Nonprofit organizations more interested in ideas than plans

Most nonprofit organizations that I work very efficiently and business the same way, so I hesitate to criticize the hardworking people in this area. But there is a tendency in many non-profit organizations to search for rapid and short-term results rather than to develop and stick to a strategic plan. Some results of research I came across this observation support.

According to Overture, there were about 25,000 searches last month for the term "fundraising idea" and another 5000 or so searches for related terms such as "school fundraising idea" or "sports fundraising idea." On the other hand, the term "fundraising plan" has been tried only about 350 times, with another 100 or so searches for related terms.

Compare this to the research made by enterprises or individuals interested in the business. The term "business plan" was searched 66,000 times and the term "business idea" was only searched 11,000 times. Based on these numbers would seem that many more people in business are interested in a more than just an idea. People in non-profit organizations or charities seem to be more interested in ideas of plans.

You can not draw too many conclusions from a single observation and to be honest, there are a lot of small nonprofit organizations that only need an idea for an event or something to make a few bucks. But I believe that this observation should also do the managers of nonprofit organizations are asking how long the members of their staff, volunteers and board spend trying to come up with or imitate the last great idea, and how much time they spend in strategic planning.

Strategic planning for a nonprofit organization can be complicated. There may be historical reasons, the traditions and values ​​of the founders to consider when making decisions that may preclude some fundraising options. The reaction of the community and relationships with government and key donors like the United Way may need to take into account. Some volunteers strong will can exert undo influence on the organization. The priorities of the CEO can not include the development of the fund.

Despite these complexities, a nonprofit organization should still be able to determine a long term vision for what they want to accomplish as an organization, the resources it has at hand to start on this road, and a fair assessment its strengths and weaknesses. Too many organizations try to be all things to all people and should focus on achievable goals, measurable .......