new rules for non profits
DESCRIPTION
The ongoing recession has left many non profits gasping for air. The unfortunate truth is many will declare bankruptcy or even dissolve. It’s become critical for non-profit organizations to understand the new rules for success and incorporate them. Those organizations that reshape their strategies to meet the new challenges will be stronger and more effective than before.TRANSCRIPT
New Rules for Non Profits:
Linda Ziskind
Tips for Navigating a Changed World
Brother, can you spare $11.32 billion?*
*According to a report from the Giving USA Foundation, total charitable
giving fell to $303.76 billion in 2009, down from $315.08 billion in 2008.
Nonprofits faced unprecedented, simultaneous challenges over the past couple of years:
Nonprofits faced unprecedented, simultaneous challenges over the past couple of years:
The ongoing recession has reduced federal, state, and corporate funding dollars
Nonprofits faced unprecedented, simultaneous challenges over the past couple of years:
The ongoing recession has reduced federal, state, and corporate funding dollars
Soaring and prolonged unemployment, mortgage defaults, and diminished net worth due to the battered market and investment advisor malfeasance has resulted in diminished individual donations
Nonprofits faced unprecedented, simultaneous challenges over the past couple of years:
The ongoing recession has reduced federal, state, and corporate funding dollars
Soaring and prolonged unemployment, mortgage defaults, and diminished net worth due to the battered market and investment advisor malfeasance has resulted in diminished individual donations
The high response rate and amount donated towards aid in the recent string of natural disasters has created a bit of donor fatigue
The Results:
*Johns Hopkins University Center for Civil Society Studies, “Recession Pressures Non Profit Jobs” 7/14/2010 **Nonprofit Finance Fund Survey 2010 ***Paul C. Light, professor of public service at NYU
The Results:
Nearly 40% of nonprofit organizations currently lack adequate staff to deliver programs & services*
*Johns Hopkins University Center for Civil Society Studies, “Recession Pressures Non Profit Jobs” 7/14/2010 **Nonprofit Finance Fund Survey 2010 ***Paul C. Light, professor of public service at NYU
The Results:
Nearly 40% of nonprofit organizations currently lack adequate staff to deliver programs & services*
61% of nonprofits have 3 months, or less, of available cash reserves.**
*Johns Hopkins University Center for Civil Society Studies, “Recession Pressures Non Profit Jobs” 7/14/2010 **Nonprofit Finance Fund Survey 2010 ***Paul C. Light, professor of public service at NYU
The Results:
Nearly 40% of nonprofit organizations currently lack adequate staff to deliver programs & services*
61% of nonprofits have 3 months, or less, of available cash reserves.**
*Johns Hopkins University Center for Civil Society Studies, “Recession Pressures Non Profit Jobs” 7/14/2010 **Nonprofit Finance Fund Survey 2010 ***Paul C. Light, professor of public service at NYU
It has been predicted that more than 100,000 nonprofit groups will fail between November 2008 and November 2010.***
But peeking out from behind all of that grimness is a bit of sun.
But peeking out from behind all of that grimness is a bit of sun.
Social Media
But peeking out from behind all of that grimness is a bit of sun.
Social Media
But peeking out from behind all of that grimness is a bit of sun.
Social Media Technology
But peeking out from behind all of that grimness is a bit of sun.
Social Media Technology
But peeking out from behind all of that grimness is a bit of sun.
Social Media Technology
A new culture of participation,
collaboration, and shared information.
Embrace change and learn the new rules: organizations that reshape their strategies and tactics to meet new challenges are the ones that will survive and continue to be effective
Non profits and for profit businesses are beginning
to learn from each other’s best practices, so it’s
not surprising that the new rules for non profits are
a lot like the rules that successful businesses follow
The New Rules:
1. Define your brand and mission.
The New Rules:
1. Define your brand and mission.
2. Incorporate businesses planning practices
a) Develop concrete financial and program objectives
b) Identify specific strategies and tactics for achieving
objectives
c) Define criteria for success for each program
d) Implement, review, analyze, revise
The New Rules:
1. Define your brand and mission.
2. Incorporate businesses planning practices
a) Develop concrete financial and program objectives
b) Identify specific strategies and tactics for achieving
objectives
c) Define criteria for success for each program
d) Implement, review, analyze, revise
3. Strategically incorporate technology to enable increased staff
efficiency, operational economy, and access to valuable data.
The New Rules:
1. Define your brand and mission.
2. Incorporate businesses planning practices
a) Develop concrete financial and program objectives
b) Identify specific strategies and tactics for achieving
objectives
c) Define criteria for success for each program
d) Implement, review, analyze, revise
3. Strategically incorporate technology to enable increased staff
efficiency, operational economy, and access to valuable data.
4. Show appropriate appreciation to your donors
The New Rules:
1. Define your brand and mission.
2. Incorporate businesses planning practices
a) Develop concrete financial and program objectives
b) Identify specific strategies and tactics for achieving
objectives
c) Define criteria for success for each program
d) Implement, review, analyze, revise
3. Strategically incorporate technology to enable increased staff
efficiency, operational economy, and access to valuable data.
4. Show appropriate appreciation to your donors
5. Embrace innovation
The New Rules:
1. Define your brand and mission.
2. Incorporate businesses planning practices
a) Develop concrete financial and program objectives
b) Identify specific strategies and tactics for achieving
objectives
c) Define criteria for success for each program
d) Implement, review, analyze, revise
3. Strategically incorporate technology to enable increased staff
efficiency, operational economy, and access to valuable data.
4. Show appropriate appreciation to your donors
5. Embrace innovation
6. Be part of the culture of participation, collaboration, and
communication.
1. Define your brand and mission.
• Your brand identity is what distinguishes and identifies the soul of
your organization. It’s more than your logo, or website. It’s what
you say and how you say it. It’s your voice, your tone, your
programming, and your attitude. It’s how people think of you.
• Your mission (or vision, or core ideology) is part of your brand and
defines everything you do. It isn’t the product you make or
service you provide – it’s the benefits they deliver. (i.e., Merck
doesn’t talk about pharmaceutical research or drug efficacy.
Their mission is: “We are in the business of preserving and
improving human life. All of our actions must be measured by our
success in achieving this goal.”
2. Incorporate business planning practices.
Clearly define your financial and program objectives
Use those objectives as the guide for developing programs,
development, and fundraising strategies and tactics
Develop criteria for to measure and evaluate success for
programs, events, and fundraising initiatives. Use that criteria to
analyze results, evaluate effectiveness, and revise strategies or
tactics as needed.
3. Strategically incorporate technology to enable increased staff efficiency, operational economy, and access to valuable data.
There is a potential goldmine of data waiting to be extracted,
analyzed, and used to help you generate more revenue, develop
more successful relationships, and operate more effectively.
Donor database and member management software
Project and event management software
Email marketing programs
Online donation programs
www.nten.org (Consumers Guide to Low Cost Donor Management Systems – pdf) www.techsoup.org www.constantcontact.com www.basecamphq.com www.networkforgood.org
4. Show appropriate appreciation to your donors
Stay in touch with donors, even if they can’t give as much as they
did at one time
4. Show appropriate appreciation to your donors
Stay in touch with donors, even if they can’t give as much as they
did at one time
Make sure donors understand the direct impact of their gift – show
them how they have impacted your mission.
4. Show appropriate appreciation to your donors
Stay in touch with donors, even if they can’t give as much as they
did at one time
Make sure donors understand the direct impact of their gift – show
them how they have impacted your mission.
Say thank you frequently and meaningfully
4. Show appropriate appreciation to your donors
Stay in touch with donors, even if they can’t give as much as they
did at one time
Make sure donors understand the direct impact of their gift – show
them how they have impacted your mission.
Say thank you frequently and meaningfully
Engage donors continuously – fundraising isn’t seasonal – it’s
always
5. Embrace innovation.
Non profits are facing unprecedented challenges on all fronts and
are finding that their established processes are falling short in
addressing them
Foundation grantors and individual donors are increasingly
requiring evidence of program effectiveness
As more and more people gravitate towards social media,
organizations must get better at finding and engaging them
there
Reduced budgets and staffing makes it imperative to find
more efficient ways of operating
5. Embrace innovation.
Survival requires developing or finding, and then incorporating,
innovative new solutions to address challenges
Research peer organization best-practices
Implement accountability and evaluation processes
Conduct an honest evaluation of your programs, fundraising,
marketing, and operations and look for new strategies and
solutions for the ones that aren’t successful
Look for silos in your organization and find ways of integrating
efforts
Find opportunities to collaborate
6. Be part of the culture of participation, collaboration, and communication.
Marketing communication is not longer a passive channel.
People respond when they feel engaged and can
participate.
Don’t drown in the social media ocean. Be practical about
how much you can handle.
Your constituents expect transparency. Use social media to
provide that.
Use social media channels to tell a compelling story:
Twitter (TwitCause)
YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/nonprofits)
Flickr
Example: Brigham & Women’s Hospital in Boston
Example: Brigham & Women’s Hospital in Boston
Example: Brigham & Women’s Hospital in Boston
Example: 92nd Street Y in New York City
Example: 92nd Street Y in New York City
Example: 92nd Street Y in New York City
Example: Achilles International in New York City
Example: Achilles International in New York City
New Rules for Non Profits: Tips for Navigating a Changed World
Linda Ziskind July 20, 2010