BIG'a Blog: How to get support for change

Building a donor centric organization takes planning. To get support to change the way “things have always been done” is invaluable.

Building a case to change or enhance the current fundraising operation and marketing strategies can be challenging. To assist leadership and staff in understanding the need for change takes patience and time. But, building a case for change is necessary for the short and long-term success of the organization.

As the demographics of the constituents change, the organization must adapt its current communication and fundraising strategies to meet the constituent donors' expectations. This will require a nonprofit to review its current business/fundraising strategies.

Building a business case will help support the need for change. But, what happens if your organization has never developed a business case?

The scope of a case may include objectives that affect more than one department in an organization. This will take a collaborative effort to establish the business objectives and the action needed for a change to take place.

The management team may be open to developing a case for change, but not all personnel may be on board. If the nonprofit’s culture is not used to collaborative efforts, or it is threatened by change, it will hinder the success of the fundraising and operational activities. In this situation, outside assistance may be required to build the case and assist in the implementation of a new business plan.

Financial consequences occur when a fundraising organization is not willing to change in response to its constituent/donors' needs. At some point, leadership will need answers to these two questions:

1. “Why does the organization need to change to meet the needs of the constituents?”

2. “How will the organization change to meet these needs?”

If a case can be built that is tangible and show that proposed changes will contribute to the financial success of the organization, then leadership and staff will better understand the reason that change is necessary.

-Gail