How can you measure your progress in a non-profit career?

It's simple. How many lives are you impacting and what is the ripple effect of those lives being impacted? Don't measure in dollars raised but in lives impacted.

How are you in your non-profit career influencing change? Is the work you're doing affecting and driving your organizations mission in the way is states. Are you innovating ways to serve people within the mission as needs change. Measure your impact through the lens of high quality service and scalability when needed.

Many people are going to give much more polished and professional answers but here are some quirky ways of knowing you are making an impact in your career. Being asked to serve in a leadership role such as a committee or board chair is a sign that you are a recognized leader. Are you asked to serve on a panel or speak as a subject matter expert? All of these are signs of career growth and opportunities to further hone your leadership trajectory. Have you gone from being mentored by others to also having others view you as a mentor? Sometimes it's the intangible honors, recognitions and opportunities for leadership that progress your career.

Measuring progress in your career in the non-profit sector should be based on the mission and financial health of the organization you serve. How have you contributed to achieving the organization's mission? No matter your official title, you can look at your role and find success criteria that push the mission further than it is today.

Hear me out, I believe it would do us well as a society to abandon metrics of career success squarely centered on lives impacted. The NGO community is burned out, infuriatingly under paid at the foundation levels, and severely under resourced. Many without adequate healthcare and retirement plans. A successful career must also include sustainability of impact for the individual.

In my non-profit organization, I consistently seek feedback to ensure that our activities are closely aligned with the needs of the community we serve. This helps us to better support and nurture them, ensuring our efforts are impactful and responsive to their needs.

Set goals for 3-5 years at a time. Look for Mentors that don’t work with you. Take courses on things you may need work on because being a leader means being a generalist - familiarity with governance, evaluation, fundraising, communications and internal things like finance and culture. Ask others how they got jobs you are eyeing.

In my nonprofit leadership journey, I've found that heeding feedback is paramount. It's essential, however, to emphasize that feedback should encompass a 360-degree perspective. Simply listening to superiors is insufficient. Productive insights emerge from attentiveness to subordinates, colleagues, janitorial staff, and even receptionists, extending to the director general, donors, suppliers, and partners. Understanding how the entire organization perceives you enables continuous professional improvement. Inclusivity in feedback fosters a holistic perspective, contributing to a more comprehensive and effective leadership approach.

Tradicionamente en el mundo de las organizaciones empresariales el feedback nos lo brindan lideres, pares, liderados...pero qué interesante sería si trabajas para una causa, poder pedir feedback de aquellas personas que con tu labor se ven impactadas? Lo has pensado?

In my non-profit organization, I consistently seek feedback to ensure that our activities are closely aligned with the needs of the people we serve and determine the goal we need to reach.

Measuring progress in a nonprofit career involves assessing achievements, learning experiences, and impact on the cause. This can include the number of completed projects, increased fundraising, or the attainment of established goals. Additionally, positive feedback from colleagues, superiors, or beneficiaries serves as indicators of progress.

Progress is relative per the organization's goals imbedded in the mission. The progress of the organization is directly linked to the vision and mission upon which the organization strives. What are the timelines drawn to achieve set targets? Is the progress qualitative or quantitative? Hence, the entire organization will need to undergo periodic assessment within and without.

?Qué proyectos has liderado o contribuido significativamente? ?Qué impacto han tenido tus acciones en la comunidad? Mantener un registro organizado te permitirá visualizar tu progreso y celebrar tus éxitos. La historia detras de los logros nos habla de nuestros procesos, aprendizajes, aciertos y desaciertos! Documenta tambien todos los <fracasos- a mi me gusta pensarlos como aprendizajes> que han sido la clave para alcanzar estos logros.

Document achievements like successful legal cases and research findings, alongside challenges faced and strategies employed to overcome them. This record showcases professional growth and informs future actions in advocacy and research roles.

It is very important that you keep statistical data on the programs, communities and staff interactions that are positive to the success of your organization. This will tell you how well specific programs are working, or even how to improve what you do. Keeping data results will help improve on operational, outreach and salary cost within the organization. Keeping statistical data within your organization can let you know whether particular services are working for the community or demographics you serve.

Being of service is often fueled by a helping heart that best serves with applied knowledge and replenishing it (coursework, skills, etc.). To serve others effectively it is key to serve through the best version of yourself and factor in self-care.

For me, it is very important to gather information or knowledge about the the communities in whole and what you and others are working on that may possibly align with your interest. I find that networking, attending workshops, conferences and meeting put you more in touch with many different issues and entities of society in a whole. I enjoy and get motivated after attending a workshop or conference. I can not say enough about networking. I have found networking with individuals in various fields has always been a positive experience, especially here on LinkedIn. Remember, no one know everything so you have to keep an open mind when it comes to networking. The individuals may work in a different field or capacity than you, but you will

In my experience, learning is a never ending exercise that we always need to plan for and indulge in to better ourselves in whatever sector we choose to work in. There are many innovations coming up, new ways of doing things that one needs to upskill to remain relevant as well as offer appropriate services within the non-profit sector. It is important remain aware of what is happening in your areas of work through networking opportunities and subscribing to various journals that keep you a head of the pack when new knowledge becomes available in a field that is relevant to your work.

Siempre hagas lo que hagas no olvides la mejora continua e iterar! Siempre tienes la posibilidad de revisar, mejorar y superarte! Incluso cuando los resultados son buenos, atrevete a reflexionar, tomar aprendizajes, definir que debes mantener, cambiar, o hacer diferente! Toma estas ensenanzas de los principios agiles para tener una actitud aprendiente constante!

It is crucial to establish a firm budget within the organization for solely continuing education and staff development. Most non-profits overlook this because they don't believe the investment is important due to the majority of their staff being volunteer or part-time based. However, how you properly equip and motivate your staff will make-up for the low/free salary due to the staff being driven by passion for the cause and relationships built.

Throughout my tenure in nonprofit management, I've learned the importance of perpetually viewing my career through a lens of constant evolution and self-appreciation. Reflect on personal growth, accumulated knowledge, and the legacy left at each organization. Take pride in your résumé as a testament to overcoming challenges. It's a narrative of resilience and accomplishment. Embracing this perspective fosters continuous improvement and a deep sense of professional fulfillment.

Ao refletir sobre a sua jornada, pense por quais desafios você passou ao longo da sua jornada. Como lidou e/ou superou esses desafios?

While working for a nonprofit for 22 years, it was easy to measure success by the financial successes achieved for the mission. However, that measurement has always been second in my mind, when I reflect on the relationships built, those both on corporate and on participant level. A firm handshake and eye to eye recognition that yes, we support you and your mission, has always been a good measurement that I’ve achieved our mission goal.

Dedica tiempo regularmente para reflexionar sobre tu trayectoria en el ámbito sin fines de lucro. ?Qué aprendizajes has obtenido? ?Qué desafíos has superado? ?Cómo has crecido como profesional y como persona? La auto-reflexión te ayudará a mantenerte enfocado en tus metas y a ajustar tu camino según sea necesario.

Reflecting on my journey as an advocate and research scholar with the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa council, I consider my achievements, learnings, joys, and challenges in both roles. It's been a journey of growth, where I've learned valuable lessons and made meaningful contributions. Through self-reflection, I appreciate my efforts, recognize my value, and plan my next steps in advocacy and research.

I have found it helpful to continuously adjust my plans given the dynamism of the world we live in and the ecosystems we operate from. You cannot get stuck in plans that were made two years ago when the environment has significantly shifted warranting a sudden change on the strategies that are being employed to attack a particular challenge within the non-profit sector. You need to be a good sensor to allow you latitude to move with time and become adapatable to make progress.

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Também é importante avaliar e considerar o contexto em que você está inserido/inserida. Qual é o seu momento de vida atual? O que é possível fazer? O que n?o é possível fazer neste momento? E quando será?

I see the unique challenges of measuring progress in this purpose-driven sector. Unlike the profit-driven world, impact often takes precedence over immediate financial gains, making traditional metrics less applicable. Criticism to Heed : 1. Over reliance on traditional metrics can neglect qualitative impact and lived experiences. 2. Focusing solely on individual progress can overshadow collective organizational achievements. 3. Lack of clear metrics can lead to subjective assessments and hinder accountability. 4. Comparing oneself to others: Each individual and organization progresses at their own pace.

I believe that my success in nonprofit fundraising is found in the longevity and authenticity of my relationships. Many years ago, when I was asked to present on the organization I then represented, I ended my presentation with "please consider giving to XYZ Org and if that is not your passion, give wherever your heart leads you...but please give". I meant it then and I still mean it, today. I will bend over backwards to connect generous people to the causes they care about most. "A rising tide lifts all boats". In supporting one another, in all forms, we will create the change we seek. That is my hope and often what keeps me going.

Lives changed for the good. Non profits are in the business of improving lives by reducing trauma and pain, and improving access to good things. Positive Human impact is the main reason for a non profit to exist for employees and clients served.

I'm big fans of Mother Teresa and one of her quotes is “Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.” It changes my perspectives about everything should do with great acts and great impacts. We often forget that we need love (even greater love) to do those things. I'd love the word "amateur" that originally came from Latin word "amatore" means love. For non-profit career, please consider this : love is foundation of all our acts, then we grow to achieve "contented" instead of "passionate". Good luck and Godspeed!

I worked in the non-profit industry for several years. I went from a high-paying corporate job to a lower paying non-profit job. With that said, it's more important to believe in the work you are doing than to make more money in my opinion. Having your heart full and making new friends who believe in the same values is worth more than money can ever pay.