Large non-profit organisations must frequently overcome extreme challenges in order to stay on track toward achieving their mission and goals. There are currently 1.4 million tax-exempt organisations in the United States alone, so there is no shortage of non-profit organisations competing for resources, financial assistance, and talent.
The challenge is exacerbated because a large non-profit (or small non-profit) is expected to make all
strategic decisions with its organisational mission in mind. The good news is that a non-profit’s mission can guide them in making the right decisions and overcoming obstacles. Large non-profits face numerous challenges on a daily basis in order to stay on track. These issues include sustainability, donor retention and engagement, finding the right volunteers, and organising internal and external processes. Today, we'll go over these issues in greater depth and offer solutions.
How Can Large Non-profits Be Sustainable?
Sustainability is critical to a
large non-profit’s long-term success. Large non-profit organizations frequently must uphold a recognizable brand and reputation. Developing a strategic plan with sustainability as the foundation starts with an organization's mission and vision.
How Can Large Non-profits Keep and Engage Donors?
Another issue that large non-profit organizations frequently face is retaining and engaging donors. Did you know that in 2015, 373.25 billion dollars were donated to charitable causes? Large non-profit organizations are tasked with acquiring new donors, engaging their donor base, and retaining valuable relationships.
Donor retention rates for offline-only donors are 29%, while online-only donors have a 21% retention rate. Raising these averages by a few percentage points can give a large non-profit organization more reach.
How Can a Large Non-profit Find the Right Volunteers?
A large non-profit can save a lot of money by identifying and recruiting the right volunteers for the right strategic jobs. According to an Independent Sector study, the average volunteer hour is worth more than $24.00 (2016 data). The value of volunteerism can quickly add up large non-profit organizations that rely heavily on volunteers. Volunteers also provide valuable skill sets to non-profits, which can improve an organization's ability across departments.
How Can Large Non-profits Improve Processes?
Setting up processes is one of the most important things a large non-profit can do to ensure consistency and control throughout the organization. Every aspect of the organization, including but not limited to fundraising, volunteer coordination, training, strategic engagement, and retention strategies, should have a process in place. Organizations that want to create a road map for success must devote time to strategic planning.