Five Tips for Nonprofit Leaders To Drive Growth During the Pandemic

On a global scale, COVID-19 not only impacted everyday life, national economies, and business but spurred change within the nonprofit field. A change that brought with it the catalyst for innovation at a speed I have never witnessed after 20 years in the field.

In the face of an unprecedented pandemic, nonprofit leaders are proving, yet again, that they are resilient and adept. At the Parkinson’s Foundation, we evolved our programs and resources to help the Parkinson’s disease (PD) community adapt to a world where social distancing and quarantine became the norm.

Still, 96.5 percent of nonprofits reported being negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a Charities Aid Foundation of America survey. The question remains, how do we continue to lead in a way that drives growth and furthers our respective missions? In response to overcoming the pandemic’s impact among nonprofits, I outline five tips to help leaders galvanize their teams and utilize these new approaches.

1. Be clear about your vision and mission objectives, and ensure your revenue is sufficient to accomplish your goals.

There are infinite ways to advance your mission, but implementation relies on resources. Revenue generation is critical, and every nonprofit CEO should be actively and continually fundraising. For the Parkinson’s Foundation, which provides resources, education, and funding for research, that meant increasing our asks for donations and making virtual fundraising more accessible for our community.

2. Show others that your vision and approach are worthwhile.

Building consensus is the key to collaboration. Without unity your team will be reluctant to work with you or work to find ways around you. Showing fellow leadership staff that your vision and approach are worthwhile gets them on board early in the process and more likely to support your idea and help you see it through.

3. Listen to your community.

At the Parkinson’s Foundation, we are a leader in constituent and patient engagement. Prior to my time at the Foundation, I saw the “top-down” approach repeatedly fail. If you ask your community what they want and need, rather than make assumptions, their response can surprise you and lead you to better programs. Listen and help them meet their unmet needs to show that your organization is bringing value to its community.

4. Learn from your mistakes.

As nonprofit leaders, we often find ourselves in situations where there is no plan and the team turns to you to move the organization forward. In those situations, be willing to take risks and make mistakes. If you are afraid of failure, you will never have the chance to succeed. Most importantly, communicate possible pitfalls with your team and do not point fingers when things go wrong.

5. Create new bold and achievable initiatives (on limited to no budget).

 Nonprofit leaders who are shifting and adapting during the pandemic, but also innovating and taking risks will reap the rewards. Putting this tip in practice, in the beginning of COVID-19, the Parkinson’s Foundation learned that our constituents quickly lost access to in-person Parkinson’s-tailored exercise programs and support groups ― both critical to symptom management. In response, the Parkinson’s Foundation launched PD Health @ Home to provide our constituents with a virtually based program that served their at-home needs. Was there a plan pre-pandemic? No. Did we listen to our community and meet a new need? Yes, and the feedback remains unanimously positive.

I want to thank Adam Mendler for sharing my lessons in leadership which inspired this post. See the original story here.

John L. Lehr leads the Parkinson's Foundation as President & Chief Executive Officer with more than two decades of nonprofit fundraising and management experience and a strong focus in the voluntary healthcare and medical research sectors.