Not only is the not-for-profit sector expected to address the disparities and fill the gaps exposed and exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, nonprofit leaders are not exempt from the calls for greater accountability, equality, fairness, and sustainability—from the public as well as their funders, employees, volunteers, and the communities they serve. In these uncertain times, what strategies can help not-for-profit organizations not only to survive, but to thrive?

To understand how successful leaders build the organizational capacity required to adapt to a changing ecosystem and maximize opportunity for growth, it’s essential to understand the most relevant challenges your nonprofit is facing, then deploy strategies that connect the dots between external threats and foundational organizational values and capacities.

  • Understand your nonprofit’s most pressing challenges
  • Deploy strategies that can work for your organization: Once you’ve defined the challenges you need to address, you can begin to design and implement strategies to bolster your organization’s confidence, effectiveness, and resiliency.
    • Step #1: Make sure that your nonprofit’s core values and purpose shape your unique organizational response to emerging expectations and issues.
    • Step #2: Demonstrate your organization’s integrity by effectively monitoring and communicating how your values and purpose align with commitments and actions.
    • Step #3: Assess whether your internal systems and processes are designed to support your nonprofit’s aims.
    • Step #4: Take a close look at your nonprofit’s leadership team and make sure you have the skills needed to lead your organization through these uncertain times.

Read the full article about helping to increase nonprofit resilience by Donna Kennedy-Glans at Philanthropy News Digest.