You’re starting out in nonprofit leadership. What are the most important things to consider?

The most important thing, truly, is to not go broke. The majority of nonprofits run at a deficit, and many fold after just a few years. I highly recommend finding an excellent grantwriter aligned with your mission, give them every detail you can think of about what you want to accomplish, work with them to establish measurements and benchmarks that will appeal to funders, and do whatever you can to keep up a long term relationship with them. Always focus on growing both financially and in mission, and you will succeed.

As you embark on your journey in nonprofit leadership, the most important thing to consider is understanding your mission. This is the foundation of your organization and it should guide every decision you make. It's essential that you have a clear, compelling mission that resonates with both the team and the audience you're serving. Remember, a well-defined mission not only provides direction but also helps to motivate your team, attract volunteers and donors, and make a meaningful impact in the community you serve.

One of the most important things to consider when starting out in the nonprofit world is understanding your personal talents and gifts and knowing how to use them to further the mission of the organization. There are many functions of a successful nonprofit and every role is important.

A non-profit organization's mission statement is fundamental, acting as a beacon that guides its activities and decision-making processes. It succinctly communicates the organization’s purpose and goals to stakeholders, including volunteers, donors, and the communities they aim to assist, ensuring a unified direction and understanding. This clarity in purpose is essential for aligning resources and efforts towards achieving impactful outcomes, especially in sectors where resources are scarce but the needs are great. Moreover, a compelling mission can inspire engagement and support, drawing in both volunteers and funders who share the organization's values and objectives.

I urge organizations to revisit with their mission periodically. Put it on the agenda on board meetings for example to ensure that your operations match your mission. Some organization have retreats and include the mission statement as a major agenda item. Occasionally organizations update the wording of the mission for clarity, brevity and communications.

Start by bringing on people who have a similar interest and will add value. They may not be 100% on board with your ideas. However, if they add value and have experience and are willing, then bring them on board. You can add experienced individuals to the board. Bring on volunteers to key positions within the organization. Start by reviewing national strategies from national bodies and those from UN agencies and other NGOs. Start engaging with national clusters and grassroots. Once you're there, start reaching out to people on the ground.

Know your mission. Make goals and go forward with your mission. Just keep pushing. Just keep pushing. I really hope it works out. I have a very difficult goal within a very difficult country and population. It’s my dream it’s always been my dream and it’s so hard because I can’t share it with others. But I have a mission and those that need to know want to help me push for the sky.

Building your network is the one of the most vital aspects when starting your nonprofit. Using LinkedIn to connect and chat with potential donors, associates or even volunteers will bridge that gap of uncertainty we are all bound to face sooner or later.

An example of building your network is delegating the vision to others who also believe in the mission. People have relationships and networks that you may not have and having the humility to entrust staff and board members to reach out is essential to sustainability and growth.

Not only is it important to build your network within your own nonprofit, but it is also essential to network with other nonprofits and nonprofit leaders. There are a number of nonprofit associations that offer invaluable insights, advice and guidance on nonprofit leadership. There are several outstanding organizations for the nonprofit sector available on LinkedIn!

In the beginning, funding will be quite challenging (for most non-profits). So try to get volunteers. You may try to do everything, but that is quite difficult. Find experts who want to help out and are willing to do it pro-bono. You can also sharpen your skills in some issues such as proposal development, financial management, and public outreach. As much as you may develop your skills, you still need other people. So work on that. You may also ask others to help you know things. Ask NGO leaders who got there before you for advice.

People who expect to open an NGO and be able to achieve financial sustainability are in for a surprise. It does not happen until you have passed some time. You will need to pour in from your own pocket in the beginning. Remember, it is a non-profit. There is no equity in non-profit financial accounting. They are called "Net Assets". That is for a reason. You must understand the difference between grants and contributions. You might face legal issues. You might not be able to juggle between your job and your non-profit. Just don't give up. Take your time. Breath and work steadily. Set realistic targets and work on achieving them.

You will be wearing many hats. Classify and track your time spent as a leader, a manager, and an operator/frontline staff. Report this back to yourself frequently, especially early on.

Balancing priorities is key in this venue. You need to know what is important to attend to, and what can be put on the backburner. When do you yourself need to get engaged in an event and when to have others do it. This all comes down to planning. It also goes back to having the right people on board. Bring people to help you. Work with other organizations. Don't try to do everything at the same time. Because you are starting a non-profit, you will need a source of income. Make sure you have one or have sufficient savings.

Be as idealistic as possible, but never lose touch with the reality of what factors impact your org, both internal and external. Financial acumen is paramount. A big part of your job will be reconciling the gap between your mission and your funding. That doesn't mean becoming a penny pincher; in fact, trying to cut costs will harm your agency more often than not. Rather, invest strategically in your people, your operational capacity, and your fundraising in order to maximize outcomes. Have a strategic plan in place, a plan that incorporates financial strength, and most importantly, build the structures and systems needed to transform your strategy into tangible achievements.

It’s important that your team knows you’re there for the good of the organization and you want everyone in it to succeed. In my experience this is done best by observing your surrounding and figuring out what the status quo is before you start making changes. If you’re like me though, you want to start making changes on day 1. But if you’ll do the harder work of being patient, learning who the gatekeepers are, and earning the trust of the team, you’ll maximize your eventual efforts. If you come in like a wrecking ball, no matter how evident it is to you that it may be necessary, you’ll meet resistance at every turn. If you do the hard work first, you’ll have plenty of champions bought into your vision who will help you propel it forward.

People who work for non-profits generally have a sense of purpose - they are mission-driven. Inspiring them can come from connecting the work to the impact it contributes to. In the private sector we look at what we do in terms of the benefit to our company. In non-profit it helps to focus on the impact to constituents and communities. It’s why they work there. Lean into it.

In the non-profit sector we are more likely to be driven by motivators such as justice and empathy (to name but a few). That's the same for staff and leaders. This, alongside mission driven work, can lead to an environment of 'people pleasing'. As a leader it's important to remember that most of the time, someone will not agree with you or not like your choices. Your challenge is to apply critical thought to your actions to ensure that you are making the right decisions for your organisation and the situation. Communicating these openly will help even when others might not agree. "Winning" isn't everybody liking you. Although I'm not suggesting we should try to make people dislike us!

Often nonprofits are excellent at bringing in funding and building relationships; however, the beginning fundamentals at the start are missed. It’s essential to start right by building out the organization, such as, but not limited to: hiring, Accounting and management softwares, relevant permits and/or licenses, etc. By beginning with the proper staffing, organizational structure and management you’ll see the fruit of starting out properly.

-Mission and expectations should be transparent to all involved, but compartmentalize and never let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. Each Team Member must focus on their own responsibilities, tasks and duties. -Show gratitude by rewarding individuals according to their interests. -Education/Professional Growth should be current, relavent and meaningful. -Embracing challenges should be constant and ongoing. -Be flexible and fluid to re-examine/re-evaluate priorities and tasks, as needed. -Be creative and facilitate inspiration, instead of being a controlling Boss. -Allow others to display their creativity as time and resources will allow. Contributions could motivate Team Members to “buy-in” and visa-versa. Amen!!!