Nonprofits are typically created to address one or more troubling issues in a society, and most engage in activities to create a positive impact in their community. Regardless of the specific problems that they seek to solve, and the dedication that they display towards their work, resources are not limitless. Nonprofits must strive to use all their resources efficiently and effectively to be able to operate successfully for the long term and make a genuine, and lasting, difference.

Measuring your nonprofit’s effectiveness, and determining whether it could be deemed a success, requires more analysis than simply counting the number of people that benefit from your organisation’s work. Nonprofits that are run well often share many of the following traits and characteristics in common.

As you read over the list, consider how your nonprofit stacks up in comparison. Are you hitting the mark, or, are there areas where your NFP could improve its performance and increase its ability to serve others?

Powered by Passionate Teams with Low-Turnover in Volunteers, Staff and Leadership

One way that you can tell a nonprofit is successful is by taking a good, long look at its people. Great organisations are powered by talented people that go the extra mile to work together towards a common purpose. While change is a part of life and it’s a very natural process for some of your key people to come and go due to changes in their life circumstances, the most effective NFPs typically have very low turnover in their leadership, as well as their staff and volunteers. This is because they are enthusiastic about their work and are excited to be a part of the mission.

Leadership in the most successful nonprofits is proactive about change and takes steps to develop their teams and give them opportunities to grow and develop new skills. In this way, leadership becomes sustainable, as there is always someone willing and prepared to take on new roles and challenges when long-standing members are called towards other opportunities.

Forward Thinking Leadership that Invests in the Future

The most successful nonprofits are driven by a desire to continually improve their performance, and create a bigger, and better impact. Their leadership creates a culture that is concerned with the future, and how to anticipate changes that may occur that will impact the mission. To meet the unexpected, they take steps today to increase their organisation’s financial stability, along with investing in capital building projects and other strategies to increase their capacity to serve.

Uses Technology and Big Data to their Best Advantage

The most successful nonprofits invest in technology to help them gather and analyse data, and effectively use it to create more robust fundraising campaigns. They use these advances to improve the relevance and effectiveness of their service projects and benefits along with making interactions with the nonprofit more meaningful to everyone in the community.

Donor Connected

The most effective nonprofits make everyone responsible for communicating their mission and using it to reach fundraising goals. These NFPs develop comprehensive strategies to help them recruit and then retain donors at every stage and level of giving.  When everyone in an organisation is aligned with its fundraising goals, the organisation can operate from a position of strength. It can then make partnerships and strategic alliances with other NFPs, and other third parties, that will enable everyone to advance their mission forward while increasing the benefits that each can offer the community on its own.

How about your nonprofit? Is your organisation fully focused on the mission, or are there some adjustments that you can make that will help your NFP increase its resilience and flexibility, and enable it to create a more lasting impact in your community?