Nonprofit organizations serve an essential role in fostering civic and social engagement. Their important place in society is irrefutable. However, the nonprofit world can also be very insular.

We know what works, we know how to work wonders with very little and, year by year, we repeat the same strategies. This status-quo mentality can lead to a lack of growth for nonprofit organizations, leading nonprofit leaders to seek ways of inspiring innovation and a growth mindset in their teams.

There are set strategies that nonprofits can put into place to grow their organizations and foster innovative thinking and team investment. Those growth strategies can help improve civic engagement and social awareness within the nonprofit sector.

Nonprofit organizations are great at doing what they do: writing effective grant proposals and articles, working with a lack of funding and resources, and cobbling together miraculous results from what sometimes amounts to a pittance of support. If nonprofit leaders want to move beyond the average day-to-day standard practices of their organization and truly invite innovation, they will need to invest in their teams.

Though leaders may be laser-focused on the bottom line and seeking out the lowest-cost alternatives for operating, that may be short-sighted. When employees feel valued and supported, they will be more apt to dedicate themselves to developing new ideas for the organization.

Leaders can also expect higher retention rates from employees if they actively invest in them. Nonprofits that were already working with limited resources and funding before the Great Resignation could benefit from new retention strategies with the end goal of scaling their organization.

Leadership is hard work. Every day, all day, how we show up as professional leaders is either building engagement and energy or draining it. The good news is that there are specific patterns of thought and action that can help leaders show up more wholly, and in turn, liberate organizations to unleash their full potential.

Marian University’s Leadership Academy helps individuals in authority roles practice leadership more intentionally. Our practitioner-focused programs emphasize the Adaptive Leadership framework, developed at Harvard University. This foundation provides a leadership focus that recognizes organizations as social systems, differentiates between technical problems and adaptive challenges, and expressly accounts for the nuance and power of authority and group dynamics.

To meet your individual leadership goals and growth, Marian University provides individual leadership courses, executive certificates, a Master of Arts in leadership practice, and a doctorate in Organizational Leadership. Learn more about these various options at the university’s website.

There is more to organizational leadership than simply meeting technical goals and objectives. Organizations rarely struggle with technical problems given the availability of experts to solve problems that have known solutions. Where organizations have the most difficulty is in addressing adaptive challenges where people have conflicting values, beliefs, and loyalties.

How much are you paying your employees? Are your salaries competitive enough in this tight job market? For the last 10 years, Charitable Advisors has been publishing the Central Indiana Nonprofit Salary Report which provides comprehensive insights about compensation for 26 nonprofit positions. Our 2023 report will provide insights on how the past few years have impacted compensation.

But we need your help! We’re halfway to our goal of 250 participants who will receive a copy of the survey results in June — months before their public release in September.

Take these steps to ensure your organization’s participation and to receive an early report:

Episode 39: Re-released Join Shari Finnell, editor of the Not-for-profit News, during this interview with Tony Mason, President and CEO of the Indianapolis Urban League. The nonprofit is partnering with the National Urban League in overseeing a $100 million initiative that addresses the numerous challenges facing the city’s African American community. Lilly Endowment issued the place-based grant in 2020 — at a time when the pandemic further exacerbated economic disparities in minority communities. Tony talks about the foundational work for the initiative, and why it will take a massive effort, including more collaborations among nonprofits, to reach the goal of racial equity in Indianapolis.Listen

The Arc of Wabash County has expanded its footprint to serve as the local chapter of The Arc in Grant and Miami counties. The organization now covers 68 counties across the state. The Arc’s representation at local, state, and national levels makes it the largest national community-based organization serving people with intellectual or developmental disabilities. Read more

PataSchool, an initiative of Patachou Foundation, is expanding its efforts to bring scratch cooking to school cafeterias by serving a second partner school in the fall. Last year, the initiative was launched at Circle City Prep where 4,000 meals have been served to students each week. Learn more

Sponsor a VISTA member for a full year of service. Looking to expand your reach? Nonprofits can access talent by sponsoring an AmeriCorps VISTA member to create or expand programs designed to empower individuals and communities in overcoming poverty. Learn more and apply

Donations needed: The Villages of Indiana is requesting donations of 60,000 diapers on March 15 to benefit families in need. Learn more  

Indiana nonprofits: Collaborations – purposes and impacts report. The newly released report examines the extent to which Indiana nonprofits of all types — charitable and religious nonprofits as well as a full range of membership associations — engage in formal collaborations or informal networks with other organizations. Download the report

Keep Indianapolis Beautiful Inc. has volunteer opportunities to work alongside its community forestry team to meet the organization’s goal of planting more than 3,000 trees each year. Register. Opportunities include:

Life Centers is in need of a Creole- or French-speaking individual who can assist the organization with its growing number of Haitian clients who primarily speak Creole. Contact Tammy

Our sponsor marketplace serves to further connect our readers with our advertisers who are focused on serving nonprofits. To learn about each sponsor's nonprofit services, click on its logo.

Executive Director – Prosperity Indiana