2023 will require your nonprofit to do more with less.
A recession has begun. People are being forced to make tough decisions about where their money is going, and why.
The term "extras" is about to be redefined. At one time, it referred to personal luxuries.
Moving forward, it will inevitably include charitable giving.
Organizations that are still deferring decisions and engaging in magical thinking will slip away into oblivion.
The most successful organizations in 2023 will embody decisiveness, responsiveness, and agility.
Here's your 2023 roadmap…
Ditch your 3–5-year plan. Try ONE year. Instead of planning, get good at responding. Thinking on your feet is a superpower in the coming year.
Get lean and fit. It's now crystal clear: Do less. Pick your #1 Priority and give it all you've got. If you triple your priorities, it will take three times as long with the same resources.
Scrap the old budget. It will not fly. Costs have gone up 30-40%. Re-think your spending. All the places where you've avoided dedicating funds are the places that need funding.
Stop using the budget as an excuse to chop up the Mission. Responsibility as a nonprofit leader means assembling a budget that funds the entire Mission. That's the job. It's always been the job. Will you give this gift to yourself, to your organization, and to the Mission?
Create a budget for 100 days. You'll find out what works and what doesn't. Reassess in March and give it another go.
Skip the usual big annual event. Instead, wrap your mind around tiers of giving. A monthly donor program, a memorial giving program. A giving model that supports specific programs. Make the giving menu creative and expansive.
PS: If you're wondering how your budget is going to be funded in 2023, this is it. This is the future of giving.
Wrap your head around it. Get behind it. And start creating it.
Ditch the trap of relying on year-end giving. Put your energy, effort and time into funding the lion's share of the Mission by the end of June. Nuts? Maybe. Worth shooting for? You bet.
Be expectant. By mid-year 2023, expect Priority #2 to show up in a completely different environment than the start of the year. Be ready.
2023 is the year for ruthless priorities.
Sheree Allison merges the worlds of fundraising, marketing, and leadership combined with an entrepreneurial spirit to train and develop nonprofit leaders who are committed to building a world class organization. Check out her book “The Non Profit Book of Wisdom - One Executive Director Who Couldn’t Be Swayed” and her weekly column at www.shereeallison.com.
