If you’re planning on starting a nonprofit organization, it will help you to understand in the early going that you are running a business. The only difference between your nonprofit and other businesses is that making money isn’t your primary goal.
Being that your nonprofit is a business, you need to approach it with an entrepreneur’s mindset. That means you have to be on the constant lookout for ways to improve and opportunities to increase awareness of your cause. Continue reading to get some tips to help you run a nonprofit organization capable of transforming your community and making the world a better place.
Your first step should be partnering with the right people.
No matter what kinds of changes you’re working towards, you’re going to need a support team to have your back. Venterra CEO John Foresi is an example of a leader who had a vision and built a team around that vision and pursuit of excellence. It’s one of the reasons Venterra consistently ranks as one of the best real estate companies in the U.S. to work for.
Just like entrepreneurs prioritize having the right people in the right places within their businesses, you need a talented and diverse support team that shares your vision. However, when you’re filling out your support team, you can’t accept people merely because they volunteer. You have to approach building your advocacy group the way small business owners build their companies.
Be selective when choosing members for your team. Your goal isn’t to exclude people, but you only need two types of people in your organization: people who are truly committed and people with serviceable talents.
Build an IT infrastructure.
Keeping up with your donors, supporters, merchandise, and petitions is way too much for one person to handle. In some instances, it can even be too much for a team.
Utilizing the right software programs and gadgets is critical to effectively spreading your message and raising funds for your cause. If your organization has problems with communication, attracting donors, or recruiting team members, you should give the Engaging Networks fundraising software a try.
Their software makes it easier than ever for nonprofits to attract attention and donors. You can create a donors’ page for your supporters to share on their social media so they can get their family and friends involved. It employes CRM principles to improve the customer experience and is even effective for recruiting talent when you need to fill a key role in your organization.
Connect with other organizations that share your core values.
No advocacy group is an island. Even if you feel like you have all the right people in your organization, partnering with other teams is a great way to build lasting connections and get twice as much done for the same cause.
The best way to find different groups you could potentially build partnerships with is on social media. There are so many nonprofits on Facebook that you’re all but guaranteed to meet your match if you do your due diligence. If you look hard enough, you’ll certainly find other groups in your area that share your concerns for your community.
When you do reach out to leaders of other organizations, you should put your pride to the side for the greater good. Sometimes, when leaders try to bring their organizations together, they’re the ones who prevent it from happening. The problem is that they become insecure about their influence and are threatened by another influencer’s presence.
Remember why you started your organization in the first place. As long as that remains your top priority, you’ll build great relationships with other advocacy groups. Those relationships will come in handy if you’re ever short on personnel or resources.