- \n
- Is our big-picture strategy still valid?<\/li>\n
- Are your objectives are still relevant? Do they relate back to your mission, vision, and values? Make sure your answers are backed by data.<\/li>\n
- What goals have been achieved to-date? What obstacles might exist preventing further goal achievement?<\/li>\n
- Check where performance expectations lagged behind. What needs to happen to move you forward? Any areas that need some extra attention?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Step back and look at each element of your strategic plan. See if there are any successes that can be celebrated right now.<\/p>\n
To check-in with your operational plan:<\/h3>\n
- \n
- See if operational activities and processes are aligned to the goals of your organization.<\/li>\n
- Focus on results rather than activities. Review your\u00a0<\/a>key metrics<\/a>\u00a0to check how effectively you\u2019re meeting your organizational objectives.<\/li>\n
- Check-in on people: their roles, responsibilities, and skillsets. Are they contributing to the organizational goals? Are any lacking the necessary skill set or support?<\/li>\n
- See how you use the technology you have and how that performance can be improved.<\/li>\n
- Look at your spending. Identify any gaps.<\/li>\n
- Is there evidence that the organization can make important decisions efficiently and effectively?<\/li>\n
- It\u2019s possible that some program or service has been identified as a \u201cproblem area.\u201d Why? Are the right people in place to perform the necessary tasks? Are sufficient resources available?<\/li>\n
- Do staff appear to be inspired by the organization\u2019s mission and its leadership? Are they engaged with the mission, and do they indicate a commitment to the organization?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Reviewing your strategic and operational plans can help you get back on track, refocus your energy, and motivate your team.<\/p>\n
Plans and KPIs don\u2019t mean much if they\u2019re just collecting dust somewhere in the drawers.<\/p>\n
Pro tip 1:<\/strong>\u00a0While looking at your strategic and operational plans and the relevant KPIs, it could be a good idea to brainstorm all the \u2018decisions\u2019 that have been pending. Write them all down and make as many of those decisions as possible. This will lighten some load!<\/p>\n
Pro tip 2:<\/strong>\u00a0You can\u2019t check how you\u2019re doing against your KPIs and your plans without the relevant data. If you\u2019re finding it difficult to assess how you\u2019re doing because you\u2019re lacking data \u2013 you need to take action. Figure out which data you need to collect and then devise ways in which you can start doing so. Late is always better than never!<\/p>\n
\n2. Fine Tune Your Communications\u00a0and Messaging<\/h2>\n
A big part of what makes great nonprofit organizations great is how well they \u2018do\u2019 their communications and messaging. This is why finetuning your communications during your nonprofit spring clean is one of the best things you can do.<\/p>\n
Send your website<\/a>\u00a0and social links to a few friends or acquaintances or friends of board members (ideally those not so familiar with your work), with a few attached questions, such as, \u201cGiven this information, what do you think our organization does?\u201d<\/p>\n
Once you receive their answers, you\u2019ll be able to see if your communication comes across the way you think it does, and if not – what is it that you need to adjust.<\/p>\n
You can also get a few staff members to invite their friends to sit down with you for half an hour. Have them try to find a few pieces of information on a website while you observe them. Watching how different people navigate your website can help you understand what\u2019s missing or what can be changed to make the user experience smoother. For example, a simple \u201ccontact us\u201d button or the \u201cchat with us\u201d bot can vastly improve your conversion rates<\/a>. Never invest a lot of effort in redesigning a website \u201cblindly\u201d!<\/p>\n
Freshen up your website by adding new content, editing where needed, and deleting old\/inaccurate content. Check your program pages, staff and board pages, your \u2018What we do\u2019 or \u2018Who we are\u2019 pages, and ensure the write-ups accurately reflect your work.<\/p>\n
Furthermore, take a good look at your\u00a0<\/a>fundraising appeal letters<\/a>, thank you letters,\u00a0<\/a>newsletters<\/a>, and other content. Have you been using the same old, boring templates for years? Freshen them up with stellar, donor-centric content that pays attention to every detail.<\/p>\n
Pro tip 1:<\/strong>\u00a0Check out the\u00a0<\/a>Hubspot\u2019s Website Grader<\/a>, which will give you free marketing advice on your website.<\/p>\n
Pro tip 2:<\/strong>\u00a0Clean up your social media accounts. Your nonprofit\u2019s social media accounts (Facebook<\/a>, Twitter<\/a>, Instagram<\/a>, etc) may be well overdue for an update. Your social accounts should accurately reflect what your nonprofit organization is all about!<\/p>\n
![\"nonprofit](\"https:\/\/donorbox.org\/nonprofit-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/white-samsung-laptop-computer-near-black-ceramic-plant-vase-162622.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
\n3. Get Your Branding Right<\/h2>\n
Branding is essential to an organization\u2019s success. When a nonprofit brand has been intentionally crafted, properly positioned, and aligned to its target audiences – the trust and loyalty of the audience increase.<\/p>\n
But, over the years, many things can slip through the cracks\u2026<\/p>\n
Last year\u2019s flyer colors could be looking very different to your website colors today, and your postcards might not match your newsletter.<\/p>\n
Bring together all of your printed and online branding collateral (brochures, newsletters, social media posts, flyers, templates, postcards, etc.) and look at all of them together. Does it look like all of them belong to the same organization? Do they follow the same fonts, headings, and color themes?<\/p>\n
Are the logos consistent across the board?<\/p>\n
Make note of any inconsistencies and actions that need to be taken to rectify them.<\/p>\n
Furthermore, now that you have a lot of your branding collateral in one place \u2013 consider if your branding is giving off the \u2018vibe\u2019 you want it to. Is there anything you can do to make your branding stand out from the crowd?<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re interested in learning more, read more in our article on nonprofit branding\u00a0<\/a>here<\/a>.<\/p>\n
Pro tip 1: <\/strong>If you have had many logo iterations or refreshes over the years, make sure you have all your logos (black and white, on a white background, transparent background, square, long, vertical, etc.) in one place that everyone can easily access.<\/p>\n
Pro tip 2:<\/strong>\u00a0To help with consistency, create a simple nonprofit branding guide that outlines your main design elements, the typography, the logo, and other elements of the brand. Make sure the guide includes rules for what\u2019s allowed and what isn\u2019t when it comes to using those elements online and offline.<\/p>\n
\n4. Get Down on the Donor Data<\/h2>\n
We know, we know\u2026<\/p>\n
With the exception of those data enthusiasts out there, very few of us like to go through and organize data.<\/p>\n
But, good data hygiene is essential to success \u2013 even if it seems like a tedious process that requires more effort than it produces results.<\/p>\n
However, without good data hygiene, you might be losing out on much-needed funds because your donor email addresses aren\u2019t up-to-date, or you might be missing out on key insights (e.g. why donors lapsed). It\u2019s possible, for example, that your donors just lost touch with you and would have otherwise continued giving. Perhaps their credit card has expired or they changed their email address.<\/p>\n
Here are some things you can do:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Check if the phone numbers and email addresses that you have in your database are correct (especially if you\u2019ve had an influx of address changes, returned mail, and bounced emails after you sent your last appeal).<\/li>\n
- Check for duplicate contacts in your donor data and merge or dedupe your records.<\/li>\n
- Segment your contacts<\/a>. Some recommended filters include New Donors, LYBUNTS (those who donated last year but unfortunately not yet this year), Major Donors, Monthly Donors<\/a>, etc. Use these lists to better tailor your communications.<\/li>\n
- Add in new relevant information to your donor database (e.g. event attendance, volunteering, etc).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Be meticulous! No donor wants to see their name misspelled or receive three mailings because you have duplicate records. Send a survey to your donors and add their responses to their donor profiles for better personalization.<\/p>\n
Maintaining a clean donor database is all about making donor stewardship<\/a>\u00a0as efficient as possible.<\/p>\n
Pro tip 1:<\/strong>\u00a0Send one more targeted mailing to your\u00a0<\/a>lapsed donors<\/a>. Let them know you miss them and want them back. If you don\u2019t hear anything, let them go!<\/p>\n
Pro tip 2:<\/strong>\u00a0This is a great time to make sure your Privacy Policy is up-to-date with the latest laws and regulations.<\/p>\n
![\"nonprofit](\"https:\/\/donorbox.org\/nonprofit-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/man-standing-infront-of-white-board-1181345.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
\n5. Implement New Technologies<\/h2>\n
Spring cleaning isn\u2019t just about reviewing and combing through the \u2018old\u2019, it\u2019s also about starting anew, trying new things.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019ve been meaning to try a new process, new system, or a new tool for a while, but you just never got around to it \u2013 now is the time.<\/p>\n
For example, if your online and mobile giving is not up to the modern standards, here\u2019s your chance to make it so.<\/p>\n
Today\u2019s donors love the flexibility of being able to give anywhere, anytime \u2014 from their phones as they\u2019re having lunch or riding the subway. They love the ability to give on your organization\u2019s website using a clear \u201cDonate Now\u201d button on the front page. They also enjoy being able to give via multiple payment gateways, and they like things simple and efficient.<\/p>\n
Plus, a large segment of your donors (especially Gen Y and Z) might wish to set up\u00a0<\/a>recurring giving<\/a>. They already pay for many things in monthly subscriptions (think Netflix, Spotify, etc), so recurring giving might be the most natural way for them to give.<\/p>\n
With\u00a0<\/a>Donorbox<\/a>, you can set up appealing and effective donation forms with a plugin that is very simple and fast to set up. Donorbox lets you collect both one-time and recurring donations, and it offers multiple payment gateways to your donors. Check out more Donorbox features\u00a0here.<\/a><\/p>\n
It\u2019s crucial to use a fundraising tool that lets you showcase your organization’s branding, create\u00a0pre-defined giving levels<\/a>, and automatically delivers donation receipts and notifications to your new donors.<\/p>\n
Pro tip:<\/strong>\u00a0If you\u2019re struggling to find your way amid the coronavirus pandemic, our COVID-19 \u00a0Resource Center for Nonprofits<\/a> includes a list of tools that you might find helpful at this moment. See them under “Remote Working Tools”.<\/p>\n
\n6. Get Friendly<\/h2>\n
After a long winter cooped up, now is the time to get friendly and dust off all those business cards, introduction emails, or LinkedIn<\/a>\u00a0Messages that we\u2019ve been \u2018meaning\u2019 to get to.<\/p>\n
And this can happen virtually too (if you happen to be reading this during the extraordinary circumstances created by the COVID-19 pandemic). Zoom<\/a>\u00a0can be your best friend!<\/p>\n
Set aside some time to reach out to those you\u2019re most excited to connect with and set up some (in-person or virtual) coffee dates. Spread them out in a way that doesn\u2019t overwhelm you.<\/p>\n
You might even want to make some introductions yourself. Think about your network and see if there is anyone you could introduce to anyone else in a way that would be interesting and beneficial for everyone involved.<\/p>\n
Pro tip:<\/strong>\u00a0This could be a wonderful time to sprinkle those \u2018thank you\u2019s\u2019 everywhere. An extra \u2018thank you\u2019 never hurt anyone! Is there a member of your community (a staff member, a volunteer<\/a>, a donor) who has been especially supportive in the past few months? Is there anyone who has really gone above and beyond? Take this opportunity to do\u00a0<\/a>something special to thank them.<\/a><\/p>\n
\n7. Catch up With the Staff<\/h2>\n
It\u2019s no secret that working as part of a nonprofit can be stressful at times. Nonprofit professionals are often underpaid and overworked. They are also often under stress and pressure to meet a variety of goals and expectations.<\/p>\n
Whether your staff consists of volunteers or paid staff members (or both), it\u2019s important that you get their feedback about your work and their experience working with your organization. It\u2019s very important for your teams to know and feel that you care enough to ask!<\/p>\n
Put together a brief survey or hold a get-together (depending on the size of your organization) where you can discuss the past, present, and future of your organization.<\/p>\n
Discuss workflows and processes used by your staff and beneficiaries. Make sure the right people are in the room\u2014the ones who actually do the work or the front-line staff who interact with beneficiaries and donors.<\/p>\n
Find out what\u2019s working and what isn\u2019t. Where are you doing redundant work? What\u2019s causing frustration? Is there a better way to do it?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n
Pro tip:<\/strong>\u00a0It\u2019s been proven time after time that our physical environment impacts our productivity and happiness.\u00a0Nonprofit office spaces are not usually known for their beauty and glamour. So, take some time to give your office space some much-needed TLC. You don\u2019t have to invest a lot in this project (unless you can and want to). A big clean, a fresh coat of paint, a few plants, a framed photograph of the team \u2013 all these can make a world of a difference!<\/p>\n
![\"nonprofit](\"https:\/\/donorbox.org\/nonprofit-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/you-x-ventures-Oalh2MojUuk-unsplash.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
\nBonus Tips\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n
- \n
- Statistics regarding your nonprofit and your work are going to change frequently. It\u2019s okay to cite statistics over the course of a year, but you should try to update those stats regularly \u2013 at least yearly.<\/li>\n
- Ensure that the mobile version of your website is tidy and shiny. After all, you only have a few seconds to capture the attention of your website visitors, and a responsive website will keep them there longer.<\/li>\n
- Survey participants, members, donors, employees, volunteers, and community leaders about which of your nonprofit\u2019s programs are the most and least effective and why.<\/li>\n
- Remove any former employees who still have usernames, profiles, or any access to your web properties.<\/li>\n
- Check if your bylaws<\/a> are current to ensure you are following established guidelines. If your committees, meeting frequency, board structure, or any other items listed in your bylaws have changed, it\u2019s time to update.<\/li>\n
- Are you safeguarding organizational knowledge? If you had to hire a new staff member, would they be able to jump in and continue the work? Make sure somebody is capturing all of the process development so that it doesn’t have to be re-done over and over.<\/li>\n
- Develop operations and project manuals, checklists, vendor and media contact information, calendars, and work plans.<\/li>\n
- Develop a plan to address the potential transition or loss of key leaders.<\/li>\n
- Have you done performance reviews recently? Written performance evaluations should occur for all staff six months after hiring, and then annually (from date of hire) thereafter.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\nHanding the Broom Over to You<\/h2>\n
For best results, schedule a quarterly or yearly \u2018cleaning\u2019 of your nonprofit (or whichever time frame works best for you). Also, make sure you put systems in place that will make it easier for you to maintain the order and organization.<\/p>\n
Lastly, you know how house cleaning and organizing projects somehow seem to get worse the longer we put them off? And how do they keep weighing on our minds day after day? And just how amazing it feels once we finally get them done?<\/p>\n
The same goes for your nonprofit spring cleaning.<\/p>\n
Put on your comfy clothes and take on your nonprofit cleaning as soon as you can. You\u2019ll be happy once it\u2019s done!<\/p>\n
Maintaining the organization and health of your nonprofit is just as important to the long-term success of your mission as advocacy work and fundraising projects.<\/p>\n
A strong organizational base ensures that you will continue to serve your community and your mission for many years to come.<\/p>\n
- Add in new relevant information to your donor database (e.g. event attendance, volunteering, etc).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
![\"Bottom](\"https:\/\/donorbox.org\/nonprofit-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/seemless-giving-tools.webp\")
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