When it comes to innovation and management strategies, most of the business press and news center on for-profit companies. Yet, non-profits constitute a huge segment of our economy. As shown by the Urban Institute's National Center for Charitable Statistics, just the public charity sector alone accounts for over $1 trillion in total revenue. There are close to one million public not-for-profits and private foundations registered with the IRS.
Notwithstanding these noteworthy statistics, many nonprofits struggle to effectively manage. This article shares 7 insights from the trenches of nonprofit management.
Deploy technology wisely
Recent developments in web and telephone technology are making it increasingly easy for not for profits to save on travel expenses and increase coordination. Desktop sharing applications are becoming more functional and allow nonprofit managers to immediately create virtual meetings across geographically spread out teams. In ad! dition free conference calling solutions such as Rondee.com are helping not for profits to cut their phone expenses and create better group innerworkings and improve coordination with other not for profits.
Keep focused
The most effective not for profits are ones that stay tightly focused on their mission and do not get sidetracked by peripheral goals. Most not for profits operate under serious resource limitations. Tackling three goals with 100% effort will generally yield superior results compared to tackling six goals at 50% effort.
Use data based decision-making practices
One of the most important trends in the last several years affecting not for profits has been the escalating reliance on evidence driven decision-making. Nonprofit leaders can apply the same practices to ascertain what works and what does not work. Increasingly, the hurdle for quality decision-making is rising and thus reliance on conjecture and theory is being systematically re! placed by empirical data to justify decisions.
Expand yo! ur netwo rk
The most successful nonprofit entrepreneurs create networks of supporters who share their values and mission. While the word networking frequently gets a bad rap, the simple fact is that these networks can provide more than just financial assistance. Crucially, associations also provide the psychological support which is so vital to maintaining enthusiasm amongst leaders as well as volunteers.
Learn how to lobby
Many not for profits think that lobbying is the domain of for-profit companies. While that may be true in some situations, many successful not for profits have developed a real advantage through succeeding in the art of lobbying. Whether to arrange necessary reforms in public policy or the backing of public leaders, lobbying can be an effective means for not for profits to accelerate traction.
Keep fundraising focused
Most of the not for profits that have grown dramatically in the past few decades have done so by concentrating their d! evelopment on a single type of funding source. The strategy usually employed requires developing efforts and messaging designed for the needs of their primary funding channel. Not only is this approach generally more effective than the shotgun method, it enables deeper relationships to be formed between the funding channel and the nonprofit.
Multiply through matching
Multiply your fund raising dollars through matching amounts. Most folks know that some employers will match gifts to qualifying not for profits. Less well known is the multiplier effect of securing promises from supporters to match the gifts of smaller contributors.
The good news is that these tips are not costly. Whether its using free teleconference solutions or starting to lobby, not for profits can ratchet up their performance through these 7 tips.
Living in the San Francisco Bay Area, Bob Letterman is a frequent cont! ributor to technology discussions. Rondee's free conference calling service is one of his new company consulting clientele in the area of the telecommunications market.
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