It's OK to Be a Small Shop

If you work for a small nonprofit, you know there are lots of challenges. You have to manage your time and priorities, surround yourself with support, and go after the opportunities that give you the most return for your investment of time and money. But one of the biggest challenges to working in a small nonprofit you may not even notice, yet it can be a huge stumbling block to your organization's growth.

Way too many folks who work in the nonprofit world limit themselves with how they look at their organizations. They see them as little. Stop for a minute and think about what that means. If I believe my organization is little, I see it as not having the resources it needs or the opportunities it deserves. Subsequently, I may believe that everything is hard because of that. I may start evaluating things from the standpoint of what's appropriate for a little nonprofit, and I may miss opportunities that could propel the organization forward.

It's all about your thinking

If you engage in small thinking, you subconsciously trap yourself into small fundraising and small growth (if any). Small thinking is restrictive. It squashes creativity. It values status quo.

Here are some signs that you may be engaging in small thinking:

• You use the words "little" and "just" to describe your nonprofit. ("We're just a little nonprofit.")
• You don't see your organization ever bringing in big gifts.
• You procrastinate on those things that you're uncomfortable doing.
• You blame your board for your lackluster fundraising results. ("If the board would just help …")
• You blame the economy for your fundraising results.
• You blame the competition. ("There are too many nonprofits competing for dollars. We'll never be able to raise much.")

When you engage in small thinking, your nonprofit is doomed to remain small. In other words, when you do what you've always done, you get what you always got. If you're happy with the amount of money you're raising, you can keep doing things the same way. But if you want to raise a lot more money and help more people or make a bigger impact in the world, you have to start thinking bigger. Remember:

Playing small = more of the same

Playing BIG = changing lives

How do you start thinking big?

First, take responsibility for where you are. You created whatever situation you find yourself in. Don't blame it on anyone else. Next, adopt a "no excuses" approach. Figure out what needs to be done, and do it. You have to let go of "I don't have time," "We've never done that" and my favorite, "That won't work for us because our organization is different."

Big thinking is about looking at what's possible. Big thinking asks, "What if?" Big thinking is creative and expansive and collaborative. It breaks status quo and embraces new things.

If you've been stuck in small thinking for a while, it could take some time to change it. Start to notice any time you use the words "little" or "just" when you speak. Catch yourself, and change it right away. This gets you on the road to big thinking.

It's OK to be a small nonprofit. Every big one started out as a small one at some point. Just don't think small, or you'll never make a big impact.

Sandy Rees is a fundraising coach and consultant, and author of the Get Fully Funded blog. Reach her at sandy@sandyrees.com