Before you go out looking for donors or doing some other fundraising work, let me tell you this. You need a plan first.
Many nonprofit leaders feel they need a donor first.
But in reality, you need your own plan first.
Your dream
You have a dream for the world, it’s why your nonprofit was created.
Your dream is the start of a plan.
Based on your dream and your plan you can go look for partners. Other people and organisations who share your dream (in part or in full) and who want to contribute to making it come true.
But what if I’m in a hurry?
This remains true also in case of a panic attack. Like when you need to pay people and services and things and you don’t have money to do that.
It’s easy to start running around like a headless chicken and just try anything and everything. Because you’re busy and that must lead to something, right? But it’s a waste of your energy.
It’s hard to sit down and plan. Because it feels like you’re delaying things where urgent attention is required. But it’s the only way to be sure you’re making the best choice in what you’re going to invest your time and attention in.
Your strategic plan comes in handy
Maybe you have a strategic plan already.
Have a look at it.
Maybe your plan has
- designed risk mitigating measures for just this type of situation?
- inspiration in its PESTLE analysis (political, economic, social, technological, legal, environmental)?
- a financial scenario that applies just now?
- programming ideas that can give direction?
- an analysis of the communities you serve that sparks ideas of where and how to find new partners?
See?
Past-you may have done current-you a great service with creating a thorough strategic plan for your nonprofit!
Bye bye panic, hello strategic actions
Your actions can now be based on research, your ultimate dream and clear facts on resources needed and their cost.
This will help you go about looking for (funding) partners in a strategic way.
And that will lead to partnerships that can potentially last.
So, make sure that in your biggest stress and panic, you take a moment to look at your strategic plan and let it guide you with facts, plans, inspiration and scenarios.
(And if you don’t have a strategic plan yet, look here and join us!).
How I can help
Check out my Ten Esssential Strategic Documents Your Nonprofit Needs to Have.
You can join my new group coaching programme Strategic Planning for nonprofits if you want to have my help in developing a strategic plan for your nonprofit. We’ll take 12 weeks to go through 12 steps of visioning, researching & analysing and planning, so you’ll be READY for 2024!
Want to know more and ask questions?
If you want to discuss this more – jump into my nonprofit support community and get input from a wide range of peers and from myself!
Here is how you can join my free nonprofit support community
You can join my free nonprofit support community on the Heartbeat platform here. This group is a safe space for open exchange and discussion on potentially sensitive topics like boards, nonprofit management, fundraising, etc.
You can visit the community via a browser or via an app. Here is the link to download the Heartbeat chat app in the Google Play store.
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If you want to support me without getting a paid workshop, course or review – you can donate me a coffee and speed up my thinking process!
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