Mike Smith, along with his wife Sue, has been a philanthropic leader in Indianapolis for several decades. While they’ve had their share of experiences when building relationships with many nonprofit organizations, the Coronavirus pandemic has ushered in a new wave of needs to navigate. In this video, Mike explains how nonprofit organizations are approaching he and Sue for support during the COVID-19 crisis. He also shares how they approach addressing the varying challenges presented from one organization to the next.

As for the screening process, Mike acknowledges the “remarkable ingenuity” exhibited by many organizations, but also shares some of the missteps he has encountered. One critical point he highlights is the importance of an organization having a targeted goal. He explains why it can be more attractive for a donor to be approached with a singular or more focused goal as opposed to an organization that is attempting to slay the behemoth level of need brought on by the Coronavirus crisis.

This video also focuses on internal support systems within a nonprofit and for profit organization. With so many people in need and resources stretched then, leaders are faced with tough choices, that often times can come down to a few differences between one applicant and the next. With this level of intellectual and emotional stress, everyone within the organization needs to know they are supported. Mike provides strategies for navigating this time of inflated stress and explains how a check-in with leaders, board members and staff can help prevent or temper any issues.