2023 Restructuring Zuma’s
The founders, Paul and Jodi Messenich, underwent significant life changes in 2022-2023; during this time, they stepped back from Zuma’s day-to-day operations. Their dream home, which they built in 2001, was sold to free up some funds to grow Zuma’s Behavioral Health Center and Non-Profit Large Animal Hospital.
Preparing the 22-year-old home for the market was highly time-consuming and costly and came with the unexpected side effect of severe emotional turmoil. Emotions are funny; they can wreak havoc on a person’s ability to function, think clearly, and perform basic daily tasks.
During this time, the team at Zuma’s was asked to step up and keep things going during the founders’ reduced presence. Sadly, the team fell without leadership, finances crumbled, and the organization suffered. After 14 years of growth and nine months of decreased founder presence, things at Zuma’s deteriorated.
In June of 2023, after assessing the organization's well-being, some significant losses, deterioration of the property, and declined health of many herd members, it is evident from client/volunteer feedback that the team was unhappy, felt overworked, and underpaid. On June 21st, an all-hands staff meeting was held; in that meeting, the organization’s financials were shared, some feedback from frustrated clients and volunteers was discussed, and the team was instructed to step up and make changes or find alternate employment.
Sadly, after seven years with Zuma’s, one team member had to be terminated after the meeting for a repeat offense; the employee was once on a performance plan. Unfortunately, a senior staff member breached confidence and divulged the pending termination, giving the team time to plan an orchestrated exit. On July 5th, the entire team tendered their resignations after the termination. The team was asked to leave the property, and the founders stepped in and finished that day and have since been rebuilding their dream; in less than 4 hours, our dedicated volunteers and founders had the operations at the ranch returned to normal.
With non-profit work, smaller organizations reliant on founder funding seldom meet rigorous demands of high wages, though Zuma’s did pay a fair wage, paid time off, and health insurance (rare in horse rescue work). At Zuma’s, all employees knew the pay rate, accepted the positions, and thus were expected to perform the work for the agreed-upon pay scale. Unfortunately, with the founders’ decreased presence, the team became emboldened as a group and began to disregard the job did less and less, and allowed the organization to degrade.
By October 2023, the organization, the horses, and the property returned to a well-functioning operation with a team of happy, dedicated employees who, like the founders, work for the herd, not the money.
Lessons Learned-
We have rewritten the bylaws and the board manual to ensure that the voices of the founders are never silenced again and that their hearts and visions are honored. We directly discuss the mission with staff, board, committee members, and volunteers to ensure that the focus is on the voice for the voiceless. We have developed a trust for the assets and a succession plan for the organization’s longevity.
