Strategic Consulting for Organizational Sustainability and Success

sus·tain·a·bil·i·ty     noun

The ability to continue over a period of time (Cambridge dictionary), to last. Capable of being maintained at length without interruption or weakening (Merriam-Webster).

sig·nif·i·cance     noun

The quality of having or being likely to have influence, of being meaningful, important (Merriam-Webster); to be of consequence (dictionary.com) 

Nonprofits regularly find themselves feeling there is too much to do without the necessary resources to get it all done. Focus turns exclusively to the immediate future - putting out fires, preparing for tomorrow’s meetings, addressing pressing deadlines, accomplishing the day-to-day tasks at hand, getting sidelined by the urgent rather than focusing on the important. Deliberation on strategies for organizational success is not prioritized. To be sustainable and significant organizations must take time to: identify shifting trends and issues, query the organization’s culture, think about what the organization needs to stay relevant and viable in the future, evaluate intended outcomes, question potential transformations that could enable the organization to continue to meet its mission, consider new collaborations, and reflect on ways the organization might stimulate the change it was founded to engender. Without these assessments, opportunities are missed and the organization’s capacity to sustain its work and impact into the future is limited. 

The diagram below is our illustration of organizational sustainability and significance.

Mission driven: A mission driven organization is laser focused on and committed to its mission, purpose, and organizational identity. Everything that’s done, how it’s done, decisions made, and the values embodied are all aligned to solve the issues the organization was created to address, both in the short and long-term. 

Organizational culture: Organizational culture is the shared beliefs and values that guide how the people in an organization work. Does the culture of the organization support or hinder the ability to do the work required by its mission? Is the culture in line with its mission or does it talk one thing and walk another? Does it value the creative flow of diverse ideas and opinions that enable it to thrive, and recognize and adapt to change? Do the stated values extend to everyone involved in helping the organization pursue its purpose and those with whom the organization works? 

Equally as important, the organizational culture embraces a true commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) reflected in its mission, vision, core values, and everyday work. Beyond (and including) staff and board demographics reflecting the community the organization serves, do the operations, policies, and procedures reflect a culture committed to DEI or are they still completely rooted in white culture? Is there an equity lens through which the organization and all decisions are evaluated? What intentional actions are being taken to ensure these values are sustained? Do all staff feel supported, valued, heard, and engaged?

Capacity: Organizational capacity refers to the capabilities, competencies, and resources required for an organization to effectively deliver the services essential to its mission, in a manner consistent with its organizational culture. Capacity involves being adaptable and strategic, having the right people in the right jobs and at the table, applying needed systems and practices, and ensuring financial and other resources are appropriately allocated. It entails an ability to navigate difficult conversations, decisions, and actions demanded for sustainability and significance.

Outcome oriented: To be effectively outcome oriented an organization must be mission driven. These organizations understand how to prioritize, support, and evaluate their efforts and resulting outcomes. They are open to the results of evaluation and willing to make changes required to increase impact. Everyone involved is accountable to both the organizational values and their own performance outcomes. Again, resources are allocated to make success possible. 

Adaptable/strategic: Adaptable organizations are nimble. They understand that to achieve their mission long-term they must recognize changes to the environment within which they operate and adjust accordingly. They are forward thinking, have well defined goals and an organizational culture that empowers them to change. Still, focus on mission is strong enough to identify the changes that support its continued pursuit (or an appropriate variation thereof), versus deviation from it (mission drift). They are attentive to how decisions made today will impact the organization in the future.

Community relationships: Too often nonprofits silo themselves, often out of a sense of competition with other organizations whose missions relate to theirs. The mistaken assumption of resource scarcity frequently keeps organizations from recognizing that accomplishment in one area feeds success across issues and that working together is more likely to produce significant results. Fostering relationships with those addressing issues allied with yours can bring unexpected rewards.

These elements are interconnected and lay the foundation for organizational sustainability and significance. Without any one of them, the organization’s capacity for long-term impact is stifled.

Johnson and Wallace is available to help you build the internal capacity to achieve your mission and to have long-term impact in this ever-changing world.