In past videos, I’ve shared some of the mistakes I made early on starting a nonprofit.
Recently, I was reminded of this topic after speaking with a fellow nonprofit founder.
She was reflecting on a time her organization had to pivot and change up everything they were doing. She’d just listened to an episode of “How I Built This” (the podcast with Guy Raz), and liked how he asked listeners:
“What would it look like today if you were starting from scratch?”
It got me thinking about my own answer to that question.
After some reflection, I realized it came down to 4 things in particular:
1. I’d Connect First
The first change I’d make is to start by building connections. Back when I began, I underestimated the power of community ties.
I’ve observed—and personally experienced—that founders who establish these connections early on tend to move faster and secure funding and support more easily.
Starting over today, I’d spend the first several months meeting with key players in the community, such as funders, other nonprofits, local government leaders, and business leaders known for supporting related causes.
These meetings wouldn’t be about asking for money or support.
At this stage, it’s about your interest in the issue, learning about the gaps in services, understanding the challenges others have faced, and asking your connection who else you should connect with.
This process helps map out the ecosystem of people and resources in your service area.
Successful founders do this really well. Because meetings like this provide a lot of intel and can help you avoid going down a path that won’t work. But also, it helps you find other people passionate about the same issues – those are the people who become future board members, volunteers, or even donors.
2. I’d get Hyper-Specific in a Niche
In the beginning, I was so excited to tackle multiple issues that it was hard to narrow down my focus.
However, over the years, I learned that starting with a narrow, specific niche allows you to become really good at that thing.
When you’re really good at a thing, people notice.
And it’s not like you can’t expand to do more things after that (I’d be sad if that were true – too many project ideas!).
It’s just that you need a good reputation of following through early on, to build trust with people. Then, once you’ve gained traction and rallied some initial support, you can expand your vision.
So, yeah. If I were starting again in 2024, I’d pick a specific niche with a strategy to expand over time.
3. I’d Think Through my Revenue Strategy Early
One of my biggest regrets was not thinking about revenue early on.
We grew at a slower pace because we hadn’t established a sustainable funding strategy in those first few years.
If I were starting fresh today, I’d prioritize this even before filing paperwork.
For new nonprofits, grants are often hard to secure, so I’d lean toward an earned income strategy—charging fees for services where appropriate.
It’s about identifying who might pay for your services, even if the direct beneficiaries can’t afford it (For example, a city government might be able to afford to pay for your services that help reduce homelessness, even if individuals being served can’t).
4. I’d Build a Small but Highly Skilled Board of Directors
If you’ve started a nonprofit before, you might know the temptation to fill your board with friends just to get things moving.
I were to start over today, I’d be more strategic about this step.
With the connections I’d build early on, I’d focus on recruiting a small group of highly skilled individuals in areas like financial management, fundraising, operational systems, marketing, and branding.
These people would be partners in setting up systems and a future vision that would allow us to create the infrastructure we need earlier.
Are you working on starting or growing a nonprofit?
My new Changemaker Accelerator Membership might be a good fit for you.
We’ll tap into the strategies I shared in this newsletter, and a lot more. And we’ll do it alongside fellow changemakers sharing other lessons learned and cheering each other on along the way.
We’re launching next week, October 15.
I’ll have limited enrollment so I can provide the best experience possible to our new members, so let me know if you’re interested in receiving an invite soon.
Hope you can join us!
