Nonprofit executives report the same issues in survey after survey. Fundraising, communication with donors, budget woes, effectiveness, and efficiency come up in some form. Performance measurement is a cause for concern, though that goes to efficiency and effectiveness - How do you know how well you are doing? How do potential donors know? Is there a simple system out there that could make it easier to answer such questions, and deal with those other issues too?
At the risk of sounding like an Internet marketing hack, the answer is a qualified 'yes' to both halves of that question. Allow me to explain.
To have an effective organization you need ideas, people, money, and a plan. There are a few other things too, but I think you follow.
Ideas - Look for ideas that promise more impact for less cost. Look for ideas that allow you to attack the real problem instead of the symptoms. Doing so will probably require breakthrough thinking. Do not expect inspiration to come from somewhere out there. Be like Jack London, who said that you have to go after inspiration with a club.
Data - In many cases you need hard numbers (rates, frequencies, percentages in particular) to know the situation now, and to track your own results.
People and Money - To some extent these resources are interchangeable. You can hire two people and put them full-time on a project, or you can rely of three to five volunteers who cost very little but only work a few hours a week on the project. Look for ways to substitute people for money, since that more often is the challenge that nonprofits face.
Plans - Of course you have one, or will have one if the effort is a new one. Before you get past the idea stage you need to study the social environment and the nature of the issue your idea relates to. Maybe a better idea will come up. Some formalized brainstorming may reveal a better way to attack the problem.
More notes on how to be a "scientific activist" are on the way...
At the risk of sounding like an Internet marketing hack, the answer is a qualified 'yes' to both halves of that question. Allow me to explain.
To have an effective organization you need ideas, people, money, and a plan. There are a few other things too, but I think you follow.
Ideas - Look for ideas that promise more impact for less cost. Look for ideas that allow you to attack the real problem instead of the symptoms. Doing so will probably require breakthrough thinking. Do not expect inspiration to come from somewhere out there. Be like Jack London, who said that you have to go after inspiration with a club.
Data - In many cases you need hard numbers (rates, frequencies, percentages in particular) to know the situation now, and to track your own results.
People and Money - To some extent these resources are interchangeable. You can hire two people and put them full-time on a project, or you can rely of three to five volunteers who cost very little but only work a few hours a week on the project. Look for ways to substitute people for money, since that more often is the challenge that nonprofits face.
Plans - Of course you have one, or will have one if the effort is a new one. Before you get past the idea stage you need to study the social environment and the nature of the issue your idea relates to. Maybe a better idea will come up. Some formalized brainstorming may reveal a better way to attack the problem.
More notes on how to be a "scientific activist" are on the way...
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