Finally, a resolution post that isn’t about cutting out cheese, hitting up the gym or staying hydrated. Here are resolutions or as our optimistic staff like to say, opportunities for growth, that will improve your nonprofit life in 2018!
Trust your team
If there’s one thing nonprofit leaders know, it’s that it can be easy to micromanage. More than a few of us have fallen victim to the “if you want something done right do it yourself” mantra, but if you have faith in your hiring process then you must also have faith in the capability of individuals who come out of it. Your task is not to insert yourself into coworker’s role and hijack their projects, it’s to make sure that your team is equipped and supported to reach their full potential. The added benefit of this new attitude is that focusing less on the work of others mean more time to focus on your own workload.
Cut “That’s how we’ve always done it” from your repertoire
New year, new you, am I right? If you want organizational growth, it’s only natural that you’ll also have to face organizational change. Skip the excuse and become more open to testing out new tactics, especially those backed by best practices.
Let go of your fear of the ask
This applies more heavily to those on the development side. Make 2018 the year you stop wondering if you’ve missed opportunity and start creating it instead. Let go of the hesitation when asking new donors to contribute to your organization and asking returning donors to increase their gift. This is a great goal to prove your efficacy and increase your organization’s fundraising dollars.
Proactively face your fundraising goals
Take a good hard look at retention rates, number of major gifts, and dig into other relevant statistics. Based on these numbers, set realistic goals for organizational growth and come up with an action plan that allows you to achieve them in 2018.
Upgrade to a database
The reliance of smaller nonprofits on Excel is a trend that should have died in the 90’s but continues in 2018. If you’re still working on Excel, an achievable goal is to switch to a dedicated donor database. A database allows you to pull metrics at a touch of the button so you can properly track your results to see if you’re meeting the rest of the 2018 goals!