Non-Profit Growth - Start By Asking Big Questions.
The Value of digital transformation and how to start.
Non-Profits have a critical role in our society. They represent the under-represented. They help the marginalized, the hungry, the sick, the lonely, the abused and the needy. They are groups of people that have similar interests, trade organizations, collectors, hobbyists, recreational enthusiasts or groups of professionals. These organizations are made up of people who are passionate about the cause, and through hard work, determination, and the spirit of entrepreneurship, make it happen with the limited resources that are available.
Making it happen is done by facing challenges head-on. The late Jimmy Alford, a pioneer consultant and researcher for Non-Profit organizations, outlined six major challenges in his report of the Non-Profit Analysis which were later validated in a study by the University of Notre dame. They are the following:
Fiscal: Keep the money coming in to keep doing what you are passionate about
Competitive: Differentiating yourself, brand recognition and increasing donor/member engagement
Effectiveness: Establishing measurable goals and demonstrating how these have been accomplished
Infrastructure: Utilizing your resources and available infrastructure to get the best possible outcomes for your organization
Legitimacy: Overcoming negative perceptions
Growth: How to continue growing and increasing positive impacts of the organization
Digital Transformation
Cue Digital Transformation. This term is used to describe a broad range of disciplines and technologies which use digitized data to fundamentally change the way you operate and grow faster than your typical incremental rate. Sometimes it is designed to also create new opportunities. In order to start this evolution, an organization must ask BIG questions:
How can we improve decision-making?
Can we become more efficient?
How can we offer better services/personalization to our members/donors?
This is an opportunity that, if properly executed, can make technology work in a cohesive manner to not only deal with challenges, but excel beyond them. Digital transformation can lead to spending less time with the day-to-day operations and more time furthering the cause. At the end of the day, that’s what it’s all about.
Ask BIG questions.
Questions like this require a deep understanding of the big picture and give rise to follow-up questions like:
What are your organizational objectives?
What technology/process are in place now?
What are your present requirements?
What are your technology requirements?
What are your areas of pain/what are your major challenges?
What are your future requirements?
What kind of experience do you want your members/donors to have?
What kind of experience are your members/donors actually getting?
What is your team spending the most time on, on a day-to-day basis?
All those are derived from just one question, and while the list is not comprehensive, it is a good start. Having this type of information is critical to set the right foundation for a potential transformation. You may find that you have exactly what you need. Or instead of adopting technology, you can modify existing processes to transform your organization. You may also find that there is room for improvement and investments in certain areas will lead to efficiencies and new opportunities in the future. Some organizations utilize the services of a 3rd party which leverage experienced consultants to increase the speed and effectiveness of transformation and provide an unbiased perspective.
So go ahead, ask the BIG questions - you may be surprised where it leads.
In the next article, we will share the methodology and summarized findings from our work with Non-Profit organizations and how that information can be used for your own organization.
How HADII Can Help.
For help with digital transformation and discover how HADII can help your organization, feel free to book a quick discussion with us by clicking here.
