Nonprofit New Years Resolutions

Photo by Greg Knapp

We can’t deny it any longer. We’re in the final stretch of 2011. Sigh.

But that’s also a good thing, right? We’ve got a new year to start fresh, create big programs, help more people/animals/environment, and make a difference in our communities. The New Year brings promise for something good.

So why not harness the good feeling into a practical list of resolutions to help keep you on track towards your goals? Here are some questions you can ask yourself when creating your nonprofit’s New Years resolutions:

Social Good Resolutions: The Bird’s Eye View

  • – What are the three small things you know you can do in 2012 that will help your community?

Example: Hold a one-day fun education day for local families.

  • – What are two medium-sized things you’d like to do in 2012 but think will take a little more effort to achieve?

Example: Scrub our email list for duplicates, address correction, and other errors.

  • – What’s the one big thing you’d like to work toward in 2012, even though it might take you a longer time to get there?

Example: Hold a new fundraising event to raise $50,000.

Organizational Resolutions: The Nitty Gritty Details

  • – What do you need in order to achieve your 5 social good goals?

Example: Create a monthly e-newsletter.

  • – Name 3 things that would personally help you be more productive this coming year.

Example: Dedicate an hour a day for social media (30 minutes in the morning, and 30 minutes at lunchtime).

  • – What can you do to help improve your team’s workflow?

Example: Hold 20-minute weekly meetings to catch up on what we’re doing, and keep updating on Basecamp the rest of the week.

Don’t wait until the New Year to pave the way for these goals and changes. This week might be the perfect time to start experimenting and getting your thoughts in order before everyone’s back at their desks hitting the ground running on January 2nd.

What other points would you include in your list of resolutions?

P.S. This will be our last post of the year, so have a Happy New Year, friends! We’ll see you on the flip side of 2012. 🙂

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