According to the 2017 Governance and Performance Study, less than half of the nonprofits surveyed say that they monitor their NFP’s culture very well. Does your nonprofit’s board and executive director understand the importance of organisational culture to your mission?

Understanding Culture

Culture can be hard to define in practice, but at its heart, your nonprofit’s culture is a combination of your values and beliefs, combined with the way your NFP operates and just exactly how your people get things done. Culture literally shapes everything that you do.

Regardless of whether an organisation is for-profit or nonprofit, its leaders define its culture, which is why your board, executive director, and other leaders must take care in how they define your nonprofit’s core values and mission.

The actions of your leaders must match their speech. A weak, negative culture is often the result of an organisation’s leaders saying one thing but acting in direct opposition to their stated values and mission. A poor culture will have a negative impact on every aspect of your nonprofit’s operations.

What Does Strong Culture Look Like?

Strong cultures favour clear and open communications with their staff and other stakeholders, including their service beneficiaries. They are open to feedback from all parties, and act with integrity.

Both their financial results, as well as their decision-making processes, are open and transparent. They care about how they treat their staff and volunteers along with, their beneficiaries, partners, vendors and other third parties.

Rather than viewing the nonprofit sector as a competitive space, they consider their communities in a holistic manner. It is not an “us versus them” mentality. Rather, they seek opportunities to cooperate, collaborate and grow with others in their communities. They focus on meaningful interactions and connect in ways that display mutual trust and respect. They focus on providing services that offer true value and benefit to their community.

Define Your Culture

Even if your leaders fail to create formal policies, culture is impossible to avoid. It is the natural consequence of bringing people together to perform work. The following strategies will help you define your NFP’s culture and create a strong, resilient and flexible organisation.

Drawing a Line

To define your culture, your leadership must lay a good foundation. Your leaders should meet and decide on your NFP’s values and then embed them in your mission. What truly matters in your organisation? What do you value, and what will you absolutely not tolerate?

Answering these questions will help you define your core beliefs and deeply held values. The more that you can recruit staff and other partners that share these core values, the easier it will be to stay focused on your objectives and goals and achieve your mission.

What’s Your Mission?

Do you have a clear image of why your NFP exists and what you want to accomplish? Have you defined your mission in terms of what you want to do, and how your nonprofit’s values will impact your mission?

Creating a mission statement lets your stakeholders know what they can expect from your organisation. It lets them know not only why you exist, but what they can expect regarding your NFP’s conduct towards them and others as it pursues its objectives and goals.

Accurately defining your mission, and embedding your mission and values into your culture, lets your team know why their work with you matters. Not only does this fill your staff with a sense of purpose and determination, but it also has a direct impact on their motivation and morale.

When NFPs define their mission and allow their values to shape how they will achieve the mission, it lets their people know how they will be treated as they perform their work. It also informs them how they should treat others as they work towards the NFP’s goals. If your NFP has been struggling with achieving its goals and creating a meaningful impact, its time to take a good, long look at your organisation’s culture, and how it needs to change.