Happy New Year! Goodbye 2019; we’re now in the roaring 20s!
Of course, with a new year comes a slew of new year’s resolutions, goals, and big ideas for your non-profit (along with a ton of new pressure to make this the BEST YEAR EVER).
This year…
You WILL find new donors.
You WILL double the amount of fundraising dollars you get.
You WILL plan triple the number of successful fundraising events you plan this year (and they’ll be better than the last).
You WILL create 3 new revenue sources, hire 5 new employees, and recruit 27 new volunteers.
Of course, you can do it (although maybe not all in one year). All you need is a strategic plan.
Think Bigger
I recently attended an event where Canadian businesswoman and entrepreneur Arlene Dickenson was a guest speaker. During her speech, she said, “Dream bigger. You never know what you’re capable of.”
And while I agree, I also believe it’s important to be realistic and set SMART goals: These are goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-based.
As great as your aspirations are, you might not be able to accomplish everything in just one year.
Instead, think bigger. After all, 2020 is just one tiny, little year. And when you’re working in the trenches day in and day out, it can seem like no change is occurring or it isn’t happening fast enough when you’re only looking a few months ahead.
Instead of only thinking about what you’ll accomplish in 2020, think five or 10 years down the road. What do you want your non-profit to have accomplished in that time?
Create a Strategic Plan
New year’s resolutions and long-term visions are great. It’s a good idea to plan out the years ahead and determine what you want your non-profit to accomplish.
To increase your chances of success, though, it’s important to come up with a game plan for how you’ll accomplish them. That’s where your strategic plan comes into play. It’ll allow you to think through your goals and discover the best way to achieve them. But here is the danger: Many strategic plans have lofty goals and detailed tactics. With a big gab in between.
So once you’ve settled on a long-term vision, SMART goals, and a strategic plan, you can then start to work backwards and consider the detailed steps you need to take this year and the next to ensure you’re on the right path.
Identify Obstacles That Will Prevent You from Attaining Your Vision
You don’t want to get tripped up on your path to success, so it’s important to think of the obstacles that might stand in your way of attaining your vision.
While budget, human resources, and outdated technology might be at the top of your list as to why you might not be able to take your non-profit to the next level (and you might have a point), you should also consider your own beliefs, too.
Often, we fail not because we aren’t capable of accomplishing a goal but because of our beliefs.
For example:
- You might think that your non-profit doesn’t deserve to be successful (that’s just crazy).
- You might have a subconscious belief that you’re not good enough (even crazier).
- You might even have a preset belief that you need to do everything yourself, which can stop you from getting the fundraising, branding, and marketing for non-profit expertise you need to reach your goals.
You’ll have to dive deep to determine what limiting beliefs are REALLY holding you back.
Discover Who You Need to Be to Reach Your Vision and Fulfill Your Strategic Plan
Now it’s time to reprogram your mindset, so you can help your non-profit reach its fullest potential.
How the heck do you do that?
Well, start by asking yourself these questions:
- What kind of person can successfully achieve this vision?
- What qualities do you need to adopt to be the right person to accomplish that long-term vision?
- What type of help will you need to meet your goals (because we can’t do everything alone)?
Be the Visionary for Your Non-Profit
When you stop living year to year, you can start to see the bigger picture. And when you do that, you can start to see the massive impact you can actually have on the world, the steps you need to take to accomplish your vision, and the beliefs you need to change to succeed.
There are big things coming in your future. I’d love to be a part of it. If you need help with marketing for non-profit, book a strategy call with me today.
About the Author
Kerstin Heuer s a branding marketing consultant and founder of Non-Profit Today. Since 2008, she has used the trifecta of branding, marketing, and design to help nonprofits communicate the heart of their organization, connect with their audiences, and achieve their missions. With over 25 years of industry experience and lessons learned from work on 500+ non-profit projects, Kerstin is skilled in collaborating with NPOs to make sure they have a clear message and the traction they need to spread it. Connect with her on LinkedIn or email her at kerstin@non-profit.today.
