3 Key Areas Nonprofits Can Optimize for Sustainable Success

When we partner with nonprofit clients, we always stress the importance of three key areas: organizational development, fund development and creative storytelling.

Not only are they critical for success, but they’re also inherently linked. You can’t be effective if your organization excels in one area and falls short in another. To truly thrive, you must do well in all three: building a firm foundation for your organization, cultivating and maintaining strong funder relationships, and clearly communicating your mission and impact through creative storytelling.

Let’s break these key areas down and take a closer look at how they’re connected.

Organizational Development

Think of organizational development as the structural integrity of a nonprofit. A thriving, sustainable organization keeps a close eye on the fundamentals and refines them on a regular basis:

• Do we have consensus on a clear mission and vision?
• Is our strategic plan still relevant to our mission and vision?
• Does our governing board effectively support our leadership and mission?
• Do we have the right people in the right staff positions to get the job done?
• Are we managing our budget responsibly?
• Do we have a strategic plan for scaling our services and programming?

Despite the best intentions, it’s difficult to grow a successful nonprofit without building and maintaining a firm foundation. Only then can you devote resources to the other critical areas: fund development and storytelling.

Fund Development

As nonprofits know, fund development requires constant care and attention. Individual donors are often fickle – annual donor retention rates average about 45% – foundations can shift their giving priorities, and the grant prospecting and writing process can be overwhelming.

Since reliable funding sources are no longer a given, the most effective organizations develop solid networking strategies and plan for a rainy day by:

• Diversifying their funding sources,
• Monitoring foundations’ funding priorities to pivot when needed,
• Developing a strong donor retention strategy, making a clear connection between giving and organizational impact.

They also recognize the common thread among all potential giving sources: funders need to see meaningful results. They want to know how much impact your organization has on the communities it serves. Are you really making a difference? That’s where creative storytelling comes into play.

Creative Storytelling

Good storytelling supports your organization’s mission and vision and resonates with key stakeholders. But the secret sauce lies in how you set your organization apart, especially from nonprofits with similar missions.

Successful nonprofits develop a strong case for funding support by sharing unique and compelling stories that:

• Connect funding to specific outcomes,
• Create emotional connections with funders, engaging community partners and clients to share their personal stories,
• Incorporate meaningful data that clearly quantifies community impact,
• Position them as thought leaders in their area of expertise.

And they develop a strong elevator speech, so they’re always ready for a short, impactful pitch.

For More Information

Nonprofits come to us for help at varying stages of development and growth, and no matter where they are in their journey, our message is the same. Focus on optimizing your practices in three key areas – organizational development, fund development and creative storytelling – and you’ll be well positioned for sustainable success.

Need help or more information? Contact The Vella Group at info@vellaspg.com.