DIFFERENTIATED AND THRIVING NON-PROFIT: WHAT IS REQUIRED?

 There were 280 329 registered Non-Profit Organisations in South Africa in 2023 already. The failure rate of new For-Profit Companies in South Africa is between 70 and 80% in their first five years; and significantly more so amongst Non-Profits.

When discussing the challenges that Non-Profits face, emphasis is typically placed on how different they are to For-Profit Companies. The truth is that there are far more similarities than differences; and what it takes to build and grow one is very similar to doing so the other.

Looking at some of the most successful and enduring Organisations, Companies and Non-Profits (local and international) one finds the same building blocks:

·       appropriate Leadership,

·       clear Vision and Mission,

·       relevant Strategy / Strategies and Tactics,

·       measurable Goals and Objectives,

·       appropriate Organisational Structure and Human Resources Practices and

·       healthy Organisational Culture

and all these clearly aligned.

Non-Profits would often contend that they do not have the financial resources to do what is necessary to build a successful organisation and then demonstrate that in the caliber of leadership and team members they employ. In practise: An ‘affordable’ C-level leader appoints and manages D-level team members (as weaker leaders hardly ever appoint people more talented than them); together they implement D-level strategies; and produce mediocre results – thereby confirming this faulty belief. 

Successful Non-Profits reflect their successful For-Profit counterparts: A-level leaders assemble A-level team members; together they develop ambitious and inspiring strategies; and deliver winning results. The only real difference between a For-Profit and a Non-Profit lie in what happens to the funds in their bottom line: a For-Profit can pay dividends to their shareholders and apply profits according to their strategy. The Non-Profit must reinvest their bottom line into their core business as per their founding statement.

Given extensive experience in Business Turnarounds and Improvement in various For-Profit Companies and well as in Non-Profit environments, we can assist Non-Profits that want to differentiate themselves from their counterparts with:

Partnering	Mentoring	Scaling
·       Business Structuring: Vision, Mission, Strategy, Goals & Objectives, Structure ·       Performance Optimisation  ·       Marketing, Branding & Differentiation ·       Media & Storytelling	·       Strategic Leadership and Resilience ·       Biblical decision-making ·       Crisis and Challenge Navigation	·       Connect to Mission- aligned Investors ·       Fundraising ·       Link to High-Impact Local Community Initiatives ·       Evaluate Growth Opportunities

Whether establishing, building or rebuilding a Non-Profit you are welcome to contact us for a free initial discussion.

Albie Heigers

+2782 852 8585

AlbieH@mweb.co.za