We’ve all done it in the Community Benefit Sector. Inspired by a speaker at a conference, or an article about a new governance or fundraising idea, we bought the book. We just knew we couldn’t afford to hire the speaker to present in our local community or hire a consultant to help us plan for a full implementation. Surely if we shared the book with other staff or interested board members, we could do at least some of the ideas ourselves. Right?
Unless your life is vastly different than mine, the book is still sitting on the shelf or long ago disappeared when the board member resigned. We want things to be different for our organizations and communities. We want to have time as busy staff and board to look to the future. What would it take to make that happen?
Amazing as it may sound, hiring a consultant might be just the step that helps you move forward. Before you protest that there is no money, please consider the following questions:
1. What is it costing your organization when there is no clear vision or direction for what you hope to accomplish in your community?
2. What is it costing your organization when priorities are set based on putting out fires?
3. What is it costing your organization that there is no community engagement strategy or donor development plan?
Those unseen costs may not show on your financials but they have a profound impact on your sustainability as an organization and your ability to serve your community.
In my next post, I’ll talk more about what a consultant can do to help change that picture and begin the process of achieving the results you want.
