TAKING A LEAF FROM FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS

A study made by Forbes Nonprofit Council revealed that non-profits and for-profits
organizations, although essentially different in their purpose, may learn a thing or two from each
other. While the purpose of a non-profit is too give back to the community, a for-profit business
aims to create profit for distribution to its shareholders. Despite this difference, there are some
things non-profits can emulate from the practices of any business in the for-profit arena. The
following are the practices identified by the Council.

First is communicating face-to-face. Because of the advent of technology, it has become

very easy to communicate today, without the need for a meeting in person. Sending emails, texts
and remote working made communicating possible with just a flick of your fingers. Though this
mode of communication is efficient, it is proven by study that the level of understanding and
engagement among the parties involved is considerably higher when people meet face to face.
This does not mean that the parties must be in the same room. A meeting through video
conference interface shall be sufficient.

The second practice is to have flexible plans and goals. Generally, nonprofits prepare an
annual budget and strategic plan. But, having rigid plan and goals are problematic since
opportunities may arise unexpectedly throughout the years. That is why nonprofits would benefit
if they can adjust goals quarterly. You must review your progress and adjust your goals
accordingly, every quarter.

One of the problems of nonprofit organizations is delayed response. This is due to the
fact that organizational acts need the approval of various committees which require them to
conduct meetings for months before moving forward. Delayed response to important
opportunities and needs is a critical mistake for nonprofits. Deeply layered nonprofit
organizations must be avoided and lean and empowered teams must be created to make quick
and strategic decisions.

Kelly Ann Romanych of Veterans Legal Institute said that the individual is powerful in
communicating the right information to the right people at the right time. That is why another
practice that non-profits must do is to focus also on building relationships between people and
individuals.

Assessment of the performance of the projects is also an important practice to carry out.
As a non-profit, it is your task to keep track of the performance of every project and make sure
that donations you receive are being utilized to achieve the core purpose of your organization. To
do this, you may use metrics and analytics. Remember that you are accountable for all the
donations you receive. Make sure that they are properly used so that your donors will be satisfied
knowing that their donations made a positive difference. Making an assessment may be made
simple by using a dashboard. Use a color-coded dash board to mark the goals which you
achieved. This way, every department or unit of your organization will be reminded of your
goals yet to be achieved and those goals which you have already accomplished.

Another practice is to be proactive when it comes to searching for talent. Posting

available positions or merely waiting for applications have been the practice of most non-profits.
However, in order to keep up with the competition, nonprofits must take a leaf from for-profits
by employing a more proactive approach in recruiting professionals who are suitable for their
needs.

Lastly, nonprofits must act immediately. Do not wait until everything is perfect before
you start moving. Nonprofits tend to wait until all the information is in before acting. That is
wrong. With the little information you have, you must already act and focus on that instead of
wasting your time waiting for everything to be complete and perfect.