Make Good Happen: Courageously Redesigning the Roadmap

Oxygen. 

As “I can’t breathe” is whispered from sick beds and cried out from tarmacs, we are all challenged to re-imagine how best to create sustainable organizations that make good happen -- that build strong, equitable and healthy communities.  As we know, a new normal is being shaped.

Nonprofit executives, board members and teams will need to garner greater quantities of courage, set aside egos and ask four key questions:

1. Is our mission still valid in this still-evolving New Normal?
2. If yes, do we have the resilience, bravery and selflessness among our paid and unpaid teams to meet the changing community needs?
3. Who can we collaborate with to make the greatest impact?
4. And, what is needed to ensure we have the right talent now and into the future?

The two most critical factors that play into a nonprofit’s success is having the right executive leader, and a strong, diverse and engaged board.  Investing in building a brand with a focus of on-going marketing is also paramount - with target markets and measurables. 

Some of our best learnings over the years came from mistakes and missed opportunities.  It is valuable to use successes as a way to shape future action, but there is nothing more powerful than to face failure, from which the opportunity for a turnaround arises.

Possessing the courage to rethink your organization’s very purpose will require immense layers of courage. 

As a fundraiser, paid or unpaid, your role will be more important than ever, bringing the pulse of the community back to the organization. And remembering one of the most important principles of fundraising – listening.

With the right leadership and team, a tattooed-commitment to the cause, and strategic missional investments – you will be able to look back in 2030 and see how today’s New Normal has given fresh breath to making Good Happen.

If this article was informative, join our Live Q&A with Seasoned Leaders - Colleen Townsley Brinkmann, CFRE and Sarah Klein in Fundraising, Marketing and Brand-Building. Register Below ⬇️⬇️.

Nonprofit Fireside Chat - Shifting from Standing on “Jello” to Concrete.