Dear Nonprofit: Are you in the fight for survival?
One of the disheartening and difficult realities of nonprofit work is how often they come and go. Sometimes nonprofits run their course. They serve a purpose for a season and their work is finished. But more often than not, nonprofits close because the funds dry up or the passion fades or the founders just get tired. Nonprofits are critical to the health of a community and we need a strong, vibrant and sustainable sector to meet the difficult challenges of our communities. So here's some advice for those of you in the fight for survival:
(1) Build and develop a sustainable infrastructure. This doesn't happen quickly. This takes intention, perseverance and strong leadership. Put as much energy, time, and effort into building the business side as you spend building the mission side. This means putting your house in order. Have strong protocol, internal controls, and policies. Build a strong board that understands their role and can govern well. This isn't the exciting part of the journey but it is a necessary one if you want to have a sustainable organization.
(2) Passion does not equal capacity. Many people feel passionately about a cause and want to move and do quickly. You may be excellent communicators and really good at telling the story. People may be quick to support the organization with their money or time. But support through passion does not mean the organization has the ability to accomplish the mission or to do it well. Ask what are we trying to accomplish? How are we going to accomplish it? How are we going to demonstrate we accomplished it? Having the capacity to do the work and not just talk about the importance of the work is crucial to building a sustainable organization. People may give on the front end but time will tell whether the organization can deliver on its promises to serve its purpose.
(3) Beware of playing the pity card. Lack of preparation and planning is not anyone else's fault. Founders and leaders of nonprofits can't blame the community, their supporters or those in community leadership for failure to execute. Resources don't fall from the sky. They are planned for. Strong boards don't just happen. They are strategically developed. Mission doesn't accomplish itself. It is the result of a well-executed plan.
If you are struggling, now is the time to get your house in order. Running a nonprofit is really, really hard. It requires business acumen AND compassion. It requires long hours of stewing over numbers AND meeting the needs of those being served. It's both left brained and right brained work. The good news? You aren't alone. There are organizations ready to help you but know that the journey, while hard, is righteous and worth the effort.
-Mindy Muller, CFRE, President/CEO of CDP
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