In many ways, managing a successful nonprofit organization is very similar to operating a small business. You’ll have to develop a plan, figure out how you’ll get funding, and ensure your organization is meeting its goals. While a business measures success through its ability to generate capital, a nonprofit organization’s impact on the community determines its success.
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1. Create a Clear Vision
In creating a successful nonprofit organization, it’s important to create something similar to a business plan. This should start with determining your vision for the organization and defining its mission. From there, you can create an overall philosophy that your organization will follow. These steps are necessary before you can create strategies for achieving short-term and long-term goals. It can help to create a timeline for your team to follow in achieving each goal. This will help everyone in the organization measure the nonprofit’s success.
2. Don’t Use Every Good Idea That Comes Along
Your team will probably come to you with both good ideas and poor suggestions. While you know to dismiss bad ideas right away, don’t be too eager to incorporate every good idea that’s offered to you. Keep in mind that you just can’t do everything you want to do within your organization. Instead, weed through ideas and suggestions to find those that are truly exceptional. Only use ideas that fill you with passion and excitement to avoid stretching your organization too thin with ideas that no one really loves.
3. Avoid Becoming a Perfectionist
Keep in mind that you don’t have to create a perfect storm with every project. You only need to be good enough to get the results you anticipate. Spending too much time perfecting every project can create a drain on time and resources. In the end, the extra resources you put into perfecting every project probably won’t lead to better results.
4. Reverse Engineer Your Goals
Be sure to develop a strategy for achieving the goals you outline for your organization. You can use nonprofit software to help you track the vagarious aspects of your mission, including keeping track of your progress in reaching specific goals. You can create a better strategy by working backward from your goal to create a multi-step process. This method will ensure your team can measure their progress and stay on track.
5. Simplify Every Project
Write an outline for every project to keep it simple and easily executable. If your outline is longer than one page, this is an indication that it has grown out of control. It’s probably too complex or contains too many steps. Looking for ways to shorten the outline will help you keep your project simple. In turn, that will ensure your team can manage the project without the need for micromanaging on your behalf.
6. Lead By Example
While it’s tempting to reserve the fun or easy tasks for yourself, leave those duties to your team. You want to ensure they derive some joy or pleasure from their work especially if they are volunteering to help your organization achieve its causes. You should save your own time for more complex tasks that you know will require your personal attention. You have to be willing to put in the challenging work if you want your nonprofit to succeed. Additionally, there may be complex tasks that you’re especially suited to complete. Fulfilling those duties firsthand can help you feel certain that they have been completed satisfactorily.
7. Take Care of Yourself
Many people who start or manage their own nonprofit organizations fall into the same trap of overworking themselves that entrepreneurs face. If you’re not taking time to look after your physical and emotional health, you’ll only be hurting the organization. An overstressed manager won’t be thinking clearly, and they will feel too fatigued to offer their best work. Make sure you’re eating a healthy diet, engaging in physical exercise, and pursuing stress-relieving activities that you enjoy. Living a fuller life will help you return to your organization with a refreshed and more energized mindset.
Closing Remark
Persistence is also important to your nonprofit’s success. This means accepting that you will experience failures and losses. As long as you use those negative experiences to learn, you can ensure your organization will continue to grow. When you do achieve success with your nonprofit’s efforts, take the time to celebrate and congratulate your team.
