When you set out to improve your organization or yourself for that matter the simplest place to start is with a goal. As I visit with more and more non-profits I find that they often don’t. I am not sure what that is about, but I think that this is one place that a non-profit organization can truly learn from a for-profit business. Successful sales programs and salespeople are always thinking of their goal. My first job out of college was at a major publisher of lifestyle magazines where I learned this first hand. Publishers and account execs were living and dying by these monthly numbers, they were posted on the walls and talked about in a public forum on a daily basis. It was nearly impossible not to know how much revenue each person was responsible for bringing in at any given time.
Own the Goal, Non-Profits. Own the Goal.
Now, to think that this would ever be the culture at a non-profit is well, (thankfully) unrealistic. However, setting a goal no matter how big or small and clearly communicating that goal to any and all people who could possibly impact the initiative (team members, volunteers, board members, event chairs) will surely help move a fundraising initiative along.
Goals Aren’t Always About Money
Sometimes goals are less lofty than doubling last year’s donations at the annual gala. Small goals can be established to increase the effectiveness of occasional fundraising and marketing initiatives. Perhaps one of your goals is to increase “entry level” memberships. This goal goes hand-in-hand with building awareness for the organization.
So, Break it Down
Consider that goal and then think about how you can break it down into more manageable pieces. For example, I recently ran an email marketing campaign wherein the client and I considered the overall goal of broadening our donor base but instead we set a small but realistic goal of increasing the number of social shares. In changing our focus to a smaller goal we were able to have laser focus on that one call to action, in turn increasing social shares. The jury is still out on whether or not new lower level donors will be breaking down our door, but this approach is generally how slow and steady wins the race.
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