Expert: Nonprofits need to ‘think big’ to tackle today's challenges

• Published date: 01 March 2021
• Date: 01 March 2021
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1002/ban.31218

March 2021 • Volume 37, Number 7 3

DOI 10.1002/ban© 2021 Wiley Periodicals LLC • All rights reserved

Expert: Nonprots need to

‘think big’ to tackle today’s

challenges

Board consultant Gail Perry

argues that 2021 will require a

different approach than many

boards are used to if their orga-

nizations want to thrive in this

chaotic environment.

“Nonprof‌its are living in a dif-

f‌icult environment,” she writes on

her blog.

“The only way to f‌lourish is to

tackle challenges head on. You

and your board have to choose to

focus on the hard stuff. The dif-

f‌icult decisions. The scary risks.”

In that vein, she advises non-

prof‌its to do two critical things:

Think big and opt for action.

“We are not going to change the

world, alleviate suffering, change

our community, f‌ind a cure—by

thinking small,” she writes.

Boards should recognize the

inherent power in a “big, wildly

exciting vision. Because, a big juicy

vision will help attract people—and

f‌inancial resources—to our cause.”

Further, she says, boards

should acknowledge that their or-

ganizations need more than “talk”

out of board members. Instead,

they should focus on the positive

actions they can take. Individual

members should refuse to think

their job is simply to come to

meetings and just offer an opin-

ion, and instead commit to being

proactive in their roles, she said,

by pledging the following:

“I will ask our CEO and staff

how we can help them and what

support they need. I will encourage

a can-do attitude—because that is

what can change the world.”

Lastly, she says nonprof‌its

should refrain from cutting their

fundraising programs.

“If you cut fundraising here is

what will happen:

1. You will lose contact

with your staunchest donor

supporters.

2. The donor newsletter that

you cancelled to save money no

longer keeps donors informed and

feeling connected.

3. Your thank you letters are

going out late and your donors feel

you no longer appreciate them.

4. Your donors will desert you

because they aren’t hearing from

you.”

“Remember, if you have more

money, you can do more good.

More money takes investing in

fundraising revenue streams,”

she said.

That may mean dipping into

reserves or endowments, even,

if needed. For those who argue

that such a step should only be

discussed in emergencies, Perry

points out that the current situ-

ation—after a year of struggling

through a pandemic and no clear

indication yet of it resolving—cer-

tainly qualif‌ies.

For more information

Gail Perry is president of Gail

Perry Associates, a fundrais-

ing and consulting f‌irm serving

the nonprof‌it community based

in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

Perry is also the author of the

best-selling book Fired-Up Fund-

raising: Turn Board Passion into

Action. For more information, visit

https://www.gailperry.com. ■

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