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Nonprofit Executive Directors


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Like every president since FDR, the progress of our nation’s leaders has been measured over the course of their first 100 days. Executive Directors of any nonprofit organization (NPO) have their progress assessed over the same period, but with several major differences. The NPO’s Executive Director doesn’t have unlimited resources at their disposal, and most likely doesn’t have a large team to call on for everything. Instead, the NPO’s Executive Director is expected to anticipate change and potential issues, make the most efficient use of all resources, while basically hitting the ground running.

Yes, all eyes are on you, assessing your initiative and gauging your reaction. Still, it doesn’t have to feel so daunting. When you give yourself a plan and a strategy, allowing yourself to break things down into manageable issues, eventually, the clouds will part and the sun will shine through on Day 101.

Do your homework

You’ve heard and seen the acronym “TMI” a million times, and sometimes too much information is a bad thing. In your case, not so much. The key is to get ahead by getting your hands on as much tangible, relevant, up to date information as possible. That’s right: do your homework, know your agency’s history and where your staff are coming from. Make yourself comfortable with financial information, annual reports and strategic related data. Don’t stop at just being familiar, but make a point to truly know where your NPO stands financially. As Executive Director, the depth of your understanding of your organization’s financial health makes all the difference.

You won’t see everything

Try as you might, with all your diligent preparation and research, you won’t be able to anticipate everything. You’ll have problems and issues that arise, despite your best efforts to think proactively. When this happens, you’ll need to remain calm, regroup if and when you’re thrown off, and remain accessible.

Maybe you’re in the middle of preparing the annual grant application, and the stats just don’t add up. Don’t fret. Do some digging, ask around and find the glitch.

Increase operational efficiencies

While you’re examining financial records and annual reports, take a look at your accounting solution to see where your NPO stands. Are you operating as efficiently as possible? Or are you still relying on periodic server maintenance and IT guru for upgrades and updates. If your NPO could stand to operate more efficiently, consider implementation of a cloud-based accounting solution.  Nonprofits need a technology solution that can help reduce time spent on administration without all the startup cost associated with a traditional accounting solution.

When it comes to a cloud-based solution, consider Gravity Software® (Gravity). Built on the Microsoft Power Platform (aka Dynamics 365), Gravity provides a Full Audit Trail that enables you to track changes in data for security and analytic purposes.  Not to mention that a full audit trail protects your NPO against fraud and drives home accountability.

By implementing a cloud-based solution on one integrated platform, you’ll reduce overhead costs while increasing operational efficiencies across the board. Learn more and schedule your online demo today. Just say GO!

Gravity Software

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