Some nonprofit organizations are not clear as to what processes they need to have in place. This is a huge failure that affects all nonprofit organizations. Documenting processes clearly is very important. Sometimes processes of nonprofits are unclear, and are generally used by people who have served for a very long time. Some processes are not unique to nonprofit organizations, but some processes are common and do not necessarily change based on what the organization needs. Some processes are quite specific to a particular organization, but others are completely different. It is important to know what are the relationships between them and ensure they are clear. Similarly, processes that are unique to each organization will constantly interface with different processes. It is important that the communication points between processes are clearly defined in advance so as to reduce the potential for errors and unnecessary effort.

Here are three tips for process creation as a nonprofit organization.

1. Create Robust Documentation. While this step may seem obvious and simple, many nonprofits not take the time to document the processes they use. And that is where the trouble starts. If all that is important to a organization only verbally communicated or siloed to an individual, the result could be disastrous. This is a surefire way to fail. The process of documentation is laborious but necessary. If something is important enough to accomplish, it is important enough to document. Ideally, every department in your organization should have a few standard  processes in place to help it run efficiently. But do not stop there. You know what your processes should be. You know they should be documented. And yet, nothing has happened.
2. Ensure Organizational Accessibility and Scalability. Documentation is useless if the process is not accessible to others in the organization and scalable in various departments. This is a top-town procedure that starts with the leadership in your nonprofit. Help everyone in the organization understand the importance of making their processes visible to everyone. Processes are only as valuable as people perceive that they are. If leadership does not prioritize process through accessibility or scalability, issues will arise. Processes that help your organization work more efficiently. They help make everyday tasks easier. If employees cannot find the processes themselves, you are just wasting time. And, in the end, you are just wasting your time. There is no reason to not use processes across your company. Processes should be implemented in every department and function within your organization. You should be able to easily document all the processes you use at each level of the organization, so other departments within the organization can easily understand them.
3. Foster Ownership and Evaluation.  If you have done the work to document and disperse the processes of an organization, it all comes down to ensuring that the system that you have is going to continue to work. The process has to be implemented in order to understand if it works. Every department needs someone who is responsible for managing their own processes and ensuring they work effectively. They are responsible for defining the processes and making them work for the organization. They help with planning, scheduling, and implementation. Nonprofits that set a priority for what needs to be done and implement the processes to accomplish them have a proper means of evaluation on the other side of the project.

It is important to note that as organizations evolve, so should their processes. Be sure to give employees and volunteers the opportunity to give feedback on processes. Just because a process is documented does not mean it is the most effective. If processes are outdated, change them. However, just like the old adage states, “If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it.” An important part of helping implement processes is through having systems that can be implemented and processed through software. This helps foster accountability in the organization as well as accessibility.

MyCommunity exists to build relationships and tools that equip organizations so that they can maximize their impact, and we have great donation and volunteer management software that is cloud-based and affordable, starting at as little as $2 a month. Our suite of tools is designed to help organizations of all sizes focus on their mission without worrying about the logistics. We understand the importance of building strong relationships, so we provide the necessary tools to maximize impact and make a difference like our easy-to-use platforms MyDonors and MyVolunteers. Likewise, MyNonprofitCoach equips nonprofits with the training they need to be successful. Schedule a demo for any of our solutions here.

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Sources: https://www.plangoals.com/nonprofit-traction/ and https://usewhale.io/blog/eos-process-component/