Earlier in the month I wrote a post called “Shattering the Myths of Nonprofit Management”.
Today I would like to go beyond the myth’s and delve into what makes a nonprofit successful.
“…greatness has more to do with how nonprofits work outside the boundaries of their organizations than how they manage their own internal operations”
– “Forces of Good” Leslie R Crutchfiled and Heather McLeod Grant
According to “Forces of Good” these are the Six practices of High Impact Non-Profits:
1. Advocate and serve:
Be a voice for the people you serve. If you are a soup kitchen, don’t just focus on bringing people food, but focus your time and energy on the issue of poverty, homelessness, etc.
2. Make markets work:
Relying purely on altruistic means of survival is getting more and more difficult especially with the current economic climate. Work with private sector to bring your services to companies and build corporate partnerships in the name of social change.
3. Inspire “evangelists”:
Build and sustain a strong community of past, present and future volunteers and staff. Word of mouth advertising and social media are crucial ways to “lead a tribe” as Seth Godin puts it. It’s also an effective, necessary and cost effective way of spreading the word about who you are and what you do. Blogging, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Twitter… need I say more.
4. Nurture nonprofit networks:
Help your competition. Other nonprofits are an invaluable resource for expertise, talent, and networking and advancement of the larger field. Don’t entirely think of other nonprofits as the competition… they can great be resources for you as well!
5. Master the art of adaption:
Stay relevant. Listen, learn and modify. It’s OK to make mistakes along the way, but don’t get stuck and never stop adapting.
6. Share leadership:
Check your ego at the door. A successful non-profit leader needs to be exceptionally strategic and gifted, but they also must know how to empower others and cultivate future leaders. Building teams and developing engaged boards are crucial as well.
* If you’ve got any other items to add to the practices of high impact nonprofits we’d love to hear from you! *
Yoav