Nonprofits provide an immense service to our communities, and are the first place many go when they at their most vulnerable.  Even so, parts of the nonprofit sector face reduced resources, increased regulation, and increased competition, putting service-based organizations in a state of vulnerability as they continue efforts to show up for community members in need while facing similar survival instincts. Data from the National Center on Charitable Statistics shows that 30% of nonprofits will fail within the first ten years, often for reasons associated with capacity building and resiliency.  The National Council of Nonprofits defines capacity building as “an investment in the effectiveness and future sustainability of a nonprofit”.

Special care and attention must be placed on understanding the deep-rooted relationship between capacity building and nonprofit resiliency.  The distinction lies in resiliency’s focus on deep, long-term, and transparent processes that align with the organization’s strengths, opportunities, and questions or needs rather than conventional capacity building which often includes half day workshops that are not individualized to organizational needs. Organizations are as unique as human beings, and without care and attention to this uniqueness, standard change techniques have a higher risk of failing.

Strategies to…

Numbers, numbers, numbers… If you’re anything less than a mathematician or accountant, they may not be your favorite, but they should play an integral role in the decision-making and impact of your organization. For prospective donors, volunteers and employees, numbers and data can provide the groundwork that stabilizes an organization’s mission and vision. It not only demonstrates what the organization has already accomplished but also establishes a trend for all the places it could go in the future. To effectively lead or participate in nonprofit work, data must be a major factor in every decision. 

How to track data 

While an organization’s mission should be its topmost priority, letting data tracking fall to the wayside in pursuit of a mission statement can harm a nonprofit in the long term. To maintain these records, data tracking should be built into everyday processes. According to Business News Daily, businesses typically collect data in three primary ways:

1. Directly asking
2. Indirectly tracking
3. Utilizing external data sources

A combination of each method is required to form a holistic approach to data recording. Consider building survey questions directly into event registrations, volunteer sign-ups, or mailing list registrations to begin collecting data about who the…

Boards have a crucial role to play in successfully advancing inclusion strategies at nonprofits. Each nonprofit serves a unique group of people with their own distinct needs. Therefore, it is imperative that every nonprofit have leadership who are well equipped to fulfill those needs, especially their board members. Like an electrical socket, boards serve as the catalyst for transferring power from its source (the nonprofit) to its desired destination: the stakeholders. It stands to reason then, that if a board adequately represents the stakeholders of that nonprofit, it may “plug in” well to properly transfer power to its stakeholders and thereby fulfill its mission with respect to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policy implementation. Thus, having a board that values and embodies DEI will be more successful at serving its community and advancing its mission.

Here are a few ways boards can advance inclusion strategies for success at nonprofits.

Develop a shared DEI vision

Boards need to invest time and effort to developing a shared DEI vision amongst leadership, along with shared vocabulary for what the organization believes “diversity, equity…

The independent sector has seen the highest turnover rates in the past decade than ever before. In a recent survey, over fifty percent of nonprofit leaders predict their employee turnover rates will increase in the upcoming year. (King, 2022) Turnover goes beyond affecting the functions of an organization; it impacts the financial standings, reputation with donors, and the community and creates a cycle of burnout. Turnover impacts the morale of current employees of an organization and creates an environment where it is easy to demotivate the staff. Nonprofit executives may also feel overwhelmed and decide to leave their organizations.

In the public sector, leaders can increase staff retainment in the following ways:

• creating an engaging workplace
• investing in recruitment
• providing opportunities for staff to move up within the organization
• supporting a Human Resources Department
• investing in training opportunities for staff
• facilitating a diverse, collaborative team

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Financial sustainability is crucial to longevity and keeping the mission alive. So, what are some ways to achieve sustainability?

Look for individual donors

Seek out those individuals that have a passion for your organizations type of work and ask for a donation. Recurring gifts, even if small, are one of the best helps for sustainability. 

Go for grants

Hire a grant writer for your organization who can look for applicable grant opportunities and go after those potential grants. It often takes a long time to hear whether a grant appeal has been accepted. Acceptance of a grant may also entail complex data tracking and reporting requirements, so be prepared.

Have a fundraiser

Fundraisers can be a way to bring new potential donors into your organizations. These can be done quarterly, once a year, however you would like to do them.…