How to get by with just a little
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize that nonprofit organizations have limited resources. But doesn’t it seem like funds, time and staff are becoming more and more scarce? Of course, recent developments haven’t helped—COVID-19 and recent inflation have made it harder to accomplish as much as you could 10 years ago.
At Church Mutual, we work with many nonprofits and see lots of strategies for maximizing your resources. Here are six of the top ways we’ve seen nonprofits save money and do more with less:
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Focus on a few key services
When you see a need, it can be tempting to try to fill it and figure out how to make it work within your budget later. But if funds are low, it might make more sense to provide a small number of services with success, rather than try to offer more than you can handle, which could result in decreased quality of your services.
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Downsize your office space
COVID-19 taught large corporations, small businesses and nonprofits alike that we can accomplish much more from home than we thought we could. When you encourage employees to work from home, you can significantly decrease your utilities cost, and you might be able to move to a more affordable office space.
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Use the tools you have
You may not have the funds to invest in a fancy fundraising system or other technology expenses, but are you fully utilizing all the programs you currently have? For example, many organizations already have accounting software on their computers, but they may not be using them at all.
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Promote matching gift programs with corporations
Thousands of corporations offer matching gifts incentives for their employees—you just have to find them and make sure their employees know just how much of an impact they can make. You can start by embedding a company search tool on your website so donors can search for their employer. Find a database that is constantly being updated with new information about what companies are offering. That database should also be able to give next steps to the donors so they can complete the required paperwork for their company. The donors will be able to make an online gift to your organization and then work with their employer to get the matching dollars.
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Go “live” on social media
Most social media platforms have a “live” feature, and when you use it, you can take advantage of a free chance to widen your reach. This can help you educate the public about your mission and gain new volunteers and donors.
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Take advantage of free resources through your insurance provider
Check with your insurance provider to see if they offer complementary programs or resources that help you minimize risk and ultimately save you money on your premiums – e.g., sensors to detect water leaks, fire or carbon monoxide, self-inspection safety checklists, discounts for safety features, education and training, and more.
In a perfect world, you would have unlimited resources to accomplish your mission. In the real world, the above tips can help you work with what you have.
For additional information, resources, tips and more for nonprofit and human services organizations, visit blog.churchmutual.com/NPHS.
