Negotiation Skills for Nonprofits

Ever notice how some people get their ideas approved effortlessly while others face constant pushback? The difference isn't charisma. It's preparation. I am in Japan this week and found this. In Japan, they have a word for this: Nemawashi. It means "preparing the roots" before you plant. Smart leaders never walk into important meetings cold. They build consensus one conversation at a time. Here's the 6-step system that turns skeptics into supporters: 1. Map Your Stakeholder Tree ↳ List everyone affected by your decision ↳ Note their concerns and influence level 2. Start With Your Skeptics ↳ Meet them first, not last ↳ They'll help you spot real problems early 3. Listen More Than You Pitch ↳ Ask what worries them about your idea ↳ Understanding beats convincing every time 4. Co-Create Solutions Together ↳ Ask how they would approach the challenge ↳ Include their ideas in your final plan 5. Circle Back With Updates ↳ Show how you used their feedback ↳ People support what they help build 6. Make Meetings a Formality ↳ When everyone arrives already aligned ↳ Your proposal passes without debate I've seen this transform outcomes: ✅ A project no one believed in suddenly gets full support ✅ A budget that usually faces scrutiny gets approved fast ✅ A major change goes smoothly instead of causing chaos This isn't about manipulation. It's about giving people a voice before decisions are made. Try this with your next big proposal. Start with one skeptic.  Have one honest conversation. You'll be surprised how quickly resistance becomes partnership. 👉 Share this to help your network master the art of building consensus. Follow Christian Rebernik for more on strategic influence and high-impact decision-making.

Nonprofit Executive Directors -- you've got to help your Board help you. Even the most high-functioning, engaged Board can't intuit your needs or help you in a vacuum. Some ideas to try: 💡 In your monthly operational updates, include a specific ask of specific committees, the whole board, and/or specific board members (one that is in line with their duties and responsibilities, of course). 💡Ask individual Board members where their sweet spot is when it comes to networking and fundraising -- maybe it's tabling at events, writing thank you cards, taking donors out for coffee, or even cold calling-on local potential brand sponsors -- and then give them the tools they need to succeed (training, donor pitch decks, social media toolkits, email templates, etc.) 💡When you encounter a major challenge, don't just try to muscle through it on your own -- tell the Board how they can help. Asking for help is part of strong leadership. And in the midst of all the 💩 coming out of the White House right now, a team effort is more important than ever. 💡Be open and transparent in your 1:1s with the Board Chair -- create a thought partnership with them. Hire a coach for joint coaching if this relationship needs strengthening or reinvigorating. 💡Be very clear and honest about what needs more budgetary investment, where you may have to go significantly over budget on expenses, etc. -- they cannot properly fulfill their duties or support you if you're always trying to paint a rosy picture to "keep them happy". 💡Aim to have a 1:1 with each Board member twice per year. Getting to know them (and they you) will better help you harness each other's strengths and interests and shore up each other's blind spots. 💡Thank your Board members regularly and authentically for their time and efforts, and tell them what is working and what have been the effects of their work. This will strengthen your relationship with them and help them better understand (and strategize on their own) where to invest their time and $$$.

  Facilitation… making space for those not in the room. It happens more often than we’d like. You design a strategic planning session. The date is set. The room is ready. And then some board or staff members cannot attend. I facilitated two in-person strategic planning sessions for a nonprofit where this happened. Session 1 was a full day. Nine board members and senior leaders attended; unexpectedly, seven other members could not attend on the day. Using the Technology of Participation Strategic Planning process, we developed five-year goals, identified key challenges and strengths, and drafted initial strategies. The group left energized and aligned. One member said, “I am amazed at how much we accomplished and with such unity in such a short time.” Three weeks later, Session 2 brought together seven people from the first session and the seven who had not attended. The purpose: affirm the goals and finalize strategies and a one-year action plan. It could have unravelled. It didn’t. Why? Because we intentionally designed for the absent voices. Here is what made the difference: 1️⃣ Name who needs to be involved. At Session 1, we asked: Who needs to be part of the next conversation? Who will reach out? 2️⃣ Personally connect. Absent members were contacted and walked through the key discussions and decisions. 3️⃣ Send a clear session report. No surprises. No vague summaries. 4️⃣ Provide structured reflection questions. Using the ORID framework: • What questions do you have? • What stood out? • What are you pleased about? • What concerns you? • What do you agree with? • What needs to change? 5️⃣ Open Session 2 with equal voice. We began by inviting all participants, new and returning, to respond to the report. 6️⃣ Frame absent members as offering “second thoughts.” Not critics. Not disruptors. Contributors. 7️⃣ Take the time. We spent 2.5 hours discussing the previous decisions, an hour longer than planned. It was worth every minute. The result? Most goals were affirmed. A few were refined. Some wording shifted. The group quickly created a one-year action plan because they were fully aligned. Involving absent board or team members is possible. But it does not happen by accident. Design it as intentionally as you design the original workshop. When you do, people feel heard. 😀 Work feels honoured. 👏 And decisions hold. ✔️ How have you handled “not everyone was in the room” moments?  

𝐁𝐨𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬: 𝐄𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐄𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 Board meetings have a reputation for being tense and performative. They can cause anxiety for a founder, especially those who already dislike groups. But what if you could reframe them as your chance for better decisions, sharper strategy, and deeper trust with your investors? The shift starts with preparation. Here are some practical tips to create a more collaborative approach. 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 Meet with each member to get to know them on a deeper level. Every investor can and should bring value beyond funding. Determine if/how they can connect you with key hires, potential clients, and invaluable advice. Finally, beware of investors who offer only positive feedback. Like eating chocolate, it makes you feel good at first, but it’s unhealthy as a diet. "𝑌𝑜𝑢 𝑛𝑒𝑒𝑑 𝑝𝑒𝑜𝑝𝑙𝑒 𝑤ℎ𝑜 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑡𝑒𝑙𝑙 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑡𝑟𝑢𝑡ℎ, 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑗𝑢𝑠𝑡 𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑤𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑡𝑜 ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑟." — Howard Schultz 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 Consider these tips for building an effective presentation: · Avoid the temptation to give too much information. Less is more. · Include meaningful visuals and stories, versus digging into details. · Offer real examples of impacted lives to reinforce your vision. Consult with attendees beforehand about their priority topics and metrics. When building the agenda, focus on only two to four key issues. "𝘉𝘰𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘮𝘦𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘧𝘪𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘊𝘌𝘖 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮." – Fred Wilson 𝗡𝗲𝗺𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘀𝗵𝗶 When approaching the board with critical issues, major projects, or strategic pivots, consider nemawashi, a Japanese consensus-building process. The process involves holding one-on-one discussions with stakeholders before a formal meeting. You will collect feedback, address concerns, and refine the proposal. By the meeting, most objections have been resolved, making it move more smoothly. 𝗜𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 Treat all attendees as equal contributors to the meeting's success. If some board members are quiet, draw them out. If some are speaking too much, consider using structured turn-taking to ensure full participation. Also, encourage options, not simply answers. For instance, instead of asking “What should I do?” ask, “What are my options here?” 𝗔𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 Right after the meeting, while it's fresh in your mind, make notes about ways to improve communication and delivery. Also, share your positive observations, such as board members' ideas and referrals. You reinforce the right behavior. If the board meetings are new for you or have new participants, pose the question, "What is one way the meeting could be better next time?" Focus on being prepared, clear, and passionate about your company's future, and encourage board members to collaborate and offer candid feedback. #leaders #founder #adapt #startups

Your board is either your engine or your anchor. This leader runs a critical non-profit agency. For years, their board meetings were simple: staff presents, board rubber stamps, everyone goes home. Now money is tight. Demand is up. The same board is suddenly hesitant, divided, and slow to decide. They could have stayed in complaint mode. Instead, they reframed their role: diagnose the governance problem Craft a vision they could say yes to Align with other local leaders facing the same thing Go upstream to state legislators and funding partners They started talking about his organization as: “the rebirth of a 911 center” an innovative, AI-enabled, people-centered model others could learn from. That narrative changed doors that opened, conversations with partners, and how potential board members saw their role. If your governing body is stuck, you have three choices: 1. Wait for them 2. Complain about them 3. Lead them with a compelling vision and a clear path You don’t fix a passive board with more data. You fix it with purpose, story, and specific decisions you’re inviting them to make. Ask yourself: “If I framed our next chapter as a ‘rebirth’ of this organization, what would I say and who would want to join that?”