How can non-profits measure and improve organizational resilience?

1 What is organizational resilience?

Organizational resilience is the capacity of a non-profit to anticipate, respond, and learn from disruptions, shocks, and opportunities, while maintaining or improving its performance and impact. It is not just about surviving or bouncing back, but also about growing and innovating. Organizational resilience depends on many factors, such as leadership, culture, strategy, governance, resources, systems, processes, and stakeholder relationships.

3 How to measure organizational resilience?

Measuring organizational resilience can be challenging, as it is a complex and dynamic concept that varies across contexts and dimensions. However, there are some frameworks and tools that can help non-profits assess their level of resilience and identify their strengths and weaknesses. For example, the Resilience Alliance offers a self-assessment tool that covers six domains of resilience: awareness, diversity, self-regulation, integration, adaptation, and learning. The tool provides a score and a report for each domain, as well as suggestions for improvement.

4 How to improve organizational resilience?

Improving organizational resilience requires a holistic and continuous approach that involves all levels and aspects of the non-profit. To enhance their resilience, non-profits should develop a clear and shared vision, mission, and values that guide their decisions and actions. It is also important to foster a culture of trust, collaboration, and empowerment that encourages creativity, innovation, and risk-taking. Aligning the strategy, goals, and objectives with resources, capabilities, and environment is also key. Additionally, effective governance and accountability mechanisms must be established to ensure transparency, participation, and feedback. Moreover, building diverse and flexible teams that can leverage their skills, knowledge, and networks is essential. Implementing robust and agile systems and processes can support the non-profit's operations and activities. Engaging with stakeholders regularly and openly is also important to build strong relationships. Monitoring and evaluating performance using relevant data is also necessary. Finally, learning from successes and failures can help the non-profit improve its practices and policies.

5 What are some examples of resilient non-profits?

There are many examples of resilient non-profits that have demonstrated their ability to adapt, recover, and thrive in challenging situations. For instance, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) responded to the COVID-19 pandemic by rapidly shifting its programs and services to meet the urgent needs of the most vulnerable populations, while also ensuring the safety and well-being of its staff and volunteers. The IRC also leveraged its digital platforms and partnerships to reach and support more people, and to advocate for more funding and resources. Another example is the Wikimedia Foundation, the non-profit behind Wikipedia and other free knowledge projects. The Wikimedia Foundation has maintained and enhanced its resilience by fostering a global and diverse community of contributors, donors, and partners, who share its vision and values. The Wikimedia Foundation has also invested in its technology, infrastructure, and governance, to ensure the quality, reliability, and accessibility of its projects.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?