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| Nonprofit organizations in crisis
Posted by JPO   on 9/28/2008, 12:13 pm
We have seen cascading economic crises this year. United Way in my area has changed focus and has reduced funding by 100%, 50%, and zero reduction, depending on each nonprofit organization’s mission, programs, and other criteria. The United Way grant applications will be competitive grants starting next year for the 2009-2010 funding year. I know of other regional funding agencies that will not fund nonprofit organizations with budgets less than $300,000.
The small to medium nonprofit organizations have been under pressure for some time and now the time is critical for them. I have been called recently by organizations to conduct grant writing. They have excellent mission programs that have been successful for several years but state funding has been cut off or costs have exploded and other factors have placed them in danger of immediate collapse. They invariably tell me one way or another that they do not want to pay a professional grant writer. At this stage of their crisis, a grant writer is not going to save their organization. A good grant writer working diligently for them during the past two years might have helped them through this current crisis. Many small and medium organizations will not accept the need for professional grant writing even though, in every case, they admit that their grant writing programs have failed.
Larger nonprofit organizations are seeing funding cuts from state and local governments and foundations. The larger organizations, with trained professional management, more readily recognize the measures required to continue to develop new areas of grant and development funding. Grant writers can make a strong case for the professional approach that they can bring to the larger organization. However, grant writers will need to continue to develop their own self-improvement so they can successfully handle the more complex programs and issues of the larger organizations.
When a crisis happens, it happens. There is no backing up so you can do it differently. The 21st Century has brought plenty of crises. To prevent a crisis from occurring again requires understanding history, maintaining high standards and integrity, and using the best tools and motivated people that an organization can afford. It may not be possible for some organizations to continue their missions, but for others, the opportunity to succeed and grow can come from learning the lessons of the painful experiences.
My question – what recommendations do you give clients and nonprofit organizations to help them through this current deep crisis. How do you change your grant-writing approach.
John
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