Turcois Ominek is the chief operations officer of FreedomOrg.
Be it tight budgets, staffing shortages, a lack of time, insufficient resources or other challenges, constraints can be all too common in the nonprofit world.
These challenges present barriers. But in my years of leading a nonprofit, I’ve found that they can also be powerful catalysts for innovation and creativity. In my view, nonprofit leaders should reframe constraints as opportunities.
How Constraints Can Lead To More Community-Driven Solutions
When my team and I are faced with limited resources, we’re forced to reimagine how we can reach the communities we serve—and how we deliver positive impact. And when we step back to reimagine our reach and impact, we’re able to form more community-driven solutions.
For instance, at my nonprofit, we have lean programming. We have a base structure that we’re able to scale on top of and adjust with community feedback. Our lean programming has made our involvement with the communities we serve more hands-on. We have volunteer-led leadership, and community members are able to feel a sense of greater ownership over initiatives.
Additionally, since we aren’t always able to hire staff for outreach to the communities we serve, we’ve learned to rely on free digital tools such as Instagram Live to connect with people.
Our limited resources have also pushed us toward cross-sector collaborations with other organizations. This has enabled us to expand our resources, level of engagement and visibility.
Different nonprofits will have different constraints and possible workarounds for those constraints. For example, a small arts nonprofit with a tight budget might lean on free digital tools for its marketing efforts and invite local artists and community members to reshare its content. A food bank facing staffing shortages might build a stronger volunteer pipeline by partnering with local higher education institutions or by launching a grassroots campaign that encourages community members to organize local food drives and volunteer together.
Best Practices For Harnessing Constraints
It’s one thing to acknowledge that constraints can drive creativity and innovation, and it’s another to effectively harness the power of constraints. In my experience, there are several key steps nonprofit leaders can take to do so.
First, it’s important to reframe the narrative. Instead of viewing constraints as setbacks, nonprofit leaders should view them as design challenges. For instance, if a nonprofit doesn’t have enough funding to hire a full-time marketer, that doesn’t mean it can’t do any marketing at all. Maybe instead of hiring a full-time marketing coordinator, the leadership team could launch a paid marketing internship program for some level of support in that area.
Nonprofit leaders should also engage various stakeholders, including staff members, volunteers and community members, during the problem-solving stage. Different perspectives, I’ve found, help create stronger solutions. By getting people involved from within and outside their organizations, nonprofit leaders can expand possible approaches. Local businesses and educational institutions of all levels, in my view, can be effective partners for nonprofits.
Once there are potential solutions, nonprofit leaders should test them quickly and learn from their failures. For example, if a volunteer comes forward with an idea to launch a new community outreach effort on social media, the nonprofit’s leadership could pilot a small-scale version of that idea to see what results it generates before further committing to it.
Nonprofit leaders should also embrace technology as they work to harness constraints. Free versions of workplace communication tools and low-cost design solutions are just two types of technology that can help nonprofits get ahead, even if they have fewer resources.
Finally, nonprofit leaders should build internal cultures that encourage experimentation and risk-taking. I’ve observed that when people feel empowered to experiment and take risks, they’re more likely to work to overcome challenges rather than give up when they encounter them.
The Importance Of Maintaining A Positive Mindset
As nonprofit leaders and their team members work to harness the power of constraints, it’s vital for them to maintain a positive mindset. I know firsthand that this is easier said than done—my team and I have moments when we ourselves think negatively about the barriers our organization faces. But the key for us to get past negative thoughts about constraints is not to let them fester. We address the constraints, find solutions and keep things moving.
At my nonprofit, I could say we’ve thrived in spite of constraints. But on reflection, I realize we’ve actually thrived because of them. The constraints we’ve faced and worked to navigate have helped us be a more authentic, inclusive and impactful organization.
Other nonprofit teams can also thrive because of, not in spite of, their constraints. Not enough funding for a program? Instead of seeking donors who may not align with their organization’s mission, a team could think of ways to lower the costs associated with running that program. Not enough volunteers? The team could reach out to the community it serves and have people from different walks of life sign up to volunteer. Not enough staff expertise in a particular area? The team could partner with local experts or organizations to get insights that will enable them to create a greater impact than going it alone.
Ultimately, nonprofit leaders and their teams are working for their communities. They should start small, stay aligned with their organizations’ missions and place their trust in their communities. And instead of fearing or backing away from constraints, they should be ready to harness their power. Creativity and innovation aren’t about having more—they’re about doing more with what you have.
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