For many non-profits, last few years have been a constant struggle. Funding has been reduced and the demand for services has increased. It’s been difficult just to get through the day. Often the board meetings are focused on how to keep the doors open next week, not on planning how to sustain the organization five or ten years from now.
Yet planning for the long-term sustainability of your organization is more critical today than ever. Having a strategy and a plan are critical to the long-term survival of your organization.
To evaluate the sustainability of nonprofit organizations, and help organizations become sustainable, the Professor, Dr. Bill Hettinger, and the CEO, John Dolan-Heitlinger have the developed the Nonprofit Sustainability Planning System.
The Nonprofit Sustainability Planning System includes a self-graded Nonprofit Sustainability Assessment designed to quickly rate the sustainability of an organization and identify risk areas.
The core of the Nonprofit Sustainability Planning System are the Level 1 and Level 2 Sustainability assessments.
A level 1 assessment is a basic assessment of the sustainability of an organization. A level 1 assessment includes the evaluation of an organization based on 5-years of 990 filings and management’s responses to questions about the key program and financial issues facing the organization. During a level 1 assessment, the organization’s liquidity, operating efficiency, profitability and funding source distribution are analyzed, and the organization is provided with a 15-20 page report custom sustainability analysis. The base cost of a level 1 assessment is $990.
A level 2 assessment provides a more comprehensive assessment of the sustainability of an organization. The organization’s audited financial statements are included in the review and a more in-depth interview with management takes place. A level 2 assessment also includes a comparison of the subject organization to its peers and to national averages. The base cost of a level 2 assessment is $2,900.
The final component of the Nonprofit Sustainability Planning System it is the Sustainability Action Plan. The level 1 and level 2 assessment present a picture of the organization and tell you where you are. If you are not where you want to be, the next step is the development of a sustainability action plan, identifying the actions needed to put the organization on the path to sustainability.
Together, the Nonprofit Sustainability Planning System provides the tools needed to create growing and sustainable nonprofits.
To begin the process, a representative from your organization should contact IFE’s lead consultants, John Dolan-Heitlinger or Dr. Bill Hettinger, to discuss your situation and needs. They will be able to provide a program tailored to meet the specific needs and desires of the organization.