Aug 13 min read

Sustainability is Within Our GraspFive Stages to Increased Sustainability | Stage 3 of 5 - Strengths, Opportunities & Trends

This blog post is part of five articles on organizational sustainability. Related articles are noted at the end of the post.

Stage 3: Sustainability | Strengths, Opportunities, and Trends

When it comes to creating a sustainable organization, it is vital that your organization be confident in what it does well, know what opportunities exist to explore, and constantly scan the marketplace for trends that can impact the sustainability of the agency.

Let’s start by addressing strengths. What is it that your organization is good at? What are you known for in your community? What are you most proud of having accomplished? These questions, and others like them that delve into specific programming, operational, human resource, etc. areas of your non-profit, help your Board understand what it is that the organization can build upon. Knowing these foundational strengths enables your organization to pivot quickly when circumstances change, or opportunities arise.

Organizations that build on their known strengths, stay focused. This focus ensures that there is no mission drift. That you are doing what you are good at. And that the foundation of their organization is built solidly. It’s a great place to start.

Opportunities arise every day. When it comes to assessing opportunities, sustainability must be considered. Which opportunities increase our sustainability by keeping us focused on our vision, mission and values? What are others doing to become more sustainable? What are our stakeholders asking for more of that we can easily deliver?

Every opportunity must be assessed to see if it is a good fit with the organizations mandate or if it is a “stretch” that fills a temporary gap (i.e. If we create a program to get the funds, but it isn’t a good fit, but the funds allow the agency to keep staff, is it worth it to continue?). From a Board perspective, the Board must be clear about the level of “stretch” they are willing to have the ED use when considering programs and projects. What risk is associated with following this opportunity (mission drift, financial, credibility, etc.)? Is the “stretch” worth it for the long-term? What is the impact of “stretching” in this way? How will our stakeholders react?

Too often, non-profit agencies secure funds for programs that “sort of” fit with the mandate, and this shift causes all kinds of ripples of concerns with mission drift and stakeholder relationships. Often to the detriment of the agency’s credibility and reputation. Choose your opportunities carefully.

Trends can also influence how your organization does business. Keeping up with and being ready to respond to trends is essential to having a sustainable organization. For example, shifts in funding priorities can often be seen in advance as funders begin to talk about new ideas, to have different conversations, and to request different types of reporting metrics. Knowing what trends are happening around you – whether it is funding, staffing, volunteer, or fundraising – is essential to being able to respond quickly and appropriately to changes in your marketplace.

As a Board consider looking at trends across the non-profit sector. What are leaders like Imagine Canada, Charity Village, United Way of BC or Vancouver Foundation talking about? What are local leaders seeing in their work? How might these trends affect your organization? Being ready to respond before the trend hits, positions your organization to be a front-runner; thereby increasing your sustainability.

Don’t be afraid to talk to industry leaders, funders, foundations, or other non-profit leaders, and ask them about what they are seeing. The difference might be that you are a step ahead of others in responding to a local need or a change in direction. Being first is never a bad thing!

What other questions might you ask to explore your organizations strengths, opportunities, and trends? How might the answers to these questions help improve your organizations sustainability? Share your thoughts and observations in the comments below.