As a nonprofit consultant, I hear about the barriers to running a successful not-for-profit organization time and time again. It was one of the driving factors of why I began working with organizations in the nonprofit sector, to help them find a better way through challenges that can often feel overwhelming. Let’s take a look at some of these common roadblocks:
● Scarcity Mindset: feeling as if there is a finite amount of time, money, and volunteer hours to support your mission.
● Competitive Mindset: navigating greed and bias among potential supporters, donors, and the perception of the general public. I'm also going to call out here the competition I sometimes see between nonprofits to support one group or mission.
● Stress: caused by lack of resources and doing more with not enough or less.
● Organizational Conflict: whether between staff members, board members, or even among your volunteers. Sometimes agreeing on the best way to go about filling a gap can be difficult.
Among these valid concerns, what stands out to me the most is the last bullet – when your organization is faced with a battle. It could be over how funds are directed, how stakeholders are communicated with, or how a leader runs their team. Or battles can occur within a board, where issues can range from individual member contributions, to groupthink, to disagreement with chapter or national leadership. These conflicts bring negativity, which can be disastrous for any type of organization, but particularly for not-for-profits, whose razor thin margins make them more susceptible to failure. Left unaddressed, organizations might face the worst-case scenario: having to close their doors. Leaving a gap unfilled.
Now that we have clearly defined what issues can get in the way of running a successful nonprofit, it’s time to look on the brighter side and present some solutions to overcoming them! Here's a break down the three main ways I see nonprofits try to face massive struggles:
● Press Ahead and Hope: Keep moving forward and hope that things work out for the best. In this strategy, I see people try to find their way through with education and training. There are many options for this. People will also join community masterminds to help get their team on a better course. There are coaches and professional agencies who can assist and plenty of tremendous resources to draw from. This is the best option for getting into a better place and continuing to realize your mission. However, without taking time to assess the cause of a problem, the proverbial "can" might just get kicked down the road.
● Struggle to Sustain: I think of these as the Band-Aid solution, where you do just enough to get by, without really, truly solving for the underlying issue. It may work, but likely not for the long haul.
● Complain and Quit: AKA, being part of the problem and not the solution. It’s not very positive or upbeat, but separating from a nonprofit, stepping down from a board, or shuttering your organization’s doors is an option. Not a good option, but an option. Hopefully one you won’t feel forced to take. What would you do – or what are you doing – if your organization is dealing with change, little battles, or major issues?
Those three solutions have their pros/cons, here I'd like to share my insights on what path nonprofits should take to improve their effectiveness and fulfill their mission. We’ll look at the options and solutions through the lens of overcoming an internal conflict or battle amongst your stakeholders.
Complaining and quitting is, of course, off the table. And we all know that Band-Aid solutions are temporary. The only way to really get to the other side of a barrier is to put the work in to tackle it.
For a nonprofit to be successful, it has to be in business, not battle!
(See what I did there.)
Finding actionable solutions is key.
First, get a clear understanding of what they problem is and why the conflict exists or presents itself. It’s OK if stakeholders have differing views of the how or why or who. What matters is knowing the possible reasons – all of them – for what's going on.
After that, clarify what the resolution looks like.
Next, determine what you need in order to fix it. Draft a plan, as simple or complex as is needed. Write it down and share it. This could be training, resources, mediation, or more.
Then implement the plan – as a team or with the help of a coach or neutral third party – to dissolve the conflict. Lastly, check and measure, tinker and adjust. Staying agile and aware is very important and will help ensure the solution is working. The common thread through all of this is that successful nonprofits need to be in business, not in battle.
Getting out of a battle mindset will unlock the ability for an organization to reach new heights.
It’s something I see in my work each week, that “aha” moment, when it becomes so clear that how things may be running is not how they can or should. Unsure where to start?
Let’s connect. I can and will help get you through.
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