Nonprofits: Stop staffing up

In the nonprofit world, innovation often gets tangled up with buzzwords and vague notions. It's easy to think of it as merely a pursuit of the latest and greatest ideas and technology, but true innovation is much more practical and essential—especially for organizations constantly grappling with limited resources.

The term "innovation" tends to carry a lot of baggage. It's not just about doing something new for the sake of it. Rather, it's about finding meaningful ways to improve performance and impact. Innovation means identifying what isn't being done today and exploring how to push beyond the status quo.

Only if we could hire more people, then we can succeed.

A common obstacle in the nonprofit sector is the scarcity mindset. Nonprofit leaders often find themselves believing that they lack the necessary resources—whether it's funding, staff, or expertise—to pursue new initiatives. This mindset can lead to a sense of helplessness, where the default response to new opportunities is, "We can't do that; our budgets are too tight."

Nonprofit leaders, you aren't alone. For-profits and other sectors also face resource limitations. The key is to shift the focus from what is lacking to what is possible with the resources at hand.

Comfortable With Embracing Resourcefulness?

Make the most of what we have. Is there someone in your organization who has the capability to combine and utilize resources that can lead to remarkable results?

People who utilize "associative thinking", who think holistically, and if trained properly, can have a tremendous impact on how an organization can develop new methods. This approach encourages nonprofits to step outside their usual perspectives and find creative solutions with the tools they already possess. It's about retraining our brains to see potential rather than limitations.

Nonprofit leaders often fall into the trap of believing they need more staff or more funding to achieve their goals. However, starting with the desired outcomes can lead to a different path. Rather than immediately thinking about hiring new staff or securing additional funding, focus on what needs to be achieved. By doing this, organizations can chart a course that makes better use of existing resources.

Are you risk-averse?

Nonprofits tend to be risk-averse, making it challenging to try new things without guaranteed success. However, innovation methods like Purpose Driven Impact (PDI) is an approach that allows organizations to gather audience data like needs and pathways to determine whether a new direction is viable before committing significant resources. The outcomes are predictable and repeatable. Allowing for scaling of the organization's operations.

This mindset allows nonprofits to justify investments in new resources only after proving that a new initiative works and is worth scaling. This method not only mitigates risk but also encourages continuous improvement and learning.

Innovation in nonprofits doesn't always require more resources. It demands a shift in mindset—from perceived scarcity to resourcefulness. By focusing on needs-based outcomes, embracing informed creativity with existing tools, and taking calculated risks, nonprofits can achieve meaningful progress and make a more significant impact without waiting for the perfect conditions.

Innovation is not about having more; it's about doing more with what we have. Let's redefine how we view and pursue innovation in the nonprofit sector.

Stewart Severino