Creating and Managing a Successful and Sustainable

Nonprofit Organization

By Ebele Mogo

Twitter - @ebyral

What are non-profits? Non-profit organizations are private in that they are separate

institutions from the government. While they may generate revenue and provide services, they do

not distribute profits to their owners They are self governing which means the board controls their

activities They involve voluntary participation Other words used for non-profits: "third sector", "civil society

organizations", "non-governmental organization"

So you want to start a non-profit?

Questions for Clarity What is your mission? What will be your activities? Who will you serve? What unique benefit are you creating for the greater

community?

(Make sure there is no duplication or overlap or else you may hinder instead of help)

Have you researched non-profits doing related work and started a conversation with them?

Might you further your mission through an existing non-profit?

Questions for Clarity (continued)

Have you researched the laws and best practices for starting a non-profit and do you have the time and resource commitment to make it happen and to attract the funding you need?

Have you researched the community you want to work with to know the specific need and if your plan is feasible?

How will you fund your non-profit? Have you conducted a feasibility assessment to be sure this plan is viable?

Non-traditional social change models to considerWithin the non-profit sector

Social enterprise

Social entrepreneurship

Social purpose business

Program Related Investments

Within the private sector

Triple bottom line

Low profit, limited liability corp. / benefit corp.

Hybrid corporations

Social responsiblility

Bottom of pyramid

Establishing the organization Your vision statement: -What values will inform your non-profit's work? -What future do you hope to create due to the work you do? Your mission statement: -How will you work for your vision? -Who will you serve and who will benefit from your work? Who will be on your board of directors? Fill and file your certificate of incorporation What will be the bylaws of your board? Develop a plan to raise funds

Leading in the non-profit sector today Requires private sector business skills + Traditional non-

profit attributes The dual role of being a Manager-Leader is needed in the

non-profit sector. Financial Leadership- Leaders should be able to apply an entrepreneurial business management

style in order to ensure the financial stability of the organization.

- Financial understanding in order to plan, share information and understand the impact of finances on the organizations' work.

-Widen service offerings and donor relationships in order to draw from a wider resource base while being prudent about finances

Leading in the non-profit sector today... Leadership in operational effectiveness

- There is the need to improve transparency and create systems which yield information and evaluative measurements

- Board centred leadership: Non-profit leaders will also need to master engaging, building and reverting to their board members. This alliance is built through frequent communication, building both formal and informal relationships with the board, building trust, a match between the leader and board's philosophies, clear cut roles and mutual expectations.

-Given the fast rate of change, the nonprofit leader will need to be able to adopt new models for structuring and restructuring the organization

Leading in the non-profit sector today... Competitive Leadership

- Collaborating and aligning shared purposes across organizations in order to ensure sustainability

- Need to communicate, market their cause and engage the public consistently in order to maintain social relevance

- Leaders in this sector will need to stay abreast of technological trends, and create the infrastructure to support technological capacity.

Leading in the non-profit sector... Attracting and developing talent- Given the competition for talent, the non-profit sector will need to attract,

train and mentor staff while creating a succession model to be used for transitioms

- Leaders will need to be able to engage new leaders through listening, participatory leadership, and empowering their people in self-actualization which is attractive to staff in the 21st century

Diversity promotion and management- Diversity in clientele and in the organization will require leaders to have

the social skills to manage and deal with various forms of diversity including staff, volunteers, cultures, age, worldview, gender, amongst others.

Strategy and how this makes all the difference

Strategic plan: A succinct but salient proposition of what you hope to achieve

Key components- Mission statement: This is the clear reason why you exist- Goals and objectives (concrete and measurable)- Activities- Assessment of resources- money, people, expertise, skills- Strategic analysis: how you will make the best use of your

resources to achieve your goals given the information above

Evaluating for sustainability Critical 'reflection' by the organization. What is your blueprint (target population, objectives, success

indicators, timeline)? Anticipate needs for data collection: process data are needed to

evaluate implementation while outcomes data are needed to evaluate effectiveness

Pre-test data collection system Collect information at baseline to have a standard for evaluation Implement according to plan and collect data and document all

the way Use results to refine programme- this links evaluation to

sustainability

Accountability: what it takes... Quality

- High level of excellence in the organization

- Ongoing evaluation of the organization Leadership

- Show that you represent and enhance your communities' wellbeing through your work, advocacy, lobbying if applicable, education, inclusiveness and impact

Stewardship

-Effective management and governance of resources including staff, volunteers, finances etc

- Avoiding abuse of trust and power and conflicts of interest

Accountability: What it takes

Transparency- share information on governance, finances and operations. The level of detail depends on the nature of the work (Sometimes it is not safe to share some information. So from the beginning determine the level of transparency to commit to)

Mission fulfilment and relevance - How will you show that you have done what you promised and what is expected of you in the environment?

Show me the money: Fundraising They will not come simply because you built it They will come because you have given them a reason to

invest in you. Therefore you need to research, identify, cultivate prospects'

interest, create a connection to the organization and then ask for an investment

Marketing is a conversation at its finest. Fundraising is a form of marketing

Fundraising continued... Both people bring something to the table. The funder brings money, connections, credibility,

relationship. The nonprofit brings value, solutions, services Questions

What value do your funders need?

What value do you have to offer? There has to be a match

Fundraising continued... People give to people. A worthy cause is not enough. Donor development is cultivating relationships Identify prospects (people with interest in, ability to give and

connection to your mission) Create relationships and a framework for them to last after the

fundraiser has left the organization. Ask Thank often and sincerely and at higher levels for bigger gifts Create an investment, rather than giving mindset. Funders are

investing to create a clear outcome, rather than giving simply to help

How to market your organization effectively

Which groups, organizations and associations would constitute your target market?

What are the best means to reach them- direct mail, email, brochures, social media?

What are their demographics- age, socioeconomic status, culture

What are their psychographics- personality, attitudes, worldview?

How to market your organization effectively...

What outcome do you want to result from your marketing effort?

Create marketing materials that communicate consistently to your target market the alignment in values, opportunities to partner with your organization, and benefits

Communicate how you are achieving set goals Continually search for ways to build and diversify

partnerships with organizations, private sector, government, and media

Designing your non-profit communications...

To create a unified voice for the organization, spokespersons who engage with media, the public, donors and influencers should be trained and comfortable in representing the organization professionally on a wide variety of topics

Execution should be regular and mapped out in order to prioritize messaging and to continue generating awareness

Strategic use of social media- to engage, inspire, share content. Social media should be one of a mix of communication vehicles and should be message-driven

Designing your non-profit communications

Best practices

- Communications activities should demonstrate a consistent message

- Story: The organization should have a unique story, position and value proposition at the core of its communications strategy. This messaging should be consistent across diverse communications vehicles and audiences. Facts are not the messages. Who, what, when, where, how help to put flesh around the facts and the why

Public relations Key questions to ask- What do you want to accomplish with your communications with

the public ?- Who do you need to reach to make this programme work?- How will you communicate within the organization- staff, board,

volunteers, other chapters?- How will you communicate with external targeted groups?- What are the key ideas you want to communicate?

Public relations... What is your grand design for reaching your target audiences?

This includes volunteers, funders, public, etc What tools will you employ to achieve your strategy? What is your timeframe for carrying out the plans you wish to

adopt? How much do you have and wish to spend on public relations?

Information technology and your organization

Your information management technology should be strategic- what are your short term needs? long term needs? how is the technological landscape changing?

Data storage and retrieval: backup information- grant applications, files, fundraising information, programmes and personnel information

Build staff capacity for technology

Strategic use of the internet for communications- website, email, social media sites that are most relevant to your audience.

Policies for data storage and sharing, how and what information to back up and who will have access to information and who is responsible for maintaining these functions

Succession Planning Necessary for sustainability Questions to guide this plan:- What challenges are envisaged and what leadership skills will be needed

to deal with these challenges?

- Do you need an interim leader?

- What is the timeline for the succession?

- In the case of an unexpected transition do you have an emergency transition plan?

- What leadership development opportunities (including cross-training) are in place for staff and board in order to have a pool of future leaders and to help new employees?

- How will you communicate with stakeholders about the transition?

Thank you Questions?