We all have read the numerous articles, blogs, and news reports on how hard the recession has impacted the non-profit community, especially in organization’s ability to fundraise and maintain sustainable operations. Board members and executive staff are often scrambling to identify strategies and tactics to at the very least secure payroll, and after payroll is secured, identifying ways to secure the operating budget. We discussed some of these issues in an earlier article in review of getting back to the basics in response to this rebounding, yet very conservative economic climate.

The ominous cloud of economic recession, however, does have a silver lining; but to find it, non-profits must embrace creativity, efficiency, and branding while looking for new opportunities created by the recession. In fact, these strategies are similar to those used in for-profit organizations and with excellent results. You may be encouraged to know that a study done by the Kauffman Foundation [year and link if available] found that more than half of today’s Fortune 500 companies were founded during a recession or a bear market.

Creativity:

Could creativity be one of the reasons why so much success has been born out of recession? If necessity is the mother of invention, then we have to ask what made the necessity in the first place. In a recession, needs rise as resources seemingly fail and this combination always necessitates change – the breeding ground for creativity. For non-profits organizations, creativity can be fostered throughout the organization. How are you creatively engaging individuals to not only participate in your events, but also support your programs and mission? Perhaps a parent and child event–cultivating current and future patrons, could deepen your organization’s connections with your constituents. A few of individuals may become sustaining or major donors of your work. Another idea is to perhaps reach out to local business to see if they have nonprofit pro-bono services that will allow them to positively augment your capacity while fulfilling their community service mandate. If you have board members with diverse professional affiliations, they can be of assistance in cultivating a corporate pro-bono support relations.

Changes in the economy may actually open opportunities for your organization to creatively strengthen its capacity, develop useful evaluation templates, and create more authentic relationships with your constituents. These are all useful strategies to establish sustainable practices. “There’s no question that the downturn has been a catalyst for encouraging people to think differently,” says Bruce Boyd, Managing Director of Arabella Philanthropic Investment Advisors… “This is driving a period of experimentation by nonprofits and by donors that will serve us well over the next number of years,” Boyd says.

Efficiency:

In the midst of this recession, there are rapid changes in tools and resources available to non-profits, such as inexpensive social media marketing options or lower costs of services provided by your vendors as they compete to survive as well. Analyze your fundraising efforts to determine which tactics are generating the highest return. You should have a command not only on what’s working and what isn’t-but also what’s working well and what’s producing mediocre results. . Efficient opportunities may be born out of collegiate, public, and private partnerships, creating and implementing clear accountability and reporting flow charts, and other opportunities to complement your mission. Efficient operations will position you to implement strong programs and best fulfill your mission.

Branding:

Can you succinctly articulate your organizational brand? How do your stakeholders (community served, funders, board members, partners, etc.) perceive your organization? If asked, would they all say the same thing? And in fact, when was they last time you conducted an extensive survey? And, whatever the answer is to this question, are your programs, staff, and even board representing this perception profile?

Ensuring that you are shaping the general perception and uniqueness of your organization in the community is critical when the individuals and partners you need to support your organization are becoming more selective and conservative with their resources. Brand clarity will help you connect to the people who share your values, and thus committed to supporting your sustainability.

Final Thoughts . . .

Though the recession has forced organizations to become more vigilant and innovative in maintaining its operations, that vigilance may be the best thing that happened to shore up the organization’s long-term sustainability. So, with that said, where does your organization stand? Have you developed strategic and creative responses to sustain your operations in this conservative market? We’d love to hear from you.

Author Bio: Yancey Arts Consulting’s goal is to help organizations first achieve sustainable practices and the establish a plan to Move Beyond Sustainability with growth revenue strategies. Their website is at http://www.yanceyconsulting.com

Category: Business
Keywords: recession, nonprofits