state gather for a conference. It鈥檚 always difficult to take the time to get away, but it鈥檚 also good to connect with others. When an organization is as hyper-localized as local United Ways are, it can be easy to forget that we鈥檙e really part of a larger network. This year, I was reminded that not only is there a United Way network, but there鈥檚 also a really good hunger relief network. For the United Way conference, I was asked to present as part of the Innovation series about the Welcome Pantry.

With the conference being in Owatonna this year, I asked Dom Korbel, executive director of Community Pathways of Steele County, to join me.

Last week, Dom finally made it over to the Welcome Pantry for a tour. The premise was to prepare for our presentation, but really, we spent our whole time talking about our pantries.

We talked about ordering apples, and he admired our shelving in the backstock room. We talked about policies and processes, and what we鈥檝e tried and haven鈥檛 tried. The more we talked, the more we remembered that we experience the same issues, the same challenges. He made some suggestions to me, and I was pleased to be able to offer him some recommendations as well. It鈥檚 always nice when you鈥檝e gotten to the point where you can offer something in return.

Some of what we talked about was tangible 鈥� how and where we order our volunteer lockers, and what platforms we use for scheduling volunteers, etc. The bigger challenges though were the polices and processes. A good chunk of the conference was training on diversity and inclusion. Discussions were held about how nonprofits are a business, but it鈥檚 a business that needs to keep people at its center. It鈥檚 a business that might need to consider how standard business protocol can sometimes inadvertently cause barriers to access and be an equity issue. There鈥檚 a lot of nuance on how to ensure that we鈥檙e holding ourselves and others accountable for best practices in an equitable manner.

There were two themes that ran through the conference. We鈥檇 listen to a keynote speaker about how people were more important than policies and procedures. The very next session would be a deep dive into policy and procedure development. Here鈥檚 the thing though 鈥� those policy and procedure strategies are essential to have in place so you can focus on the people. It鈥檚 not choosing one or the other, it鈥檚 maintaining the balance between the two. It鈥檚 developing the systems so that you can empower people. Empower staff, empower volunteers, empower board members, empower community members.

The process we used to develop the Co-Design process is a perfect example of ensuring our systems help us focus on the people. All of our operational decisions go back to being in compliance with state and federal guidelines, and the spirit of our Co-Design Themes. Sometimes they seem terribly corporate. Sometimes decisions have to be made at a director level, that might not always make sense to people. We鈥檙e not always able to go into deep details about those decisions. Those are the hard decisions, the ones that can keep me up at night.

Those are the decisions that are months in the making, and where I hope that people recognize there鈥檚 more to the story, and remember that our hearts are involved in the decision process as well. The decision makers are people too and are volunteering their time because of the people we鈥檙e serving.

The past several months, I鈥檝e been leaning hard into the processes. Let鈥檚 get things on paper, get things clearly documented, so everyone鈥檚 on the same page. It can be something as simple as volunteer recognition. A few months ago, I challenged my staff to develop a volunteer recognition program, because we have amazing ones. It鈥檚 still a work in progress, but it鈥檚 a summer bucket list. It wouldn鈥檛 seem something as heart-driven as showing gratitude is a 鈥減rocedure,鈥� but it is. Maybe 鈥渟ystem鈥� would be a better word, but it鈥檚 still an operational process. It isn鈥檛 clich茅 or taken lightly 鈥� we truly do appreciate our volunteers, and I want them to feel that. When we鈥檙e busy racing in different directions, it can be easy for us to express appreciation to someone, and we don鈥檛 realize that someone else wasn鈥檛 there that particular day. A system is set in place to make sure we鈥檝e taken the time to connect.

A few weeks ago, I called a volunteer who had surgery. We talked for 15 minutes, but she was surprised I called her, and kept saying how nice it was that we checked on her. I enjoyed our conversation, and I look forward to seeing her when she returns next week.

The United Way Board of Directors is actively seeking members to join us. We鈥檙e planning a strategic retreat, and we鈥檙e keeping people at the heart of our process. If you鈥檇 like to consider bringing your voice to the table, we invite you to give us a call to learn more. You can reach us at 507-373-8670.

Erin Haag is the executive director of the United Way of Freeborn County.