Why do most nonprofits stay small and never reach financial sustainability?

Nonprofit GrowthDevelopment
Written By Sherry Quam Taylor

Too many people ask…how can I get more money from major donors? 

Let’s flip that and ask the opposite question…

Why do most organizations stay small and never reach financial sustainability?

A quick list off the top of my head: 

🫚Goals and budgets are created in the scarcity zone based on what’s committed or just a little bit more than last year.

 

🫚Donors don’t understand the true problem the organization solves and their role in it - the case for support is a brochure vs. a strategic asset. 

🫚Fundraising plans are lists of activities that are not rooted in a High-ROI Model (Hours aligned with dollars) 

🫚Fundraising teams are spending too much time on administrative tasks and transactions. 

🫚Donors don’t understand the orgs financial need because teams haven’t been properly trained to host investment-level conversations or solicit donors. 

🫚Boards are either dis-engaged or too engaged [both handcuff the leader].

 

One more thing…

[A note about financial sustainability] In my world, financial sustainability looks like being less dependent on government/project-based funds, having a 6-9 month reserve in the bank, not tapping into a line of credit every year, and your team knowing how to attract and secure mostly unrestricted dollars.

Whenever you’re ready, here are THREE things you can do next:

👣 Follow me on LinkedIn where I share the same lessons I teach my clients about attracting larger gen-ops dollars and adding 7-figures + to their bottom line. 

🍎 Read my GUIDE! THE TRUTH ABOUT GIVE/GETS :: Top 5 Reasons Your Board’s Give/Get Is Leaving Thousands (Sometimes Millions) on the Table. See how limiting board members to the Give/Get model restricts gifts and keeps your staff from reaching their full fundraising potential. Here to get it.

📈 Work with me to scale your org's revenue by 2-5X and fund your organization’s Strategic Plan // If you’re a business-minded CEO already raising MILLIONS but need to diversify revenue and secure more general-operating dollars to invest in growth, you can apply to work with me here.

Sherry Quam Taylor

Sherry Quam Taylor works with business-minded Nonprofit CEOs whose Strategic Plans require expansive budgets and larger amounts of general-operating revenue for growth. To become investment-level ready, Sherry helps leaders see their revenue potential and helps them see what may be blocking donors from giving in this way. Sherry’s clients know how to attract larger donors by solving the funding challenges at the root of the issue.

As a result of learning her methodology, Sherry’s clients become sustainable, diversify revenue, and know how to add significant amounts gen-ops revenue to their budgets. But mostly, their development departments and board have transformed into high-ROI revenue generators – aligning their hours with relational dollars and set free from the limitations of transactional fundraising.

Sherry attributes the success of her business to her passion for modeling radical confidence to the future CEOs in her house - her two college-aged daughters.

https://www.QuamTaylor.com
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