Inflexible nonprofits lead to ineffective nonprofits

More than a decade ago I was serving as the Director of Development for a shelter for homeless women. During my time there not once did I see the shelter near its capacity. In fact, the majority of the time it was the home to one woman who also served as the facility’s janitor.

One of our winters was brutal. Heavy snows, penetrating winds, and temperatures that frequently fell below zero, it was the kind of winter that you would expect to fill shelters... but, not this one.

On one of those frigid mornings I received a call from one of the nonprofit’s top donors. She was well-known in the region, and highly regarded. She told me of a local family who had suffered a foreclosure and was now homeless and living out of their van. The father, mother, daughter, and two sons -- one who was attending the local university, had been surviving in the family’s vehicle for almost two weeks before the donor found out about their plight. The donor asked me if the organization that she generously supports would provide this family shelter until they were able to find a more long-term solution to their homelessness. 

"Of course it will!" I answered… Boy, was I wrong!

I first explained the family’s situation to the caseworkers on staff. Their response was startling as they told me that the nonprofit’s funding sources only allow the shelter to accept women and children under the age of seventeen. I began to argue with the caseworkers telling them that the shelter had plenty of rooms available while the family has been surviving in this life-threatening cold. They told me to take it to the nonprofit's Founder and Executive Director. So, I did. Her answer was a stern, "No, we can't give families with adult males shelter. We are a women's shelter!"

Even with having most of the private rooms available, the boss would not bend. And I had to call the donor to tell her that this homeless family couldn't stay in the shelter after all. The donor could not believe what she was hearing. Needless to say, that day she became a former donor. I could only imagine what she may be telling others in her circle of influence.

I am sorry to say that over the course of my more than 33 years working with nonprofits to improve their fundraising, programs and services, I have witnessed this sort of thing over and over again – nonprofits that get themselves hamstrung to conditions and rules, typically set by government agencies and institutional funding sources, that keep them from being able to do their jobs. Sometimes it’s the nonprofit’s founder or CEO who puts the limits on whom the nonprofit can help. Once those conditions and rules are spoken or written, it becomes an easy excuse for the caseworkers to not stretch a bit to help someone who is in need. It is also a morale buster for staff and volunteers, and can lead to donor apathy. Because most Board members only know what they read or hear in monthly reports at Board meetings, they aren’t aware that this is happening. Similarly, the donors only know what they read in newsletters, direct mail appeals and thank you letters. How do you suppose most of them would answer if asked whether or not the nonprofit should rescue this homeless family from living in their vehicle in the middle of winter?

Nonprofits – and I mean all nonprofits, need to be looking for reasons to serve their cause even more… not less. If it’s humanitarian work that you do, don’t be afraid to help someone who doesn’t live within your “service delivery area.” If your Mission is to rescue stray and abused dogs, find the space to shelter and find homes for cats when needed. If the nonprofit’s work is to clean and protect the lake shore, send a group of your volunteers to assist another agency with picking up trash in a local park. Dare I go on?

When you free your nonprofit from its man-made boundaries to do what is good and right, you will find that more people and businesses will want to join you in the giving of their time and treasure. In essence, you will be freeing them to do what is good and right as well.