A nonprofit’s mission serves as the organization’s guiding purpose and basis for existence. It is what resonates with volunteers, employees, funders, and community stakeholders. When done effectively, mission statements outline how the nonprofit addresses a social cause and who the organization intends to benefit.

Jonker and Meehan contend that an effective mission statement must have seven core elements: “It is focused. It solves unmet public needs. It leverages unique skills. It guides trade-offs. It inspires, and is inspired by, key stakeholders. It anticipates change. And it sticks in memory.” With these core elements in place, the mission statement serves as the foundation that guides decision making.

Mission attainment is the action of achieving the organization’s mission. It ensures the organization’s impact and protects their reputation in their community. Nonprofit leaders must remember that their primary responsibility is to be good stewards of their mission to improve the lives of their beneficiaries. Through effective leadership strategies, sustainable funding, and comprehensive governance practices and accountability measures, nonprofit leaders can prevent mission drift and ensure mission attainment. 

The role of nonprofit leaders is to inspire staff, volunteers, and stakeholders to believe in the organization’s mission. Using an institutional leadership style, nonprofit leaders can…

The dynamic nature of the nonprofit sector requires efficient and effective problem-solving for the challenges and opportunities organizations encounter in pursuit of their missions. Because they function in a state of constant change, from new information, and new technologies to unexpected crises, nonprofit leaders must equip their organizations with the tools to solve strategic questions.

While the normal response to such challenges may be to engage a traditional strategic planning process, nonprofit leaders now seek strategic thinking and action that provides the same positive outcomes, but at a pace and in a system that meets the constantly changing and info-rich world of the nonprofit sector.

Responsive Strategic Planning is an ongoing strategic process that maximizes an organization’s greatest assets, responds to its dynamic environment by making intentional, innovative, and timely decisions, and achieves organizational continuity and resilience to achieve scaling for lasting impact through empowerment and inclusion of its stakeholders. The valuable components of traditional strategic planning such as mission, values, and visions, are inherently encapsulated in the responsive strategic planning process but are not the final outcomes of the process. Instead, the aim of responsive strategic planning is action that responds to an organization’s environment, bolsters its resilience, and spurs greater impact.

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Giving trends across the United States have evolved rapidly over the past two to three years. Global events from Covid-19 responses to the effects of the Great Resignation have upended traditional fundraising strategies employed by nonprofits. The emergence of these drivers of change along with major shifts in donor demographics presents a unique challenge that many nonprofits are not fully prepared for. We live in an increasingly diverse world, the current direct marketing model utilized by most nonprofits is not only antiquated, but ineffective at reaching the diverse donor landscape of the 21st century.

To be successful in the future, nonprofits will need to craft communication strategies that account for an increasingly diverse donor landscape. Each group of donors, whether separated by ethnic group or generation, has unique challenges and opportunities that must be considered as well as preferred methods of communication. Continuing to employ the same strategies that were effective on older generations, will gradually become less effective at attracting and retaining donors.

So, what can organizations do to embrace the changing demographics of the donor landscape? There are a number of recommendations that organization can employ that will help ensure long term success in their donor retention strategy.

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The nonprofit sector includes staff from across the generations, including those representing younger demographics. Emerging leaders are among these young staff. They are not just young in age but new in their careers. It is important to think of something other than the definition of young in chronological terms but also in terms of career length and time spent in leadership roles.

Young leaders who can contribute to a nonprofit’s success are working not just with a focus on pay. Unlike counterparts who may be pursuing careers in the for-profit sector, evidence shows that nonprofit employees work so they can create a positive social impact. Retaining young staff members who have found themselves at nonprofit organizations is essential. 

To achieve success, nonprofits should leverage multiple solutions and tactics to drive their mission and create internal systems that are efficient and impactful. Development and retention are key elements to fostering an environment where nonprofit staffs feel valued, embraced, and supported. Below are some practical ways to begin:

Engagement and culture

Try developing a culture committee. Ask yourself if your…

Nonprofits are the lifeblood of a community, stepping in where government agencies fall short. They provide critical services to the elderly and those in need, ensure arts and culture are alive, fund hospitals and cures for diseases, and support educational institutions and provide scholarships for students.

In order for these vital community organizations to thrive, they must be staffed well. Yes, the role of nonprofit volunteers contributes to an organization's strength and success, but the staff provide the backbone of these vital community resources. Among the staff, the leaders are mission critical staff members. Strong leaders motivate volunteers and inspire donors, while lack of leadership can be devastating to an organization.

Too often nonprofit staff are underpaid and overworked. Longevity in the sector is crumbling. The pandemic put additional strain on organizations already struggling to retain their staff and drive their mission. Some have left for higher-paying for-profit positions. Some have retired. Some are simply burnt out…