4 Steps to Achieve the Growth You Want

You’ve heard the phrase “you can expect what you inspect.” That goes for your nonprofit’s growth curve also. Do you ever feel like you’ve used up all the available resources, you’ve struggled to build capacity, and no matter how many hours you and the team work, you simply aren’t making the strides you want? Perhaps you’re focusing on the wrong things.

Let’s make this easier for you. The community is counting on you, so you must be excellent at delivering your nonprofit mission. And if growth is required, let’s get back to basics.

Here are 4 steps to achieve the growth you want through a culture of accountability:

1. Post your goals front and center. If you want to grow your donor base by 20%, post that on your wall, put it in the staff newsletter, talk about it in meetings, and ask your board how they intend to help you achieve that goal. If the end game isn’t clear, the odds of achieving it are much lower. So clarify your goals loud and proud throughout the organization.
2. Break them down into bite size pieces. So you want 20% growth but it’s not going to happen overnight. What can be done this quarter? Next quarter? Can you be halfway there in 6 months? And you can’t do it alone, so split the work amongst your team and build ownership while you’re at it. Then you know what to do…..post these benchmarks front and center. A simple dashboard that charts the overall goals as well as the benchmarks can be a great tool to see progress at a glance.
3. Identify the person or group who will be monitoring progress. Creating a culture of accountability is essential if you’re serious about achieving your goals. You can have the best plan, and great intentions, but if you don’t track action, you will lose momentum and focus. Next thing you know, you’re back where you started. Be crystal clear about who is doing what by when, and how and when you will track progress. Will there be quarterly reports?
4. Celebrate the good stuff! You may hit every single benchmark. Or you may just come close at other times. Even small wins deserve to be recognized. Sometimes there’s a learning curve, or an opportunity to support the team in a different way. A responsible cause-driven leader will take the time to acknowledge effort and results. It doesn’t have to be expensive or fancy – shoot, go out for frozen yogurt. The point is – from the beginning, think about how you will celebrate every win, and stick to it.

Most of us want to achieve goals and we feel proud when we do. When those goals relate to growth and serving more people in the community, it’s even more powerful. You owe it to your team to get focused and establish those benchmarks.

How are you communicating goals and holding your team accountable?

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