I am a big advocate of nonprofits and ministries telling their stories, so I thought I would share a success story with you.
I had been working off and on with an organization for a couple of years when I awoke one morning to see a frantic text from the Executive Director. She asked me to call right away telling me that there were some issues with the organization. Long story short, the organization’s board of directors was leading the organization down a path that would be damaging and perhaps illegal. Because the board would not listen to reason, the Executive Director and the entire staff ended up resigning; ultimately the board closed the organization.
But now, there was a gap in services for children who really needed the services.
The Executive Director was passionate about meeting the needs of these children and their families. She and a few others who shared her passion began talking to me about what it would take to start a new nonprofit to “fill the gap.”
Over the next several months, we worked to build a new nonprofit, establish a board of directors, provide board training, get funding and start programming. In some cases, it was an uphill climb, but fortunately, there were highlights along the way where we could see the light ahead.
This organization is a little over five years old today, serves over 1300 children and families in their community, has an operating budget of more than $500,000, is a recognized leader in the community, has an effective board of directors and is a sought after partner.
So, you might ask, how did all this happen? From $0 to $500,000 in less than five years is pretty impressive!
While their programming is great and their services use evidence-based practices, there are some other secrets to their success. And, it is important to know that it hasn’t always been easy, there have been struggles and heart aches along the way.
First, they have sought to build a strong infrastructure for the organization. This means using best practices for their board of directors, for managing funds, fundraising, grant writing, etc.
Second, they joined the Nonprofit Compass where they are able to access resources, tools, templates, checklists and best practices for organizations. Recognizing that ongoing training and education is a key to success, they are able to tune into monthly trainings offered to members.
Finally, as a member of the Nonprofit Compass, they are also able to get information quickly. Members are able to send questions/concerns and get a response right away. In some cases, we will respond with an email but in some cases, we will jump on a call with you to solve the problem.
Now is your chance to become a member of the Nonprofit Compass. The doors will be closing tomorrow, come join us to grow your organization into a functioning, thriving organization. We are passionate about the work of nonprofits and ministries—give us an opportunity to serve you. We want to share your heartaches and successes with you.
Questions? Send us an email, we’ll be happy to answer them.
Thank you for all you are doing to serve your community!
