Nonprofit Organizational Design And Capacity

ReferencesRobert D. H. & Associates (2005). THE JOSSEY-BASS HANDBOOK OF NONPROFIT LEADERSHIP & MANAGEMENT (2nd ed.). San Francisco, CA: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

The diversity of nonprofit organizations, services provided and the problems faced shows that nonprofits require leadership with an in-depth understanding of the multifaceted nonprofit landscape. Understanding the culture of nonprofit work is also crucial and much easier to understand once you have been through a nonprofit management program. My career interests lead me towards an avocation of a deeper knowledge of strategic management/planning, legal structure and standards, increase my skills in quantitative analysis of policy, financial governance and developing fundraising strategies. These areas allow for macro management within the nonprofit

Most nonprofit agencies follow the same management structure. The structure normally consists of a vertical hierarchal structure with the chief executive manager at the helm, and divisional leaders rounding out the strategic leadership team. Since 9/11, then government shutdowns, multiple wars, natural disasters, and the government sequester, the challenge to most nonprofits is to compete for every available charitable dollar. Chief Executive Officers (CEO) of nonprofits must not only be skillful in maximizing the outcomes with fewer dollars, but also politically savvy in vying for monies for federal, state, local, foundation, and private funding sources.

At the center of any successful nonprofit organization there is an effective chief executive and board of directors. These leaders must work as a team with a vision and specific skills, to effectively produce resources in order to accomplish the organization's goals. The majority of the decision making authority and leadership is shared amongst board members; however, critical management skills and day-to-day operational decisions rest within the authority of the chief executive. However, members of the board must also be sufficiently skilled in management in order to assess the work of its director to assist in the implementation and evaluation of strategic decision making.

The nonprofit sector in America is a reflection some of the foundational values that brought our nation into existence. Fundamentals, such as the idea that people can govern themselves and the belief that people should have the opportunity to make a difference by joining a like-minded group, have made America and its nonprofit sector what it is today. The American "civil society" is one that has been produced through generations of experiments with government policy, nonprofit organizations, private partnerships, and individuals who have asserted ideas and values. The future of the nonprofit sector will continue to be experimental in many ways. However, the increase of professional studies in nonprofit management and the greater

The fourth nonprofit I analyzed is called GreaterGood which is an online website that sells a wide range of products that have been made across the world and uses the profit generated by sales to donate to a variety of different nonprofits that have a specific mission (Help, 2015, p.1). The specific nonprofits that GreaterGood donates to breast cancer, animal rescue, veterans, autism, diabetes, the rainforest, and the one that is specific to my area of analysis the hunger site. This style of nonprofit expressed by the GreaterGood charity is extremely unique because of the extreme differences in charities they are partners with. With the multiple charities they work with I would be confident in arguing that the GreaterGood-hunger site is a path-goal leadership style.

When Zoot Velasco looks at American nonprofits, he sees a sector that is struggling, in spite of limitless potential for innovation and impact. Noting that 22.3% of the country’s GDP is in the nonprofit sector, yet only 20% of such organizations have a budget exceeding $1 million, Velasco hopes to lead a transformation in the industry.

This tool is sponsored by the United Way of America. This tool is designed for United Way organizations but can be applied to nonprofits for internal evaluation purposes. This tool can be used to: (1) gauge your organization’s current status relative to the Standards of Excellence, (2) identify areas of strength where your expertise could be shared with others; and (3) determine where to focus your organizational development and improvement efforts (“United Way”, n.d.). This tool is marketed towards United Way organizations but can be applied to nonprofits for internal evaluation purposes.

1. Connors, T. D. (2001). The Nonprofit Handbook. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. [US].

When one talks about ‘Nonprofits’ many things come to mind; People often use phrases such as 501c3’s, charitable, ambassadors of the poor, and tax free organizations to umbrella the whole nonprofit sector. However, what large portions of our country fail to note is that there are differences within the nonprofit branch. There are two man categories of Nonprofits: Public, and Private; within those categories there are differing distinctions that allow for the separate identities of these organizations to in function and scope.

Until spending time in the nonprofit program at Johnson, I never considered the many different tasks associated with starting a nonprofit. Additionally, through growing up at a long-established nonprofit, I took for granted the work involved in establishing it as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. The IRS website provides explanation for the many these required tasks needed to file for tax-exemption status. Filing the articles of incorporation and establishing bylaws remain crucial for an organization to receive recognition as a legal entity. However, establishing a nonprofit involves a great deal more than simply attaining tax-exemption status. Tschirhart and Bielefeld highlight many of these aspects, such as developing the mission and vision statements of the organization (Tschirhart and Bielefeld 49). As the reading from last week discussed, evaluating and acquiring resources for an organization should stem from the mission of an organization. Even more so, in order for that to take place, the organization needs established with a mission that will keep it rooted in its cause and a vision

Nonprofit organizations broadly described operate to achieve missions that serve the common good. Graduate study in the field of nonprofit management focuses on the development of leadership skills for nonprofit managers and provides education in areas such as general operations, human resources, strategies, and fund development (Nachmias, 2008). Students of nonprofit management also develop proficiency in other matters such as nonprofit legal issues, organizational development, donor relations, financial management and fund-raising, volunteer, and human resource management, and pro-gram evaluation, to name a few competencies (Nachmias, 2008).Many nonprofit management programs have a theoretical component, and most programs rely on experiential learning as a vital element of a graduate student’s education. Future studies of community impact should include analysis components from the fields of nonprofit management education, service learning, capacity building, and nonprofit evaluation, and take into consideration specific factors that may affect study outcomes.

For this reason, nonprofits were chosen as the mode of production and management of new affordable units because they had a wholesome image with the American public (Bratt, 1998). This image, coupled with a track record for having the health, welfare, and safety of the public in mind made nonprofits very attractive to legislators and popular with the public.

The nonprofit sector faces many challenges that make it more difficult to measure its financial performance. Young (2007) states that the survival of nonprofit businesses depends upon receiving financial funding from outside donors such as donations from charities, government contracts, endowments et cetera, and the necessity for having several different revenue sources is a challenge for nonprofit management. In addition, he points out that securing capital for operating is also much different than in the traditional business world. Fortunately, scholars have provided tools and information that will help nonprofits manage and measure their unique financial performance so they may make informed decisions and guide their organizations to sustainability (Young, 2007).

A non-profit organization cannot be effectively managed if it is not effectively planned. One of the challenges facing non-profit organizations has been long range, strategic planning. Long range, strategic planning in the non-profit sector is essential to the success of an organization. Long range, strategic planning encompasses broad policy and direction setting, internal and external assessments, attention to key stakeholders, the identification of key issues, development of strategies to deal with each issue, decision making, action and the continuous monitoring of results. (Herman, The Jossey-Bass Handbook of Nonprofit Leadership and Management, 154) While it is important to deal with the short term planning and activities of non-profits, managers or directors must consider the future of their organizations. Successful planning should be comprehensive, integrating all areas of responsibility of an organization.