NonProfit Success Secret

The Secret to Nonprofit Success…

The secret to nonprofit success is not really a secret, but instead, remembering that there is a certain order that your nonprofit needs to be put together to be a success. Many can remember the “internet business crashes” that caused many losses in the technology world. The “internet crash” did not happen because the business ideas were bad ones, but instead, most internet businesses forgot one basic business principal. The principal is it takes money to make money. Many nonprofits fail because of this basic principal. Nonprofits, like any other business, need good stable funding in order to be successful.

In the nonprofit’s case, funding is not as easy as going to the bank and getting a business start-up loan. It takes determination and strategy to find donors and even grants to provide the ongoing donations the nonprofit is going to need to start and maintain their programs. If cultivating this fundraising is done in the beginning then the nonprofit can have the funding to pay salaries and program expenses once it starts and continuing on. Many nonprofits struggle because those that start them work them as a second job as a volunteer, expect everyone else to work as a volunteer, and have to rely daily on donations just to “keep the lights on.”

We will refer to that as a “just enough” mentality and eventually those running this type of nonprofit become weary. More times than not, there comes a time where their is just not enough and the nonprofit dreams have to be abandoned.

Normal Business Strategy

However, there is other way to run a nonprofit rather than the “just enough” strategy, that we will refer to as the “normal business” strategy. In this strategy the nonprofit focuses on establishing a stable funding base before engaging in any programs. Then with good and sustainable funding, the nonprofit can run much like a normal business.

Nonprofits are no different than any other business except for the where the funding comes from. Because funding for a nonprofit comes from donors and grants, it is important to devote concerted time in the beginning on making sure that funding is strong. As the nonprofit begins engaging in its project focus the ability to put concerted time into fundraising will get more challenging. Instead, we recommend nonprofits spending the first 6 months to a year getting their funding stable and ongoing. Then engaging in their projects once they have the funding to run the nonprofit in the clear.

The advantages of this are easily seen. The nonprofit can stay on budget and have all the funds they need to make their first weeks, months, and years an ongoing success instead of questioning whether they have the funds to do the things they need to do. The nonprofit can actually employ, full-time a paid staff rather than its staff be volunteers. This adds to the stability and success of the nonprofit.

Putting the Normal Business Strategy in Place

There is a little formula and then some hard work to getting the nonprofit from the “just enough” mentality to the normal business strategy. The key is to recruit you a team of workers and fundraiser. Before you know it you will have great success.

The first step is getting good looking print material put together so that other people can tell your story with compassion and your image looks enticing. Then a couple of quick and easy fundraising events (which I will help you understand how to put together) and before you know it you will have an army of fundraiser and volunteer program staff.

It is important that you are able to equip everyone you meet with the ability to tell the “story” of your nonprofit. It is imperative that they can tell the story concisely, easily, and compelling. That is where Ocean Grand can help you the best. Ocean Grand has over 25 years of business experience to draw from. We can help you to develop the “story” and the “storyboards”. Then as they do in Hollywood from the storyboards and script you will make the “movie”. No you are not going to actually make a movie but I use that terminology so that you will understand the concept of what we are doing.

For example, when you go see a great movie, you recommend it to others and you might even purchase the DVD because you want to “own” that story. It is the same with nonprofit work we need for people to see your “movie or story” then want to recommend it to others and even own a copy of the story. Then we need to give those people as many copies of the “movie” to give away to others.

The good news is you don’t have to make a movie the most you have to do is put together a great image, print material, and online materials. Then you set up some small fundraising events, since we are using movie terminology, let’s call them “premiers”. In the “premiers” we are going to tell the story, show them the story, and then give them compelling copies of the story so that they can tell everyone else.

It’s not who you know that may be your biggest and best supporters. It is who they know. However you will never get to those “3rd degree’ (6 levels of separation) people unless those that you know can tell your story concisely, compelling and with passion.

Ocean Grand’s Help with the Story

At Ocean Grand we know how to get your story into a form that others can retell with conviction and passion.
At the very least you need:

1. A great logo that people will remember and love
2. Professionally designed and printed business cards that look great and continue to tell the story
3. Professionally designed and printed brochures that look great and tell the story
4. Letterhead and Envelopes Professionally designed and printed
5. A simple website that looks like all the other items above and tells the story complete with online giving.

Additional things that will help is:

1. Possibly a presentation folder Professionally designed and printed along with a great introduction letter.
2. Lastly, an interactive PDF that tells everything including details information that can be easily emailed.

With an arsenal like this you will look successful (people like to give and be involved in things that are already successful) and be ready to equip your army with the tools they need to retell your story.  Usually only successful organizations have the tools above because after years of struggling they figured out they needed them and found the finances to put them together.

With this arsenal we can guide you how to put together a couple quick, easy, and highly effective events (they don’t even have to be large) and you will be off.  It is highly possible (we have done it several times) where your first event can bring in $30K in one night and within a year or less your organization has brought in $100K in donations.

However, you have to get this first part right.  You have to equip others with the ability to tell your story every time they meet someone.

We will do all the work on putting your arsenal together.  The more of the items above that you can start off with the better.  The first 5 are essential.

The fantastic news for you is that we love nonprofits and give them up to a 50% discount on all this work.  This image branding for profit companies costs an arm and a leg but we give the discount to nonprofits because we know you don’t have a lot of money to burn.

Getting On to Business

Once your funds are ongoing and stable the rest of making your nonprofit successful will be a lot easier.  With project funds secured and a well paid staff the task of actually doing the work of your nonprofit project will be a lot more fun and fulfilling for everyone involved.  Putting a nonprofit together is stressful and with limited funding the stress can be overwhelming.  However, with good and ongoing funding out of the way, less time is needed to maintaining a constant source of funds and grants.  A little fundraiser here and a grant there coupled with the ongoing funding you already have keeps your nonprofit running like a normal business and not one in desperation.  It does not do a nonprofit any good to have a great program without the funds to make it run right.

It is never too late in your nonprofit endeavor to go back to the beginning and start your nonprofit off right.  We would love to help you make the impact in a nonprofit way that you have always dreamed of.

So you see it is not really a secret but common sense.  Others want to be part of charitable work that looks and is successful, you just need to provide the image and cause in a good looking and informative package.  We spend our days helping nonprofits all over the world put their dreams into digital stories and we can start working with you on yours today.  What are you waiting for?