On this site you can find information about Peter Brinckerhoff's services, training topics, and publications. There are also management, marketing and technology ideas, podcasts, tools and resources for curent training clients.

 

Everything here is designed to help you make your not-for-profit more mission-capable.

From the current issue of

The Mission-Based Management Newsletter:

 

Better Board and Staff Decision-Making

Since boards make policy, they have to make many decisions, and those decisions will guide the organization's ability to provide high quality mission. The process of making both mundane and high impact decisions can be tedious, or easy. My new book Smart Stewardship for Nonprofits: Making the Right Decision in Good Times and Bad is all about decision making. It includes a decision tree to help you and your board get on the same decsion-making page.

In this issue, I'll show you some keys to better decision making and some mistakes organizations make.

First, always start with your nonprofit's mission and values
How does this decision impact your mission? is it inside or outside the mission in terms of impact, geography (where you provide service), demography (who your mission says you serve)? Does the decision have values impact? Talk about these things first--and in depth. Mission first.

Second, look at capability and capacity
Nonprofits need to do what they do well---and as much of it as possible. Don't let mission creep (by chasing money) draw you away from what you do well. In addition, a decision to add a service, increase your hours, or open a new location will have impact on your cash flow, the quality of exisiting services, your HR, IT, space, etc. Make sure you have the capacity to do whatever you are considering.

Third, do your homework......

 

To see the entire issue, including technology and marketing ideas, click here.

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