A List for Nonprofit Leaders

You are leading through scary, unprecedented times, and it can be hard to focus and prioritize. It’s important for your entire team - your staff, board, donors, volunteers, members/clients - to know you have a plan and are mapping a way forward.

Throw out everything you thought you knew about 2020 and start from scratch.

Create very short term plans (30/60/90 days), and be prepared to rework them as often as necessary. This crisis will require as much of your flexibility, creativity, and forward-thinking as you can muster.

I hope these questions help as you prioritize where to put your energies:

1. What are our vulnerabilities? How can we shore up these areas in the short term and use this crisis to strengthen them in the long run?

2. What’s the worst-case scenario? What actions do we need to take to prevent it?

3. What are the opportunities within this crisis for our organization?

4. What is our core mission, and how can we continue with that in this season?

5. What’s the best outcome for the people we serve?

6. Who do I trust for leadership advice and guidance (either a cultural leader or someone you personally know)? How can I tap into their wisdom for this time?

7. What questions do we need to ask of our attorney, our insurance agent, our board, etc. ASAP?

8. Where do we need to cut spending?

9. Where do we need to ramp up spending?

10. What are my staff’s fears, and how can I address them honestly?

11. Which major donors and foundations do I need to contact and ask for help?

12. Do we need to apply for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan?

13. How can I communicate with those we serve? How can we continue to serve them - even if in very different ways?

14. How are we going to keep monthly donors engaged and committed?

15. Whose stories do we need to tell right now (i.e., a monthly donor committed to giving through the crisis, a new donor, someone directly served by our organization)?

16. What would it look like for us to come out of this crisis stronger than ever?

17. What projects should we undertake that we would normally not have time for?

18. How can I mobilize our volunteers in new (e.g. online) ways during this time?

19. What vision can we paint for the future of our community and how can we become an integral part of that vision in the mind of our donors?

“Life is not always a matter of holding good cards, but sometimes, playing a poor hand well.” - Jack London

There are hidden opportunities inside of every crisis. Put your head down, dial down the noise from outside sources, make a plan, and then Work. That. Plan.

No one knows how this is going to turn out, and no one’s playing a good hand. Focus on playing your hand as best as you can.

I’m rooting for you.

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