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7 techniques to improve the effectiveness of your nonprofit organization (Track This Article)

When it comes to management and innovation strategies, most of the news and business press center on for-profit companies. However, non-profits constitute a huge segment of our economy. As shown by the Urban Institute's National Center for Charitable Statistics, just the public charity sector alone accounts for over $1 trillion in total revenue. There are approximately one million public not-for-profits and private foundations registered with the IRS.

Notwithstanding these impressive statistics, many nonprofits struggle to effectively manage. This article shares 7 insights from the trenches of not for profit management.

Leverage technology wisely

Recent developments in Internet and telephone technology are making it increasingly easy for nonprofits to save on travel costs and increase coordination. Desktop sharing apps are becoming easier to use and allow nonprofit managers to immediately create virtual meetings across geographically dispersed teams. Also free conference calling offerings such as Rondee.com are enabling nonprofits to cut their phone expenses and develop better group innerworkings and improve coordination with external nonprofits.

Stay focused

The most effective nonprofits are ones that stay tightly focused on their mission and do not get sidetracked by peripheral goals. Most nonprofits operate under significant resource limitations. Addressing three goals with 100% effort will generally yield superior results compared to tackling six goals at 50% effort.

Use data driven decision-making practices

One of the key trends recently affecting nonprofits has been the increasing reliance on evidence driven decision-making. Nonprofit practitioners can apply the same practices to ascertain what works and what does not work. Increasingly, the hurdle for quality decision-making is rising and thus reliance on conjecture is being systematically replaced by empirical data to justify decisions.

Expand your network

The most successful nonprofit practitioners create networks of supporters who share their philosophy and mission. While the word "networking" often gets a bad rap, the fact is these networks can provide more than just financial assistance. Crucially, associations also provide the emotional support which is so vital to sustaining energy amongst leaders as well as volunteers.

Learn how to lobby

Many nonprofits think that lobbying is the domain of for-profit companies. While that may be the reality in some cases, many successful nonprofits have developed a tremendous advantage through succeeding in the art of lobbying. Whether to arrange necessary changes in public policy or the backing of public figures, lobbying can be an effective means for nonprofits to accelerate traction.

Keep fundraising focused

Most of the nonprofits that have grown dramatically in the past few decades have done so by concentrating their development on a single type of funding source. The strategy usually employed requires creating messaging and programs designed for the needs of their primary funding channel. Not only is this practice generally more effective than the shotgun approach, it enables deeper relationships to be formed between the funding channel and the nonprofit.

Multiply through matching

Multiply your development dollars through matching amounts. Most people know that some employers will match gifts to certain nonprofits. Less well understood is the multiplier effect of getting promises from funders to match the donations of smaller contributers.

The good news is that these methods are not expensive. Whether its leveraging free teleconference systems or starting to lobby, nonprofits can increase their performance through these 7 techniques.

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Mindy Carpenter lives in the Bay Area. A consultant to Rondee.com's free conference calling service, she has drafted a variety of commentaries on comunications technology as it relates to areas such as the not-for-profit space.

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