| 7 ideas to increase the effectiveness of your not-for-profit |
When it comes to innovation and management strategies, most of the business press and news center on for-profit firms. Yet, non-profits make up a very large segment of our economy. According to the Urban Institute's National Center for Charitable Statistics, just the public charity sector alone accounts for over $1 trillion in aggregate revenue. There are approximately one million public nonprofits and private foundations registered with the Internal Revenue Service.
Notwithstanding these noteworthy statistics, many nonprofits struggle to effectively manage. This article shares 7 insights from the trenches of not for profit management.
Leverage technology strategically
New developments in Internet and telephone technology are making it increasingly easy for nonprofit organizations to save on travel expenses and increase coordination. Desktop sharing apps are becoming easier to use and allow nonprofit managers to instantly create virtual meetings across geographically spread out groups. In addition free conference calling offerings such as Rondee.com are allowing nonprofit organizations to reduce their telecom bills and develop better team dynamics and improve coordination with external nonprofit organizations.
Stay focused
The most effectively managed nonprofit organizations are ones that stay tightly focused on their mission and do not allow their staff and leadership to get enmeshed in peripheral goals. Most nonprofit organizations operate under substantial resource limitations. Addressing three goals with total effort will generally yield superior results compared to going after six goals at half effort.
Use data driven decision-making
One of the most significant trends recently affecting nonprofit organizations has been the increasing reliance on evidence based decision-making. Nonprofit practitioners can apply the same practices to determine what works and what does not work. Increasingly, the hurdle for quality decision-making is rising and reliance on conjecture is being replaced by empirical evidence to justify decisions.
Grow your network
The most successful nonprofit leaders create networks of supporters who share their values and goals. While the word "networking" frequently gets a bad rap, the simple fact is these networks can provide more than merely financial support. Crucially, these networks also provide the psychological support which is so vital to maintaining energy amongst leaders and volunteers.
Learn how to lobby
Many nonprofit organizations believe that lobbying is the province of for-profit companies. While that may be true in some situations, many successful nonprofit organizations have developed a tremendous advantage through mastering the art of lobbying. Whether to arrange necessary reforms in public policy or the support of public figures, lobbying can be an effective method for nonprofit organizations to accelerate traction.
Keep fundraising focused
Most of the nonprofit organizations that have grown dramatically in the past few decades have done so by focusing their development on a single type of funding source. The strategy usually employed requires developing messaging and programs designed for the needs of their primary funding source. Not only is this approach generally more effective than the shotgun approach, it enables deeper relationships between the funding source and the nonprofit.
Multiply through matching
Multiply your development dollars through matching donations. Most folks know that some employers will match gifts to qualifying nonprofit organizations. Less well known is the multiplier effect of securing promises from givers to match the gifts of smaller contributers.
The good news in all this is that these suggestions are not expensive. Whether its leveraging free teleconference solutions or starting to learn how to lobby, nonprofit organizations can ratchet up their performance through these 7 ideas. http://www.rondee.com
Article Source: UnArchived Articles
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