Nonprofits and your comfort level with RISK
I have a question.
How ready do you have to be ready for change?
So, my kitchen has been getting ready for construction longer than I'd like to admit.
We moved into a fixer-upper 8 years ago with a solid 70’s kitchen. You know, the ones with pink plastic tile and all brown vintage appliances. It isn't the ‘good vintage’ kind.
We renovated other rooms when we first moved in figuring that we’d do a full kitchen remodel in three years.
Well, it’s been eight. 😲
Don’t think I don’t WANT a new kitchen (read: I don’t have a dishwasher and my oven door flops open). But I want to get it right.
If I'm honest, the overwhelming feeling over the size and complexity of the project has kept me from fully jumping in.
And what has not fully jumped in looked like?
Well, it’s led me to just chipping away at the problem:
✅ We put in new windows (good), but the cabinets were in front of the windows, so I lost half my storage last year. My appliances are in a hall closet and our food is in the basement.
✅ We took the old, nasty dropped-ceiling out to make sure we'd gain 18” of space above (yeah!), but now I have temporary lights rigged that are so dim we can hardly cook.
✅ We purchased the appliances, but they’ve been sitting at the store for months because, well there’s a pandemic going on and I can’t put them in my garage because of the crazy chipmunks out there that already ate the wiring in my car (another story for another day).
This summer I finally admitted to myself that I should have just pushed through the fear and completed the project right from the beginning.
We would have had an awesome, functional kitchen during the never-ending months our family of four has been locked inside during 2020. (Read: Regret)
Looking back, I was afraid. I couldn't pull the trigger.
❓ Can we spend this much money at once?
❓ What aesthetic do we want? What will add to the resale value?
❓ How will we survive the 10-12 weeks of construction?
Everything seemed like such a pain. But, frankly, living with a half-baked kitchen has been EVEN MORE painful.
I learned my lesson.
Official construction starts in December and I couldn’t be more excited. Now that we’re deep in the planning, design, and have paid the big deposit I’m wondering why I waited so long. I’ve even added an adjacent bathroom to the project!
Back then it felt too risky. But now that I'm past the decision, I've realized it wasn't risky. I just perceived it that way.
It’s a great investment in the value of our home.
I’ve been thinking about why it was so hard for me to make this decision. It was the same hesitant tone I hear from so many nonprofit CEOs who reach out to me wanting change too.
They want . . .
more unrestricted revenue
more money from individuals
more cash in the bank to use as they see fit to grow
more funds to spend guilt-free on overhead
And there's even a path to solving this by stopping much of the old-school, siloed fundraising activities that never fund your mission and pivoting into an overall Financing Plan that does.
When my clients lean into the risk and change, they raise more money, grow their reserve funds, straighten out cash flow issues, and have the money for overhead.
In other words, they have a fully functioning, Pinterest-worthy kitchen.
But for so many, hiring someone to help them through this change once and for all? Well, that feels risky.
So, they start chipping away at the problem…busy getting ready to get ready for the real change they know they've eventually need . . .
Getting the database in order.
Trying to find new board members.
Doing the Strategic Plan first.
Spending hours writing more grants.
And before 2020, planning another event.
Can I be honest here?
None of these things are going to solve your problem long term.
They are important . . . but focusing on these things first prolong the real changes you need to make in your overall approach to funding your organization each year.
Do one thing for me as we head into 2021.
Embrace change.
You can’t wait anymore.
Lean into the risky feeling. It’s not risky if it’s a good business decision.
Push against the sector’s misconceptions that you should be able to do more, on less. It's not true and it's what keeps organizations from growing their revenue.
When you lean into the feeling of the risk and do this, you’ll quickly see all the money you’ve been leaving on the table for years.
It’s right there. I promise you.
To your growing success in 2021,
Sherry
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P.S. Whenever you’re ready, here are 3 ways I can help you grow your nonprofit revenue:
1. Follow me on LinkedIn for content and resources first
I give away trade secrets and insider info every week - the same lessons I teach my clients about what they can do to start attracting larger dollars and generate more unrestricted money for your nonprofit.
2. Read my WHITEPAPER to see if your overall approach to financing your mission every year might be keeping you from growing.
Here you’ll learn THE BIG FUNDRAISING SECRET that keeps organizations from having the funds to achieve what’s in their strategic plans. Click here to get it.
3. Work with me to reimagine your overall approach to revenue generation
If you'd like to add 7+ figures of charitable revenue to your nonprofit, just send me an email at Sherry@QuamTaylor.com with the subject line “grow.” Tell me a little about your nonprofit and what you need to raise this year. I’ll get you the details! 🎯
