With the help of a Micro Grant, ROIer Brian Elliot enlisted the help of a consultant and management coach to assist in the progress of his non-profit website, Friendfactor.

I founded my first social venture when I was in 7th grade. (The Achievement Forest program planted trees in students’ honor to recognize them for their achievements. I was a nerd...still am.)  Since then, I’ve been involved with dozens of nonprofit projects and organizations—but it wasn’t until I started my own organization in 2009, Friendfactor, and became a first-time Executive Director, that I came to truly appreciate what a vast management and fundraising skill set it takes to successfully run a nonprofit.

I founded Friendfactor to accelerate achieving equal rights for all, regardless of someone’s sexual orientation or gender identity. Unique in its approach, Friendfactor focuses on educating and engaging straight supporters by creating opportunities for people to help their gay friends achieve equal rights faster. Most of our work was through online channels.

Friendfactor participated in the landmark 2010 marriage equality campaign in New York. We created a groundbreaking online advocacy tool that allowed thousands of people to effortlessly call their state senators (from their computer) in support of their gay friends’ rights. This campaign became Friendfactor’s main programmatic focus for many months; so much so, that once the campaign ended (with great success!), we faced a strategic crossroads about what to do next.

I began to consider the possibility of merging with another organization. Doing so would maximize the impact our limited resources could have. Yet, I knew that this path would meet resistance—and would require realigning many stakeholders and donors.

I needed a mentor. 

I applied for an ROI Professional Development micro-grant to hire a management coach and fundraising consultant, Susan Foulds, to help guide me through this decision making and transition process.

Immediately, I saw the benefits. Weekly meetings with a coach created a forcing function to keep me accountable to the merger process I had outlined. This was invaluable for keeping me focused—especially when other priorities constantly beckoned for my attention.

My coach was also a reliable outside source of unbiased feedback. I sought her input on board decks and major communications before I sent them out. She offered fantastic insights that helped save me time and make me more dynamic in presentations. I felt stronger navigating uncharted waters for having a peer reviewer on my team.

Finally, leading Friendfactor through a big strategic change meant I needed to have a number of difficult conversations with donors and stakeholders and to seek their feedback. My coach was a cheerleader and a role-playing partner. She was dress rehearsal before opening night.

Friendfactor is now in the final stages of its merger process—we’ve identified another startup organization we’re joining forces with, which we’ll soon announce—and I’m excited to help craft a new strategy with its new leadership in this next chapter. I’m deeply grateful to the ROI micro-grant program; there’s little doubt I’ll use a coach throughout my career. Susan was the best MiracleGro my own Achievement Forest ever got—and Friendfactor is better for it.