The Secret of Nonprofit Success

8 Tips to Run Your Organization Like a Business

The road of a nonprofit is a varied path, but at the end of the day, our goals remain the same: to improve and strengthen the organization. It seems simple enough, right? It should be this easy, but it is often much more complicated.

We have worked with several nonprofit organizations over the years and found that many people have very strong ideas about how a nonprofit should be run, but few actually have training or experience in the arena of nonprofit management.

The reality is that a nonprofit organization is a business and should be run like a business! To be successful, one simply has to adjust their mindset with the following guidelines:

1.  Strategic planning. Every organization has a vision, and time should be spent regularly sharing, growing and strengthening that vision among the staff and board members. It is important that each board of directors establish a clear set of goals they want to accomplish during their reign to help keep them focused and on track during their tenure. The group must also meet periodically to evaluate their progress. Otherwise, goals can easily be forgotten and organizations can stray off track.

2.  Every dollar counts. In your business, I’m going to guess that you always look for the best value for your dollar. We all want the best quality we can get for a reasonable price, which generally means seeking competitive bids and doing research. Nonprofits make bad decisions because they don’t take the time to do their research, or they presume that Company A will give them the best price, so they don’t look any further. Like any business, nonprofits need to do their due diligence. It is part of the board’s fiduciary responsibility to be certain that the nonprofit’s dollars are being accounted for properly.

3.  Save for a rainy day. One organization we work with had one board member who swore that “a nonprofit organization should never maintain a surplus of funds.” I staunchly disagree! Having cash reserves in periods of reduced funding and limited donors certainly prove the case that these vulnerable organizations need to save some financial resources to sustain their mission during difficult financial times or other unforeseen circumstances.

4.  Vegas Trap. In the quest for making money, countless organizations spend money they don’t have in the hopes of making money on the back end. But just like in Vegas, when you are working with a nonprofit organization, you must minimize the risks you take financially. Sure, a large fundraiser sounds like a great opportunity, but if you can’t guarantee that you will fill the room with generous participants, it could be a crushing loss for the organization.

5.  Document your work. A board devotes countless hours to direct an organization, and so will many other people. Accurate records must be kept, not just of the board meetings, but also at the committee meetings, so future generations can understand and learn from your efforts to avoid encountering the same problems (i.e., document why Company X was let go as a vendor after 15 years; explain the results of the Silent Auction at last year’s Gala, noting what went well and what the committee wished had gone better).  Documentation provides a legacy of legitimacy from the outgoing members for continuation of success from future members.

6.  Build a better board. Put some thought into what type of professional could strengthen your organization. It is important to have a financial guru in the mix, but you certainly don’t need six of them. Mix it up – each organization is unique, but key professionals include a lawyer, accountant, a marketing expert, a planner, writer, designer, a web expert, etc. Depending on your organization, it is also important to have a balance of male and female representation as well as an ethical diversity. Set up a simple guide about what is expected of your board members. Letting board members understand what your expectations are before they join makes for a much more focused and fruitful relationship.

7.  Keep it simple. Nonprofits are dependent upon the commitment and the work of their volunteers. If an organization has trouble defining itself, its mission or its goals, volunteers are likely to stray quickly from the group. Volunteers need to feel like they have made a difference through their involvement, so it is best to clearly define expectations and outline opportunities where the nonprofit could benefit from this extra help.

8.  Marketing. You know that you represent a good cause, but without a roadmap to spread the word, others may never know about the fabulous work your organization does. Identify what makes your group special and who you want to reach with your message, and then set out to find that target audience. Properly segmenting and targeting your marketing efforts can increase your potential donor list, volunteer base and attendee list for future events.

A nonprofit organization is a business much like any other, usually operating under a corporate structure, defined by a singular purpose within strict parameters to attain a certain goal.  There’s even a “profit” motive sometimes (namely, fundraising)! By applying basic business principles and a sound approach, a nonprofit organization can ensure its success and longevity.

Successful Meeting Planning – Organize, Prepare, Execute

“Alright, everyone, grab a coffee and head to the conference room,” you say brightly, trying to manage enough excitement in your demeanor to herd the sheep into what they’ve routinely come to believe is probably another tedious and meaningless waste of time and productivity. Ugh….

Why do people typically dread attending meetings?  Maybe there are too many unfocused discussions, or extraneous action plans, or a lack of engagement or inspiration.  Perhaps they don’t believe the team is getting anything out of these meetings but endless droning and mind-numbing monotony.  With so many unnecessary or unproductive meetings in the schedule, how can anyone accomplish their tasks? According to an MCI Conferencing White Paper titled Meetings in America, “Most professionals attend a total of 61.8 meetings per month.” 

As we are all short on time these days, here are some tips for making your own meetings more productive:

• Identify the purpose of the meeting – People are busy. Far too busy to sit in a meeting that has no real purpose or relevancy to them. So identify why you need to meet. What do you hope to achieve with the meeting? The clearer you are about your purpose and goals, the more successful the endeavor will be.
   
• Organize the plan for the meeting – Now that you know where you want to go, you must create the necessary roadmap to achieve your goals. Is it goal-setting, brainstorming, problem-solving, team-building or educational? Regardless of the type of meeting, being organized will capture the attention of your participants and help keep them fully engaged in your subsequent outcomes.
  
  
• Communicate effectively – You have taken the time to prepare for the meeting, and now you must let the attendees prepare, too. It is best to distribute the agenda and any relative handouts 48 hours in advance of the meeting.  This will allow the guests to think about the issues at hand and prepare appropriately to be productive participants.
  
  
• Preparation – As the organizer, plan to arrive early to set up the space and address any problems that might arise. I know of one event where the organizers had arrived the day before to set up the meeting room, and it worked to their benefit when they were locked out of the building the next morning. Once everyone got inside, the room was ready to go, so the event hosts were able to hold the meeting without a glitch.
  
  
• Punctuality – Set an agenda and stick to it! The fastest way to lose interest in your meeting is to let it run amuck. Do not wait an extra 10 or 15 minutes to start your meeting because not everyone has arrived. You need to begin promptly when you say you will and end when promised out of courtesy for those guests who made the commitment to be there promptly. This will build a strong rapport with attendees and maintain valued respect from your audience.
  
  
• Eliminate Distractions – Encourage all guests to turn off their electronic devices at the start of the meeting. It is important that all attendees are engaged in the session and courteous to other members by offering their undivided attention for the pre-determined timeframe.
  
  
• Stay on Topic – We all know what it’s like when that one person in the audience takes the whole group way off-topic. As the meeting organizer, it is your job to reel the discussions back in and keep them relevant to your goals. Phrases such as “perhaps we could discuss that next time,” or “we’re getting crunched for time, so we need to move on to XYZ” will help you stay on point.
  
  
• Clearly Outline the Execution Plan – As part of your meeting wrap-up, it is important to identify the action items and who will be responsible for each item. Clearly communicate the due dates of each phase of the project so that each committee member understands the importance of upholding their end of the bargain.
  
  
• Next Meeting – Identify when the team will come together again. How will people communicate in the interim? These things will help keep tasks on target and ensure that deadlines are met.
  

Meetings are a valuable means to accomplishing more than we could ever hope to do individually. As a manager, leader or group organizer, you are the influence – you must structure a game plan to create the energy that motivates and incites the action.  Following these tips will help you build long and lasting relationships with your team members, and you will take them far on the road to success.

5 Reasons to Hire an Event Planner for Your Next Event

“You can shave $5,000 off your 2009 budget AND hire Big Buzz as the coordinator,” I explained to a prospective client in early 2010. It was the easiest project I have ever secured. There were no negotiations, no hesitations. We went straight to contract after a one-hour meeting.

It was a bold statement but one that I believed we could uphold. I was fairly certain that the company my client had previously worked with was less than reputable, and I was determined to prove that we could offer them a higher quality corporate picnic while saving a significant dollar amount.  And we did: the 2010 project came in 25 percent under the cost of the 2009 event.

It is common for people to think that professional Event Planners are going to be expensive. But the reality is that planners know the tips, tricks and contacts that could save you time and money in the long run without sacrificing the quality of your event.

 Here are five compelling reasons to hire an Event Planner:

• You Will Save Money – Event Planners build relationships with suppliers, and they receive discounted rates from vendors that a quality planner will pass on to the client. When you call the same supplier, you are likely to pay their standard rates, which can be higher by as much as 20 percent or more.
  
  
• You Will Save Time – Nobody has enough hours in the day anymore, so why spread yourself too thin doing something that someone else can do for you more efficiently and effectively? Planners thrive on this activity, and they can organize and execute your event in less time than you ever could, allowing you to focus on other responsibilities.
  
  
• Benefit from Their Knowledge/Experience – Over time, Event Planners gain extensive knowledge and wisdom regarding events and parties; they know the latest trends, newest venues, the hot colors, budget-saving secrets and details that you may not be aware of if you plan only one or two events annually.
  
  
• Capitalize on Their Contacts and Resources – A Planner’s rolodex is a gold mine. From lighting to décor to power and more, all the right contacts are at their fingertips. No more web-searching required when they can speed-dial the best canopy vendor to serve your location, or obtain a liquor application for a City park. Put their rolodex to work for you!
  
  
• Stress-Free Troubleshooting – Despite all the planning, preparation and management, almost every event inevitably encounters an unforeseen hiccup. You don’t want guests aware of this snag and you certainly don’t want to appear panicked….This is when you need a Planner at your side because they know who to call and how to remedy a situation quickly. Whether it’s a missing limo or a fallen wedding gown hem, your Planner can secure the resources necessary to resolve an issue seamlessly and keep the event on track.

At the end of the day, the right planner will serve as an extension of you. They do all the “heavy-lifting” so that you can be a guest at your party or outing and provide you the opportunity to network effectively to make a favorable impression that will long be remembered by your guests.

A Noteworthy Article from Publicity Hound, Joan Stewart

Planning an event is hard work! It is important to do your research before you launch your event, and there are some great tips in Joan’s article titled, “7 Things That Can Kill Your Event Before It Begins.” Not all of these points apply to all events, but these are some of the same things we consider each time we meet with a client about a new event.

We also encourage our clients to identify event goals before they get too far down the event planning road. It keeps your committee focused and driven toward maximizing the success of your event.

Unveiling Coming Soon!

Just a few more tweaks, and the new website will be officially launched! What a great way to start out the New Year!