10 New Year’s Resolutions For Nonprofits

There are only a few months left of 2022. That means it’s time to start planning for the new year.

This is typically the time people start making New Year’s resolutions. While that’s a great habit, we thought it’d be better to lay out some New Year’s resolutions for nonprofits. So you can start planning and hit the ground running in 2023. 

Let’s get started!

10 New Year’s Resolutions For Your Nonprofit

1) Get on top of your finances

It can be difficult to know where you’re spending money. The bigger your organization grows, the more expenses you have, and the more spread out your budget becomes.

While this is understandable, it also prevents your nonprofit from doing the work it’s capable of doing. One great example here is to look at subscriptions you don’t use. There are tons of software memberships that organizations are part of that they hardly ever log into!

Regardless of the shape it takes, being on top of your finances is a New Year’s resolution you should consider!

2) Reflect on your main KPI’s

KPI’s, or key performance indicators, are the stats your organization looks at to know if it’s doing a good job or not. So, what are yours?

When looking at your KPI’s for 2022 and the year ahead, ask yourself a few questions. Do they need to change? Which things should you start measuring? Just as importantly, what are the most important “intangibles” that you can’t measure?

These are good to know at any point. However, when planning for a new year and everything you plan on doing, they are even more essential.

3) Invest in training your staff

What are the skills and competencies that would make your company more successful? What are the things you want to achieve in 2023, and what are the skills you need organization-wide to make them happen?

Odds are it would be fairly cheap to train your workers in them. This focus on training also has the added benefit of keeping your workers happy. Here are a few ways to approach effective training. 

4) Build systems as much as possible

Systems can be tricky. They are difficult to set up (and where do you even start?), but once you do, everything runs much more smoothly. Definitely a resolution worth taking seriously in 2023. 

Things should function like clockwork at your business; systems are how you make that happen.

So how do you get started? It’s a big topic, and the systems you invest the time in creating will vary between organizations. With that in mind, check out this guide to the systems that matter most.

5) Outsource where possible 

Don’t get me wrong – there is a lot of value in doing things “in house. This includes saving on costs, building up skills among your workers, and having more control over the creative process.

However, not everything can (or even should) come from your team. There is an entire world of freelancers at your disposal, and hiring them can free up time and energy for your main workers to focus on other things.

That’s why outsourcing can be such a valuable resolution. For background on how to do it the right way, give this guide a look.

6) Consider your company culture

What exactly is company culture? While it can be difficult to pinpoint, company culture is basically the values your organization stands for (and the ones you prioritize over everything else). 

Reflecting on this (and changing yours if you have to) can have a ton of benefits to your organization. Above all, it gets your entire workforce on the same page, working towards the same communal goal.

In 2023, it’s worth asking yourself what it is you stand for. Is there a clear answer? If so, should it be changed? If not, perhaps it is time to brainstorm how exactly you want your company culture to look like? 

7) Understand the power of automations

Going back to systems here! We’ve talked about it numerous times, but automations put the most important organization activities on autopilot.

Just one example is the power of email automations. To check out ideas, take a look at our guide on the most important email automations you can set up now. And for more ideas on automations you can apply organization-wide, check out this post here.

8) Connect the people on your team with your beneficiaries

What’s the best way to improve your organization? Understanding exactly what it is you do, and connecting with the people that benefit from it the most, is a great place to start.

That’s why for organizations in 2023, we recommend putting their workers in contact more often with the people they are helping. It can be easy to get lost in the hustle and bustle of the “everyday.” But sometimes it’s important to step back and connect with the people that are actually benefiting from the work you’re doing.

That’s why this is a great New Year’s resolution to consider. 

9) Test more

“Test and find out” is essentially the number one rule of modern day marketing. You never know what works well (and more importantly, what could work better) if you don’t test it out against other options.

This could be anything from email subject lines to blog post subjects to the names of fundraisers. For just a few A/B test options, check out this post.

10) Bond with your team more

At the end of the day, you spend a ton of time with the people you work with. Might as well enjoy their company!

The first nine New Year’s resolutions are about the work you do and your organization itself. The last one is all about the people. In 2023, it’s worth thinking about how you could grow closer to the people you work with. This not only makes work more fun – but more fulfilling, as well.

No matter what you choose to pursue in the new year, good luck with your New Year’s resolutions!

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