Strategies for the New Year



2011 is here...connect the pieces



Nonprofit Friends -- 2011 is already here.

Have you planned for this New Year in terms of strategies, identifying trends, furthering your mission, developing new programs, re-evaluating old programs, staff evaluations, management evals, Ex. Director eval, volunteer program evals, board development?

Competition for the fundraising dollar, grant monies and donor investment is getting tighter.  What does this mean to you?  Your organization needs to plan, plan and plan again.  Gone are the days when a small or mid-sized nonprofit can just "hope" things will work out next year.

Donors, corporations and foundations not only want specific information on how their investments are being used, they want to know you are a savvy organization with strategic planning in place.  They want to know you have good business principles and a plan.  Have you brought in community members and/or other organizations to help you look at the future of your organization?  Have you thought about collaboration with other nonprofits and what that might mean for your agency?  Do you have a contingency plan, or media emergency plan or disaster plan...in place and communicated agency/community wide?

There is danger in not evaluating your entire organization at least once a year -- from your message to your effectiveness.  Are you using the same, tired, old message to an audience (your community) who has heard it over and over for years?  Do you talk about your results in a way that communicates your effectiveness to everyone?  I know you say your programs are working, but do they really accomplish what your board, management, staff and investors want? How do your clients (customers) feel about what you do?  Have you asked them in an anonymous survey? Can you do more -- in a new way?

I spent ten years in the non-profit sector in staff, management and board positions.  One thing I learned is that if you allow your organization to become stagnant, stick with the status quo and continually go back to the same donors with the same message -- your organization is already in trouble.

I have added an opportunity for growth and change to my website.  I went to amazon.com and compiled a list of non-profit books that can help you dust off old thinking, inspire the entire organization and reconnect with your community.  Located about mid-way down the page on the right side is a direct link to the books (Slideshow) I have chosen on amazon.com.  You can peruse the list, find a book/books that might interest you or be pertinent for your board, volunteers or staff members.  Click on the link and purchase directly from this site.

Ask questions, inspire staff, encourage volunteers, reconnect to your community...shake off the dust...the New Year is here.

Respectfully,
DCR