Your Website - Your Storefront to the World
– Five Tips to Help Dress up the Windows and Attract More Customers
In our business of helping non-profits to become more successful we see correlations of similarity and common mistakes that can’t be ignored. One of the biggest mistakes that we see in a large majority of small nonprofits is the belief that grant-seeking and administration is the key to success. This article is intended to discuss briefly the flaw in that thinking, and to offer tips how small nonprofits can attract more customers, i.e., donors, partners, volunteers and contributors to their storefront to the world, your website.
One common argument in small nonprofits is that many, if not most form their non-profit organization and register with IRS because they have the impression that in doing so they will be eligible to receive grants from foundations and other nonprofits. Although this is basically true, the flaw in this thinking lays in the fact that roughly 73% of all charitable giving in the US comes from individuals and only approximately 19% come from foundations and corporations. Consequently, most small, especially start-up nonprofits, struggle with grant-seeking, including spending a large portion of their budget resources on grant research and writing training, and their sustainability suffers from this tactic. Each passing year, it becomes more difficult to find and secure grant funding for the same programs offered by the small nonprofit, and with changes in program direction by the funders some grant funding can dry up altogether. This roller coaster of success and failure can drive your board members crazy and may result in losing many talented and resourceful volunteers.
Here are some tips to follow in developing and growing your nonprofit for sustainability and long-term success:
