Capacity Building for Nonprofit Leadership
Capacity building. Talk about a buzz word in the field of philanthropy. But when we have those conversations with each other, are we even talking about the same idea? It’s become such a variably-described and broadly-identified topic that even those in the nonprofit sector may not understand the jargon completely. So let’s first define capacity building. According to the National Council of Nonprofits, capacity building is “an investment in the effectiveness and future sustainability of a nonprofit” So how do we invest in effectiveness and sustainability while upholding organizational mission? We invest in our people: ourselves, our employees, our volunteers, and especially our leaders, and this can occur in a number of ways.
Foster an environment in which asking questions is not only tolerated but encouraged. I would argue that no one really likes to be wrong, so shouldn’t we feel comfortable asking questions within and outside of our organization? So your marketing degree didn’t cover a lot of fundraising how-to’s. Understandable. Meet with someone in the fundraising department to make sure your marketing materials for the upcoming fundraiser make sense and cover all the bases. Your journalism degree didn’t include many design classes? Chat with someone who can help make sure the layout of your donor-facing newsletter is eye-catching and appealing. Basically: collaborate, collaborate, collaborate. Nothing’s worse than an organization with silos so strong that departments are unaware of each other’s work or even staff names. (And if you have never experienced this, consider yourself lucky.) By creating an environment of well-connected staff and volunteers, we are strengthening the resources we can provide to our constituents. And building up leaders with the knowledge and connections of the entire organization builds up the entire nonprofit.
Speaking of knowledge, never underestimate the power of training and its ability to build capacity. Gone are the days in which training pertained to the on-boarding process only. As the world around us advances each day, so too does each field. It is of the utmost importance that the original trainings, certifications, and degrees we once mastered and obtained be supplemented with current teachings and methodologies throughout our lives. For benefits of continued training including less supervision and turnover and better efficiency and a bottom line, check out this Forbes article. Build a culture that encourages continued education. This can something as short-term as an afternoon webinar or as long-term as obtaining a formal degree; something as formal as graduate classes or informal as a monthly reading and topic discussion on a thought-provoking book in your field (ach-hem: Nonprofit Leadership Toolbox.)
Finally, it’s worth noting how important it is to create the organization your staff, constituents, and stakeholders envision. Whether your organization is 100 years old or 100 days old, boxing yourself, your fellow leaders, and your entire organization into a ready-made mold is not how organizations accomplish greatness. So long as you can be true to your charitable mission, creating a strategy that not only is innovative in the way that it supports staff but also the entire organization. Innovative leaders will welcome others’ opinions and seek to understand one situation from multiple viewpoints before making a decision. Innovative leaders will consider multiple solutions to a difficulty and consider how each solution will impact both the near and distant future. Innovative leaders are not content with repeating the past but seek to challenge themselves to be forerunners in their respective fields.
Bottom line: encourage your mission by encouraging one another, your organization, and yourself.
