Jean Craig Long
Nonprofit Development Consultant
Practical application, framework, and resources to achieve goals
 
 

 

Six Ways to Turn Nonprofit Visions into Reality
“Nonprofit leaders have exciting visions for growth and
not enough hours in the day to realize those visions.”
 printable version
As a nonprofit board member or executive leader, what would your organization look like if its growth strategy were focused, results-oriented, and sustainable for the long-term….if every year, the number of donors making larger gifts increased and your network of community partners expanded, producing the resources to meet ever-changing needs?

Lack of funding is the #1 concern cited by nonprofit leaders. In fact, many lose sleep over it. When funds are tight, it’s hard to find the balance between short term demands and long-term growth. Opportunities for new initiatives go on hold, staff is maxed out, and board engagement is limited.
  • The board suffers from a lack of education about roles and responsibilities. Board members believe in the mission but many misunderstand how to raise big money.
  • Putting out fires seems to be the order of the day. When faced with the sheer volume of everyday work, it’s no wonder nonprofit professionals are overwhelmed. At the end of the day – where has the time gone?
What’s possible?
Nonprofit professionals are energized and enjoy the challenges of leadership when they are on track to achieve their goals. They know at any given time that their focus is where it needs to be: long-term visioning with the board, initiating conversation with a prospective donor, identifying new talent for staff, partnering with a new champion. They feel good at the end of the week because they’ve made progress.

Most nonprofit leaders I know are smart, entrepreneurial, and want to do things their own way. But not necessarily by themselves. What happens when stakeholders are motivated and inspired to work from their strengths?

What are the steps to success? Implementing these 6 strategies begins your transition from sleepless nights to strategic growth:
  1. Share the ambitious vision….connect it to the big picture, THE REALLY BIG PICTURE. The one that gives us meaning and inspires service for the good of the whole.
     
  2. Ask new questions……connect the dots in a new way. Listen to feedback and build on it. Create a thick web of interdependencies.
     
  3. Throw out the bath water, not the baby. In other words, keep what works and make it better. This is growth in its simplicity.

  4. Shift your focus from problem to desired outcome. This changes your whole mindset from the negative, why it won’t, to the powerful positive, how it will.
     
  5. Work from strengths. This means telling the compelling story from your heart, in your own style - and encouraging stakeholders (board members, staff, volunteers, donors, and recipients) to do the same thing.
     
  6. Open the pipeline to accept a flood of information & new ideas. Attract innovators, strategic thinkers, diverse perspectives. This is expansiveness.

Jean Craig Long helps nonprofits that are struggling to raise funds consistently.
For more information, see Top 10 Development Pitfalls.

“As a coach, Jean keeps me focused so I don’t spend all of my time battling details and I stay focused on the big picture. I sleep better at night.”
Patsy Beeker, Executive Director
Cabarrus CARES/ Kitty City

“In our 10th year, Jean began to work with us to institute a much-needed planned giving program that we believe will be the foundation of the conservancy in years to come. …Planned giving opportunities arise now weekly with either donors or landowners. Jean brought a wealth of expertise in this field to our doorstep and provided both our staff and board with all the training and tools necessary to first understand the many aspects of planned gifts and then to structure and launch a planned giving program and society….”
Susie Hamrick Jones, Executive Director
Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


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