Nonprofits Need to Embrace Innovation

Innovation… it’s a word that generally brings to mind a for-profit corporation such as Apple or FaceBook, not so much a nonprofit organization. But innovation is essential to the success of a nonprofit: creative solutions for challenging problems, timely response to new opportunities and changing community need, creative partnerships, and the urgent need to improve business systems and reduce operating costs. Innovation needs the right Petri dish in which to cultivate; in other words, the right culture and leadership. Elements that create the best climate for innovation include:

• an openness to change by the board of directors and management team and all the messiness that comes with managing change,


• a diversity of thought and perspectives,


• a forum that encourages / invites creative ideas from every corner of the nonprofit (including the front line team, clients and volunteers),


• a willingness to take a calculated risk and fail at times,


• a comfort with involving all constituents and actively communicating with them about challenges and changes, and


• a shift from dependence on strategic planning to strategic thinking. What tools can help you?


• Build a diverse board and continually bring on new board members.


• Establish a consent agenda and move past agendas that focus on reporting on past performance and focus on the future.


• Pursue ongoing professional development for the board and leadership team including team building activities.


• Establish ground rules at planning sessions and new planning approaches that encourage looking at challenges and opportunities in new ways; and encourage breakthrough thinking.


• Use business plans to evaluate new opportunities and ventures and mitigate the risk.


• Understand the complexities of managing change and become very proficient at change management (including the engagement of constituents). You’ll find some great articles, tools and templates for business planning, board/leadership development, strategic thinking and consent agendas in the NorthSky Online Resource Center at http://www.northskynonprofitnetwork.org/resource.php

A Mouse is Living in My Car

Yes, you read that correctly. A mouse has taken up residence in my glove compartment. I became suspicious after finding shredded Kleenex and napkins lodged there. And although there is no other evidence in the car- nothing running around my feet or nibbling on my lunch- I'm pretty convinced I've had a roommate traveling with me.

So, here's how I picture it. The car is parked outside our home which is located in an isolated wooded area in northern Michigan. The cat, who is queen of everything outside, chased the mouse under the car. In a desperate survival move, the mouse darted up and into my dashboard and voila-- located a perfect, cozy little hideout.

Continuing the story, my mouse becomes an unwitting traveling companion as I hop in and head off, traveling around northern Michigan. In search of food, the mouse ventures out of the car at one of my stops, perhaps at a nonprofit organization in Charlevoix or Suttons Bay, and is left behind; many miles from my home (and his) in Manistee County. He has no clue how he got there or how to get back.

So, why does the mouse in my car remind me of a nonprofit organization? Well, how often have we bolted into a seemingly safe haven in a desperate survival move? Perhaps, agreed to a partnership or funding requirement that truly took us to places we hadn't anticipated or weren't prepared for. Or developed a poorly conceived strategic plan that is more wishful thinking then decisive strategy. How often have we had no clue how to retrace our steps or get back home?

What's the lesson? These are desperate times for many nonprofits. Before dodging into what appears to be a safe haven, it's essential to do your due diligence. Evaluate and plan for that partnership. Carefully weigh the pros and cons of that innovative revenue opportunity. Don't jump into that moving car without a GPS and road map.

You'll find partnership and grant opportunity evaluation tools, as well as business planning and strategic planning tools in the NorthSky Online Resource Center at: www.northskynonprofitnetwork.org

Make sure the next journey you take as a nonprofit is one you planned.