Fixing our Gaze on 2010 Strategies

With the launch of a new year, it’s hard to ignore the nostalgic reflections on the past year – and we enjoy a healthy review of the year’s successes and challenges as much as anyone. But, now that it’s January and we’re firmly rooted in 2010, we’d like to look ahead. The upcoming JFFixler eQuarterly newsletter will focus on some compelling forecasts by the Chronicle of Philanthropy and others about what nonprofits will face in 2010 and share a few proven strategies to consider in your 2010 organizational plans. In this, our first blog posting of 2010, we'd like to share our own thoughts about what to expect in this new year. The time to shift from reminiscence to informed action is now.

1.   We continue to live in unprecedented times, which demand unprecedented actions. As we have noted in past blogs, the convergence of both this challenging economy and the extraordinary attention on service and volunteerism has never before occurred in our lifetimes. While nonprofits face enormous challenges due to increased demand for services and limited financial resources, they can leverage this service movement as a strategy to build capacity using the skills, talents, and time of inspired volunteers to help their organizations survive these troublesome economic challenges.

2.   Volunteers must be part of the conversation. In this moment of unprecedented challenge, we can no longer rely on new staff hires to solve organizational problems. With hiring freezes the norm – and layoffs all too common – staff are beleaguered with added responsibilities and more limited resources. In order to build capacity, organizations must engage volunteers as active partners in their mission-fulfillment.

3.   Strategic innovation is crucial to success in 2010. With changing demographics and evolving volunteer motivations and expectations, traditional volunteer recruitment and management no longer apply. The times have changed; the “rules of engagement” have changed; and our strategies must change, too. Innovation is the key to developing new best practices that effectively engage individuals as capacity-building volunteers who will measurably contribute to the mission-fulfilling work of your organization and help your organization survive and thrive through this year.

4.   The moment is now – and it won’t last forever. While we cannot predict everything about 2010, we can certainly state with confidence that right now is the moment to act. The first few months of this year are the most critical time to innovate, experiment, and even take risks with new ways of engaging volunteers as strategic partners. Never before have volunteers been the most viable strategy for organizational success and if your organization does not successfully engage those individuals who are so motivated to volunteer, they will take their interest elsewhere.

So as you launch your 2010 action plan, we encourage you to be creative, be innovative, and be expedient.