05 Jan Ways to Start 2023 Off Strong for Nonprofit Leaders

A leadership role in a nonprofit organization brings both excitement and challenges. If you’re trying to navigate through common problems that nonprofits face, such as limited resources, organizational development, competing priorities, funding management, and team relationships – you’re not alone. Fortunately, you can kick off the new year with renewed optimism and new goals. Here are ways to start 2023 off strong:

Revisit your mission and vision statements

Many things can change over the course of a year, and it may be time to revamp your nonprofit’s mission and vision statements. The problem you set out to solve may no longer look the same. Or perhaps the situation has become broader and consequently, so has your mission.

Your mission and vision statements help drive your strategic plans by allowing people to understand your identity and direction. It’s important to revisit your mission statement to ensure the purpose behind the nonprofit’s existence is clear. If not, it may be time to gather feedback from your stakeholders and employees about whether to draft or edit your organization’s mission and vision statements.

Test your website’s user-friendliness

Have you ever had someone outside your organization take a look at your website and provide objective feedback? Now is the time to evaluate your website to determine whether you’re effectively communicating and reaching your audiences.

Mobile-friendly sites boast ease of accessibility, allowing anyone visiting your website to access your nonprofit across all their devices without inconvenience.

Poorly designed websites can also be off-putting, causing visitors to leave without learning more about your mission. And if you’ve made donating a multi-step or unclear process, you may lose opportunities too. Some ways to verify your website’s user-friendliness include user experience polls, A/B testing, user behavior analytics, and usability testing.

Schedule one-on-one meetings with core team members

Building trusting and supportive relationships with each member of your core team leads to better connections, stronger collaborations, and more productive dialogues. When you’re at the helm, it’s important to focus on the organization’s goals and lead your team in the right direction. However, you’re more likely to reach those goals when you gain insight into others’ perspectives.

You may discover blind spots and weaknesses through one-on-one meetings with team members, allowing you to grow as a leader. Regular conversations with your staff reinforce relationships, resulting in stronger loyalty and improved retention. The time you spend with each team member allows you to create collaborative goals or resolve conflicts.

Promote growth opportunities for staff

Beyond ensuring that team members are accomplishing their tasks, good leaders encourage learning and growth. In addition to their primary duties, your staff may be looking for greater experience.

Turn to resources that provide free online courses on essential nonprofit skills such as grant writing, fundraising, and marketing. Some of your staff may even seek on-the-job experience to help cultivate their relationship-building skills, such as meeting with community members, partners, vendors, and donors.

We’d love to hear what your organization is doing to start 2023 off strong!