4 Proven Growth Tactics to Scale Your Nonprofit’s Impact

Every nonprofit professional dreams of being able to serve as many beneficiaries as possible to accomplish their missions. However, you need to spend money to make money, which is easier said than done for nonprofits covering overhead costs and program expenses.

In this guide, we’ll help your team work smarter, not harder, to see the gains needed to cement your legacy. From investing in talent acquisition to improving your impact reports, these tactics can help you surpass your goals and grow your organization sustainably.

1. Create a Compelling Impact Report

Proving your nonprofit’s ability to collect and use funds effectively is essential to developing relationships and securing long-term support. 

For your nonprofit to prove its worth, you must demonstrate your tangible impact on beneficiaries using data. However, simply throwing numbers on a document and calling it a day isn’t engaging enough for many supporters. Make your data as compelling and understandable as possible by creating detailed impact reports

An impact report is a regularly published resource that shows the outputs and outcomes of your various programs. These reports usually rely on visual information, such as graphs and tables, to fortify your nonprofit’s ability to get things done.

For instance, look at this impact report from the Atlanta Humane Society. It uses the following strategies to make a strong case for support:

• Immediately diving into data on the first page

• Showing the growth in animals rescued year-over-year

• Using attractive, professional graphic elements to direct the reader’s attention and build credibility

• Including photos of beneficiaries to establish an emotional connection

You can structure your impact report however you like, but ensure it’s easy for potential supporters to find. Consider keeping current and past impact reports on your website under an “Our Impact” tab.

2. Engage Your Board

Your board of directors is one of the most underutilized yet powerful resources at your disposal. These supporters are extremely devoted to your cause and are usually influential in your community, opening the door for many new connections and funding opportunities that will help your nonprofit grow. 

However, many boards are simply not fully equipped to drive impact, especially when it comes to fundraising. Here’s how to engage and prepare your board to help boost funding long-term:

• Provide approachable fundraising training. While it might not be as comprehensive as your staff team’s training, be sure to give your board easy access to educational fundraising materials. You might decide to host a mandatory fundraising training meeting once per quarter to brush up on new strategies and provide the opportunity to ask questions.

• Make serving on the board enjoyable. Many nonprofits struggle with board members who are either too busy to engage or simply lose interest over time. Your most engaged board members will be the best fundraisers, so ensure that being a board member is enjoyable. For instance, you could offer perks like meet-and-greets with beneficiaries.

• Express gratitude. Your board members contribute both time and money to see your nonprofit flourish. Keep them engaged and excited to fundraise by acknowledging their contributions. eCardWidget suggests sending thank-you notes, organizing appreciation events, and even providing small tokens of gratitude like gifts to emphasize these supporters' immense importance.

Remember that your board members are still volunteers and have responsibilities outside your nonprofit at the end of the day. Make any training as simple, engaging, and convenient as possible so you can achieve results without burning out your board members. 

3. Expand Hiring Efforts

Growing your nonprofit is contingent on the team you have at your side. Yet, while hiring is critical, it remains under prioritized, leading many nonprofits to struggle with employee retention.

However, the initial investment in a great hiring program provides the infrastructure necessary to unlock further growth. Here are some ways you can kick your hiring efforts into high gear and optimize for growth potential:

• Prioritize mission-aligned candidates. Candidates who understand the importance of your mission and can uniquely contribute to its success are more likely to stay with your nonprofit long-term. 

• Look for certain types of experiences and skills. If you’re looking to boost your nonprofit’s growth, prioritize candidates with a proven track record of success, such as leading a successful fundraising campaign or growing volunteer engagement. 

• Hire an intern. Not only do internships provide young talent with the ability to hone their skills, but they also allow you to build a relationship with them. This can encourage interns to consider returning to your nonprofit over others. Plus, when they return, they’ll already have a good understanding of your operations and objectives, helping them contribute to your growth sooner.

• Hire a growth director. If you have the capacity to invest in an entirely new role, consider adding a growth director to your team. This individual will be responsible for charting your organization’s growth and pinpointing new opportunities to leverage in the future. 

As you build your hiring efforts from the ground up, getting seasoned professionals through the door might be challenging. Start small and build your reputation gradually as your hiring efforts grow. Jobvite recommends marketing your recruitment efforts on job boards and through individual outreach to catalyze your results and boost efficiency. 

4. Offer New Ways to Give

Adapting to new technologies and trends will set you apart from competitors and truly future-proof your nonprofit. Fortunately, many emerging technologies simplify supporting your nonprofit while appealing to donors with a higher capacity to give. For instance, consider these ways to give:

• Cryptocurrency

• Stocks

• Donor-advised fund (DAF) grants

• Legacy giving

It can be daunting for you—and your supporters—to dive into new forms of giving, so be sure to answer their questions along the way. Provide resources, such as FAQ guides, cheat sheets, and video walk-throughs, to help your donors give with confidence. 

Also, remember that offering novel ways to give can entice entirely new supporters to join your nonprofit. Highlight these changes in marketing materials and start new campaigns targeting people who are most likely to leverage these channels. For instance, if you're promoting cryptocurrency giving, you might target more tech-savvy audiences. 

As you set the stage for future growth, ensure you’re equipped to monitor your progress. Choose key performance indicators, such as fundraising revenue growth year-over-year, to track. Then, every quarter, touch base with your team about where you are relative to where you’d like to be. Consistent communication is crucial for steady growth, so building in these touchpoints ensures everyone’s on the same page and working towards the same goal.