The pandemic tested the resilience of nonprofit organizations and the generosity of their supporters. With more people to help but the amount of resources available becomes limited, it can be tricky to carry out your mission. Your priority during these difficult times could be raising enough money. But if cash reserves continue to dwindle, then it only means there is so much work to do within your organization.
Sometimes, the best thing for a nonprofit to work out is to reimagine your organization. Here’s why the pandemic is the perfect time to do this:
You are Not Raising Enough Money
Even nonprofits require enough cash flow to operate. But then, some nonprofit leaders are having a hard time raising cash during the crisis. Some are ashamed to reach out to donors while others who did ask for donations are doing it wrong.
If you fail to raise donations despite your efforts, then it is one clear indication that you need to change something in your organization. This could include the way you market your nonprofit, how you handle the current crisis, and what you do to keep your members engaged.
For example, you only ask for donations on regular websites like GoFundMe, Facebook, Instagram, and through your website. But know that there are many alternatives to crowdfunding sites and social media. The more sites you showcase your nonprofit, the better your chances of exposing your organization to local supporters.
You Haven’t Updated Your Structure Since the Pandemic
Your personal practices can dictate whether your people will stay loyal to the organization. When was the last time you checked if your practices are still relevant and equitable? Did you ever have the chance to discuss the changes in personnel policies after you made more time to plan urgent issues?
It is crucial that nonprofits should still act like a business in terms of their business model. Your staff deserves proper compensation and needs to know exactly what your personnel structure is. You need to ensure these reflect your nonprofit’s core values and make your people feel like they are your most important asset.
Your Nonprofit Is No Longer Standing Out
Before, your nonprofit really stood out from the crowd. Even when similar other organizations exist, your nonprofit always makes it to the top. This enabled you to get the most donations and recognition.
But now, you are having a hard time setting your organization apart from other nonprofits. They are getting more attention and funding. The reason could lie in their creativity in marketing their organization.
For instance, you don’t highlight the services you are most proud of on different sites. You make use of the same slides to showcase your mission and the same tone for every advertisement. It only becomes a must that you make use of creative tactics and find your unique selling point if you want to be noticeable during these trying times.
Find ways to make your nonprofit look and feel relevant. Be sure to clarify your mission and carve your nonprofit in a valuable way. Give your people more reasons to choose your organization despite the number of nonprofits existing in your community.
Your Nonprofit Is Not Yet Mobile-Friendly
It is no secret that today’s consumers spend more time on mobile. We are so dependent on smartphones that we do virtually everything with them. We use this to connect, browse the internet, buy the things we want, and even support the organizations we believe in.
The pandemic accelerated people’s dependency on smartphones. As we shelter in place, we can no longer live without such gadgets. This gives nonprofits the opportunity to get closer to people, spread awareness, and gain more support.
If you haven’t mobile-optimized your nonprofit’s efforts just yet, then it only makes sense to do this now. You can start by prioritizing the following elements.
- Accept a mobile-friendly payment system
- Ensure email campaigns are mobile-optimized
- Invest in your very own mobile app
- Make your website mobile-friendly
- Mobile-optimize all of your videos and images
- Leverage text messaging to drive action
- Simplify online forms for those who wish to sign up for newsletters or wants to be a member
- Avoid pop-ups, specialized plug-ins, and overusing JavaScript in your website
- Maintain your mobile-optimized website and app and keep these running at all times
It may seem that these difficult times will only drag on for more months. But remember that you started your nonprofit for a good cause. If you lose hope now just because things are not going your way, think about what will happen to your staff and the causes you support. Think about the people who have so much to give to the community. You have so much more to give and help, and reimagining your organization can be the key to your impending success.