On the occasion of Eid Al Adha I want to say Eid Mubarak to all Muslims all over the world. I want also to take this opportunity to thank those who always encourage me to continue writing. Nonprofit Organizations emerged in Somaliland in the early nineties to fill the vacuum when the central government of Somalia disintegrated. They started to help their impoverished people to regroup again and to do what can be done for their country.
Most of these organizations lack the expertise and capacity to mobilize resources, such as report writing, proposal formulation, building constituency base, strategic planning and monitoring and evaluation until today. Since they lack physical and logistic capacity the service delivery of most of these organizations are very poor and are not sustainable. Management practice is haphazard. There are no clear cut roles and responsibilities for executing program policies toward staff and are poorly developed. There are occasions that they are exploitive.
There is a general lack of financial resources among the local nonprofit organizations and other civic societies. The limited financial resources are not properly managed because they do not have proper accounting systems and procedures. The majority of these organizations are reliant on international funding. Lack of fund raising can be ascribed to un conducive local environment, mistrust among the people or a negative mentality among these organization. Most of them do not have a mission and are influenced by a short term project options. Lack of understanding of both the government and the people are also one of the reasons that they cannot fulfill their developmental roles properly.
Since I was involved in this field one way or the other I want to share my experience how to establish the management practices that contribute to the organizational success. The best methods to provide rewarding experiences for volunteers and how the organization use meetings and conventions to sustain the financial needs of the organization. Volunteer leaders are faced with increased challenges. They must provide effective leadership and governance and embrace new management practices and build value with the organization to satisfy the increasing needs of the constituents often with limited resources.
The world of nonprofit management is changing. Executives must learn to listen before they offer solutions and exercise authority as the top brass. Every member of the community counts and the executives should change attitude of [I know everything] and learn from any body who can add perspective to the organization.
Strategic planning is a management tool that can help focus an organization’s vision. The planning process begins with constituent building before the organization can even consider its mission. The executive must be committed to pursue such a course, choose participants to undertake preparatory research and prepare the constitution and profile for the organization. Once the strategic plan which guides program activities is in place you need to assess the internal and external environments that may affect your program plan.
No organization will survive without income. It is very important to develop a marketing orientation to the organization and promote the organization to your constituents and other donors whether government, the other communities in the other regions of Somaliland, the international donor agencies, the Diaspora and all other local institutions.
The organization should not be behind schedule and promotion should start as soon as the organization opens its doors pinpointing the essence of the organization. Why it is unique? How can the mission make a difference in the lives of its constituents and the society?
The key to success in fund raising in this competitive environment is to demonstrate that there is a reason for people to give to your organization. They must clearly define their mission and the niche in the market place in order to keep pace. Communicating and promoting to your cause is key to fund raising either in the internet, local news papers and television. The organization can be judged by the effectiveness in meeting stated goals and the efficiency they use donor funds.
A risk in any fund raising is the temptation to accept money from a donor for programs that do not fit the mission or goals outlined in your case for support. Never let money drive the mission of the organization. Organizations are required to focus on their defined strategic plan and stick to it. Establishing a transparent accounting system is a critical administrative task. A manual system is most reasonable at the beginning to facilitate the recording of transactions.
The chief executive officer should guide the board and ensure that they are fully informed of all activities of the organization. Often the executive have to rely on intuition, interpersonal relations and management skills in deciding how to proceed in particular circumstances and should contain conflicts of interest between the board members. The success or failure of an organization mainly depend on the leading role of the executive manager and his support staff. The other most important requirement is the office environment is pleasant and functional and the equipment and supplies meet the needs
A good relationship is required to be developed with the government, the stake holders and individuals and all binding government regulations. Un favorable political forces should be handled with care. Organizations are likely to receive criticism from time to time. It is better to resist the temptation to accuse the media. The executive manager should be sure to inform supports, stakeholders, and other constituents in a timely manner. Any body who donates money should be thanked immediately. Periodic news releases are a paramount pinpointing that the organization is moving to the right direction.
Non profit organizations should cultivate relations with the media that cover their issues. News media should be viewed as a vehicle for disseminating messages to the stake holders and the constituents. Lobbying, advocacy and regulatory negotiations are key factors to run a nonprofit organization. The activities of nonprofit organizations involve direct interaction with the government and the executive and the board should have the confidence to deal with these challenging as well as rewarding work.
Meetings, conventions should be well planned and strictly controlled. Persons who are not included in your prepared program should not speak in the occasion and spell out off thought emotional slogans. This can harm the organization’s image. With the right plan you can conduct a meeting that meets your objectives, enhances the organization’s reputation and even raise money. Minutes of meeting should be always recorded. Executives always put as much effort to meetings. Meetings are a tool for sharing information, presenting ideas and hearing a presentation and planning for the future.
In a broad sense the people, the place and the equipment make an organization. The start up of nonprofit organization may be more reflex than planning. It is required to identify the tasks and staff needed to reach its goals. The world of non profit world is changing. The days are gone when people have plenty of time to support their cause as volunteers. Today much operates as effectively as for profit organizations or they go out of business.
By Ibrahim Adam Ghalib
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