I Have 9 Things to Say...

My son exploring some STEM time at nonprofit Creations in Sandpoint

Thoughts, observations, and stream of consciousness* on the nonprofit sector in Idaho from INC CEO, Kevin Bailey.

I mentioned last month that I was reading Cal Newport’s latest book Slow Productivity while on vacation. My top three takeaways: 
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1 – “Limit daily goals” - There’s a temptation in nonprofit work to ‘wear many hats’ and try and do it all. I find that I have to constantly pare back what is actually achievable in a given time frame. What Newport suggests is fairly simple: “Work on, at most, one project per day.” And distinguish that from the other to-dos and administrative tasks (meetings, email, etc.) that inevitably must get done. But blocking out one target project to move the ball forward a bit every day is achievable. 

2 – “Obsess over quality” - Admittedly, I was a bit skeptical about this one. We preach on our team that ‘good is usually good enough.’ When projects get backlogged, it’s usually because our perfectionist tendencies creep in and gum things up. But Newport doesn’t have in mind here a bias toward perfectionism. Instead, what he is talking about is similar to point #1 above: Doing fewer things but at a higher level of quality (i.e., giving a project our undivided attention for a three hour block) will create greater returns in our work and perhaps even allow us to be more productive in the long run (because we are reducing task switching and are less distracted).

3 – “Forgive yourself” - I am probably my greatest critic. I can feel like a day was a failure if I didn’t get through everything I wanted. Newport says, “the key to meaningful work is in the decision to keep returning to the efforts you find important. Not in getting everything right every time.” Amen.

4 – While in Sandpoint on vacation last month, we walked into the Cedar Street Bridge Public Market. Inside, the marketplace unfolds over an enclosed bridge that juts out over Sand Creek and is full of market stalls and vendors selling clothes, chocolates, toys, and more. On the far side of the bridge is a nonprofit called Creations. The nonprofit has a maker and STEM space for young kids with DIY or self-guided projects.

​Our kids played and did projects for almost an hour during this unexpected side trip, giving us tired parents a much needed break to sit. This pit stop reminded me that nonprofits truly do fill every niche and need in our communities – especially in the tourist economy! Just think of the thousands of kids every year who get a little dose of unexpected STEM play while their travel-weary parents put their feet up.  

At the Firewise demonstration gardens.

​​5 – Additional evidence that nonprofits really do fill every need in Idaho: as the skies have filled with smoke for most of July, there are nonprofits helping people in the fire-prone West build a more fire-resilient landscape.

​I had the chance to tour Idaho Firewise last month. The work they are doing to educate homeowners and the public about fire resiliency as well as water conservation is truly amazing (research has shown that as much as 30% of human water use is used on outdoor landscapes). They have a demonstration garden on site (in Boise right behind the Idaho Botanical Garden) which shows the types of vegetation, grasses and other landscape plants that thrive in our dry climate while also creating a barrier for fire for those who live in wildland urban interface areas.  

6 – I have been fascinated with the Independent Sector’s research on public trust in nonprofits. In fact, two years ago, we modeled their research and did a poll on Idaho specifically in our 2022 State of the Sector report. The Idaho data mirrored largely what was in the national data; nonprofits are among the most trusted institutions in our country.

The latest Independent Sector trust in nonprofits research is out and it shows that nonprofits are more trusted than every other sector, including business, media, and government. The report says, “without the public’s trust, everything we do to advance our collective missions becomes harder, if not impossible.” This is why I believe trust is the single most important currency we have in the nonprofit sector.  

7 – Speaking of trust, I recently sat down with Idaho Statesman editor Scott McIntosh to provide some insights for a story on how nonprofits can best guard against financial misdeeds. 

8 – Over the past year or so, I have been lucky enough to have a great leadership coach that I meet with monthly. Recently, she was challenging me to think about my core values and why I want to continue to do the work that I do. What immediately came to mind was the concept of ‘leaving things better than I found them.’ What I realized I was actually talking about was the value of ‘stewardship.’ The idea that something is entrusted to us as leaders and our jobs are to water, care for, pick the weeds, and help cultivate the bounty of what our organization produces. But these results are not ours to keep for ourselves. We as leaders don’t own what is produced; eventually we must pass these fruits on and this stewardship becomes a part of our legacy.  

9 – Last but not least, I’m excited for our upcoming statewide conference on August 27 and 28. Registration is still open and we look forward to the learning and networking opportunities that are so vital for our sector. Our team at INC hopes to see you there! 

*inspired by Tim O'Malley's work. Go Notre Dame!

Kevin Bailey, CEO

Kevin joined the Idaho Nonprofit Center in July of 2021 after previously serving as CEO of the United Way of Southeastern Idaho. In his free time, he and his family love exploring the great beauty in the West by hiking, biking, and getting outside into nature. On Saturdays in the fall, you can find Kevin avidly cheering on his Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team!