A Well-Connected Nonprofit - A Network of Like-Minded People Builds Organizational Strength
We all know the saying “It’s not what you know; it’s who you know.” Well, there’s more truth to that in the nonprofit world than you may be aware of.
Well-connected doesn’t necessarily mean having connections to vast sources of funding, or corporations who are dying to fund your project, or philanthropists who would love to adopt you.
But of course all those things would be nice. What we mean here is the connections you make deliberately with like minded people who can help you build a stronger organization and fulfill your mission.
Networking – in person and online are helpful for raising awareness, for meeting new supporters, for staying in touch with those in similar organizations.
There’s no longer and “if we should do it” about networking online. It’s a matter of “when” and “how well.” It is as important for a nonprofit to network online as it is for any commercial and social endeavor to do so. Networking online—social media. You have to be comfortable with the ubiquitous internet and use it effectively to be seen, be heard, and be a part of your nonprofit world.
With less help and perhaps more and bigger problems to solve, the need to use tools that are readily available and can be learned without great expense only makes sense. Social media sites like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are a given. How well you do it is more to the point. Are your skills up to date? Are your goals set and are the results managed? The same goes for networking in person.
Going to conferences with a specific goals in mind, preparing for the meeting, and reviewing the results all help in justifying the time and expense.
Collaborations —working with like minded people – may have come about simply because there is too much to do and not enough resources to do it.
Along with the load of things to do, the delays in terms of time can hinder reaching your goal and fulfilling your mission. Think of the advantages you have with more resources. But the collaborative route to success is not an easy one.
For complex causes such as healthcare, family issues, education, collaboration with other organizations can add strength in the form of a greater reach to your key audience and the ability to reach funders. This means you strengthen your ability to pursue causes for which your budget would not support the complexity of your cause.
The old adage that there’s safety in numbers, seems to resonate here. On a more practical note, collaboration means making those hard earned dollars go farther. If you happen to be a small organization, you can certainly be lost in the din of louder voices. Collaboration strengthens the sound of your message.
Why is it important? It’s a demonstration of your strength that can be measured by potential funders.
It adds strength and stability to your cause,
It raises your profile and builds greater support
It demonstrates your ability to survive in tough times
How to build those connections
Make it part of your communication strategy. Consider your long term goals and challenges and be sure you have the time to engage in collaborative efforts. It does take time and energy. Not every opportunity to collaborate will be in your best interest. So you must make it a point to be clear about what you want to achieve to be sure that your collaborators are doing the same so that you both get what you want out of the relationship.
Few things work perfectly the first time. Keeping your eye on the ball requires that you must be clear in your own mind what you want to achieve with collaboration. And likewise, those with whom you collaborate should also be clear about their goals. Self awareness of the benefits and the goals is the surest way to insure success through collaboration.
Relationship building is a mindset as much as it is a process. Collaboration isn’t always the best route to go. It isn’t a one- size-fits-all proposition. It never is. Collaboration requires give and take and it may take more time than you can give to the effort. Conflicts that arise have to be dealt with, so being aware that they can surface will help you meet the challenge. It requires thoughtful leadership on both sides and the willingness to give as well as take. There may be other forms of collaborations that will work such as those for specific projects, or lower scale committees that have less chance for conflict. Here networking always keeps you in touch if not beholden to the others in the relationship. Networks can certainly help keep the ideas out there and the door to new ideas open.
Do the research it takes. Be clear about your goals. Be open to new ideas
