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Although it’s usually satisfying to run a successful nonprofit, growing it is not easy. According to the National Center for Charitable Statistics, 66% of the nonprofits in the U.S. have expenses below $500,000. Of course, most private foundations are small, but that doesn’t mean that they have to stay that way. There are things private foundations can do to achieve positive and sustainable growth. They include the following:
The right team
In most cases, private foundations have one or two people in charge who push the organizations’ mission forward. However, it takes more than one or two people to establish a successful private foundation. As the leader, you need to choose your team carefully and assign tasks accordingly to make sure things are handled professionally, and the work is done quickly.
Of course, starting a team is not easy, but it’s worth the effort. There are many non-profit consultants that can help you fill positions, so you don’t need to worry about doing everything yourself. To make sure you have the right people onboard, your list of desired qualities should include passion for your mission, leadership skills or potential, great communication skills and enough knowledge of the position.
Outsourcing
Just like the regular businesses, nonprofits are rarely able to handle all tasks internally. For instance, nonprofits usually face a lot of challenges in managing their teams, training new people and conducting ongoing employee development training. This is because nonprofit organizations usually operate within relatively small budgets.
Luckily, there are many companies that provide professional services to private foundations and other nonprofits aimed at helping them handle their critical tasks. If you run a foundation and require human resource services, all you’ll need to do is search online for a company that offers human resources for private foundations. Outsourcing your human resources can give you one less major task to worry about, help you focus more on your mission and allow you to allocate enough resources to your cause.
Proper marketing
Many private foundations fail to reach their growth potential because of poor marketing efforts. It’s not uncommon to see foundations only relying on periodic website updates and annual conferences to market themselves. Unless you want to miss out on important opportunities, which include attracting more donors and volunteers, you should improve how you market your nonprofit.
Market your nonprofit like a regular business by determining your target market, setting measurable goals, coming up with marketing materials and creating a social media strategy. When determining your audience, your aim should be to know who they are and where they are exactly; that information will help you tailor your marketing efforts. Moreover, the marketing materials you should create to market your organization can be thank-you notes to volunteers, business cards and videos, and pictures depicting what you do.
To reach your audience inexpensively, you’ll need to consider social media platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Simply identify two or three social media platforms that your target audience is most likely to be found on and focus on them.
A clear process and impact
One study that was conducted by Root Cause discovered that as high as 75% of donors usually look for details about a nonprofit’s impact before assisting it. On the other hand, 68% of donors look at the overhead costs, and 63% look for information about the social issue the nonprofit is addressing. Donors always want to be involved in an organization that is making a difference.
Therefore, you need to make it a core part of your model to show the impact you’re making. For instance, if you’re helping schools, you can let your audience know that each $10 they donate will help a child get a new workbook. Let the donors literally see the list of workbooks the students requested as well as when the books are shipped to the schools. You can also send them the photos and thank-you notes the students created after receiving their support. This display of accountability and transparency can go a long way towards building your credibility.
Conclusion
Whether your private foundation is small or large, you should always focus on growing it. To get started, make sure you have a skilled team in place and outsource the necessary tasks, look for ways to market the organization, and provide your audience with information showing your impact and process.
