Monday, July 18, 2016

Ways to Increase Results With a Nonprofit Organization




Charlotte Johnson is co-CEO of Otto Bremer Trust, based in St. Paul, Minnesota. Outside of her duties at Otto Bremer, Charlotte Johnson has served on the board of directors for multiple nonprofits and is experienced with charitable organizations.

Profit may seem like a topic you shouldn’t be discussing when it comes to charitable activities. However, in order to increase a nonprofit organization’s revenue, it’s crucial to learn how best to maximize fundraising proceeds.

The first goal should be decreasing costs. Look at the organization’s budget and see where you can either negotiate with vendors or just take a chunk directly out of your budget. Try looking for volunteer workers, for example, to cut down on labor costs.

The next step is to maximize revenue. If you already have a fundraising plan, look it over and check each strategy. See how you can increase the revenue by 5 percent at each fundraiser, sponsorship, or other events involved in your current plan. Once you start testing out new and different strategies, you are likely to gain a clearer sense of what works best for your organization.