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Powering Nonprofit Success Through Participatory Processes:

Did you know that organizations prioritizing participatory processes and deliberately decreasing barriers see a significant increase in program effectiveness? This Fall, I’m excited to delve into how this framework powers real-world success through our three-part webinar series, Insights for Impact!

On September 18th, Dr. Inderjit Vicky Basra, President and CEO of the Delores Barr Weaver Policy Center, and Jessica Raymond, former Chief of Staff of the YWCA, joined Sharity Global Expert Anne Miskey to offer real-world examples of ways participatory processes elevated their organizations’ mission and impact. Dr. Basra emphasized the importance of including direct and indirect experts in decision-making conversations. She noted, “…layered communication makes the change.” When those in the community who experience the challenges your organization strives to address work alongside those with academic or professional experience in key areas, your organization can begin to affect systemic change. Jessica added, “When we talk about advocating for people and engaging their voices…here is the mic! You sit at this table, you tell me what you need from us, you make the decision…”

Key takeaways from the conversation included:

  • Write equity into your policies and procedures.
  • Avoid “tokenizing” the community you serve. Ensure that if you ask something of your community members, such as asking them to share their stories, you are developing and strengthening a mutually beneficial relationship with them.
  • Identify ways your organization may connect direct experts, those with lived experience, with donors, elected officials, and other community leaders and influencers.
  • Engaging all voices allows you to review and evaluate the impact of your programming with an open mind and heart.
  • Give credit to all the experts helping you execute your mission. Whenever possible, compensate and recognize direct experts, those with lived experiences, for their work on behalf of your organization, just as you would an indirect expert with academic or professional experience. 

Dr. Basra summed up the importance of engaging all voices when she described the success her organization has had with connecting survivor mentors with the recently rescued. “[Survivor’s] concepts around hope look very different because they’re sitting across from somebody, that at some point, was in the same space that they are in…Their survivor-mentor becomes a beacon of hope!” Anne added, “The little ways you can connect your donors in real ways to people” will bring about transformation.

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Every venture needs a good, current business plan—even nonprofits. This month, Sharity examines the importance of nonprofit business planning and discusses why having no business plan is not an option.

Update Your Business Plan Today
Last month, we talked about the importance of planning for your nonprofit at the beginning of a new year. This forward focus extends to all of your nonprofit’s plans: strategic plan, marketing plan, operational plan, impact plan, financial plan, and, most importantly, business plan.

When was the last time your nonprofit updated its business plan? If you have to stop and think about it, then it has been way too long. Many nonprofits make the mistake of planning from one fiscal year to the next, failing to link one year’s activities with the next and relying more on its strategic plan to guide the business of the nonprofit. Even more concerning, between 50 and 75 percent of nonprofits have no business plan at all.

For those new to the industry, a nonprofit’s business plan — revenue sources/mix, operational costs, program costs, and capital structure — is the bedrock on which all other “plans” within the nonprofit are built. For example, a business plan answers the basics of who/what/when/where/how for a nonprofit, and this information is fed into the organization’s strategic plan to answer the question of “how” the nonprofit will make the business plan a reality.

Ultimately, it provides a clear picture of a nonprofit’s current status, while also guiding the trajectory of the organization for a three- to five-year period. At the same time, it is not a static document but lives, breathes and evolves with the needs and goals of the nonprofit. It is a plan of action for a nonprofit, accounting for and considering every variable that may impact the organization, including the operational environment, competitive advantage, potential risks and obstacles, and milestones and goals.

Seasoned veterans of the nonprofit world know that a current and active business plan can give your nonprofit a real competitive edge when it comes to financing, grant awards, large corporate donors, and the quality of your board members. Financial institutions champion nonprofits with a business plan. Grants more easily turn from applications and proposals to awards when a solid business plan is included. Large corporate donors and competent, qualified board member candidates will be more willing to be a part of the nonprofit.

So, whether it has been a long time since your nonprofit’s business plan was updated or you do not have one at all, a business plan is critical for an organization to prove to its donors and donor prospects that it is a viable organization and that their investments will be put to good use. Truly successful nonprofits are forward thinking and benefit greatly from long-term business planning. Stop living in the moment and start looking forward.

Ask yourself these questions to see if your nonprofit’s business plan needs to be tweaked:

  1. Does your plan start with the larger community need you are addressing?
  2. Do you pick up your business plan more than once per quarter?
  3. Do you have an established budget that covers the same period of time as your business plan?
  4. Does your plan result in measurable outcomes rather than an increase in outputs?
  5. Do you know how much it will cost to fully implement your plan?
  6. Did you share a draft of your plan with stakeholders and major donors to get their feedback before it was finalized?

If you answered “no” to any of these questions, call Sharity today. We want to help your nonprofit with its business plan.