
It occurs to me that far too many nonprofits, especially those that are faith-based are building their houses (organizations) on the sand. And, as the song says, it was a foolish man that built his house upon the sand. As a nonprofit must be built on a firm foundation for it to withstand in today’s society.
Do you remember the childhood song, The wiseman built his house upon the rock? This song plays in my head a lot as I go through my daily work. If you remember the song, the words go something like this…
The wise man built his house upon the rock
The wise man built his house upon the rock
The wise man built his house upon the rock
And the rain came tumbling down
Oh, the rain came down
And the floods came up
The rain came down
And the floods came up
The rain came down
And the floods came up
And the wise man’s house stood firm
.
The foolish man built his house upon the sand
The foolish man built his house upon the sand
The foolish man built his house upon the sand
And the rain came tumbling down
Oh, the rain came down
And the floods came up
The rain came down
And the floods came up
The rain came down
And the floods came up
And the foolish man’s house went “splat!” [clap hands once]
So, how does a nonprofit organization build its house on the rock?
- Be true to the mission (purpose) of the organization. Far too many organizations chase after the next bright, shiny object because they think it will bring them additional money or get them noticed.
- Have a well-trained board of directors. For a nonprofit, the board is the foundation upon which the entire organization is built. If the board is not trained and equipped to do its job, the organization will crumble when it faces challenges and obstacles.
- Provide support and guidance for the organization’s leadership. Being an executive director can be a lonely place with few people understanding the challenges the leader faces.
The Faith Based Nonprofit Resource Center is available to help with nonprofits build their house on the rock. Knowing that the ultimate strength and foundation is Jesus, we will come alongside you and help place the building blocks exactly where they need to be.
Don’t forget to register for our upcoming conference!
Click HERE for more information.