Ten Years from Now

Ten years from now, what will you regret not having done today? If you are a board or staff member for a nonprofit organization, here’s a partial list:

1) You might regret not having developed a strong branding and marketing campaign. What makes your organization unique? What makes it a truly needed part of the community? And what are you doing to communicate this to the audiences you need to attract? A strong campaign with a consistent focus and investment over ten years can mean a significant difference in your visibility, your contribution level, and your service to your constituents.

2) You might regret not having developed a Web-based and social media presence. Your current donors may not feel comfortable out there in the ether. But the next generation LIVES out there. By the time you catch up, you may have lost a decade of new donors. Can you afford that?

3) You might regret not having started an endowment fund/campaign. An endowment fund provides an additional form of diversification of the revenue stream of a nonprofit, and therefore can be a welcome addition in difficult economic years.

Between annual contributions, investment returns, and possible bequests, a lot of growth can happen in ten years. And of course, the Community Foundation of the Lowcountry would appreciate being your partner in getting your fund structured and created. These are just a few of the things that constitute the everyday matters of the nonprofit sector and planning strategically for a preferred future.

In order to make EVERY DAY MATTER ten years from now, you need to make EVERY DAY MATTER now!

Denise K. Spencer