There is a gap that is growing in your nonprofit. It is the gap between the connected constituent, their expectations and the programs, products and services you are offering. 80% of the U. S. adult population uses the internet. Most of them have smart phones or will soon. Most of your constituents are constantly connected from the time they wake up to the time they go to sleep. As nonprofits, our reality is a digital world. And so do you have a sense of urgency to bridge the gap?
What does it take to compete for the hearts of your connected constituents? Do you have a plan? Is that plan funded?
One thing to think through very carefully is the urgency to create a culture of innovation to be able to compete for the connected constituent. Someone is going to do it. Will it be your nonprofit?
You will be a hero if you take up that mantle. You will lead a journey to a new level of engagement for the connected constituent and their engagement with your mission. Do you have a heart for innovation? If so, then you will be a hero. You will be the champion for the new world. You will create amazing experiences to generate new loyalty to your cause.
So here is a challenge. Primarily for the C-Suite. Think through it carefully. One of the greatest opportunities before you is the evolution of the connected constituent. How your nonprofit is designed and structured today will work against you if nonprofit digital transformation is not on your agenda. As a leader, you know that management structure, goals, strategies, people, processes, systems, and rewards are all constructed to improve “what is” today. Typically we ignore “how it should be” for the new connected constituent. To innovate requires an innovators heart. Do you have one? Who else at your nonprofit does?
[…] Do you have an innovators heart for your nonprofit mission? […]
ReplyDeleteI can see how this is great for AHA, ACS, MDA, and the like. Especially when operating a multi-millions org in those fields of nonprofit.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately i do not see me as ever being an innovator in this sense.
When it comes to helping people however, i do consider myself to have an innovator with an innovators heart.
Yes, this all coming of course from the founder of a financially failing nonprofit, specifically because we do not possess the proper mix of "connected constituents."
Catch 22 for us.
What i do know and what i can measure is we have been a great success at doing the job which Jesus has given us to do.
As much as the person in me would love to change everything and target the connected constituent and raise $1-$5 Million dollars for our org, i know Jesus would not allow me to do it. He has shut me down whenever i have tried to do it since 1995. He may bring us those funds one day, but again, unfortunately for me as a person, one who wants it now for our org and our beneficiaries, it has to be on Jesus' time line and i cannot force that.
Thats not to say i cannot make some tweaks and changes here and there, but the second it becomes our focus, Jesus will shut me down. I cannot tell you how many times it has happened. Although i follow His direction all the time and believe in it, it can be very frustrating as an earthly man trying to run a business such as this when i know how badly money is needed for both our org and my family too. He has me focusing on changes right now in fact, good changes i believe, but they will still require connected constituents as you state. However, for us, it will be done His way in His time.
Sometimes it drives me crazy. Many times i sound like a whiner when i beg for donations on our website.
Yeah, trust me, i know... I'm weird.