Nonprofit Experts Call For "The Great Nonprofit RESET" in 2021
Based on a new 2021 survey of nonprofits, 70% expect growth.
Nonprofit survey participants mimicked national trends - most were small nonprofits with 1-50 employees.
Speaker Headshots
With impact of COVID, nonprofits have had to shift quickly to answer the call of their communities. But, as a sector, do we need to pivot or completely RESET?
For nonprofits, due to COVID, the rules of the game have changed and it presents an opportunity to “leapfrog” – adopting new and more innovative approaches to their mission, operations and culture.”
DALLAS, TEXAS, 75204, February 24, 2021 /EINPresswire.com/ -- A cross-disciplinary team of nonprofit experts - Kim Bulger of Atigro, John Gillespie of CRCFO, Susan Kelly of Kelly Strategies, and Suzanne Smith of Social Impact Architects - conducted a survey of nonprofits in January 2021 to better understand the challenges facing the social sector and gather their top priorities. — Suzanne Smith, Founder & CEO, Social Impact Architects
According to the survey, while many nonprofits were focused on “survival” in 2020, nonprofits are embracing an optimistic growth outlook, with 70% expecting growth in 2021. But, each organization’s experience was unique. Some faced drastic revenue declines and related staff reductions, while others experienced a surge in need, increased complexity and revenue. Beneath those challenges is an opportunity for the social sector to rise to the occasion collectively.
Hundreds joined a follow-up webinar to share the survey results (see attached results) and discuss tailored, action-oriented advice on next steps for both nonprofits and funders.
Some of the trends included:
+Right-sizing planning for 2021 around “battle plans” instead of strategic plans – recognizing change will continue
+Moving upstream to start solving problems at the source through coordinated community strategies
+Advancing equity as a core value
+Prioritizing on donor retention and truly excellent stewardship
+Shifting business models to both scale impact and to create financial sustainability
+Focusing on “less is more” with many nonprofits concentrating on what they do best instead of returning to all pre-COVID activities
+Embracing “digital first” for program delivery and audience engagement
Experts also coined "The Great Nonprofit Reset" and offered suggestions to both nonprofits and funders, including those below:
NONPROFITS
+Conduct a NEW needs assessment with paired measures (i.e., quantitative, qualitative) to understand what your customers really need now to achieve your mission
+Focus on improving systems efficiency in all areas of the business to streamline operations and to reduce operating expenses
+Ensure your development infrastructure – donation functions, prospect tracking, reporting – are functional and intuitive
+Update messaging to deliver value relevant to new needs and reflect urgency
+Audit your website for mobile-first, search-optimized, fast load and conversion
FUNDERS
+Integrate “trust-based philanthropy” into your grants strategy
+Support capacity-building funding for consultant expertise, technology updates and other critical nonprofits gaps
+Encourage and guide donor-advised fund holders to unlock additional funds for general operating and programmatic purposes
+Consider shared services arrangements for smaller nonprofits to share bookkeepers, CPAs and CFOs with nonprofit expertise
+Provide streamlined board recruitment, student internship and skills-based volunteer recruitment opportunities specific to nonprofit sector
Participants walked away inspired and activated and one commented "I was stuck before, but now I see a light at the end of the tunnel and look forward to putting these ideas into action in 2021."
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ABOUT
John Gillespie leads the nonprofit and social enterprise practice at CRCFO. He works as an outsourced CFO advising nonprofits on financial operations, P&L analysis, budgeting, reporting and more. Website: www.crcfo.com. Email: jgillespie@crcfo.com. Phone: 781.431.0420 x120.
Suzanne Smith is the founder and CEO of Social Impact Architects. She is a serial social entrepreneur and serves as a strategy consultant to nonprofits, government, and foundations on strategic planning, growth strategies, social impact/innovation, earned income and more. She also teaches at the University of Texas at Arlington and Pepperdine University. Website: www.socialimpactarchitects.com. Email: suzanne@socialimpactarchitects.com. Phone: 214.957.0903.
Susan Kelly is the CEO of Kelly Strategies. She is a born fundraiser and strategist advising nonprofits on development planning, fundraising strategy, revenue forecasting, capital campaigns and more. Website: www.kellystrategies.com. Email: susan@kellystrategies.com. Phone: 703.599.7817.
Kim Bulger is the CMO at Atigro. She is an outsourced CMO advising nonprofits on digital marketing, content marketing, engaging websites, and online engagement of customers, members and donors. Website: www.atigro.com. Email: kim@atigro.com. Phone: 703.587.6734.
Suzanne Smith
Social Impact Architects
+1 214-957-0903
suzanne@socialimpactarchitects.com
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