Proven Strategies for Growing Small Organizations

by | Apr 5, 2023 | Become a Wildly Successful CEO/Executive Director, Blog, Revenue and Impact Hacks for Purpose Driven CEOs

Proven Strategies for Growing Small Organizations
The Small Organization’s Refrain: “There Never Seems to Be Enough Money.”

As a young or small organization, when it comes to growing your organization’s revenue and impact, do you know where to begin?

To clarify, by small organizations, we are talking about those with revenues of less than $2 million annually. (Honestly, though, this framework I will share works for organizations of all sizes.)

Starting out, there may be one or two paid  staff people.  Your organization maybe heavily dependent on volunteers.

The bottom line question is: Given your unique circumstances, what can you do to truly leverage your limited time and energy to reach your organization’s financial and impact goals and start to make a dent in your vision?

Take time to think this question through.  Stop spinning your wheels.

One way to ground yourself is through appreciation.  Speaking at Raleigh Founded a few weeks ago, I asked nonprofit and business leaders to write down everything they accomplished in the last 3 months.  It was very empowering for them to see all they had accomplished and to see where they were in their own process, even if it was not knowing what to do next.
As I said to one leader, not knowing what to do does not make you incompetent.  It just means there is something you don’t know.   Knowing that in and of itself is powerful.
I recommend starting here – writing down all of your accomplishments of the last 3 months.  How did you spend your time?
Now, do you want to know how you can possibly generate revenue quickly while at the same time building the infrastructure of your business?  Keep reading.
A Powerful Framework that Can Help
Here is a powerful framework I shared in the latest episode of  The GroupFinity Podcast.   We have used this consistently to help small organizations make significant measurable progress in growing revenue and impact in three to four months.

 YOU, as the change agent, can use this framework to make a lasting impact.

One of our clients shared a PowerPoint deck based on this framework with her local Rotary Club, and an elderly lady was so touched she came by with a $60,000 check the next week!

It may not happen quite like this for everyone, but I promise if you follow this framework with discipline, you will raise more revenue and have more impact in your community.

The framework in the podcast for Growing Small Organizations includes:

  1. Aligning around a shared vision;
  2. Establishing goals;
  3. Three Key Areas to share with others about the organization (you want to touch both head and heart – missing one reduces the chances individuals and their organizations will support you);
  4. Creating a list of people you want to talk to spread the word on what you and your organization/business is doing (I share how to prioritize this list); and
  5. Creating a system to track your conversations

If you make the effort and implement this framework, please reach out and let me know how it goes. I am wishing you the best of luck!

Lastly, want some words of encouragement if you’re concerned about the economic climate right now? Check out: How to Grow in a Tight Economy