Another nonprofit…
Another nonprofit who has lost sight of mission. It always makes me sad when this happens.
I have observed a particular nonprofit for more than 20 years. I watched them grow from an idea to a vision realized. They became a strong stakeholder and reliable contributor in the community. But then it happened. The founder left, the mission got fuzzy and now they are crumbling. This is not an unusual scenario and it is avoidable. Consider these principles for your nonprofit:
➡ Write down and know your history. As leaders come and go it can be easy to forget why a nonprofit was founded. Capturing the history of "in the beginning" as well as milestones along the way is critical to keep an organization moving forward into the future.
➡ Codify mission, vision, core values, policy and strategic priorities. Building a strong strategic framework comprised of these five components roots an organization in its identity and purpose and keeps it growing in the right direction. Make sure thestrategic framework is written, approved by the Board and followed.
➡ Engage leadership who buys into the strategic framework and is not looking to change it on day one. The swiftest and hardest falls come when new leadership uproots the strategic framework with new ideas and visions. New methods, new energy and creative how-to's are welcome, but be careful about leadership that seeks to change the core components of an organization too fast.
➡ Mind your core values. Your 'who' should be the slowest component to change. Everything else flows from the who. It is easy to get distracted by shiny and new or to make compromises to core values with the promise of new resources or to infuse excitement into a nonprofit. Pay attention to your core values as you consider new ideas, new direction or new methods.
An organization's strategic framework is a nonnegotiable and should be changed or amended only with the wise counsel of many. Be diligent and thoroughly vet changes to the core, and you'll position your nonprofit to grow well into the future.
-Mindy Muller, CFRE, President/CEO of CDP
#nonprofitclosure #missiondrift #missionovermargin #leadership
