Friday, December 14, 2012

Signing Off


Rationalizing Workload within the Team
Since early 2008 we at the Endowment have done a periodic (about monthly) blog to help those with interest gain deeper insight into our processes, thinking, or understanding of how/why we do what we do.  In 2012 we committed to ramp that up to twice monthly.  Sounded easy in January….whew!

Anyway, with a very lean staff model of only five full-time staff (three program professionals), it is amazing at how difficult it is to find time for keeping up with something like this.  So, as part of a six-year review to look at how we can best rationalize the workload and do those things that are truly important – not just urgent – we have decided that the blog is one of several things that must come to an end.  Or, in this case, be a lot less frequent.

As part of our commitment to set a high bar in our approach to openness and transparency, the blog was just one of several specific things we started.  Others include an up-to-date website, maintenance of a ListServ for those who wish to receive specific updates, immediate posting of our Audited Financials and IRS Form 990, and more. 

Quarterly Stewardship Reports
One, well-above-the-call, thing that we’ve done since the third quarter of 2008, was a Quarterly Stewardship Report.  These one-page reports included quarterly portfolio performance, cash on hand, grants received from partners, and cash out the door.  They too were just one more tool for those who wanted to “look under the hood” at the Endowment’s operation.

While neither the blog nor the Quarterly Stewardship Reports took loads of time, each was among dozens of things that required a commitment of effort and follow-through.  The proverbial camel was getting loaded…and not from tarrying too long at the water cooler.  After reviewing the numbers of people who viewed each of these two items on a regular basis, we determined that – while good – they were not necessary items.  And, thus, we have accordingly suspended them.

If you were one of those rare but committed followers of the blog or Stewardship Reports, I’d appreciate hearing from you -- carlton@usendowment.org – with your thoughts.

All the best,

Carlton N. Owen
President & CEO

 

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