We like to think we live in a little bubble. In our minds, we
shrink down our world to a few factors like fundraising, grants and
social media. It’s easy to think that our mission is an entity all its
own, unaffected by any chaos outside.
That’s our fantasy world in action. In reality, we are (and should be) on the lookout for any external ongoings.
Any changes in politics, the economy, technology, etc. will likely
impact our mission. It’s detrimental to our cause to try to close
ourselves off from reality, because it will affect us in some sort of
way.
Scanning the public realm for these disruptions or changes sets us
up for innovation. The faster we see changes coming, the better we can
adapt and strengthen our operations.
RESILIENCE
It’s inevitable that your small nonprofit will get stretched to
its limits from time to time. Yet, it needs to return to a position of
stability as quickly as possible. So don’t let your nonprofit
organization be like a waistband that’s lost its snap. Instead, take a
close look at these 4 secrets to springing back from perceived defeat.
After all, what appears as a disaster can sometimes be an opportunity in
disguise.
1. Getting to first base is a true opportunity.
Let’s face it: hitting a single is much easier than trying to
knock the ball out of the park with every swing. Yet many small
nonprofits mysteriously choose to take a harder road. They clearly have
limited resources. Yet they invest considerable time, energy and money
into blasting home runs. It’s a never ending search (and competition)
for that one big donor. Yeah, the one that every nonprofit wants on
their list of contributors.
Yes, it’s always possible to hit a home run. Maybe even a grand
slam. But the odds are against you. The better strategy is to emulate
Honus Wagner- a Pittsburgh native and one of the top singles hitters in
baseball history. Concentrate on hitting singles and you could score
more runs. Honus said: “I don’t make speeches. I just let my bat speak
for me.” Try that approach of more substance and less spectacle. Heck,
that might even land you in the nonprofit hall of fame some day.
2. Leave more for those to follow.
It’s easy to focus on the short-term. But that’s done at the
expense of the stakeholders who represent the future of your nonprofit.
You don’t even know who they are yet. And you may not even be one of
them. That makes it easier for some leaders to pay less attention to the
future. But using that as an excuse to collect a paycheck and leave the
future to itself is poor stewardship.
Will you help build a ship that can weather any storm or make
decisions that produce only short-term benefits? Leaving more requires a
balanced focus on short-term, mid-range and long-range opportunities.
Leaving more also sometimes means sacrificing short-term benefits for
improved long-range outcomes. But what about all the pressing problems
of today you say? Today was once the future. So stop studying tornadoes.
That will only lead to a twisted mind.
The things you do for yourself are gone when you are gone but the things you do for others remain as your legacy.
3. External confusion demands internal brilliance.
Amid the chaos are lessons to be learned and opportunities to be
seized. Valuable information should be routinely extracted from outside
your organization- in good times and bad. Environmental scanning is a
process that is many times overlooked by nonprofits . Political, social,
economic, technological and legal changes will certainly impact the
operation of your nonprofit. Understanding the nature and magnitude of
those impacts is important. Even more critical is how you respond to
those changes and any upheaval that goes along with it.
Strengthening the cohesiveness between internal nonprofit
activities such as fundraising, governance, finance and operations can
promote resilience. Through the understanding of shared mission, values,
resources and projects, key groups can accomplish more than they
thought possible. Building better working relationships and encouraging
innovation can produce internal brilliance. And that is a key weapon in
battling external confusion.
Let us not lose our #individuality, our experience of #life &
flair in favour of #compliance to #accreditation & third party
agendas
4. Being resilient means investing in relationships.
Your nonprofit’s greatest resource is its people. That includes
volunteers, staff members and board members. Carefully select them,
embrace their unique ways of thinking and give them permission to
innovate, understanding that they may come up short from time to time.
Be transparent, stay in close touch with their needs and make retention
one of your highest goals. Talent has a worth. Make the investment.
“I don’t pay good wages because I have a lot of money; I have a lot of money because I pay good wages.” ~Robert Bosch
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