Insight

Clearing the cobwebs from your nonprofit’s program offerings

Clearing the cobwebs from your nonprofit’s program offerings | tax consultant | WCS | Baltimore, MD

It’s all too easy to let not-for-profit programs that have outlived their effectiveness to continue, even as they consume budget resources. To help ensure your resources are being deployed efficiently and effectively, consider using the tradition of spring cleaning to review and, potentially, replace older programs.

Go to the sources

Instead of relying on old assumptions about your programs’ effectiveness, perform new research. Start by surveying participants, members, donors, employees, volunteers and community leaders about which of your nonprofit’s programs are the most — and least — effective and why.

You may get mixed responses regarding the same program, so consider their source. Employees and volunteers who work directly with program participants are more likely to know if your current efforts are off target than is a donor who attends a fundraising event once a year.

Use the right measurements

If you don’t already have goals for each program, you need to set them. Also put in place an evaluation system with metrics that are strategic, realistic and timely. For example, a charity that provides tutoring to high school students in low-income neighborhoods might measure the program’s success by considering exam and class grades and graduation rates as well as the students’ and teachers’ feedback.

Apply several measures, including subjective ones, before deciding to cut or fund a program. Numerical data might suggest that a program isn’t worth the money spent on it, but those who benefit from the program may be so vocal about its success that eliminating it could harm your reputation.

If you meet resistance from major donors and other influential stakeholders, reassure them that you value their input. Provide them with numbers that illustrate the ineffectiveness of current programs and projections for possible replacements.

Make it better

It’s usually easier to identify obsolete programs than to decide on new ones. If one of your programs is clearly ineffective and another is wildly exceeding expectations, the decision to redeploy funds is simple.

Keep in mind that new programs can be variations of old ones, but they must better serve your basic mission, values and goals. Also, no matter how much good programs do, they can’t be successful if they overspend. For every new program, make a tight budget and stick to it. You might want to start small and, if your soft launch gets positive results, simply revise your budget.

What to keep

Naturally, programs that continue to further your nonprofit’s mission and meet constituents’ needs should stay in place. But your nonprofit likely harbors a few cobwebs that should be cleared to make way for more effective initiatives.

© 2020

Related Insights

Promoting good governance with a board policy | tax preparation in baltimore county md | Weyrich, Cronin & Sorra

Non-Profits

Promoting good governance with a board policy

Your nonprofit’s board of directors should enjoy the role, the opportunity to support a cause close to their hearts and the camaraderie of…
What tax documents can you safely shred? And which ones should you keep? | CPA in Alexandria VA | Weyrich, Cronin & Sorra

Tax Prep, Planning & Strategy

What tax documents can you safely shred? And which ones should you keep?

Once your 2024 tax return is in the hands of the IRS, you may be tempted to clear out file cabinets and delete digital folders. But before reaching…
Mine your nonprofit’s audit report for good suggestions | tax preparation in harford county md | Weyrich, Cronin & Sorra

Non-Profits

Mine your nonprofit’s audit report for good suggestions

Only some not-for-profit organizations are required to conduct independent annual audits. For example, the federal government and many states…

Connect with us

Use the form below to send us an email. WCS responds directly to all inquiries and general questions within 24 hours of posting.

This contact form is deactivated because you refused to accept Google reCaptcha service which is necessary to validate any messages sent by the form.