The past couple of years have posed significant challenges for nonprofits, forcing them to adapt and respond swiftly to survive in the face of a prolonged pandemic and an uncertain economy. As the landscape continues to evolve, there are invaluable lessons to be learned that can help nonprofits create a better member experience in the future.
By internalizing those lessons, nonprofits professionals will be empowered to navigate uncertainty with agility as well as create meaningful experiences that resonate with their members. Below, 19 Forbes Nonprofit Council members share key insights and strategies gained from recent years that can enhance member engagement, satisfaction and loyalty.
1. Uplifting Staff Builds Trust
I confirmed my pre-existing belief that intentionally focusing on uplifting our staff’s individual and collective humanity in transparent, vulnerable ways builds trust and mutual accountability. This has helped everyone navigate and emerge from challenging moments with grace, humility and resilience. – Arthur Mills, IV, America’s Promise Alliance
2. Finding Creative Ways To Be Accessible Is Key
It is even more important now to be accessible and available to the people and communities being served. Finding creative ways to accomplish this is critical, as this will require training staff differently to increase understanding of what responsiveness and adaptability truly mean in this new environment. Meaningfully invest in your staff to improve the member experience and scale up organizational impact. – Neha Gill, Apna Ghar, Inc. (Our Home)
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3. Increasing Communication Leads To More Transparency
The pandemic enhanced our collective hunger for honesty. We’ve learned to embrace the opportunity to be more transparent with members about our organization’s challenges, successes and areas for improvement. To do this, we’ve given our staff more opportunities to communicate in their authentic voice across all of our communication channels. – Ashley Boyd, Mozilla Foundation
4. Listening Makes Teams More Efficient
Change is constant, so how an organization thrives in the face of change is key to its success. I find that listening to staff, board members and partners is critical. I always remember that there is never one answer. The solution of today is not the solution of tomorrow. Empower your team to find new solutions as you strive together to be more efficient and more effective in the work together. – Deidre Lind, Mayor’s Fund for Los Angeles
5. Giving Unrestricted Gifts Is Crucial
We were so grateful to have unrestricted money when the pandemic hit. Because of that, we were able to pivot to put our training, counseling services and education programs online easily and quickly. The programs that we were paid for with restricted gifts stalled and took a long time to adapt. The pandemic helped us talk to donors about the importance of giving unrestricted gifts. – Caroline Boudreaux, Miracle Foundation
6. Expanding Your Organization’s Resources Increases Brand Awareness
Understand that the optimal strategy for surviving uncertainty is to direct resources toward initiatives that advance and support your core mission and demonstrate your organization’s community impact and value. In higher education, don’t pull back from community engagement to reduce costs; instead, expand your free or low-cost topics on mental health to further awareness about your organization. – Michael Horowitz, TCS Education System
7. Connecting Authentically With Others Creates Change
Commit yourself to a posture of learning. The landscape is constantly changing and especially now, the needs and challenges of your audience may not be what they were yesterday. Times like these make it even more important to connect authentically with your primary beneficiaries to see what they need and how they need it. – Elyse Burden, Real World Scholars
8. Keeping Membership-Driven Organizations Is Vital
We sometimes underestimate our members. They are often more adaptable than we give them credit for, and nonprofit leaders shouldn’t be afraid to introduce new ideas, strategies and processes to the membership. As we navigate the new normal (which we may not have totally reached yet), members who can be open-minded and flexible will keep membership-driven organizations vital. – Victoria Burkhart, The More Than Giving Company
9. Aligning Everything With The Mission Creates Success
To survive and thrive, everything must be aligned with the mission. Every hour and every dollar spent needs to connect to your goals. Mission creep is inevitable, particularly when we are being asked to do more with less. As leaders, we have to be sure to focus on our objectives and how we meet them. We make tough choices with our mission as our North Star. – Patrick Riccards, Driving Force Institute
10. Co-Creating Ensures Positive Impact
Ask for feedback, or even better, co-create ideas from the start. This includes involving staff, the community, your board and other invested stakeholders. It adds time and work, but it also ensures that we are being intentional, impactful and responsive. When change happens quickly, communication is often the first thing we sacrifice. As possible, we need to slow down and ask a few more questions. – Matthew Gayer, Spur Local
11. Being Innovative Creates Success Despite Adversity
Empathy and innovation are key ingredients to nonprofit success. We have to be empathetic to the challenges we face as a society and be willing to be innovative so we can thrive in the face of adversity. Let donors, stakeholders and board members see you doing something. If you want a place where it never rains, we can go there. It is a desert where nothing grows, so meet challenges and grow instead. – Aaron Alejandro, Texas FFA Foundation
12. Having Resiliency Helps You Adjust To Change
Our world is changing so quickly these days. If you’re the kind of organization that’s going to overreact every time society challenges the way you’re doing things, you’re going to fall behind. Resiliency helps you to adjust well to changes, which also helps you to become a valued asset within your community. You will be known as the team who adapts well and the team who helps others to do the same. – Christopher Dipnarine, 4MyCiTy Inc.
13. Planning Ahead Helps Support Organizations
We must be anticipatory of what we cannot see and may not fully understand. As nonprofit leaders, our role must include staying abreast of global politics and health but also emerging technology and innovative ways of delivering services. We must be thinking 100 steps ahead to plan for what we cannot see so that we can support our organizations better. – Jennifer Thompson, i-tri Girls
14. Overcommunicating Creates Transparency
Be as open and transparent as possible so that your stakeholders know what’s going on. Ask for their input and help when needed. That may be in the area of building partnerships, raising funds or raising awareness of your organization’s mission. – Kimberly Lewis, Goodwill Industries of East Texas, Inc.
15. Promoting Inclusivity Strengthens Member Relations
Fostering genuine connections and a sense of belonging strengthens member experiences. Prioritizing active listening, fostering open dialogue and valuing diverse perspectives enables the co-creation of effective strategies that resonate. We ensure our organization’s adaptability and resilience amid change by nurturing relationships and promoting inclusivity, transparency and empathy. – Kenneth Deans, Health Sciences South Carolina
16. Surrounding Yourself With The Right People Guarantees Collaboration
There is no problem or challenge that cannot be overcome if you have the right people. Surrounding yourself with passionate, diverse and committed individuals who share a common vision in a culture where everyone’s voice is heard guarantees collaboration and creative problem-solving. If people feel valued and seen, they create amazing experiences for everyone they interact with. – Tina Admans, Minds Matter Southern California
17. Having Alternative Plans Ensures Excellent Member Support
Adapting planning processes to include different scenarios provides essential agility in delivering our services through greater uncertainty. This includes having a Plan B and perhaps even a Plan C that can quickly be implemented when adaptability is needed. Paying attention to monthly cash flow changes will provide the ability to pivot faster when needed in ways that ensure excellent member support. – Shari O’Loughlin, The Compassionate Friends
18. Prioritizing Staff Well-Being Retains Top Talent
Nonprofits rely on the dedication and hard work of their employees to achieve their mission, so providing them with the resources and support they need is crucial. By prioritizing staff well-being and creating a positive work culture, nonprofits can not only retain top talent, but also improve the overall member experience. – Kelsey Burton, Medical Mutts Service Dogs
19. Aligning Your Mission To Actions Creates Impact
Stay true to your “why.” Tighten up your mission and only do things that truly align. In today’s world, we don’t have the luxury of cavalierly serving. It’s not only counterproductive, it’s also dangerous. Funders want to see impact, not impression. – Jamee Rodgers, Urban Neighborhood Initiative
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