Startup. Executive transition. Departure (or addition) of key staff.  Loss (or gain) of key funding relationships.  New program development. Strategic planning. Scaling. Board restructuring. Rebranding.

Is there ever a time when an organization isn’t going through some kind of crisis or transformation?

In the nonprofit world, change is the rule, not the exception. And through it all, your organization’s systems and operations have to remain consistently focused on mission and message.  Here are some strategies for making sure that happens:

Conduct an organizational analysis. Times of change are ideal for conducting a holistic examination of the organization’s functioning and effectiveness.  The organizational analysis is a framework that serves to “diagnose” the organization, identify strengths, weaknesses and areas for further investigation, support information gathering, and/or inform critical decision making.

Take your strategic plan off the shelf.  You spent hours, weeks, months, maybe even years, working on your organization’s strategic plan. But as a living document it’s never finished, and it won’t have value if unless you visit it regularly.  A time of change is the perfect opportunity to re-examine your strategic plan (if you’ve forgotten about it) or create one (if you haven’t already).  Be sure to designate a point person (consultant, board member, CEO) to monitor the plan and convene/update the team at regular intervals (no more than monthly, but no less than quarterly).

Document and share your development plan.  A written development plan, consisting of fundraising goals and a work plan to achieve those goals, is a compass. It keeps your fundraising operation moving in a clear direction, allows for seamless course correction, and helps to prevent mission creep and other distractions that can get you lost. Your development plan will be a stabilizing factor during your organizational crisis or transition.  Get  your plan out of your head and on paper so it can help guide you through the next adventure.

Maintain a strong culture of philanthropy.  Everyone in the nonprofit family – participants, board, staff, donors, volunteers,  – plays a role in fundraising.  It’s critical for all members of the team to know the big picture, embrace their role, and have the skills, resources and motivation to carry it out.  That way when change hits, the entire team is well-aligned to handle it.

If you need help thinking through a significant change, crisis or transformation in your organization, book a free consultation and we can talk about it.