3 Ways To Improve Nonprofit Management
Business journalism is filled with stories about the difficulty of being an entrepreneur or running a major company.
Yet running a nonprofit organization is arguably much more difficult, as it entails all of the work of any other executive, with the added pressures of proving that their organization has made a tangible difference in the community.
Nonprofit leaders must balance the expectations of donors with the service needs of their service area and community. There’s a lot more to nonprofit leadership than the buzzwords like compassion would suggest. Charities need leaders with tenacity, vision and the flexibility to learn and grow when they make a mistake.
Without the direction of an intelligent and experienced leader, nonprofits can fail even more quickly than a small business, regardless of its size or age. In addition, different kinds of nonprofits require their own leadership styles, while still needing basic leadership skills as well.
Here are three ways leaders can improve their nonprofit management skills.
Nurture Relationships
While the ability to cultivate relationships with peers and employees is necessary for all leaders, it’s particularly important among nonprofits, which elevate their mission above all else, including the pay and benefits of the people who work there.
It’s not easy to keep a nonprofit’s workers focused on improving services when that requires consistent selflessness from both leaders and employees. That requires an inspiring leader who makes time to connect with the rest of the organization.
The more time a leader invests in employees, the more those people will feel committed to the job, working extra hours or addressing a problem without complaining about it. Building strong relationships is vital for any nonprofit leader.
Examples of this behavior include celebrations of volunteers’ birthdays, calling a sick employee to inquire about their health, or even just an unexpected gift or thank-you note.
Small acts of kindness — even just listening — will go a long way.
Stay Flexible
The world is changing so fast these days, in every conceivable way, from technology to culture to employment.
Any leader, whether they’re running a Fortune 500 company or a small nonprofit serving its local community, must be able to change direction and embrace ideas to survive.
There’s just too much competition out there. To get ahead and stay there, nonprofit leaders must always be open to new ideas of doing things, new ways to raise money and new ways to serve their community as effectively as possible.
Don’t Forget to Delegate
No single person could everything on their own — nor should they try. Teamwork will take a nonprofit farther than any single genius leader ever could.
Smart leaders learn to identify the strengths and weaknesses of those around them, and delegate the right tasks to the right people. There’s always more skills among an organization’s workers than leaders know. That’s why it’s so important for them to learn about the people who work for them and discover what talents they could bring to the table.
This not only benefits the nonprofit, but also its volunteers and workers, who will feel more committed when they know their skills are valued and acknowledged.
Nonprofit leadership isn’t easy, but with the right person in charge, a nonprofit can make more positive impacts on the community than any one person ever could.
