Here are some of the strategies you should consider when starting up a nonprofit for a given cause:
- Engage stakeholders
Like any other business, the first step before settling in a course for your nonprofit is to gather stakeholder views. Every decision must be based on engagement with the stakeholders. Always test ideas and ask the stakeholders how they feel about certain actions within the organization. Stakeholder engagement allows the nonprofit to connect with donors, employees, leaders, clients and the public, and makes the nonprofit relevant and visible. A multi-faceted approach to stakeholder engagement will help you reach different stakeholder groups and maintain a strong community presence.
- Invest in talent and ideas like a venture capitalist
Like a venture capitalist, every nonprofit must go out there and seek bright talent and new ideas in touch with the surrounding. Invest in research anchored in science and develop a relationship with researchers who will help your nonprofit succeed where possible. Actively monitor the progress of the nonprofit and report back to the donors. Donors play a crucial role in funding causes, and organizations must be as transparent as possible. It would be best if you only funded programs with positive outcomes and do not be afraid to end the ones with little impact. Maintain an oversight and accountability and demonstrate results through regular reporting.
- Network to grow
A nonprofit must always grow to new heights and expand its influence just like the for-profits. To get started, you must network with the potential stakeholders as you scale up. Build a relationship with the public, government agencies and employees. Reach people through social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, among others. You cannot grow as a nonprofit if no one knows you. This means you must do all you can to reach the right people in the right places to help you fund and steer your cause.
- Have a strong presence both offline and online
We are living in a connected world where online presence determines the success of a business. Similarly, nonprofits cannot survive the modern competitive world without a concrete online strategy. Therefore, as a leader of a nonprofit, look for the social media platforms that are likely to be used by your target audience and donors and develop a strategy to make your nonprofit and cause known. While developing an online strategy, always know that you will be measured based on the quality of content you post. At the same time, online strategy alone is not enough. Rather, have a strong offline presence so that what you say online can be seen in reality. Train your team to serve donors and other stakeholders well because they are the ones who are required for a nonprofit to operate as it should. Use your online and offline channels to tell compelling stories and share the work that your organization is doing. With this approach, donors will know what their money is doing. This will give them the morale to raise more cash.
