Nonprofit Management
Article | July 12, 2022
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.
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Nonprofit Management
Article | July 28, 2022
Volunteers are the lifeblood of any nonprofit. Your services, fundraising campaigns, and even day-to-day operations of your nonprofit can depend on volunteers.
An estimated 30 percent of Americans or 77.9 million people reported they volunteered for an organization or association.”
AmeriCorps published survey
So, if people want to volunteer, the key to garner willing volunteers is to:
Communicate your needs
Share your “why”
Make it easy
While all nonprofits know they need volunteers, investing time and energy into building a program can naturally fall by the wayside. As you look to recruit and retain volunteers, a best practice is to put a strategic volunteer program in place.
You may be asking, “What’s the benefit to me, the nonprofit?” Let’s dive into it!
First, let’s start with the basics — what are the top reasons to invest in a volunteer program? We’ve got you covered. A dynamic volunteer program:
Creates ambassadors for your mission. Volunteers spread the word in your community and increase your community engagement. They can advocate for you with their friends, family, and local and state legislatures. Provide your volunteers with messaging so they can share their “why” on social media and by word of mouth. One pro tip shared by Points of Light is to provide a digital badge to add to your volunteer leaders’ email signatures.
Develops new funding sources. The line between a volunteer and donor should be fluid, not separate. A 2014 study by Fidelity Charitable found that 83% of volunteers report supporting the same nonprofits with their donations. Don’t silo your volunteers and your donors!
Reduces your operating costs. According to the Independent Sector, the value of a volunteer hour was estimated at $28.54 in 2020. Since payroll is often the largest expense for a nonprofit, volunteers provide essential support to your cause with minimal costs to you.
Increases the quantity and quality of your programs and services. It’s a win-win situation for professional development and your lengthy project list! That list will be met by an eager, talented volunteer, and your volunteer will improve their professional skills at the same time.
Maximizes your limited staff resources. We’re sure there’s been a few items on your wish list that you’d love to check off if you had more resources, like being open on holidays or offering more services to your community. Volunteers can fill in those gaps! Maybe they are looking for ways to give back over a holiday, or they may have the connections to develop a new service opportunity for you.
Increases your diversity and brings in new ideas. Although your nonprofit may always strive to diversify or get out of the “we’ve always done it this way” rut, you may not meet the potential of those goals with your staff. Volunteers can provide unique perspectives, different experiences, and even that spark of excitement that comes with a new idea.
Minimizes volunteer turnover.Just like staff onboarding, volunteer onboarding takes time and money. If you recruit and onboard well with easy-to-access opportunity matching, training, and tracking mechanisms in place, your volunteers will be well on their way to a successful experience. Build on that by learning more about your volunteers’ interests and skills, and they will feel seen and appreciated. An upfront investment will pay off in years of dedicated service.
Are you convinced? If so, it’s time to take the next step of how to start putting a volunteer program into place. Then you can scale your volunteering as your nonprofit grows!
Here are our 5 fundraiser-approved steps to developing a bullet-proof volunteer program.
Step 1: Quantify your current volunteer impact.
Gather data on number of volunteers, hours and skills contributed.
Measure the return on investment (ROI) including your program cost and total estimated volunteer value (# of volunteer hours x est. volunteer wage per hour). You can even take it a step further and consider the monetary savings to the community when volunteers provide the service or in-kind donation versus a private provider (e.g. number of children tutored or trees planted).
Step 2: Educate your staff and board on the benefits of volunteering.
Share your ROI and other data with your executive team and board and garner to get them on board. Recruiting, onboarding, engaging, and retaining your volunteer base will be much smoother when you have their support.
Step 3: Purchase or build a volunteer management software system.
Track volunteer hours, record your volunteers’ information, and create reports. Your software/tracking system should include a personalized volunteer dashboard where they can track their hours and volunteer services provided, demonstrating to them their impact in real-time.
Step 4: Develop a plan for recruitment, training, and growth opportunities for your volunteers.
Share the plan with your current volunteer leaders and solicit their feedback before rolling out to the community.
Step 5: Make the case for even more investment in your program next year.
Give insight into how your efforts to recruit, engage, and retain volunteers positively impact your mission and your bottom line.
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Nonprofit Management
Article | July 20, 2022
Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Nonprofits is a name you're likely to hear very frequently in the nonprofit tech space over the next several years. As Microsoft's own cloud-based CRM platform, Dynamics for Nonprofits offers a new technology option for organizations of all sizes. If you're already using a range of Microsoft products (or have heard of Microsoft's generous Tech for Social Impact initiative) but haven't yet heard of Dynamics, you're definitely going to want to have it on your radar.
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Article | April 15, 2020
Many organizations have found themselves in a “gotcha” moment. Business continuity plans are what nonprofits use to make sure operations are uninterrupted during unexpected circumstances. You knew that a business continuity plan was essential. Yet, you put it off because it didn’t seem urgent. Suddenly you are faced with a pandemic and you had to figure out how to operate when offices closed, people had to work from home, clients still needed services, and the board needed to make decisions. You aren’t alone. Many organizations face the same dilemma. How do you operate if there is a catastrophic situation that disrupts everything you do?
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