Today, our family accomplished three items that have been waiting on the to-do list for three years in about an hour and a half. Why did it take that long?
Simple, we didn’t have the right equipment.
In December 2021, we purchased our home, and within the first three weeks, we did some hefty renovations. We gutted and rebuilt a bedroom, painted all the walls, ripped up old carpet, put in new flooring on the second floor, installed a bathroom and bedroom door, framed in some windows, and installed trim.
So, if we could do all that in three weeks, why couldn’t we finish this last hour and a half of work?
Simple, we didn’t have the right equipment.
Today, we installed three pieces of trim. These trim pieces required some carpentry work, some more finessing than just a straight cut or a 45-degree angle. For this, we needed a table saw. This table saw took us three years to acquire.
As I was reflecting on the day, I realized that this example could be applied to the charity world too.
Charities can be sitting at a cross-roads, moving slowly towards a goal or simply at a dead stop. From an outsider perspective, it can seem like such an easy fix, a no-brainer, but charities are often met with roadblocks that are not parallel to the rest of how our economy functions. Charities can get caught in what feels like an unending loop and can’t propel forward on what seems like a simple task. They get caught up in the:
“How have you been around for five years without a full-time Executive Director?”
“What do you mean you have been around for five years and only completed two service projects?”
“Why can’t you just buy that equipment?”
“Why can’t you just fundraise for an ED?”
Charities don’t have credit like the business world; banks don’t hand out money and take risks on charities. Charities have to earn every cent. A charity could exist without an ED for years because they don’t have the money to pay for an ED, but they can’t get adequate money for an ED because that is the ED’s job.
Start-up charities are run by well-meaning people who usually have full-time jobs and families that they need to take care of and support. These jobs and families also go through changes and seasons, which increases or reduces capacity. Charities are built by people who are motivated by goodwill and social justice, not for financial gain.
However, it is possible for a charity to get out of that seemingly unending loop. All it takes is a little dreaming and some strategic planning. A charity needs to assess what tools they have in the toolbox and then make a strategy on how they are going to obtain the ones they don’t have. Once a strategic plan and goals are set into place, it is not necessarily going to happen tomorrow, but the motion will begin to propel.
The more tools in the toolbox, the more efficient a charity becomes, and the greater exponential impact a charity can have in a shorter amount of time.
I know a charity that started in 2015. They kept focused and made marginal impact for the first 3 years. They were able to hire new talent and skill sets in 2018. In the next five years, they saw their budget go from $250,000 to $950,000, and they quadrupled their client impact. Why? Because they were able to start hiring new talent, which brought in more donors, which enabled more services, which then impacted more people, which generated more donors.
However, what it is crucial to have someone in the organization who knows how to properly use the new tool that you are bringing on board. Do you have people properly equipped and trained to hire the new resource?
I have seen charities bring on too high-caliber a person, and they get bored or take the charity completely off course. I have seen charities bring on talent that is rusty and slows the organization down.
It is important to have prior knowledge or some understanding or guidance when bringing on new talent so that you can fully harness the power that it can provide and be as effective and efficient as possible.
In conclusion, whether it's a home renovation or running a charity, having the right tools and resources is crucial to success. Our family's experience with the table saw highlights how a single missing piece of equipment can delay progress significantly. Similarly, charities often face unique challenges that can hinder their growth and impact. However, with strategic planning, the right tools, and dedicated people, even the most daunting tasks can be accomplished. By understanding and addressing these challenges, charities can break free from the cycle of limitations and achieve their goals, ultimately making a greater difference in the world.
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