A LinkedIN article by
Barry Kolanowski
Executive Director at Senior Services of Will County
What do you get when you do the same thing over and over and expect better results? A nonprofit organization. Welcome to the nonprofit world of causes, passions and interventions which at times may resemble more the environment of Alice in Wonderland than that of an organized effort to change the world.
A place where decisions seem upside down to logic. A place that enlists well-meaning people who have their own vision, which may be in contradiction to the compliance requirements of grants. A place where emotions make more decisions than intellect or data. A place where territories, traditions and myths still live and control many of the efforts of the agency.
Today’s nonprofit organizations are experiencing some incredible challenges, but the challenges are different this time. According to the Concord Leadership Group, which conducted a survey of nonprofits, they found that more than half admitted to not having a strategic plan and if they made the claim that they did have a plan, it wasn’t written down. The only conclusion one can have is that they are completely flying by the seat of their pants, following emotional prompting and shifting focus regularly. Always striving, but never arriving.
This lack of a vision driven organization has serious impacts on leadership selection, development and the efficiency of the operation itself. They may have a beautiful plaque on the wall carrying their mission statement, but it ends there. Actions are based on feelings and perceived trends without data to back up the consideration.
People are hired because they “fit” and have passion for the cause rather than that they bring experience to the tasks they will perform. This results in a lack of meeting objectives and incredibly wasteful costing the organization thousands of dollars and jeopardizing its very viability in the future.
This is not true of every nonprofit, but the environment is full of many that need the help of strong leadership. If you are on a board of a nonprofit or leadership role, begin by taking stock about your true mission outcomes. Then embrace the fact you can do something about your organization and its impact. There are so many voices calling for help that someone has to take the time to ask, “Is this the best way to accomplish our mission?”
“Question everything,” the philosopher, Euripides once said. Have the capability to build an organization that will move in the direction you want it to go. All nonprofits, at some level, started out in the heart of someone and it grew into a dream. So there is nothing wrong with a dream, but in order to see it become a reality it takes not only a lot of hard work, but a willingness to accept criticism when you don’t always give others what they want.
It may seem crazy and absurd, but the nonprofit arena is also risky and exciting. Instead of making widgets or selling products that provide temporary relief, you can change a life. Not just one life, but the generations around them and follow. That is the allure and that is what drives people to move and act despite the salary per hour.