Annual vs perennial.
Annuals are often beautiful from the start. They are green, sometimes already blooming when I plant them in my flower bed. Ah. I dig a small hole, plant them in shallow soil and they look amazing....until next season when they are dead and I buy and replant new annuals.
My perennials are different. They aren't beautiful when planted. They require planting in off-season as seeds or bulbs. Once planted, I wait. There's no immediate, visually appealing return-on-investment. Water. Wait. Sunshine. Wait. Ah, and then the bloom in due season...and aha, again next season, and the next.
Building a nonprofit more resembles a perennial than an annual. You do the hard work, planting the seeds of a strong nonprofit without immediate reward. It requires discipline and hard work to water those nonprofit seeds with policies and procedures and strategies and plans.....this is not the fun or appealing work of a nonprofit. The perennial approach won't get you immediate pats on the back or thanks, but you are building a perennial -- a sustainable -- organization that will bloom for years to come. Don't settle for an annual. Make the investment and plant the perennial.
-Mindy Muller, CFRE, President/CEO of CDP
