Barry Horwitz calls his career a rambling path. His first job out of college was launching an in-store bakery division at a local supermarket chain, which he grew to 32 units even though he doesn't really cook. He also launched a mail order pharmacy inside a Midwest retailer that was later sold to Medco, now Express Scripts, worked at Boston Consulting Group, and co-founded a venture-backed internet company where he spent three years as chief operating officer.
At the time of this episode of The PR Bunker Podcast, Barry had been an independent strategy consultant for about 20 years, with much of his work focused on nonprofits. He and Don talk about why nonprofits look a lot like startups, how to stay on mission when donors pull you off it, and how fundraising shifted during the pandemic.
A few takeaways from the conversation:
Barry steers clear of the classic five-year plan that someone called credenzaware, the nice binder that sits on the back of a credenza and collects dust. He starts with what an organization can actually do and what's happening around it, from the people it serves to new regulations. In health and human services, where Medicare and Medicaid changes were coming in forms nobody could predict, he saw a chance for a well-run organization to become the subject matter expert that regulators turn to.
One client, a small arts venue, had big plans for growth until a look at the financials showed serious debt and a real risk of shutting down. Donors kept offering money for special projects that drifted off mission. The assumption was that a $20,000 gift would cost $10,000 to deliver, but in practice it cost $25,000 and pulled focus. Barry helped them narrow to one or two programs that truly fit the mission and stop the rest, which got revenue back on track.
Barry says galas cost a lot, eat up staff time and wear donors out when they're invited to five or six a season. The pandemic opened the door to smaller, more intimate gatherings on Zoom that connected people directly with the mission. Don's view is that fundraising should be less about two big moments a year and more about a million little ones, especially for causes like brain tumors or intellectual disabilities that don't have giant walks behind them.
Barry says most of his work comes through word of mouth and networking, but his main vehicle is his website, where you can subscribe to his monthly newsletter. Don recommends the newsletter too.
Listen to the full episode above.
Reading is the hello. SBGA is where we get to yes.
Why do nonprofits resemble startups?
Barry Horwitz says they're often sophisticated organizations that are always short on money and trying to do more with less, with the added challenge of serving a mission while keeping costs below revenue.
Should nonprofits take restricted gifts for off-mission projects?
In Barry's experience those gifts often cost more to deliver than they bring in and distract from the core work, so tightening focus can do more for the budget.
What does Barry Horwitz like best about working with nonprofits?
The people. He says they're passionate, mission-driven and willing to dig in with real rigor.
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