Nonprofits tend to get complacent. Maybe we all do. But when we accept our situation as “the way it is,” we are doing more than missing opportunities, we may be causing future problems.

What kind of future problems?

Fundraising:

You are making enough to cover your budget, so why worry? Decreased funding can occur in the blink of an eye – ask anyone involved with Bernard Madoff. Corporate funding can disappear with a merger agreement. Now is the time to diversify annual funding sources or establish a planned giving program for long-term stability. Not once you have the budgetary gap.

Board Development:

What would you do if 3 people stepped off your Board of Directors this fall? If you assume your ad hoc nominating committee can suddenly fill the gaps, you may be in for quite the surprise. If they are not planning on a year-round basis and growing a large number of potential candidates, you may be unexpectedly reducing the size of your board by ten or twenty percent.

Programs:

If you are not planning for change – whether growth of new programs or reduction in services you are waiting for change to happen to you. And then, your response can be too late. Will you have the additional funding to make that new hire or the foresight to shift locations for some programs to make room for others?

Need more ideas? Consider the specific areas of your organization that have not been examined in more than a year. Are there areas that have potential hazards? Address them now. Before it is too late.