Root your NPO with a sustainable vision, mission and CoP
/RYB Blog Post Series: R stands for Rooted
Whenever I tell people that I help nonprofits raise money for their missions, many inevitably ask, “Really? I (or fill in the blank with the requisite friend or relative) am starting a nonprofit. Can you write a grant?
When I tell them that it’s unlikely they’d get an award since it’s not the practice of most foundations to fund organizations with less than 2-3 years of active, consistent programming and outcomes, they look crestfallen.
After chatting with them further they’d realize that they have a ways to go to be “fundraising ready” and I’d advise that an investment in some nonprofit management and resource development training would be the best use of their time and money right now.
Getting rooted in the right training
Online training has exploded in recent years and a quick internet search can garner a myriad of sources on nonprofit resource development and fundraising. But how do you choose training that will suit the needs of a new nonprofit leader? Or a seasoned leader looking for a better approach in reestablishing their fundraising program?
Because I know how easy it is to get discouraged when your enthusiasm and passion for a new endeavor is clouded by information overload and the accompanying challenge of determining what specifically it is you need to learn to truly move forward, I decided to take a different approach to resource development training for nonprofit leaders than that I’d seen from others in this space.
There are seven learning styles developed by the famed Swiss Psychiatrist and Psychotherapist Carl Jung. The learning style I most identify with is that of a “thinking” or “logical or mathematical” learner, which means I most naturally process information and assess the function of objects when it is presented with a logical structure and rational focus.
Having to start in the middle somewhere and piece together a reasoning that will get me to the end, while in some respects can be an excellent test of mental agility, can leave me flustered in other respects, particularly when learning complex concepts.
And because for many nonprofit leaders, the concept of attracting the funding and other resources required to sustain their programs long-term is a complex concept indeed, I created the Rooted Yeomen Build Bridges (RYB) framework, introduced in my free eBook Fundraising in Primary Colors: The RYB Framework to Nonprofit Sustainability
Though written from the perspective of a thinking learner, the approach should be manageable for all learning types as it follows a logic that starts with a strong premise that supports the inputs necessary to conduct processes that build and reinforce organizational sustainability. It is a great primer for setting or resetting the nonprofit leader’s mindset to consider the act of fundraising as a function within the resource development process.
When I refer to “leader” I am speaking of anyone in the organization with the responsibility of establishing, managing and executing the organization’s vision through its mission, the reason the organization exists.
The vision and mission, supporting a definitive culture of philanthropy (CoP) is at the root of any sustainable organization and is the foundational element upon which the Rooted Yeomen Build Bridges (RYB) framework is built. Some tips on each of these follow.
In values there is vision, then mission
A passage from the eBook describes the vision as “developed during the strategic planning process…speaks to the future your organization wishes to create for the community and stakeholders impacted by your programs.”
It later states, “It inspires support with a unifying goal that keeps all stakeholders engaged.” A statement of (on average) 15 inspirational, clear, memorable and concise words is best.
Answering these two questions can help you assess your NPO’s vision:
• What are the values or beliefs that inform your work?
• What would you ultimately hope to accomplish as a result of your efforts?
In positioning mission in relation to vision, another passage states,” …mission describes how its vision will be demonstrated through the daily work of its programs. The mission states the reason for the organization’s existence and putting that mission into a statement of just a few sentences…is essential in stating and reminding your leadership, staff, volunteers and the broader community of who you serve and how.”
Using radiant words that create dynamic, visual images and motivate realistic achievable action with each word meaning something, is most advisable. I’d once heard the average length should be 27 words. Two of the several questions in the eBook that can help you create your mission include:
• What is the need you hope to address through your NPOs programs?
• What roles do you and your employees play?
Philanthropy –the culture of your nonprofit business
Growing in familiarity, and hopefully in practice, is the thinking that everyone in your organization should feel they have a vested interest in building a thriving organization.
Peter Drucker, considered by many to be the father of modern business management, said in his book Managing the Nonprofit Organization: Principles and Practices, “…a donor doesn’t automatically understand what the organization is trying to do. …you have to educate(them) so they can recognize and accept (program) results.”
So after creating your vision and mission statements and communicating them organization wide, a deliberate effort is needed to include donors and other stakeholders—staff included—in understanding what you’re doing.
Vision and mission ground the culture of philanthropy, enabling the creation of, as Drucker describes, a “long-term constituency, people who remember, who are not giving simply because someone rings a doorbell. They see the support of the institution as self-fulfillment. That is the ultimate goal of fund development.”
It is also the essence of creating a culture of philanthropy in your organization.
So what does all this look like in practice? Refer to the “Red stands for Rooted” section of the eBook to learn more then look out for upcoming training content on how to implement it in your NPO. Defining your organization’s vision, mission and culture of philanthropy is essential in setting the strong foundation necessary to support the remaining components of the framework.
If you’ve crafted a vision or mission statement for your organization, see how it measures up to the ideas outlined in the eBook, why not share it below?