getty
Working in a nonprofit can be an incredibly challenging experience, but it’s also one that allows professionals to grow and develop their skills as they make a difference.
Eventually, there comes a time when a professional has to start thinking about their next move; the experience they’ve gained can propel them into an operations role, but starting their own nonprofit can be another way to leverage the knowledge they’ve acquired.
The decision to step into a leadership role in the nonprofit sector is one that should be made after thorough research and careful consideration of the potential community being served. To help professionals determine the best course of action, 17 Forbes Nonprofit Council members each share one piece advice for those interested in starting or running a nonprofit.
1. Seek Out Multiple Perspectives Before Acting
Be curious from several perspectives. If you want to start a nonprofit, make sure it truly meets a need and seek third-party validation before you proceed. Consider partnering with or supporting another nonprofit before starting a new one. If you want to run a nonprofit, conduct informational interviews with CEOs from all types of organizations to learn what prepared them most for their role. - Nicole Suydam, Goodwill of Orange County
2. Join A Nonprofit Board
Start by joining a nonprofit board. This allows you to explore how you will contribute if the tables are reversed. It will also provide plenty of opportunities for you to learn from past mistakes, gain knowledge from other board members and access the inner workings of running a nonprofit. With board experience, you can confidently decide whether or not it makes sense to start a nonprofit. - Dr. Lilian Ajayi-Ore, Global Connections for Women Foundation
Forbes Nonprofit Council is an invitation-only organization for chief executives in successful nonprofit organizations. Do I qualify?
3. Be Able To Take Initiatives To The Next Level
Nonprofits thrive with strategy, vision and progress. Mission and servant leadership may attract you to the work, but being able to take your project or organization to the next level is what is needed. That, plus collaboration is key. If you come from the perspective that there is enough to go around, you will be less territorial and more interest-based. Then, anything is possible. - Ellen Miller, International Ombuds Association
4. Join Forces With An Already Established Organization
If you want to start a nonprofit, don't do it. There are over 1.8 million nonprofits in the US and many are duplicating efforts. Instead, find an organization that is addressing the issue you care about and join forces. If you still want to run a nonprofit, Peter Drucker famously said, "Culture eats strategy for breakfast." Make sure you work for a company with the right North Star and ethos. - Caroline Boudreaux, Miracle Foundation
5. Be Ready To Wear All The Hats
Be prepared to wear all the hats, at least at first. In the beginning, you’ll have the opportunity to model how you want every facet of your organization to operate. It will be stressful at first, but it will also stress test your concept in all the right ways and make things feel that much more turnkey as you start to recruit more personnel and peer support. - Jose Luis Castro, Vital Strategies
6. Align Your Chosen Initiative With Your Experiences
It’s best to start a nonprofit if the desired outcome is something that intersects directly with something you have overcome or that has afflicted you personally in the past. It is our hardships that result in our personal missions. When this is true, it will be hard for you to not get engaged with or start an effort to bring about the change or care you once needed. - David Wills, National Christian Foundation
7. Maintain A Startup Mindset
If you are interested in leading a nonprofit, it can be helpful to think of it as a perpetual startup. Like a startup, “chase the vision, not the money; the money will end up following you,” according to Tony Hsieh, the former CEO of Zappos. Identify key stakeholders who share your passion for the mission—your board, staff and the audience you serve—to build a team with unwavering focus on the mission. - Laura MacDonald, Benefactor Group
8. Collaborate With Stakeholders
Work with all of the stakeholders involved. Many times, we start solving problems for people instead of with them. Solutions only work long term when the voices and perspectives of those most impacted are woven into the DNA of the organization. Consider the people you are trying to serve and incorporate them at every stage and level of your organization. - Elyse Burden, Real World Scholars
9. Engage Community Members To Serve As Board Members
Seek out powerful individuals in your community to serve as your board members. People want to be a part of something bigger than themselves. If you can find individuals with established influence that believe in your mission to serve in a board leadership position starting out, you will be able to leverage their connections and resources early on in your nonprofits journey. - Christina Potts, LISTEN
10. Outline A Plan To Address A Problem
Start by defining the need your nonprofit plans to address. Use photos and stories to show the community how your engagement has helped others. Share photos that show community members mentoring people at the nonprofit. Share stories of how community members stepping up to become mentors or volunteers at your nonprofit has benefited everyone. - Daniel A Wubah, Millersville University
11. Set A Goal
Know your goal. There are a lot of things you could do. If there is an area of real opportunity for you to specifically make a difference, consider what you and the community want that difference to be. Is this a scalable program? Does it only ever serve the original audience? Knowing the goal will direct time, effort and funding. - Matthew Gayer, Catalogue for Philanthropy
12. Dedicate Time To Frontline Work
Consistently dedicate part of your time to doing the frontline work of the organization. It shouldn't be the biggest chunk of your time, but it is an important piece as it grounds you in the mission and gives you a chance to regularly gather feedback on how the organization is doing or could be improving. - George Tsiatis, Resolution Project
13. Become A Master Storyteller
There has never been a better time to positively impact the world by founding a nonprofit. The ability to connect and create community via social media is enabling nonprofit founders to frictionlessly share their story and mission to the world. Craft a compelling and authentic story, then utilize LinkedIn and TikTok to cover the broadest base of potential supporters. - Nick Lynch, Collidescope IO, Inc.
14. Establish Yourself As An Expert
Most nonprofits are created to address a specific local community need such as housing, food insecurity, education and more. Establishing your platform as an expert within your unique area can pave the way for growing visibility and impacting local and even broader national thought leadership. - Michael Horowitz, TCS Education System
15. Apply Foundational Business Principles
Similar to starting a for-profit business, it’s important to apply the same foundational business principles when managing a nonprofit. This includes ensuring there's a dependable cash flow, hiring a talented staff and developing a strategic plan. It also takes a lot of passion, commitment and hard work to propel your mission, but it's all worth it to help make a positive difference. - Dan Mantz, Robotics Education & Competition (REC) Foundation
16. Use Principles And Approaches From Design Thinking And Product Design
Leverage design thinking principles and product design approaches. Think about the opportunity in the market and community. Identify the user need (empathize). Develop a perspective and examine a set of possible solutions (define and ideate). Start small and minimize investment with a pilot or model (prototype). Take action and get quick feedback about what is working, then iterate and scale (test). - Scott Dolan, Excelsior University
17. Persistently And Consistently Focus On Your Passions
There are many things in life that will capture our attention. However, only a few things will capture our heart, so pursue those. Persistence breaks resistance. Consistency creates credibility. Not everyone will have the same passion as you about a cause important to you. It is okay to sometimes give out but just don't ever give up. - Aaron Alejandro, Texas FFA Foundation
