With so many organizations, institutions, and agencies facing reduced or eliminated grant funding, now may be the time to ask some of the more difficult questions that a nonprofit board or government agency may ever grapple with. This may be the right time to reevaluate the work, impact, and sustainability of your nonprofit.
Take time to discuss questions such as: What are we trying to accomplish? What is the true value of our work? What is our impact? Are we financially sustainable or are we trying to stay in business to stay in business? Could we do things differently through collaboration or a merger? Who has similar goals? Where are there areas of duplication in our community or region? Can we make our collective dollars go further? How can we partner? Should we close or expand?
These conversations can be uncomfortable, or unwanted, but when you talk honestly you may find a unique way forward. For example, your discussions and evaluations may confirm the importance of your organization’s work, and the value of your expertise. You may find that your community could be better served if you offered other organizations the opportunity to partner with you so they can take advantage of your capacity and infrastructure in terms of facilities, marketing, service delivery, research, purchasing, education, or any other area where you have demonstrated strengths. This can reduce duplication and reduce costs for the overall shared body of work.
Another outcome of your discussions could be the realization that after six months the future of your institution or organization is unclear. This can lead to proactive decision making that takes into consideration the needs of those you teach, serve, or advocate for, as well as the needs of your employees. Other outcomes could be an understanding of your organization’s limitations when compared with others in your area, a realization of duplication, or perhaps an insight into how to make it easier for individuals to navigate and secure services. For some organizations, this type of honesty may lead to a shared consensus that the organization is in no position to continue, and that the board and staff are not in a position to do what needs to be done to carry on. It can be a time of recognizing you don’t have the necessary ingredients to maintain and grow.
Collaborating, partnering, merging, or closing can help eliminate duplication of efforts and reduce administrative costs. Sharing resources, leadership, and expertise can build donor confidence, enhance existing programs and services, and increase impact. It is a way to survive and grow so that dollars raised can be used for more than “keeping the doors open”
Funding is contracting and competition for philanthropic resources is growing as government grants and allocations are cut and/or reduced. We have to work smarter. We have to reevaluate, what’s most important – our history as an organization or meeting the needs of today’s residents? This is an opportunity to reimagine and reinvent. God protect America.
Copyright 2025 – Mel and Pearl Shaw of Saad&Shaw-Comprehensive Fund Development Services, providing fundraising coaching, planning, case for support services, and more.
